List of governors of Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Governor of Mississippi |
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Style |
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Residence | Mississippi Governor's Mansion |
Term length | Four years, renewable once |
Inaugural holder | David Holmes |
Formation | Constitution of Mississippi |
Succession | Every four years, unless reelected |
Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi |
Salary | $122,160 |
The governor of Mississippi is the head of state and head of government of Mississippi and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Mississippi Legislature, to convene the legislature at any time, and, except in cases of treason or impeachment, to grant pardons and reprieves.
To be elected governor, a person must be at least 30 years old, and must have been a citizen of the United States for twenty years and a resident of Mississippi for at least five years at the time of inauguration. The Constitution of Mississippi, ratified in 1890, calls for a four-year term for the governor, elected via the two-round system since a 2020 referendum. Prior to this, the governor was elected by an electoral college composed of the districts represented in the Mississippi House of Representatives, with a contingent election held in the House in the event no candidate received a majority of district electors. The governor may be reelected once (prior to a 1987 amendment to the state Constitution, governors were limited to one term). The original Constitution of 1817 had only a two-year term for governor; this was expanded to four years in the 1868 Constitution. The lieutenant governor is elected at the same time as the governor and serves as president of the Mississippi Senate. When the office of governor becomes vacant for any reason, the lieutenant governor becomes governor for the remainder of the term.
The governor of Mississippi also appoints the members of the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees.
Contents
Qualifications
Anyone who seeks to be elected Governor of Mississippi must meet the following qualifications:
- Be at least 30 years old
- Be a citizen of the United States for 20 years
- Be a resident of the state five years
History
Since Mississippi became a U.S. state, it has had 54 governors serving 64 distinct terms, including 50 Democrats, 7 Republicans and 7 from other parties. Democrats dominated after retaking control of the state legislature; they passed a Constitution in 1890 that disenfranchised most African Americans, excluding them from the political system for nearly 70 years, effectively making it a one-party state. The state's longest-serving governor was John M. Stone, who served two terms over ten years (his second term was extended to six years by a transitional provision in the 1890 Constitution). The shortest-serving governor was James Whitfield, who served 1+1⁄2 months from 1851 to 1852. 10 governors (David Holmes, Gerard Brandon, Charles Lynch, John A. Quitman, John J. Pettus, Adelbert Ames, John Marshall Stone, Theodore G. Bilbo, Dennis Murphree, and Hugh L. White) have served non-consecutive terms. The current governor is Republican Tate Reeves, who took office January 14, 2020.
Governors of the Territory of Mississippi (1798–1817)
- Prior to the Compact of 1802, parts of what is now Mississippi were claimed by the state of Georgia; see List of governors of Georgia for this period.
- Prior to 1813, the panhandle of Mississippi was part of the Mobile District of the Spanish territory of West Florida; see List of Colonial Governors of Florida.
Democratic-Republican Federalist
No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Winthrop Sargent May 1, 1753 – June 3, 1820 (aged 67) |
May 7, 1798 – May 25, 1801 |
Federalist | ||
2 | William C. C. Claiborne 1773 or 1775 – December 18, 1817 (aged 42 or 44) |
May 25, 1801 – March 1, 1805 |
Democratic-Republican | ||
3 | Robert Williams 1770 – January 25, 1836 (aged 65 or 66) |
March 1, 1805 – March 7, 1809 |
Democratic-Republican | ||
4 | David Holmes March 10, 1769 – August 20, 1832 (aged 63) |
March 7, 1809 – December 10, 1817 |
Democratic-Republican |
Governors of the U.S. state of Mississippi
No party/Provisional Democratic-Republican Democratic Republican Union Democratic Whig
No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | David Holmes March 10, 1769 – August 20, 1832 (aged 63) |
December 10, 1817 – January 5, 1820 |
Democratic-Republican | 1817 | Duncan Stewart | ||||
2 | George Poindexter April 19, 1779 – September 5, 1853 (aged 74) |
January 5, 1820 – January 7, 1822 |
Democratic-Republican | 1819 | James Patton | ||||
3 | Walter Leake May 20, 1762 – November 6, 1825 (aged 63) |
January 7, 1822 – November 17, 1825 |
Democratic-Republican | 1821 | David Dickson | ||||
1823 | Gerard Brandon | ||||||||
4 | Gerard Brandon September 15, 1788 – March 28, 1850 (aged 61) |
November 17, 1825 – January 7, 1826 |
Democratic | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
— | ||||
5 | David Holmes March 10, 1769 – August 20, 1832 (aged 63) |
January 7, 1826 – July 25, 1826 |
Democratic | 1825 | Gerard Brandon | ||||
6 | Gerard Brandon September 15, 1788 – March 28, 1850 (aged 61) |
July 25, 1826 – January 9, 1832 |
Democratic | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
— | ||||
1827 | Abram M. Scott | ||||||||
1829 | |||||||||
7 | Abram M. Scott March 13, 1785 – June 12, 1833 (aged 48) |
January 9, 1832 – July 12, 1833 |
National Republican | 1831 | Fountain Winston | ||||
— | |||||||||
8 | Charles Lynch August 8, 1783 – February 9, 1853 (aged 69) |
July 12, 1833 – November 20, 1833 |
National Republican | — | |||||
9 | Hiram Runnels December 15, 1796 – December 17, 1857 (aged 61) |
November 20, 1833 – November 20, 1835 |
Democratic | 1833 | — | ||||
10 | John A. Quitman September 1, 1798 – July 17, 1858 (aged 59) |
December 3, 1835 – January 7, 1836 |
Whig | — | |||||
11 | Charles Lynch August 8, 1783 – February 9, 1853 (aged 69) |
January 7, 1836 – January 8, 1838 |
Whig | 1835 | — | ||||
12 | Alexander G. McNutt January 3, 1802 – October 22, 1848 (aged 46) |
January 8, 1838 – January 10, 1842 |
Democratic | 1837 | — | ||||
1839 | |||||||||
13 | Tilghman Tucker February 5, 1802 – April 3, 1859 (aged 57) |
January 10, 1842 – January 10, 1844 |
Democratic | 1841 | — | ||||
14 | Albert G. Brown May 31, 1813 – June 12, 1880 (aged 67) |
January 10, 1844 – January 10, 1848 |
Democratic | 1843 | — | ||||
1845 | |||||||||
15 | Joseph W. Matthews 1812 – August 27, 1862 (aged 49 or 50) |
January 10, 1848 – January 10, 1850 |
Democratic | 1847 | — | ||||
16 | John A. Quitman September 1, 1798 – July 17, 1858 (aged 59) |
January 10, 1850 – February 3, 1851 |
Democratic | 1849 | — | ||||
17 | John Isaac Guion November 18, 1802 – June 6, 1855 (aged 52) |
February 3, 1851 – November 4, 1851 |
Democratic | — | |||||
18 | James Whitfield December 15, 1791 – June 25, 1875 (aged 83) |
November 24, 1851 – January 10, 1852 |
Democratic | — | |||||
19 | Henry S. Foote February 28, 1804 – May 19, 1880 (aged 76) |
January 10, 1852 – January 5, 1854 |
Union Democratic | 1851 | — | ||||
20 | John J. Pettus October 9, 1813 – January 25, 1867 (aged 53) |
January 5, 1854 – January 10, 1854 |
Democratic | — | |||||
21 | John J. McRae January 10, 1815 – May 31, 1868 (aged 53) |
January 10, 1854 – November 16, 1857 |
Democratic | 1853 | — | ||||
1855 | |||||||||
22 | William McWillie November 17, 1795 – March 3, 1869 (aged 73) |
November 16, 1857 – November 21, 1859 |
Democratic | 1857 | — | ||||
23 | John J. Pettus October 9, 1813 – January 25, 1867 (aged 53) |
November 21, 1859 – November 16, 1863 |
Democratic | 1859 | — | ||||
1861 | |||||||||
24 | Charles Clark May 24, 1811 – December 18, 1877 (aged 66) |
November 16, 1863 – May 22, 1865 |
Democratic | 1863 | — | ||||
25 | William L. Sharkey July 12, 1798 – March 30, 1873 (aged 74) |
June 13, 1865 – October 16, 1865 |
Provisional | — | |||||
26 | Benjamin G. Humphreys August 26, 1808 – December 20, 1882 (aged 74) |
October 16, 1865 – June 15, 1868 |
Democratic | 1865 | — | ||||
27 | Adelbert Ames October 31, 1835 – April 13, 1933 (aged 97) |
June 15, 1868 – March 10, 1870 |
Military | — | |||||
28 | James L. Alcorn November 4, 1816 – December 19, 1894 (aged 78) |
March 10, 1870 – November 30, 1871 |
Republican | 1869 | Ridgley C. Powers | ||||
29 | Ridgley C. Powers December 24, 1836 – November 11, 1912 (aged 75) |
November 30, 1871 – January 4, 1874 |
Republican | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Alexander K. Davis | ||||
30 | Adelbert Ames October 31, 1835 – April 13, 1933 (aged 97) |
January 4, 1874 – March 29, 1876 |
Republican | 1873 | |||||
31 | John Marshall Stone April 30, 1830 – March 26, 1900 (aged 69) |
March 29, 1876 – January 29, 1882 |
Democratic | — | |||||
1877 | William H. Sims | ||||||||
32 | Robert Lowry March 10, 1829 – January 19, 1910 (aged 80) |
January 2, 1882 – January 13, 1890 |
Democratic | 1881 | G. D. Shands | ||||
1885 | |||||||||
33 | John Marshall Stone April 30, 1830 – March 26, 1900 (aged 69) |
January 13, 1890 – January 20, 1896 |
Democratic | 1889 | M. M. Evans | ||||
34 | Anselm J. McLaurin March 26, 1848 – December 22, 1909 (aged 61) |
January 20, 1896 – January 16, 1900 |
Democratic | 1895 | J. H. Jones | ||||
35 | Andrew H. Longino May 16, 1854 – February 24, 1942 (aged 87) |
January 16, 1900 – January 19, 1904 |
Democratic | 1899 | James T. Harrison | ||||
36 | James K. Vardaman July 26, 1861 – June 25, 1930 (aged 68) |
January 19, 1904 – January 21, 1908 |
Democratic | 1903 | John Prentiss Carter | ||||
37 | Edmond Noel March 4, 1856 – July 30, 1927 (aged 71) |
January 21, 1908 – January 16, 1912 |
Democratic | 1907 | Luther Manship | ||||
38 | Earl L. Brewer August 11, 1869 – March 10, 1942 (aged 72) |
January 16, 1912 – January 18, 1916 |
Democratic | 1911 | Theodore G. Bilbo | ||||
39 | Theodore G. Bilbo October 13, 1877 – August 21, 1947 (aged 69) |
January 18, 1916 – January 18, 1920 |
Democratic | 1915 | Lee M. Russell | ||||
40 | Lee M. Russell November 16, 1875 – May 16, 1943 (aged 67) |
January 18, 1920 – January 18, 1924 |
Democratic | 1919 | Homer H. Casteel | ||||
41 | Henry L. Whitfield June 20, 1868 – March 18, 1927 (aged 58) |
January 22, 1924 – March 18, 1927 |
Democratic | 1923 | Dennis Murphree | ||||
42 | Dennis Murphree January 6, 1886 – February 9, 1949 (aged 63) |
March 18, 1927 – January 16, 1928 |
Democratic | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
— | ||||
43 | Theodore G. Bilbo October 13, 1877 – August 21, 1947 (aged 69) |
January 16, 1928 – January 19, 1932 |
Democratic | 1927 | Cayton B. Adam | ||||
44 | Martin Sennet Conner August 31, 1891 – September 16, 1950 (aged 59) |
January 19, 1932 – January 21, 1936 |
Democratic | 1931 | Dennis Murphree | ||||
45 | Hugh L. White August 19, 1881 – September 20, 1965 (aged 84) |
January 21, 1936 – January 16, 1940 |
Democratic | 1935 | Jacob Buehler Snider | ||||
46 | Paul B. Johnson Sr. March 23, 1880 – December 26, 1943 (aged 63) |
January 16, 1940 – December 26, 1943 |
Democratic | 1939 | Dennis Murphree | ||||
47 | Dennis Murphree January 6, 1886 – February 9, 1949 (aged 63) |
December 26, 1943 – January 18, 1944 |
Democratic | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
— | ||||
48 | Thomas L. Bailey January 6, 1888 – November 2, 1946 (aged 58) |
January 18, 1944 – November 2, 1946 |
Democratic | 1943 | Fielding L. Wright | ||||
49/50 | Fielding L. Wright May 16, 1895 – May 4, 1956 (aged 60) |
November 2, 1946 – January 22, 1952 |
Democratic | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
— | ||||
1947 | Sam Lumpkin | ||||||||
51 | Hugh L. White August 19, 1881 – September 20, 1965 (aged 84) |
January 22, 1952 – January 17, 1956 |
Democratic | 1951 | Carroll Gartin | ||||
52 | James P. Coleman January 9, 1914 – September 28, 1991 (aged 77) |
January 17, 1956 – January 19, 1960 |
Democratic | 1955 | |||||
53 | Ross Barnett January 22, 1898 – November 6, 1987 (aged 89) |
January 19, 1960 – January 21, 1964 |
Democratic | 1959 | Paul B. Johnson, Jr. | ||||
54 | Paul B. Johnson Jr. January 23, 1916 – October 14, 1985 (aged 69) |
January 21, 1964 – January 16, 1968 |
Democratic | 1963 | Carroll Gartin | ||||
— | |||||||||
55 | John Bell Williams December 4, 1918 – March 25, 1983 (aged 64) |
January 16, 1968 – January 18, 1972 |
Democratic | 1967 | Charles L. Sullivan | ||||
56 | Bill Waller October 21, 1926 – November 30, 2011 (aged 85) |
January 18, 1972 – January 20, 1976 |
Democratic | 1971 | William F. Winter | ||||
57 | Cliff Finch April 4, 1927 – April 22, 1986 (aged 59) |
January 20, 1976 – January 22, 1980 |
Democratic | 1975 | Evelyn Gandy | ||||
58 | William Winter February 21, 1923 – December 18, 2020 (aged 97) |
January 22, 1980 – January 10, 1984 |
Democratic | 1979 | Brad Dye | ||||
59 | William Allain February 14, 1928 – December 2, 2013 (aged 85) |
January 10, 1984 – January 12, 1988 |
Democratic | 1983 | |||||
60 | Ray Mabus October 11, 1948 |
January 12, 1988 – January 14, 1992 |
Democratic | 1987 | |||||
61 | Kirk Fordice February 10, 1934 – September 7, 2004 (aged 70) |
January 14, 1992 – January 11, 2000 |
Republican | 1991 | Eddie Briggs | ||||
1995 | Ronnie Musgrove | ||||||||
62 | Ronnie Musgrove July 29, 1956 |
January 11, 2000 – January 13, 2004 |
Democratic | 1999 | Amy Tuck | ||||
63 | Haley Barbour October 22, 1947 |
January 13, 2004 – January 10, 2012 |
Republican | 2003 | |||||
2007 | Phil Bryant | ||||||||
64 | Phil Bryant December 9, 1954 |
January 10, 2012 – January 14, 2020 |
Republican | 2011 | Tate Reeves | ||||
2015 | |||||||||
65 | Tate Reeves June 5, 1974 |
January 14, 2020 – Incumbent |
Republican | 2019 | Delbert Hosemann |
Succession
Other high offices held
This is a table of congressional, confederate, other governorships, and other federal offices held by governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented Mississippi except where noted. * denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take.
Governor | Gubernatorial term | U.S. Congress | Other offices held | |
---|---|---|---|---|
House | Senate | |||
William C. C. Claiborne | 1801–1805 (territorial) | U.S. Representative from Tennessee, U.S. Senator from Louisiana, Governor of Orleans Territory, Governor of Louisiana | ||
Robert Williams | 1805–1809 (territorial) | U.S. Representative from North Carolina | ||
David Holmes (politician) | 1809–1820 1826 |
S | U.S. Representative from Virginia | |
George Poindexter | 1820–1822 | H | S | Territorial Delegate, President pro tempore of the Senate |
Walter Leake | 1822–1825 | S | ||
John A. Quitman | 1835–1836 1850–1851 |
H | ||
Tilghman Tucker | 1842–1844 | H | ||
Albert G. Brown | 1844–1848 | H | S | Confederate Senator |
Henry S. Foote | 1852–1854 | S | Confederate Representative from Tennessee | |
John J. McRae | 1854–1857 | H | S | Confederate Representative |
William McWillie | 1857–1859 | H | ||
Adelbert Ames | 1868–1870 1874–1876 |
S | ||
James L. Alcorn | 1870–1871 | S* | ||
Anselm J. McLaurin | 1896–1900 | S | ||
James K. Vardaman | 1904–1908 | S | ||
Theodore G. Bilbo | 1916–1920 1928–1932 |
S | ||
Paul B. Johnson, Sr. | 1940–1943 | H | ||
James P. Coleman | 1956–1960 | Fifth Circuit Court Judge | ||
John Bell Williams | 1968–1972 | H | ||
Ray Mabus | 1988–1992 | Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, United States Secretary of the Navy |
See also
- Mississippi
- List of lieutenant governors of Mississippi