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 |
Formation | Constitution of Mississippi |
Succession | Line of succession |
Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi |
Salary | $122,160 |
The governor of Mississippi is like the chief executive officer for the state of Mississippi. They are the main leader of the state government and also the commander-in-chief of Mississippi's military forces, known as the Mississippi National Guard.
The governor's job is to make sure state laws are followed. They can also approve or reject new laws passed by the Mississippi Legislature. The governor can call the legislature together for special meetings. They also have the power to grant pardons (forgive someone for a crime) or delay punishments, except in cases of treason or impeachment.
To become governor, a person must be at least 30 years old. They must have been a United States citizen for 20 years. They also need to have lived in Mississippi for at least five years before they start their term.
The governor serves a four-year term. Since a vote in 2020, they are elected using a two-round system. This means if no candidate gets more than half the votes in the first election, the top two candidates have a second election. Before 2020, a different system was used. The governor can serve two terms in a row. If the governor's office becomes empty for any reason, the lieutenant governor takes over.
The current governor of Mississippi is Tate Reeves. He is a member of the Mississippi Republican Party and started his term on January 14, 2020.
Contents
History of Mississippi's Governors
The role of governor has changed over time in Mississippi.
Governors of Mississippi Territory
Before Mississippi became a state, it was a territory. The Mississippi Territory was created on April 7, 1798. It had four governors who were chosen by the president of the United States. One of these territorial governors, David Holmes, later became the first state governor.
No. | Governor | Term in office | Appointed by | |
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1 | ![]() |
Winthrop Sargent (1753–1820) |
May 7, 1798 – May 25, 1801 |
John Adams |
2 | ![]() |
William C. C. Claiborne (d. 1817) |
May 25, 1801 – March 2, 1805 |
Thomas Jefferson |
3 | ![]() |
Robert Williams (1770–1836) |
March 2, 1805 – March 7, 1809 |
Thomas Jefferson |
4 | ![]() |
David Holmes (1769–1832) |
March 7, 1809 – October 7, 1817 |
James Madison |
Governors of the State of Mississippi
Mississippi officially became a state on December 10, 1817. It later left the United States on January 9, 1861, and joined the Confederate States of America. After the American Civil War, Mississippi rejoined the Union on February 23, 1870.
The state's constitution, written in 1890, set the governor's term at four years. Before 1986, governors could not serve two terms in a row. A change in 1986 allowed them to be re-elected once. The office of lieutenant governor was created in 1817, removed for a time, and then brought back in 1868.
Here are some of the governors who have served Mississippi since it became a state:
No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||
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1 | ![]() |
David Holmes (1769–1832) |
October 7, 1817 – January 5, 1820 |
Democratic- Republican |
1817 | Duncan Stewart | ||
2 | ![]() |
George Poindexter (1779–1853) |
January 5, 1820 – January 7, 1822 |
Democratic- Republican |
1819 | James Patton | ||
3 | ![]() |
Walter Leake (1762–1825) |
January 7, 1822 – November 17, 1825 (died in office) |
Democratic- Republican |
1821 | David C. Dickson | ||
1823 | Gerard Brandon | |||||||
4 | ![]() |
Gerard Brandon (1788–1850) |
November 17, 1825 – January 7, 1826 |
Democratic- Republican |
Lieutenant governor acting |
Acting as governor | ||
5 | ![]() |
David Holmes (1769–1832) |
January 7, 1826 – July 25, 1826 (resigned) |
Democratic- Republican |
1825 | Gerard Brandon | ||
6 | ![]() |
Gerard Brandon (1788–1850) |
July 25, 1826 – January 9, 1832 |
Democratic- Republican |
Lieutenant governor acting |
Acting as governor | ||
1827 | Abram M. Scott | |||||||
1829 | ||||||||
7 | ![]() |
Abram M. Scott (1785–1833) |
January 9, 1832 – June 12, 1833 (died in office) |
National Republican |
1831 | Fountain Winston (office abolished October 26, 1832) |
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Office did not exist | ||||||||
8 | ![]() |
Charles Lynch (1783–1853) |
June 12, 1833 – November 21, 1833 |
Whig | President of the Senate acting |
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9 | ![]() |
Hiram Runnels (1796–1857) |
November 21, 1833 – November 21, 1835 |
Democratic | 1833 | |||
10 | ![]() |
John A. Quitman (1798–1858) |
December 3, 1835 – January 7, 1836 |
Democratic | President of the Senate acting |
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11 | ![]() |
Charles Lynch (1783–1853) |
January 7, 1836 – January 8, 1838 |
Whig | 1835 | |||
12 | ![]() |
Alexander G. McNutt (1802–1848) |
January 8, 1838 – January 9, 1842 |
Democratic | 1837 | |||
1839 | ||||||||
13 | ![]() |
Tilghman Tucker (1802–1859) |
January 10, 1842 – January 10, 1844 |
Democratic | 1841 | |||
14 | ![]() |
Albert G. Brown (1813–1880) |
January 10, 1844 – January 10, 1848 |
Democratic | 1843 | |||
1845 | ||||||||
15 | ![]() |
Joseph W. Matthews (1812–1862) |
January 10, 1848 – January 10, 1850 |
Democratic | 1847 | |||
16 | ![]() |
John A. Quitman (1798–1858) |
January 10, 1850 – February 3, 1851 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1849 | |||
17 | ![]() |
John Isaac Guion (1802–1855) |
February 3, 1851 – November 4, 1851 |
Democratic | President of the Senate acting |
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18 | ![]() |
James Whitfield (1791–1875) |
November 25, 1851 – January 10, 1852 |
Democratic | President of the Senate acting |
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19 | ![]() |
Henry S. Foote (1804–1880) |
January 10, 1852 – January 5, 1854 (resigned) |
Union Democratic |
1851 | |||
20 | ![]() |
John J. Pettus (1813–1867) |
January 5, 1854 – January 10, 1854 |
Democratic | President of the Senate acting |
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21 | ![]() |
John J. McRae (1815–1868) |
January 10, 1854 – November 16, 1857 |
Democratic | 1853 | |||
1855 | ||||||||
22 | ![]() |
William McWillie (1795–1869) |
November 16, 1857 – November 21, 1859 |
Democratic | 1857 | |||
23 | ![]() |
John J. Pettus (1813–1867) |
November 21, 1859 – November 16, 1863 |
Democratic | 1859 | |||
1861 | ||||||||
24 | ![]() |
Charles Clark (1811–1877) |
November 16, 1863 – May 22, 1865 (arrested and removed) |
Democratic | 1863 | |||
25 | ![]() |
William L. Sharkey (1798–1873) |
June 13, 1865 – October 16, 1865 |
Provisional governor appointed by President |
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26 | ![]() |
Benjamin G. Humphreys (1808–1882) |
October 16, 1865 – June 15, 1868 (removed) |
Non-partisan | 1865 | |||
27 | ![]() |
Adelbert Ames (1835–1933) |
June 15, 1868 – March 10, 1870 |
Provisional governor appointed by military occupation |
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28 | ![]() |
James L. Alcorn (1816–1894) |
March 10, 1870 – November 30, 1871 (resigned) |
Republican | 1869 | Ridgley C. Powers | ||
29 | ![]() |
Ridgley C. Powers (1836–1912) |
November 30, 1871 – January 22, 1874 |
Republican | Lieutenant governor acting |
Acting as governor | ||
30 | ![]() |
Adelbert Ames (1835–1933) |
January 22, 1874 – March 29, 1876 (resigned) |
Republican | 1873 | Alexander Kelso Davis (impeached and removed) |
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Vacant | ||||||||
31 | ![]() |
John Marshall Stone (1830–1900) |
March 29, 1876 – January 9, 1882 |
Democratic | President of the Senate acting |
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1877 | William H. Sims | |||||||
32 | ![]() |
Robert Lowry (1829–1910) |
January 9, 1882 – January 13, 1890 |
Democratic | 1881 | G. D. Shands | ||
1885 | ||||||||
33 | ![]() |
John Marshall Stone (1830–1900) |
January 13, 1890 – January 21, 1896 |
Democratic | 1889 | M. M. Evans | ||
34 | ![]() |
Anselm J. McLaurin (1848–1909) |
January 21, 1896 – January 16, 1900 |
Democratic | 1895 | J. H. Jones | ||
35 | ![]() |
Andrew H. Longino (1854–1942) |
January 16, 1900 – January 19, 1904 |
Democratic | 1899 | James T. Harrison | ||
36 | ![]() |
James K. Vardaman (1861–1930) |
January 19, 1904 – January 21, 1908 |
Democratic | 1903 | John Prentiss Carter | ||
37 | ![]() |
Edmond Noel (1856–1927) |
January 21, 1908 – January 16, 1912 |
Democratic | 1907 | Luther Manship | ||
38 | ![]() |
Earl L. Brewer (1869–1942) |
January 16, 1912 – January 18, 1916 |
Democratic | 1911 | Theodore G. Bilbo | ||
39 | ![]() |
Theodore G. Bilbo (1877–1947) |
January 18, 1916 – January 18, 1920 |
Democratic | 1915 | Lee M. Russell | ||
40 | ![]() |
Lee M. Russell (1875–1943) |
January 20, 1920 – January 22, 1924 |
Democratic | 1919 | Homer Casteel | ||
41 | ![]() |
Henry L. Whitfield (1868–1927) |
January 22, 1924 – March 18, 1927 (died in office) |
Democratic | 1923 | Dennis Murphree | ||
42 | ![]() |
Dennis Murphree (1886–1949) |
March 18, 1927 – January 17, 1928 |
Democratic | Lieutenant governor acting |
Acting as governor | ||
43 | ![]() |
Theodore G. Bilbo (1877–1947) |
January 17, 1928 – January 19, 1932 |
Democratic | 1927 | Bidwell Adam | ||
44 | ![]() |
Martin Sennet Conner (1891–1950) |
January 19, 1932 – January 21, 1936 |
Democratic | 1931 | Dennis Murphree | ||
45 | ![]() |
Hugh L. White (1881–1965) |
January 21, 1936 – January 16, 1940 |
Democratic | 1935 | Jacob Buehler Snider | ||
46 | ![]() |
Paul B. Johnson Sr. (1880–1943) |
January 16, 1940 – December 26, 1943 (died in office) |
Democratic | 1939 | Dennis Murphree | ||
47 | ![]() |
Dennis Murphree (1886–1949) |
December 26, 1943 – January 18, 1944 |
Democratic | Lieutenant governor acting |
Acting as governor | ||
48 | ![]() |
Thomas L. Bailey (1888–1946) |
January 18, 1944 – November 2, 1946 (died in office) |
Democratic | 1943 | Fielding L. Wright | ||
49 | ![]() |
Fielding L. Wright (1895–1956) |
November 2, 1946 – January 22, 1952 |
Democratic | Lieutenant governor acting |
Acting as governor | ||
50 | 1947 | Sam Lumpkin | ||||||
51 | ![]() |
Hugh L. White (1881–1965) |
January 22, 1952 – January 17, 1956 |
Democratic | 1951 | Carroll Gartin | ||
52 | ![]() |
James P. Coleman (1914–1991) |
January 17, 1956 – January 19, 1960 |
Democratic | 1955 | |||
53 | ![]() |
Ross Barnett (1898–1987) |
January 19, 1960 – January 21, 1964 |
Democratic | 1959 | Paul B. Johnson Jr. | ||
54 | ![]() |
Paul B. Johnson Jr. (1916–1985) |
January 21, 1964 – January 16, 1968 |
Democratic | 1963 | Carroll Gartin (died December 19, 1966) |
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Vacant | ||||||||
55 | ![]() |
John Bell Williams (1918–1983) |
January 16, 1968 – January 18, 1972 |
Democratic | 1967 | Charles L. Sullivan | ||
56 | ![]() |
Bill Waller (1926–2011) |
January 18, 1972 – January 20, 1976 |
Democratic | 1971 | William F. Winter | ||
57 | ![]() |
Cliff Finch (1927–1986) |
January 20, 1976 – January 22, 1980 |
Democratic | 1975 | Evelyn Gandy | ||
58 | ![]() |
William F. Winter (1923–2020) |
January 22, 1980 – January 10, 1984 |
Democratic | 1979 | Brad Dye | ||
59 | ![]() |
William Allain (1928–2013) |
January 10, 1984 – January 12, 1988 |
Democratic | 1983 | |||
60 | ![]() |
Ray Mabus (b. 1948) |
January 12, 1988 – January 14, 1992 |
Democratic | 1987 | |||
61 | ![]() |
Kirk Fordice (1934–2004) |
January 14, 1992 – January 11, 2000 |
Republican | 1991 | Eddie Briggs | ||
1995 | Ronnie Musgrove | |||||||
62 | ![]() |
Ronnie Musgrove (b. 1956) |
January 11, 2000 – January 13, 2004 |
Democratic | 1999 | Amy Tuck | ||
63 | ![]() |
Haley Barbour (b. 1947) |
January 13, 2004 – January 10, 2012 |
Republican | 2003 | |||
2007 | Phil Bryant | |||||||
64 | ![]() |
Phil Bryant (b. 1954) |
January 10, 2012 – January 14, 2020 |
Republican | 2011 | Tate Reeves | ||
2015 | ||||||||
65 | ![]() |
Tate Reeves (b. 1974) |
January 14, 2020 – Incumbent |
Republican | 2019 | Delbert Hosemann | ||
2023 |
See also
- List of lieutenant governors of Mississippi
- Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Mississippi
- List of Mississippi state legislatures