List of governors of Mississippi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Governor of Mississippi
Seal of Mississippi
Incumbent Tate Reeves since January 14, 2020
Style	Governor (informal) The Honorable (formal)
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.

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.

Governors of Mississippi Territory

No.	Governor		Term in office	Appointed by
1		Winthrop Sargent (1753–1820)	May 7, 1798 – May 25, 1801	Adams, JohnJohn Adams
2		William C. C. Claiborne (d. 1817)	May 25, 1801 – March 2, 1805	Jefferson, ThomasThomas Jefferson
3		Robert Williams (1770–1836)	March 2, 1805 – March 7, 1809	Jefferson, ThomasThomas Jefferson
4		David Holmes (1769–1832)	March 7, 1809 – October 7, 1817	Madison, JamesJames 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:

Governors of the State of Mississippi

No.	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor
1			David Holmes (1769–1832)	October 7, 1817 – January 5, 1820	Democratic- Republican	1817		Stewart, DuncanDuncan Stewart
2			George Poindexter (1779–1853)	January 5, 1820 – January 7, 1822	Democratic- Republican	1819		Patton, JamesJames Patton
3			Walter Leake (1762–1825)	January 7, 1822 – November 17, 1825 (died in office)	Democratic- Republican	1821		Dickson, David C.David C. Dickson
						1823		Brandon, GerardGerard 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		Brandon, GerardGerard Brandon
6			Gerard Brandon (1788–1850)	July 25, 1826 – January 9, 1832	Democratic- Republican	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
						1827		Scott, Abram M.Abram M. Scott
						1829
7			Abram M. Scott (1785–1833)	January 9, 1832 – June 12, 1833 (died in office)	National Republican	1831		Winston, FountainFountain Winston (office abolished October 26, 1832)
							Office did not exist
8			Charles Lynch (1783–1853)	June 12, 1833 – November 21, 1833	Whig	President of the Senate acting
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
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
18			James Whitfield (1791–1875)	November 25, 1851 – January 10, 1852	Democratic	President of the Senate acting
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
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
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
28			James L. Alcorn (1816–1894)	March 10, 1870 – November 30, 1871 (resigned)	Republican	1869		Powers, Ridgley C.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		Davis, Alexander KelsoAlexander Kelso Davis (impeached and removed)
							Vacant
31			John Marshall Stone (1830–1900)	March 29, 1876 – January 9, 1882	Democratic	President of the Senate acting
						1877		Sims, William H.William H. Sims
32			Robert Lowry (1829–1910)	January 9, 1882 – January 13, 1890	Democratic	1881		Shands, G. D.G. D. Shands
						1885
33			John Marshall Stone (1830–1900)	January 13, 1890 – January 21, 1896	Democratic	1889		Evans, M. M.M. M. Evans
34			Anselm J. McLaurin (1848–1909)	January 21, 1896 – January 16, 1900	Democratic	1895		Jones, J. H.J. H. Jones
35			Andrew H. Longino (1854–1942)	January 16, 1900 – January 19, 1904	Democratic	1899		Harrison, James T.James T. Harrison
36			James K. Vardaman (1861–1930)	January 19, 1904 – January 21, 1908	Democratic	1903		Carter, John PrentissJohn Prentiss Carter
37			Edmond Noel (1856–1927)	January 21, 1908 – January 16, 1912	Democratic	1907		Manship, LutherLuther Manship
38			Earl L. Brewer (1869–1942)	January 16, 1912 – January 18, 1916	Democratic	1911		Bilbo, Theodore G.Theodore G. Bilbo
39			Theodore G. Bilbo (1877–1947)	January 18, 1916 – January 18, 1920	Democratic	1915		Russell, Lee M.Lee M. Russell
40			Lee M. Russell (1875–1943)	January 20, 1920 – January 22, 1924	Democratic	1919		Casteel, HomerHomer Casteel
41			Henry L. Whitfield (1868–1927)	January 22, 1924 – March 18, 1927 (died in office)	Democratic	1923		Murphree, DennisDennis 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		Adam, BidwellBidwell Adam
44			Martin Sennet Conner (1891–1950)	January 19, 1932 – January 21, 1936	Democratic	1931		Murphree, DennisDennis Murphree
45			Hugh L. White (1881–1965)	January 21, 1936 – January 16, 1940	Democratic	1935		Snider, Jacob BuehlerJacob Buehler Snider
46			Paul B. Johnson Sr. (1880–1943)	January 16, 1940 – December 26, 1943 (died in office)	Democratic	1939		Murphree, DennisDennis 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		Wright, Fielding L.Fielding L. Wright
49			Fielding L. Wright (1895–1956)	November 2, 1946 – January 22, 1952	Democratic	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
50						1947		Lumpkin, SamSam Lumpkin
51			Hugh L. White (1881–1965)	January 22, 1952 – January 17, 1956	Democratic	1951		Gartin, CarrollCarroll 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		Johnson Jr., Paul B.Paul B. Johnson Jr.
54			Paul B. Johnson Jr. (1916–1985)	January 21, 1964 – January 16, 1968	Democratic	1963		Gartin, CarrollCarroll Gartin (died December 19, 1966)
							Vacant
55			John Bell Williams (1918–1983)	January 16, 1968 – January 18, 1972	Democratic	1967		Sullivan, Charles L.Charles L. Sullivan
56			Bill Waller (1926–2011)	January 18, 1972 – January 20, 1976	Democratic	1971		Winter, William F.William F. Winter
57			Cliff Finch (1927–1986)	January 20, 1976 – January 22, 1980	Democratic	1975		Gandy, EvelynEvelyn Gandy
58			William F. Winter (1923–2020)	January 22, 1980 – January 10, 1984	Democratic	1979		Dye, BradBrad 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		Briggs, EddieEddie Briggs
						1995		Musgrove, RonnieRonnie Musgrove
62			Ronnie Musgrove (b. 1956)	January 11, 2000 – January 13, 2004	Democratic	1999		Tuck, AmyAmy Tuck
63			Haley Barbour (b. 1947)	January 13, 2004 – January 10, 2012	Republican	2003
						2007		Bryant, PhilPhil Bryant
64			Phil Bryant (b. 1954)	January 10, 2012 – January 14, 2020	Republican	2011		Reeves, TateTate Reeves
						2015
65			Tate Reeves (b. 1974)	January 14, 2020 – Incumbent	Republican	2019		Hosemann, DelbertDelbert Hosemann
						2023

See also

• List of lieutenant governors of Mississippi
• Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Mississippi
• List of Mississippi state legislatures