List of governors of Montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Governor of Montana |
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Style | The Honorable |
Residence | Montana Governor's Residence |
Term length | Four years, renewable once (limited to eight years in a sixteen year period) |
Constituting instrument | Montana Constitution of 1889 |
Inaugural holder | Joseph K. Toole |
Formation | November 8, 1889 |
Succession | Every four years, unless re-elected. |
Salary | $108,167 (2013) |
The governor of Montana is the head of government of Montana and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Montana State Legislature, to convene the legislature at any time, and to grant pardons and reprieves.
The current Montana Constitution, ratified in 1972, calls for a 4-year term for the governor, commencing on the first Monday in January following an election. The governor is term-limited to 8 years in any 16-year period. The constitution provides for the election of a lieutenant governor for the same term as the governor. The two offices are elected on the same ticket; a provision which did not appear in the state's first constitution, ratified in 1889. In the event of a vacancy in the office of governor due to resignation, disqualification, or death, the lieutenant governor becomes governor for the remainder of the term. If the governor is unable to perform his duties for any other reason, the lieutenant governor may become acting governor at the discretion of the state legislature. The 1889 constitution made the lieutenant governor president of the state senate, but this provision was removed in the 1972 constitution.
Montana has had 24 governors (ten of whom were actually born within state boundaries), consisting of 9 Republicans and 15 Democrats. The longest-serving governor was Joseph Toole, who served from 1889 to 1893 and again from 1901 until his resignation in 1908 with 11 years in office. He is the only governor to serve nonconsecutive terms. The shortest-serving governor was Elmer Holt, who served less than 13 months when the previous governor died. The current governor is Republican Greg Gianforte, who took office on January 4, 2021.
Contents
Qualifications
Anyone who seeks to be elected Governor of Montana must meet the following qualifications:
- Be at least 25 years of age or older at the time of election
- Be a citizen of the United States
- have resided within the state at least two years at his or her election
Governors
Prior to the creation of Montana Territory (1864–1889), numerous areas of what is now Montana were areas of Oregon Territory (1848–1859), Washington Territory (1853–1863), Idaho Territory (1863–1864), and Dakota Territory (1861–1864).
Governors of the Territory of Montana
NOTE: Term dates are for the full, official term of office, see notes column for clarification of dates when men served as governor.
Republican (6) Democratic (3) |
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No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Appointed by | Notes | ||||
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1 | Sidney Edgerton April 3, 1833 – November 27, 1899 (aged 66) |
June 22, 1864 – July 12, 1866 |
Republican | Abraham Lincoln | Left for Washington, DC in September 1865 to settle federal accounts, obtain federal funding, and obtain reimbursement for personal funds spent on behalf of Montana's government. Resigned after funding issue remained unresolved. | ||||
— | Thomas Francis Meagher (acting) 3 August 1823 – 1 July 1867 (aged 43) |
September 1865 – October 3, 1866 |
Democratic | — | As Secretary of the Territory, he acted as governor in place of Gov. Edgerton while he was out of the Territory. He also acted in place of Gov. Smith until he arrived to assume his duties. | ||||
2 | Green Clay Smith July 4, 1826 – June 29, 1895 (aged 68) |
October 3, 1866 – April 9, 1869 |
Democratic | Andrew Johnson | Left Montana in July 1868 to settle federal accounts and obtain federal funds following Thomas F. Meagher's death; remained in Washington, DC. He was ordained as a Baptist minister and became a temperance activist. Officially resigned in April 1869. | ||||
— | James Tufts (acting) September 19, 1829 – August 18, 1884 (aged 54) |
March 1869 – April 9, 1869 |
Republican | — | Acted as governor from July 1868, when Green Clay Smith left for Washington, DC to April 1869 when James M. Ashley arrived. | ||||
3 | James Mitchell Ashley November 14, 1824 – September 16, 1896 (aged 71) |
April 9, 1869 – July 12, 1870 |
Republican | Ulysses S. Grant | Refusal to include Democrats in appointments made him unpopular; opponents then accused him of criticizing Grant administration policies, resulting in Grant removing him. | ||||
— | Wiley Scribner (acting) September 6, 1840 – September 28, 1889 (aged 49) |
December 1869 – August 1870 |
Republican | — | Acted as governor until arrival of Benjamin F. Potts. | ||||
4 | Benjamin F. Potts January 29, 1836 – June 17, 1887 (aged 51) |
July 13, 1870 – January 14, 1883 |
Republican | Ulysses S. Grant | Term expired, July 1882. Potts remained in office until successor J. Schuyler Crosby arrived in Montana in January 1883. | ||||
5 | John Schuyler Crosby September 19, 1839 – August 8, 1914 (aged 74) |
January 15, 1883 – December 15, 1884 |
Republican | Chester A. Arthur | Resigned to accept appointment as First Assistant Postmaster General. | ||||
6 | B. Platt Carpenter May 14, 1837 – December 24, 1921 (aged 84) |
December 16, 1884 – July 13, 1885 |
Republican | Chester A. Arthur | Replaced when Democrat Grover Cleveland succeeded Republican President Chester A. Arthur. | ||||
7 | Samuel Thomas Hauser January 10, 1833 – November 10, 1914 (aged 81) |
July 14, 1885 – February 7, 1887 |
Democratic | Grover Cleveland | Resigned in order to concentrate on management of business and banking interests. | ||||
8 | Preston Leslie March 8, 1819 – February 7, 1907 (aged 87) |
February 8, 1887 – April 8, 1889 |
Democratic | Grover Cleveland | Pro-temperance stance and policy disagreements with Republicans in territorial legislature caused legislators to request his replacement. Later served as Montana's U.S. Attorney and president of the state bar association. | ||||
9 | Benjamin F. White December 3, 1838 – December 4, 1920 (aged 82) |
April 9, 1889 – November 8, 1889 |
Republican | Benjamin Harrison | Term ended when Montana attained statehood. Later served as Speaker of the Montana House of Representatives and a member of the Montana Senate. |
Governors of the State of Montana
Republican (15) Democratic (10) |
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No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | ||||
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1 | Joseph Toole May 12, 1851 – March 11, 1929 (aged 77) |
November 8, 1889 – January 1, 1893 |
Democratic | 1889 | John E. Rickards | ||||
2 | John E. Rickards July 23, 1848 – December 26, 1927 (aged 79) |
January 2, 1893 – January 3, 1897 |
Republican | 1892 | Alexander C. Botkin | ||||
3 | Robert Burns Smith December 29, 1854 – November 16, 1908 (aged 53) |
January 4, 1897 – January 7, 1901 |
Democratic | 1896 | A. E. Spriggs | ||||
4 | Joseph Toole May 12, 1851 – March 11, 1929 (aged 77) |
January 7, 1901 – April 1, 1908 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1900 | Frank G. Higgins | ||||
1904 | Edwin L. Norris | ||||||||
5 | Edwin L. Norris August 15, 1865 – April 25, 1924 (aged 58) |
April 1, 1908 – January 5, 1913 |
Democratic | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Benjamin F. White | ||||
1908 | William R. Allen | ||||||||
6 | Sam V. Stewart August 2, 1872 – September 15, 1939 (aged 67) |
January 6, 1913 – January 2, 1921 |
Democratic | 1912 | W.W. McDowell | ||||
1916 | |||||||||
7 | Joseph M. Dixon July 31, 1867 – May 22, 1934 (aged 66) |
January 3, 1921 – January 4, 1925 |
Republican | 1920 | Nelson Story, Jr. | ||||
8 | John E. Erickson March 14, 1863 – May 25, 1946 (aged 83) |
January 4, 1925 – March 13, 1933 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1924 | W. S. McCormack | ||||
1928 | Frank A. Hazelbaker | ||||||||
1932 | Frank Henry Cooney | ||||||||
9 | Frank Henry Cooney December 31, 1872 – December 15, 1935 (aged 62) |
March 13, 1933 – December 15, 1935 |
Democratic | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Tom Kane | ||||
Ernest T. Eaton | |||||||||
Elmer Holt | |||||||||
10 | Elmer Holt October 14, 1884 – March 1, 1945 (aged 60) |
December 15, 1935 – January 4, 1937 |
Democratic | Succeeded from President of the Senate |
William P. Pilgeram | ||||
11 | Roy E. Ayers November 9, 1882 – May 23, 1955 (aged 72) |
January 4, 1937 – January 6, 1941 |
Democratic | 1936 | Hugh R. Adair | ||||
12 | Sam C. Ford November 7, 1882 – November 25, 1961 (aged 79) |
January 6, 1941 – January 3, 1949 |
Republican | 1940 | Ernest T. Eaton | ||||
1944 | |||||||||
13 | John W. Bonner July 16, 1902 – March 28, 1970 (aged 67) |
January 3, 1949 – January 5, 1953 |
Democratic | 1948 | Paul C. Cannon | ||||
14 | J. Hugo Aronson September 1, 1891 – February 25, 1978 (aged 86) |
January 5, 1953 – January 2, 1961 |
Republican | 1952 | George M. Gosman | ||||
1956 | Paul C. Cannon | ||||||||
15 | Donald Grant Nutter November 28, 1915 – January 25, 1962 (aged 46) |
January 2, 1961 – January 25, 1962 (died in office) |
Republican | 1960 | Tim M. Babcock | ||||
16 | Tim Babcock October 27, 1919 – April 7, 2015 (aged 95) |
January 25, 1962 – January 6, 1969 |
Republican | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
David F. James | ||||
1964 | Ted James | ||||||||
17 | Forrest H. Anderson January 30, 1913 – July 20, 1989 (aged 76) |
January 6, 1969 – January 1, 1973 |
Democratic | 1968 | Thomas Lee Judge | ||||
18 | Thomas Lee Judge October 12, 1934 – September 8, 2006 (aged 71) |
January 1, 1973 – January 5, 1981 |
Democratic | 1972 | Bill Christiansen | ||||
1976 | Ted Schwinden | ||||||||
19 | Ted Schwinden August 31, 1925 |
January 5, 1981 – January 2, 1989 |
Democratic | 1980 | George Turman | ||||
1984 | |||||||||
Gordon McOmber | |||||||||
20 | Stan Stephens September 16, 1929 − April 3, 2021 (aged 91) |
January 2, 1989 – January 4, 1993 |
Republican | 1988 | Allen Kolstad | ||||
Denny Rehberg | |||||||||
21 | Marc Racicot July 24, 1948 |
January 4, 1993 – January 1, 2001 |
Republican | 1992 | |||||
1996 | Judy Martz | ||||||||
22 | Judy Martz July 28, 1943 – October 30, 2017 (aged 74) |
January 1, 2001 – January 3, 2005 |
Republican | 2000 | Karl Ohs | ||||
23 | Brian Schweitzer September 4, 1955 |
January 3, 2005 – January 7, 2013 |
Democratic | 2004 | John Bohlinger | ||||
2008 | |||||||||
24 | Steve Bullock April 11, 1966 |
January 7, 2013 – January 4, 2021 |
Democratic | 2012 | John Walsh | ||||
Angela McLean | |||||||||
2016 | Mike Cooney | ||||||||
25 | Greg Gianforte April 17, 1961 |
January 4, 2021 – Incumbent |
Republican | 2020 | Kristen Juras |
Succession
Other high offices held
This is a table of the equivalent or higher state and federal offices and other governorships held by governors. All representatives and senators represented Montana. * denotes cases where the governor resigned the governorship to accept the other office.
Governor | Gubernatorial term | Higher offices held |
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Joseph Toole | 1889–1893 1901–1908 |
Territorial Delegate |
Joseph M. Dixon | 1921–1925 | U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator |
John Edward Erickson | 1925–1933 | U.S. Senator* |
Sam C. Ford | 1941–1949 | Montana Supreme Court Associate Justice |
Sam V. Stewart | 1913-1921 | Montana Supreme Court Associate Justice |
Roy E. Ayers | 1937–1941 | U.S. Representative |
Forrest H. Anderson | 1969–1973 | Montana Supreme Court Associate Justice |
John W. Bonner | 1949-1953 | Montana Supreme Court Associate Justice |
Greg Gianforte | 2021– | U.S. Representative |
See also
- History of Montana
- List of First Spouses of Montana