List of governors of Pennsylvania facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Flag of the governor
Seal of the governor
Incumbent Josh Shapiro since January 17, 2023
Government of Pennsylvania
Style	Governor (informal) The Honorable (formal)
Residence	Governor's Residence
Term length	Four years, renewable once consecutively
Inaugural holder	Thomas Mifflin
Formation	December 21, 1790
Deputy	Lieutenant Governor
Salary	$201,729 (2020)

The governor of Pennsylvania is like the chief executive officer of the state. They are the head of government for Pennsylvania, one of the U.S. states. The governor is also the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard, which is like the state's own military force.

The governor's main job is to make sure state laws are followed. They can also approve or say "no" (this is called a veto) to new laws passed by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, which is the state's lawmaking body. The governor can also call the legislature together for special meetings. They have the power to grant pardons, which means forgiving someone for a crime, but only if the Board of Pardons recommends it. However, they cannot grant pardons in cases of impeachment, which is when a public official is accused of wrongdoing.

Pennsylvania has had seven "presidents" and 48 "governors" in its history. Two governors, Robert E. Pattison and Gifford Pinchot, served terms that were not back-to-back. The person who served the longest was the first governor, Thomas Mifflin. He was governor for three full terms and also served as the President of the Continental Congress for two years. The shortest term was by John C. Bell Jr., who was acting governor for only 19 days after the previous governor resigned.

The current governor is Josh Shapiro, who started his term on January 17, 2023.

Pennsylvania's Leaders: From Presidents to Governors
- Early Leaders: Presidents of the Supreme Executive Council
- Governors of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
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See also

Pennsylvania's Leaders: From Presidents to Governors

Pennsylvania was one of the original Thirteen Colonies and became a state on December 12, 1787. Before it became independent, Pennsylvania was a colony ruled by the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Early Leaders: Presidents of the Supreme Executive Council

When Pennsylvania first became a state in 1776, its first constitution created a group called the Supreme Executive Council. This council was in charge of the state's executive branch, and its leader was called the "president." The council chose the president each year.

The constitution also created a "vice-president" role. However, it didn't clearly say what would happen if the president's job became empty. This happened four times! When it did, the vice-president would act as president. One acting president, George Bryan, was later officially recognized as a full governor because he served as acting president for more than six months.

Governors of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Five governors of Pennsylvania who have served since 1995, (left to right): Mark Schweiker, Tom Ridge, Tom Wolf, Tom Corbett and Ed Rendell, posing in front of the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg at Wolf's January 2015 inauguration.

In 1790, Pennsylvania changed its constitution. It got rid of the council and replaced the "president" with a "governor." The governor would serve a three-year term and could not serve more than nine years out of any twelve. Later, in 1838, the constitution changed the term limits again, allowing governors to serve only six years out of any nine.

Then, in 1874, the term was made four years long, and governors could not serve two terms in a row. The current constitution, from 1968, changed this again. Now, governors can serve two terms in a row, and there's no limit on how many terms they can serve in their lifetime, as long as they don't serve more than two consecutively.

Milton Shapp was the first governor to serve two terms under the 1968 constitution. Tom Corbett was the first governor to try for re-election and lose.

If the governor's job becomes empty because they die, resign, or are removed from office (impeached), the lieutenant governor steps in and becomes governor for the rest of the term. If the governor is only temporarily unable to do their job, the lieutenant governor just acts as governor. If both jobs are empty, the leader of the state senate, called the president pro tempore, becomes governor.

The job of lieutenant governor was created in 1874. Before that, the speaker of the senate would act as governor if the position was empty. At first, the lieutenant governor could only "act" as governor. It wasn't until the 1968 constitution that the lieutenant governor could actually become the full governor in such cases. Once, in 1848, the governor's office was empty for 17 days between one governor resigning and the next one taking office. Today, governors and lieutenant governors are elected together on the same political party ticket.

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Thomas Wharton Jr., the first President of the Supreme Executive Council.
George Bryan, who acted as president and was later recognized as a full governor.
Joseph Reed, a President of the Supreme Executive Council.
William Moore, a President of the Supreme Executive Council.
John Dickinson, a President of the Supreme Executive Council.
Benjamin Franklin, a famous Founding Father who served as a President of the Supreme Executive Council.
Thomas Mifflin, the last President of the Supreme Executive Council and the first Governor of Pennsylvania.
Thomas McKean, the second Governor of Pennsylvania.
Simon Snyder, a Democratic-Republican Governor.
William Findlay, a Democratic-Republican Governor.
Joseph Hiester, a Democratic-Republican Governor.
John Andrew Shulze, a Democratic-Republican Governor.
George Wolf, a Democratic-Republican Governor.
Joseph Ritner, an Anti-Masonic Party Governor.
David R. Porter, a Democratic Governor.
Francis R. Shunk, a Democratic Governor.
William F. Johnston, a Whig Party Governor.
William Bigler, a Democratic Governor.
James Pollock, a Whig Party Governor.
William F. Packer, a Democratic Governor.
Andrew Gregg Curtin, a Republican Governor during the Civil War.
John W. Geary, a Republican Governor.
John F. Hartranft, a Republican Governor.
Henry M. Hoyt, a Republican Governor.
Robert E. Pattison, a Democratic Governor who served non-consecutive terms.
James A. Beaver, a Republican Governor.
Daniel H. Hastings, a Republican Governor.
William A. Stone, a Republican Governor.
Samuel W. Pennypacker, a Republican Governor.
Edwin Sydney Stuart, a Republican Governor.
John K. Tener, a Republican Governor.
Martin Grove Brumbaugh, a Republican Governor.
William Cameron Sproul, a Republican Governor.
Gifford Pinchot, a Republican Governor known for conservation.
John Stuchell Fisher, a Republican Governor.
George Howard Earle III, a Democratic Governor.
Arthur James, a Republican Governor.
Edward Martin, a Republican Governor.
John C. Bell Jr., a Republican Governor who served a very short term.
James H. Duff, a Republican Governor.
John S. Fine, a Republican Governor.
George M. Leader, a Democratic Governor.
David L. Lawrence, a Democratic Governor.
William Scranton, a Republican Governor.
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Raymond P. Shafer, a Republican Governor.
Milton Shapp, the first Democratic Governor to serve two terms under the 1968 constitution.
Dick Thornburgh, a Republican Governor.
Bob Casey Sr., a Democratic Governor.
Tom Ridge, a Republican Governor.
Mark Schweiker, a Republican Governor.
Ed Rendell, a Democratic Governor.
Tom Corbett, a Republican Governor.
Tom Wolf, a Democratic Governor.
Josh Shapiro, the current Democratic Governor.