List of governors of Pennsylvania facts for kids

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
Succession	Line of succession
Deputy	Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania
Salary	$201,729 (2020)

The governor of Pennsylvania is the top leader of the government in the state of Pennsylvania. They are also the boss of the state's National Guard.

The governor's main jobs are to make sure state laws are followed. They can also approve or reject (this is called a veto) new laws that the state legislature wants to pass. The governor can also call the legislature together for special meetings. They have the power to forgive people for crimes (called a pardon), but not in cases where someone is removed from office (called impeachment). This pardon power can only be used if the Board of Pardons suggests it.

Pennsylvania has had seven "presidents" and 48 "governors" throughout its history. Some governors, like Robert E. Pattison and Gifford Pinchot, served more than one term, but not right after each other. The person who served the longest was the first governor, Thomas Mifflin. He was governor for three full terms. The shortest time in office was by John C. Bell Jr., who was acting governor for only 19 days.

The person who is governor right now is Josh Shapiro. He started his job on January 17, 2023.

Pennsylvania's Leaders: From Presidents to Governors

Pennsylvania was one of the first 13 colonies that formed the United States. It became a state on December 12, 1787. Before it became independent, Pennsylvania was a colony ruled by Great Britain.

Early Leaders: Presidents of the Supreme Executive Council

When Pennsylvania first became a state, its first constitution (a set of rules for the government) was written in 1776. This constitution created a group called the Supreme Executive Council. This council was in charge of running the state, and it had a "president" as its head. The council chose the president each year.

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

Presidents of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania

No.	President		Term in office	Vice-President
1		Thomas Wharton Jr. (1735–1778)	March 5, 1777 – May 23, 1778 (died in office)	Bryan, GeorgeGeorge Bryan
2		George Bryan (1731–1791)	May 23, 1778 – December 22, 1778 (left office)	acting as president
3		Joseph Reed (1741–1785)	December 22, 1778 – November 15, 1781 (term-limited)	Bryan, GeorgeGeorge Bryan (resigned October 11, 1779)
				Smith, MatthewMatthew Smith (resigned November 15, 1779)
				Moore, WilliamWilliam Moore
4		William Moore (1735–1793)	November 15, 1781 – November 7, 1782 (left office)	Potter, JamesJames Potter
5		John Dickinson (1732–1808)	November 7, 1782 – October 18, 1785 (term-limited)	Ewing, JamesJames Ewing
				Irvine, JamesJames Irvine (resigned October 10, 1785)
				Biddle, CharlesCharles Biddle
6		Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790)	October 18, 1785 – November 5, 1788 (term-limited)
				Muhlenberg, PeterPeter Muhlenberg (resigned October 14, 1788)
				Redick, DavidDavid Redick
7		Thomas Mifflin (1744–1800)	November 5, 1788 – December 21, 1790 (became state governor)	Ross, GeorgeGeorge Ross

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, pose 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 the "president" job. Instead, it created the job of "governor." A governor's term was three years. They could not serve more than nine years in any twelve-year period.

Later, in 1838, the constitution changed again. Governors could only serve six years out of any nine years. In 1874, the term became four years. Governors could not serve two terms in a row.

The current constitution, from 1968, changed this rule. Now, governors can serve two terms in a row. There is no limit on how many terms they can serve in their lifetime.

Milton Shapp was the first governor to serve two terms under the 1968 rules. Tom Corbett was the first governor to lose an election when trying to get re-elected.

If the governor's job becomes empty because they die, resign, or are removed from office, the lieutenant governor takes over. 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. The governor's office has been empty for a short time only once, for 17 days in 1848. Governors and lieutenant governors are elected together on the same ballot.

Governors of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

No.	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor
1			Thomas Mifflin (1744–1800)	December 21, 1790 – December 17, 1799 (term-limited)	None	1790	Office did not exist
					Democratic- Republican	1793
						1796
2			Thomas McKean (1734–1817)	December 17, 1799 – December 20, 1808 (term-limited)	Democratic- Republican	1799
						1802
					Constitutionalist	1805
3			Simon Snyder (1759–1819)	December 20, 1808 – December 16, 1817 (term-limited)	Democratic- Republican	1808
						1811
						1814
4			William Findlay (1768–1846)	December 16, 1817 – December 19, 1820 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican	1817
5			Joseph Hiester (1752–1832)	December 19, 1820 – December 16, 1823 (did not run)	Federalist	1820
6			John Andrew Shulze (1775–1852)	December 16, 1823 – December 15, 1829 (did not run)	Democratic- Republican	1823
					Jacksonian	1826
7			George Wolf (1777–1840)	December 15, 1829 – December 15, 1835 (lost election)	Democratic	1829
						1832
8			Joseph Ritner (1780–1869)	December 15, 1835 – January 15, 1839 (lost election)	Anti-Masonic	1835
9			David R. Porter (1788–1867)	January 15, 1839 – January 21, 1845 (term-limited)	Democratic	1838
						1841
10			Francis R. Shunk (1788–1848)	January 21, 1845 – July 9, 1848 (resigned)	Democratic	1844
						1847
11			William F. Johnston (1808–1872)	July 9, 1848 – January 20, 1852 (lost election)	Whig	Speaker of the Senate acting
						1848
12			William Bigler (1814–1880)	January 20, 1852 – January 16, 1855 (lost election)	Democratic	1851
13			James Pollock (1810–1890)	January 16, 1855 – January 19, 1858 (did not run)	Whig	1854
14			William F. Packer (1807–1870)	January 19, 1858 – January 15, 1861 (did not run)	Democratic	1857
15			Andrew Gregg Curtin (d. 1894)	January 15, 1861 – January 15, 1867 (term-limited)	Republican	1860
						1863
16			John W. Geary (1819–1873)	January 15, 1867 – January 21, 1873 (term-limited)	Republican	1866
						1869
17			John F. Hartranft (1830–1889)	January 21, 1873 – January 21, 1879 (term-limited)	Republican	1872
						1875		Latta, JohnJohn Latta
18			Henry M. Hoyt (1830–1892)	January 21, 1879 – January 16, 1883 (term-limited)	Republican	1878		Stone, Charles WarrenCharles Warren Stone
19			Robert E. Pattison (1850–1904)	January 16, 1883 – January 18, 1887 (term-limited)	Democratic	1882		Black, Chauncey ForwardChauncey Forward Black
20			James A. Beaver (1837–1914)	January 18, 1887 – January 20, 1891 (term-limited)	Republican	1886		Davies, William T.William T. Davies
19			Robert E. Pattison (1850–1904)	January 20, 1891 – January 15, 1895 (term-limited)	Democratic	1890		Watres, Louis ArthurLouis Arthur Watres
21			Daniel H. Hastings (1849–1903)	January 15, 1895 – January 17, 1899 (term-limited)	Republican	1894		Lyon, WalterWalter Lyon
22			William A. Stone (1846–1920)	January 17, 1899 – January 20, 1903 (term-limited)	Republican	1898		Gobin, John P. S.John P. S. Gobin
23			Samuel W. Pennypacker (1843–1916)	January 20, 1903 – January 15, 1907 (term-limited)	Republican	1902		Brown, William M.William M. Brown
24			Edwin Sydney Stuart (1853–1937)	January 15, 1907 – January 17, 1911 (term-limited)	Republican	1906		Murphy, Robert S.Robert S. Murphy
25			John K. Tener (1863–1946)	January 17, 1911 – January 19, 1915 (term-limited)	Republican	1910		Reynolds, John MerrimanJohn Merriman Reynolds
26			Martin Grove Brumbaugh (1862–1930)	January 19, 1915 – January 21, 1919 (term-limited)	Republican	1914		McClain, Frank B.Frank B. McClain
27			William Cameron Sproul (1870–1928)	January 21, 1919 – January 16, 1923 (term-limited)	Republican	1918		Beidleman, Edward E.Edward E. Beidleman
28			Gifford Pinchot (1865–1946)	January 16, 1923 – January 18, 1927 (term-limited)	Republican	1922		Davis, David J.David J. Davis
29			John Stuchell Fisher (1867–1940)	January 18, 1927 – January 20, 1931 (term-limited)	Republican	1926		James, ArthurArthur James
28			Gifford Pinchot (1865–1946)	January 20, 1931 – January 15, 1935 (term-limited)	Republican	1930		Shannon, Edward C.Edward C. Shannon
30			George Howard Earle III (1890–1974)	January 15, 1935 – January 17, 1939 (term-limited)	Democratic	1934		Kennedy, ThomasThomas Kennedy
31			Arthur James (1883–1973)	January 17, 1939 – January 19, 1943 (term-limited)	Republican	1938		Lewis, Samuel S.Samuel S. Lewis
32			Edward Martin (1879–1967)	January 19, 1943 – January 2, 1947 (resigned)	Republican	1942		Bell Jr., John C.John C. Bell Jr.
33			John C. Bell Jr. (1892–1974)	January 2, 1947 – January 21, 1947 (successor took office)	Republican	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
34			James H. Duff (1883–1969)	January 21, 1947 – January 16, 1951 (term-limited)	Republican	1946		Strickler, DanielDaniel Strickler
35			John S. Fine (1893–1978)	January 16, 1951 – January 18, 1955 (term-limited)	Republican	1950		Wood, Lloyd H.Lloyd H. Wood
36			George M. Leader (1918–2013)	January 18, 1955 – January 20, 1959 (term-limited)	Democratic	1954		Furman, Roy E.Roy E. Furman
37			David L. Lawrence (1889–1966)	January 20, 1959 – January 15, 1963 (term-limited)	Democratic	1958		Davis, John MorganJohn Morgan Davis
38			William Scranton (1917–2013)	January 15, 1963 – January 17, 1967 (term-limited)	Republican	1962		Shafer, Raymond P.Raymond P. Shafer
39	.		Raymond P. Shafer (1917–2006)	January 17, 1967 – January 19, 1971 (term-limited)	Republican	1966		Broderick, Raymond J.Raymond J. Broderick
40			Milton Shapp (1912–1994)	January 19, 1971 – January 16, 1979 (term-limited)	Democratic	1970		Kline, ErnestErnest Kline
						1974
41			Dick Thornburgh (1932–2020)	January 16, 1979 – January 20, 1987 (term-limited)	Republican	1978		Scranton III, WilliamWilliam Scranton III
						1982
42			Bob Casey Sr. (1932–2000)	January 20, 1987 – January 17, 1995 (term-limited)	Democratic	1986		Singel, MarkMark Singel
						1990
43			Tom Ridge (b. 1945)	January 17, 1995 – October 5, 2001 (resigned)	Republican	1994		Schweiker, MarkMark Schweiker
						1998
44			Mark Schweiker (b. 1953)	October 5, 2001 – January 21, 2003 (did not run)	Republican	Succeeded from lieutenant governor		Jubelirer, RobertRobert Jubelirer
45			Ed Rendell (b. 1944)	January 21, 2003 – January 18, 2011 (term-limited)	Democratic	2002		Knoll, Catherine BakerCatherine Baker Knoll (died November 12, 2008)
						2006
								Scarnati, JoeJoe Scarnati (acting)
46			Tom Corbett (b. 1949)	January 18, 2011 – January 20, 2015 (lost election)	Republican	2010		Cawley, JimJim Cawley
47			Tom Wolf (b. 1948)	January 20, 2015 – January 17, 2023 (term-limited)	Democratic	2014		Stack, MikeMike Stack
						2018		Fetterman, JohnJohn Fetterman (resigned January 3, 2023)
								Ward, KimKim Ward (acting)
48			Josh Shapiro (b. 1973)	January 17, 2023 – Incumbent	Democratic	2022		Davis, AustinAustin Davis

Timeline of Governors

Timeline of Pennsylvania governors

More to Explore

• Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Pennsylvania
• List of Pennsylvania gubernatorial elections
• List of Pennsylvania state legislatures
• List of colonial governors of Pennsylvania