List of governors of Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Governor of theCommonwealth of Pennsylvania |
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Flag of the Governor
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Seal of the Governor
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Style |
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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 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the head of state and head of government of the U.S. state, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as well as commander-in-chief of the Commonwealth's military forces.
The governor has a duty to enforce state laws and the power to approve or veto bills passed by the Pennsylvania Legislature and to convene the legislature. The governor may grant pardons except in cases of impeachment, but only when recommended by the Board of Pardons.
There have been seven presidents and 47 governors of Pennsylvania, with two governors (Robert E. Pattison and Gifford Pinchot) serving non-consecutive terms, totaling 55 terms in both offices. The longest term was that of the first governor, Thomas Mifflin, who served three full terms as governor in addition to two years as President of the Continental Congress. The shortest term belonged to John Bell, who served only 19 days as acting governor after his predecessor, Edward Martin resigned.
The current governor is Tom Wolf, a Democrat whose term began on January 20, 2015. His term will expire on January 17, 2023, and he will be succeeded by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro that same day after Shapiro won the 2022 gubernatorial election.
Contents
Governors
Pennsylvania was one of the original thirteen colonies, and was admitted as a state on December 12, 1787. Prior to declaring its independence, Pennsylvania was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain; see the list of colonial governors for the pre-statehood period.
Presidents of the Supreme Executive Council
The first Pennsylvania constitution in 1776 created the Supreme Executive Council as the state's executive branch, with the President of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as its head. The president was chosen annually by the council, though with no specific term dates.
The original 1776 constitution created the position of "vice-president", though no provision was made if the office of the president became vacant, which occurred four times later. Contemporary sources continue to label the chief executive in such times as the vice president, without any notion of succeeding in the presidency. One acting president, George Bryan, was subsequently recognized later as a full-fledged governor, due to his acting as president for over six months.
# | Portrait | President | Term in office | Vice President |
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1 | Thomas Wharton Jr. 1735 – May 22, 1778 (aged 42 or 43) |
March 5, 1777 – May 23, 1778 |
George Bryan | |
2 | George Bryan 1731 – January 27, 1791 (aged 59) |
May 23, 1778 – December 1, 1778 |
acting as president |
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3 | Joseph Reed August 27, 1741 – March 5, 1785 (aged 43) |
December 1, 1778 – November 15, 1781 |
George Bryan |
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Matthew Smith |
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William Moore | ||||
4 | William Moore c. 1735 – July 24, 1793 (aged 57 or 58) |
November 15, 1781 – November 7, 1782 |
James Potter | |
5 | John Dickinson November 13, 1732 – July 24, 1793 (aged 60) |
November 7, 1782 – October 18, 1785 |
James Ewing | |
James Irvine |
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Charles Biddle | ||||
6 | Benjamin Franklin January 17, 1706 – April 17, 1790 (aged 84) |
October 18, 1785 – November 5, 1788 |
Charles Biddle | |
Peter Muhlenberg |
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David Redick | ||||
7 | Thomas Mifflin January 10, 1744 – January 20, 1800 (aged 56) |
November 5, 1788 – December 21, 1790 |
George Ross |
Governors of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
The 1790 constitution abolished the council and replaced the president with a governor, and established a three-year term for governor commencing on the third Tuesday of the December following the election, with governors not allowed to serve more than nine out of any twelve years. The 1838 constitution moved the start of the term to the third Tuesday of the January following the election, and allowed governors to only serve six out of any nine years. The 1874 constitution lengthened the term to four years, and prohibited governors from succeeding themselves. The current constitution of 1968 changed this to allow governors to serve two consecutive terms, with no lifetime limit.
Under the earlier 1968 constitution, Milton Shapp was the first governor to serve two terms, and Tom Corbett was the first incumbent governor to lose a re-election bid.
If the office of governor becomes vacant through death, resignation, or conviction on impeachment, the lieutenant governor becomes governor for the remainder of the term; if the office is only temporarily vacant due to disability of the governor, the lieutenant governor only acts out the duties of governor. Should both offices be vacant, the president pro tempore of the state senate becomes governor. The position of a lieutenant governor was created in the 1874 constitution; prior to then, the speaker of the senate would act as governor in cases of vacancy. Originally, the lieutenant governor could only act as governor; it was not until the 1968 constitution that the lieutenant governor could actually become the sitting governor in that fashion. The office of governor has been vacant for an extended period once before, a 17-day gap in 1848 between the resignation of the previous governor and the swearing in of his acting successor. Governors and lieutenant governors are elected on the same political party ticket.
Anti-Masonic (1) Democratic (14) Democratic-Republican (5) None (1) Republican (25) Whig (2)
# | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor |
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1 | Thomas Mifflin January 10, 1744 – January 20, 1800 (aged 56) |
December 21, 1790 – December 17, 1799 |
None |
1790 |
None | |||
1793 | ||||||||
1796 | ||||||||
2 | Thomas McKean March 19, 1734 – June 24, 1817 (aged 83) |
December 17, 1799 – December 20, 1808 |
Democratic- Republican |
1799 | ||||
1802 | ||||||||
1805 | ||||||||
3 | Simon Snyder November 5, 1759 – November 9, 1819 (aged 60) |
December 20, 1808 – December 16, 1817 |
Democratic- Republican |
1808 | ||||
1811 | ||||||||
1814 | ||||||||
4 | William Findlay June 20, 1768 – November 12, 1846 (aged 78) |
December 16, 1817 – December 19, 1820 |
Democratic- Republican |
1817 | ||||
5 | Joseph Hiester November 18, 1752 – June 10, 1832 (aged 79) |
December 19, 1820 – December 16, 1823 |
Democratic- Republican |
1820 | ||||
6 | John Andrew Shulze July 19, 1775 – November 18, 1852 (aged 77) |
December 16, 1823 – December 15, 1829 |
Democratic- Republican |
1823 | ||||
1826 | ||||||||
7 | George Wolf August 12, 1777 – March 11, 1840 (aged 62) |
December 15, 1829 – December 15, 1835 |
Democratic | 1829 | ||||
1832 | ||||||||
8 | Joseph Ritner March 25, 1780 – October 16, 1869 (aged 89) |
December 15, 1835 – January 15, 1839 |
Anti-Masonic | 1835 |
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9 | David R. Porter October 31, 1788 – August 6, 1867 (aged 78) |
January 15, 1839 – January 21, 1845 |
Democratic | 1838 |
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1841 | ||||||||
10 | Francis R. Shunk August 7, 1788 – July 20, 1848 (aged 59) |
January 21, 1845 – July 9, 1848 |
Democratic | 1844 | ||||
1847 | ||||||||
— | Office vacant | July 9, 1848 – July 26, 1848 |
— | |||||
11 | William F. Johnston November 29, 1808 – October 25, 1872 (aged 63) |
July 26, 1848 – January 20, 1852 |
Whig | |||||
1848 | ||||||||
12 | William Bigler January 1, 1814 – August 9, 1880 (aged 66) |
January 20, 1852 – January 16, 1855 |
Democratic | 1851 | ||||
13 | James Pollock September 11, 1810 – April 19, 1890 (aged 79) |
January 16, 1855 – January 19, 1858 |
Whig | 1854 | ||||
14 | William F. Packer April 2, 1807 – September 27, 1870 (aged 63) |
January 19, 1858 – January 15, 1861 |
Democratic | 1857 | ||||
15 | Andrew Gregg Curtin April 22, 1815 or 1817 – October 7, 1894 (aged 77 or 79) |
January 15, 1861 – January 15, 1867 |
Republican | 1860 | ||||
1863 | ||||||||
16 | John W. Geary December 30, 1819 – February 8, 1873 (aged 63) |
January 15, 1867 – January 21, 1873 |
Republican | 1866 | ||||
1869 | ||||||||
17 | John F. Hartranft December 16, 1830 – October 17, 1889 (aged 58) |
January 21, 1873 – January 21, 1879 |
Republican | 1872 | ||||
1875 |
John Latta | |||||||
18 | Henry M. Hoyt June 8, 1830 – December 1, 1892 (aged 62) |
January 21, 1879 – January 16, 1883 |
Republican | 1878 | Charles Warren Stone | |||
19 | Robert E. Pattison December 8, 1850 – August 1, 1904 (aged 53) |
January 16, 1883 – January 18, 1887 |
Democratic | 1882 | Chauncey Forward Black | |||
20 | James A. Beaver October 21, 1837 – January 31, 1914 (aged 76) |
January 18, 1887 – January 20, 1891 |
Republican | 1886 | William T. Davies | |||
19 | Robert E. Pattison December 8, 1850 – August 1, 1904 (aged 53) |
January 20, 1891 – January 15, 1895 |
Democratic | 1890 | Louis Arthur Watres | |||
21 | Daniel H. Hastings February 26, 1849 – January 9, 1903 (aged 53) |
January 15, 1895 – January 17, 1899 |
Republican | 1894 | Walter Lyon | |||
22 | William A. Stone April 18, 1846 – March 1, 1920 (aged 73) |
January 17, 1899 – January 20, 1903 |
Republican | 1898 | John P. S. Gobin | |||
23 | Samuel W. Pennypacker April 9, 1843 – September 2, 1916 (aged 73) |
January 20, 1903 – January 15, 1907 |
Republican | 1902 | William M. Brown | |||
24 | Edwin Sydney Stuart December 28, 1853 – March 21, 1937 (aged 83) |
January 15, 1907 – January 17, 1911 |
Republican | 1906 | Robert S. Murphy | |||
25 | John K. Tener July 25, 1863 – May 19, 1946 (aged 82) |
January 17, 1911 – January 19, 1915 |
Republican | 1910 | John Merriman Reynolds | |||
26 | Martin Grove Brumbaugh April 14, 1862 – March 14, 1930 (aged 67) |
January 19, 1915 – January 21, 1919 |
Republican | 1914 | Frank B. McClain | |||
27 | William Cameron Sproul September 16, 1870 – March 21, 1928 (aged 57) |
January 21, 1919 – January 16, 1923 |
Republican | 1918 | Edward E. Beidleman | |||
28 | Gifford Pinchot August 11, 1865 – October 4, 1946 (aged 81) |
January 16, 1923 – January 18, 1927 |
Republican | 1922 | David J. Davis | |||
29 | John Stuchell Fisher May 25, 1867 – June 25, 1940 (aged 73) |
January 18, 1927 – January 20, 1931 |
Republican | 1926 | Arthur James | |||
28 | Gifford Pinchot August 11, 1865 – October 4, 1946 (aged 81) |
January 20, 1931 – January 15, 1935 |
Republican | 1930 | Edward C. Shannon | |||
30 | George Howard Earle III December 5, 1890 – December 30, 1974 (aged 84) |
January 15, 1935 – January 17, 1939 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1934 | Thomas Kennedy | |||
31 | Arthur James July 14, 1883 – April 27, 1973 (aged 89) |
January 17, 1939 – January 19, 1943 (term limited) |
Republican | 1938 | Samuel S. Lewis | |||
32 | Edward Martin September 18, 1879 – March 19, 1967 (aged 87) |
January 19, 1943 – January 2, 1947 (resigned) |
Republican | 1942 | John C. Bell, Jr. | |||
33 | John C. Bell Jr. October 25, 1892 – March 18, 1974 (aged 81) |
January 2, 1947 – January 21, 1947 (successor took office) |
Republican | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
No Lieutenant Governor | |||
34 | James H. Duff January 21, 1883 – December 20, 1969 (aged 86) |
January 21, 1947 – January 16, 1951 (term limited) |
Republican | 1946 | Daniel B. Strickler | |||
35 | John S. Fine April 10, 1893 – May 21, 1978 (aged 85) |
January 16, 1951 – January 18, 1955 (term limited) |
Republican | 1950 | Lloyd H. Wood | |||
36 | George M. Leader January 17, 1918 – May 9, 2013 (aged 95) |
January 18, 1955 – January 20, 1959 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1954 | Roy E. Furman | |||
37 | David L. Lawrence June 18, 1889 – November 21, 1966 (aged 77) |
January 20, 1959 – January 15, 1963 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1958 | John Morgan Davis | |||
38 | William Scranton July 19, 1917 – July 28, 2013 (aged 96) |
January 15, 1963 – January 17, 1967 (term limited) |
Republican | 1962 | Raymond P. Shafer | |||
39 |
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Raymond P. Shafer March 5, 1917 – December 12, 2006 (aged 89) |
January 17, 1967 – January 19, 1971 (term limited) |
Republican | 1966 | Raymond J. Broderick | ||
40 | Milton Shapp June 25, 1912 – November 24, 1994 (aged 82) |
January 19, 1971 – January 16, 1979 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1970 |
Ernest P. Kline | |||
1974 | ||||||||
41 | Dick Thornburgh July 16, 1932 – December 31, 2020 (aged 88) |
January 16, 1979 – January 20, 1987 (term limited) |
Republican | 1978 | William Scranton, III | |||
1982 | ||||||||
42 | Bob Casey Sr. January 9, 1932 – May 30, 2000 (aged 68) |
January 20, 1987 – January 17, 1995 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1986 | Mark Singel |
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1990 | ||||||||
43 | Tom Ridge August 26, 1945 |
January 17, 1995 – October 5, 2001 (resigned) |
Republican | 1994 | Mark Schweiker | |||
1998 | ||||||||
44 | Mark Schweiker January 31, 1953 |
October 5, 2001 – January 21, 2003 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Robert Jubelirer | |||
45 | Ed Rendell January 5, 1944 |
January 21, 2003 – January 18, 2011 (term limited) |
Democratic | 2002 | Catherine Baker Knoll |
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2006 | Joe Scarnati |
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46 | Tom Corbett June 17, 1949 |
January 18, 2011 – January 20, 2015 (lost reelection) |
Republican | 2010 | Jim Cawley | |||
47 | Tom Wolf November 17, 1948 |
January 20, 2015 – Incumbent |
Democratic | 2014 | Mike Stack | |||
2018 | John Fetterman | |||||||
48 | Josh Shapiro (elect) June 20, 1973 |
Taking office January 17, 2023 |
Democratic | 2022 | Austin Davis (elect) |
Succession
Other high offices held
This is a table of other governorships, congressional and other federal offices, and ranking diplomatic positions in foreign countries held by Pennsylvania governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented Pennsylvania except where noted.
- † Denotes those offices from which the governor resigned to take the governorship.
Governor | Gubernatorial term | U.S. Congress | Other offices held | Source | |
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House | Senate | ||||
Joseph Reed | 1778–1781 | Delegate to the Continental Congress; elected to the U.S. House but declined his seat. | |||
John Dickinson | 1782–1785 | President of Delaware, Delegate to the Continental Congress from Delaware, Delegate to the Continental Congress from Pennsylvania | |||
Benjamin Franklin | 1785–1788 | Minister to France, Minister to Sweden | |||
Thomas Mifflin | 1790–1799 | President of the Continental Congress | |||
Thomas McKean | 1799–1808 | President of Delaware, President of the Continental Congress | |||
Simon Snyder | 1808–1817 | Some records say he was elected to the U.S. Senate, but some only say state senate. The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress has no record of a U.S. Senate term. | |||
William Findlay | 1817–1820 | S | |||
Joseph Hiester | 1820–1823 | H† | |||
George Wolf | 1829–1835 | H† | |||
William Bigler | 1852–1855 | S | |||
James Pollock | 1855–1858 | H | |||
Andrew Gregg Curtin | 1861–1867 | H | Ambassador to Russia | ||
John W. Geary | 1867–1876 | Governor of Kansas Territory | |||
William A. Stone | 1899–1903 | H† | |||
John K. Tener | 1911–1915 | H† | |||
George Howard Earle III | 1935–1939 | Ambassador to Austria† | |||
Edward Martin | 1943–1947 | S | |||
James H. Duff | 1947–1951 | S | |||
William Scranton | 1963–1967 | H | Ambassador to the United Nations | ||
Dick Thornburgh | 1979–1987 | U.S. Attorney General | |||
Tom Ridge | 1995–2001 | H | U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security |
Living former governors
As of 2022, there are four former governors of Pennsylvania, the oldest governor of Pennsylvania being Ed Rendell (served 2003-2011, born 1944). The most recent governor to die was Dick Thornburgh (served 1979–1987, born 1932) on December 31, 2020. The most recently serving governor to die was Bob Casey Sr. (served 1987–1995, born 1932) on May 30, 2000.
Governor | Gubernatorial term | Date of birth (and age) |
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Tom Ridge | 1995–2001 | August 26, 1945 |
Mark Schweiker | 2001–2003 | January 31, 1953 |
Ed Rendell | 2003–2011 | January 5, 1944 |
Tom Corbett | 2011–2015 | June 17, 1949 |
See also
- List of Pennsylvania gubernatorial elections
- List of Pennsylvania state legislatures
- List of colonial governors of Pennsylvania