List of governors of Connecticut facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Governor of Connecticut
Seal of the governor
Incumbent Ned Lamont since January 19, 2019
Government of Connecticut
Style	Governor (informally) His Excellency (formal)
Member of	Cabinet
Residence	Governor's Residence
Seat	Connecticut State Capitol, Hartford, Connecticut
Nominator	Political parties
Appointer	Popular vote
Term length	Four years, no limit
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Connecticut
Precursor	Governor of Saybrook (merged with Connecticut, 1644) Governor of New Haven (merged with Connecticut, 1665)
Formation	1639; 386 years ago (1639)
Deputy	Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut
Salary	$150,000 (2013)
Website	Office of the Governor

The governor of Connecticut is like the chief executive officer of the state. They are the leader of the state government and the commander-in-chief of Connecticut's military forces. The governor's main jobs include making sure state laws are followed and deciding whether to approve or reject new laws passed by the Connecticut General Assembly (the state's legislature). They can also call the legislature together for special meetings.

Unlike governors in many other states, Connecticut's governor cannot grant a pardon (officially forgive someone for a crime). The governor is also automatically a member of the state's Bonding Commission, which handles how the state borrows money. Plus, they are part of the board of trustees for the University of Connecticut and Yale University.

Since the American Revolution, Connecticut has had 69 different governors. Four of them served terms that were not back-to-back: Henry W. Edwards, James E. English, Marshall Jewell, and Raymond E. Baldwin. The earliest governors served the longest terms. The very first governor, Jonathan Trumbull, served over 14 years, though some of that was before Connecticut became fully independent. His son, Jonathan Trumbull Jr., holds the record for the longest term as a state governor, serving over 11 years. The shortest term was just one day, held by Hiram Bingham III, who resigned to become a U.S. Senator. Interestingly, Lowell Weicker won as a third-party candidate in 1990, representing A Connecticut Party.

The current governor is Ned Lamont, a Democrat. He started his term on January 9, 2019.

Connecticut's Governors Through History

Connecticut was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that formed the United States. It officially became a state on January 9, 1788. Before gaining independence, Connecticut was a colony ruled by the Kingdom of Great Britain.

For many years after becoming a state, Connecticut didn't have its own state constitution. Instead, it followed rules from its old colonial charter until 1818. This charter said that a governor should be elected every year.

The current Constitution of Connecticut was approved in 1965. It states that the governor serves a four-year term. This term begins on the Wednesday after the first Monday in January, following an election. The previous constitution, from 1818, originally set the governor's term at one year. This was changed to two years in 1875 and then to four years in 1948. The 1875 change also set the start date of the term to what it is today.

The constitution also says that a lieutenant governor is elected for the same four-year term as the governor. Since 1962, the governor and lieutenant governor are elected together on the same "ticket." If the governor's office becomes empty, the lieutenant governor steps in and becomes the new governor. Before 1965, the lieutenant governor only "acted" as governor, meaning they filled in but didn't officially take the title. There is no limit on how many terms a governor can serve in Connecticut.

Governors of the State of Connecticut

No.	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor
16			Jonathan Trumbull (1710–1785)	October 13, 1769 – May 13, 1784 (did not run)	No party	1776		Griswold, MatthewMatthew Griswold
						1777
						1778
						1779
						1780
						1781
						1782
						1783
17			Matthew Griswold (1714–1799)	May 13, 1784 – May 11, 1786 (lost election)	No party	1784		Huntington, SamuelSamuel Huntington
						1785
18			Samuel Huntington (1731–1796)	May 11, 1786 – January 5, 1796 (died in office)	Federalist	1786		Wolcott, OliverOliver Wolcott
						1787
						1788
						1789
						1790
						1791
						1792
						1793
						1794
						1795
19			Oliver Wolcott (1726–1797)	January 5, 1796 – December 1, 1797 (died in office)	Federalist	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
						1796		Trumbull Jr., JonathanJonathan Trumbull Jr.
						1797
20			Jonathan Trumbull Jr. (1740–1809)	December 1, 1797 – August 7, 1809 (died in office)	Federalist	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
						1798		Treadwell, JohnJohn Treadwell
						1799
						1800
						1801
						1802
						1803
						1804
						1805
						1806
						1807
						1808
						1809
21			John Treadwell (1745–1823)	August 7, 1809 – May 9, 1811 (lost election)	Federalist	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
						1810		Griswold, RogerRoger Griswold
22			Roger Griswold (1762–1812)	May 9, 1811 – October 25, 1812 (died in office)	Federalist	1811		Smith, John CottonJohn Cotton Smith
						1812
23			John Cotton Smith (1765–1845)	October 25, 1812 – May 8, 1817 (lost election)	Federalist	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
						1813		Goodrich, ChaunceyChauncey Goodrich (died August 18, 1815)
						1814
						1815
							Vacant
						1816		Ingersoll, JonathanJonathan Ingersoll (died January 12, 1823)
24			Oliver Wolcott Jr. (1760–1833)	May 8, 1817 – May 2, 1827 (lost election)	Toleration	1817
						1818
					Democratic- Republican	1819
						1820
						1821
						1822
							Vacant
						1823		Plant, DavidDavid Plant
						1824
						1825
						1826
25			Gideon Tomlinson (1780–1854)	May 2, 1827 – March 2, 1831 (resigned)	Democratic- Republican	1827		Peters, John SamuelJohn Samuel Peters
					National Republican	1828
						1829
						1830
26			John Samuel Peters (1772–1858)	March 2, 1831 – May 4, 1833 (lost election)	National Republican	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
						1831	Vacant
						1832		Betts, ThaddeusThaddeus Betts
27			Henry W. Edwards (1779–1847)	May 4, 1833 – May 7, 1834 (lost election)	Democratic	1833		Stoddard, EbenezerEbenezer Stoddard
28			Samuel A. Foot (1780–1846)	May 7, 1834 – May 6, 1835 (lost election)	Whig	1834		Betts, ThaddeusThaddeus Betts
29			Henry W. Edwards (1779–1847)	May 6, 1835 – May 3, 1838 (did not run)	Democratic	1835		Stoddard, EbenezerEbenezer Stoddard
						1836
						1837
30			William W. Ellsworth (1791–1868)	May 3, 1838 – May 6, 1842 (lost election)	Whig	1838		Hawley, CharlesCharles Hawley
						1839
						1840
						1841
31			Chauncey Fitch Cleveland (1799–1887)	May 6, 1842 – May 2, 1844 (lost election)	Democratic	1842		Holabird, William S.William S. Holabird
						1843
32			Roger Sherman Baldwin (1793–1863)	May 2, 1844 – May 8, 1846 (did not run)	Whig	1844		Booth, ReubenReuben Booth
						1845
33			Isaac Toucey (1792–1869)	May 8, 1846 – May 5, 1847 (lost nomination)	Democratic	1846		Billings, NoyesNoyes Billings
34			Clark Bissell (1782–1857)	May 5, 1847 – May 3, 1849 (lost nomination)	Whig	1847		McCurdy, Charles J.Charles J. McCurdy
						1848
35			Joseph Trumbull (1782–1861)	May 3, 1849 – May 2, 1850 (did not run)	Whig	1849		Backus, ThomasThomas Backus
36			Thomas H. Seymour (1807–1868)	May 2, 1850 – October 13, 1853 (resigned)	Democratic	1850		Pond, Charles H.Charles H. Pond
						1851		Kendrick, GreenGreen Kendrick
						1852		Pond, Charles H.Charles H. Pond
						1853
37			Charles H. Pond (1781–1861)	October 13, 1853 – May 4, 1854 (successor took office)	Democratic	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
38			Henry Dutton (1796–1869)	May 4, 1854 – May 3, 1855 (lost election)	Whig	1854		Holley, Alexander H.Alexander H. Holley
39			William T. Minor (1815–1889)	May 3, 1855 – May 6, 1857 (did not run)	American	1855		Field, WilliamWilliam Field
						1856		Day, AlbertAlbert Day
40			Alexander H. Holley (1804–1887)	May 6, 1857 – May 5, 1858 (did not run)	Republican	1857		Burnham, Alfred A.Alfred A. Burnham
41			William Alfred Buckingham (1804–1875)	May 5, 1858 – May 2, 1866 (did not run)	Republican	1858		Catlin, JuliusJulius Catlin
						1859
						1860
						1861		Douglas, BenjaminBenjamin Douglas
						1862		Averill, RogerRoger Averill
						1863
						1864
						1865
42			Joseph Roswell Hawley (1826–1905)	May 2, 1866 – May 1, 1867 (lost election)	Republican	1866		Winchester, OliverOliver Winchester
43			James E. English (1812–1890)	May 1, 1867 – May 5, 1869 (lost election)	Democratic	1867		Hyde, Ephraim H.Ephraim H. Hyde
						1868
44			Marshall Jewell (1825–1883)	May 5, 1869 – May 4, 1870 (lost election)	Republican	1869		Wayland III, FrancisFrancis Wayland III
45			James E. English (1812–1890)	May 4, 1870 – May 16, 1871 (lost election)	Democratic	1870		Hotchkiss, JuliusJulius Hotchkiss
46			Marshall Jewell (1825–1883)	May 16, 1871 – May 7, 1873 (did not run)	Republican	1871		Tyler, MorrisMorris Tyler
						1872
47			Charles Roberts Ingersoll (1821–1903)	May 7, 1873 – January 3, 1877 (did not run)	Democratic	1873		Sill, George G.George G. Sill
						1874
						1875
						Apr. 1876
48			Richard D. Hubbard (1818–1884)	January 3, 1877 – January 9, 1879 (lost election)	Democratic	Nov. 1876		Loomis, FrancisFrancis Loomis
49			Charles B. Andrews (1834–1902)	January 9, 1879 – January 5, 1881 (did not run)	Republican	1878		Gallup, DavidDavid Gallup
50			Hobart B. Bigelow (1834–1891)	January 5, 1881 – January 3, 1883 (did not run)	Republican	1880		Bulkeley, William H.William H. Bulkeley
51			Thomas M. Waller (1839–1924)	January 3, 1883 – January 8, 1885 (lost election)	Democratic	1882		Sumner, George G.George G. Sumner
52			Henry Baldwin Harrison (1821–1901)	January 8, 1885 – January 6, 1887 (did not run)	Republican	1884		Cooke, Lorrin A.Lorrin A. Cooke
53			Phineas C. Lounsbury (1841–1925)	January 6, 1887 – January 10, 1889 (did not run)	Republican	1886		Howard, James L.James L. Howard
54			Morgan Bulkeley (1837–1922)	January 10, 1889 – January 4, 1893 (did not run)	Republican	1888		Merwin, Samuel E.Samuel E. Merwin
						1890
55			Luzon B. Morris (1827–1895)	January 4, 1893 – January 9, 1895 (did not run)	Democratic	1892		Cady, ErnestErnest Cady
56			Owen Vincent Coffin (1836–1921)	January 9, 1895 – January 6, 1897 (did not run)	Republican	1894		Cooke, Lorrin A.Lorrin A. Cooke
57			Lorrin A. Cooke (1831–1902)	January 6, 1897 – January 4, 1899 (did not run)	Republican	1896		Dewell, James D.James D. Dewell
58			George E. Lounsbury (1838–1904)	January 4, 1899 – January 9, 1901 (did not run)	Republican	1898		Mills, Lyman A.Lyman A. Mills
59			George P. McLean (1857–1932)	January 9, 1901 – January 7, 1903 (did not run)	Republican	1900		Keeler, Edwin O.Edwin O. Keeler
60			Abiram Chamberlain (1837–1911)	January 7, 1903 – January 4, 1905 (did not run)	Republican	1902		Roberts, HenryHenry Roberts
61			Henry Roberts (1853–1929)	January 4, 1905 – January 9, 1907 (did not run)	Republican	1904		Woodruff, Rollin S.Rollin S. Woodruff
62			Rollin S. Woodruff (1854–1925)	January 9, 1907 – January 6, 1909 (did not run)	Republican	1906		Lake, Everett J.Everett J. Lake
63			George L. Lilley (1859–1909)	January 6, 1909 – April 21, 1909 (died in office)	Republican	1908		Weeks, Frank B.Frank B. Weeks
64			Frank B. Weeks (1854–1935)	April 21, 1909 – January 4, 1911 (successor took office)	Republican	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
65			Simeon E. Baldwin (1840–1927)	January 4, 1911 – January 6, 1915 (did not run)	Democratic	1910		Blakeslee, Dennis A.Dennis A. Blakeslee
						1912		Tingier, Lyman T.Lyman T. Tingier
66			Marcus H. Holcomb (1844–1932)	January 6, 1915 – January 5, 1921 (did not run)	Republican	1914		Wilson, Clifford B.Clifford B. Wilson
						1916
						1918
67			Everett J. Lake (1871–1948)	January 5, 1921 – January 3, 1923 (did not run)	Republican	1920		Templeton, Charles A.Charles A. Templeton
68			Charles A. Templeton (1871–1955)	January 3, 1923 – January 7, 1925 (did not run)	Republican	1922		Bingham III, HiramHiram Bingham III
69			Hiram Bingham III (1875–1956)	January 7, 1925 – January 8, 1925 (resigned)	Republican	1924		Trumbull, John H.John H. Trumbull
70			John H. Trumbull (1873–1961)	January 8, 1925 – January 7, 1931 (did not run)	Republican	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
						1926		Brainard, J. EdwinJ. Edwin Brainard
						1928		Rogers, Ernest E.Ernest E. Rogers
71			Wilbur Lucius Cross (1862–1948)	January 7, 1931 – January 4, 1939 (lost election)	Democratic	1930		Spencer, Samuel R.Samuel R. Spencer
						1932		Wilcox, Roy C.Roy C. Wilcox
						1934		Hayes, T. FrankT. Frank Hayes
						1936
72			Raymond E. Baldwin (1893–1986)	January 4, 1939 – January 8, 1941 (lost election)	Republican	1938		McConaughy, James L.James L. McConaughy
73			Robert A. Hurley (1895–1968)	January 8, 1941 – January 6, 1943 (lost election)	Democratic	1940		Shepard, OdellOdell Shepard
74			Raymond E. Baldwin (1893–1986)	January 6, 1943 – December 27, 1946 (resigned)	Republican	1942		Hadden, William L.William L. Hadden
						1944		Snow, Charles WilbertCharles Wilbert Snow
75			Charles Wilbert Snow (1884–1977)	December 27, 1946 – January 8, 1947 (successor took office)	Democratic	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
76			James L. McConaughy (1887–1948)	January 8, 1947 – March 7, 1948 (died in office)	Republican	1946		Shannon, James C.James C. Shannon
77			James C. Shannon (1896–1980)	March 7, 1948 – January 5, 1949 (lost election)	Republican	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
78			Chester B. Bowles (1901–1986)	January 5, 1949 – January 3, 1951 (lost election)	Democratic	1948		Carroll, William T.William T. Carroll
79			John Davis Lodge (1903–1985)	January 3, 1951 – January 5, 1955 (lost election)	Republican	1950		Allen, Edward N.Edward N. Allen
80			Abraham Ribicoff (1910–1998)	January 5, 1955 – January 21, 1961 (resigned)	Democratic	1954		Jewett, Charles W.Charles W. Jewett
						1958		Dempsey, John N.John N. Dempsey
81			John N. Dempsey (1915–1989)	January 21, 1961 – January 6, 1971 (did not run)	Democratic	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
						1962		Tedesco, Samuel J.Samuel J. Tedesco (resigned January 15, 1966)
								Doocy, Fred J.Fred J. Doocy
						1966		Frassinelli, Attilio R.Attilio R. Frassinelli
82			Thomas Meskill (1928–2007)	January 6, 1971 – January 8, 1975 (did not run)	Republican	1970		Hull, T. ClarkT. Clark Hull (resigned June 1, 1973)
								Cashman, Peter L.Peter L. Cashman
83			Ella Grasso (1919–1981)	January 8, 1975 – December 31, 1980 (resigned)	Democratic	1974		Killian, Robert K.Robert K. Killian
						1978		O'Neill, William A.William A. O'Neill
84			William A. O'Neill (1930–2007)	December 31, 1980 – January 9, 1991 (did not run)	Democratic	Succeeded from lieutenant governor		Fauliso, Joseph J.Joseph J. Fauliso
						1982
						1986
85			Lowell Weicker (1931–2023)	January 9, 1991 – January 4, 1995 (did not run)	A Connecticut Party	1990		Groark, EuniceEunice Groark
86			John G. Rowland (b. 1957)	January 4, 1995 – July 1, 2004 (resigned)	Republican	1994		Rell, JodiJodi Rell
						1998
						2002
87			Jodi Rell (1946–2024)	July 1, 2004 – January 5, 2011 (did not run)	Republican	Succeeded from lieutenant governor		Sullivan, KevinKevin Sullivan
						2006		Fedele, MichaelMichael Fedele
88			Dannel Malloy (b. 1955)	January 5, 2011 – January 9, 2019 (did not run)	Democratic	2010		Wyman, NancyNancy Wyman
						2014
89			Ned Lamont (b. 1954)	January 9, 2019 – Incumbent	Democratic	2018		Bysiewicz, SusanSusan Bysiewicz
						2022

See also

• Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Connecticut