List of governors of Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Governor of Illinois |
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Residence | Illinois Governor's Mansion |
Term length | Four years, no term limits |
Inaugural holder | Shadrach Bond |
Formation | October 6, 1818 |
Salary | $177,412 (2015) |
The governor of Illinois is like the chief executive officer for the state of Illinois. They are the main leader of the state government. Their job is to make sure state laws are followed.
The governor can approve or reject new laws made by the Illinois Legislature. They can also call the legislature together for special meetings. Another important power is granting pardons, which means forgiving someone for a crime. However, they cannot do this if someone has been impeached. The governor is also the top commander of Illinois's military groups, like the Illinois National Guard.
Since Illinois became a state in 1818, 43 people have served as governor. Before Illinois was a state, it had only one territorial governor, Ninian Edwards. The governor who served the longest was James R. Thompson. He was elected four times and served for 14 years, from 1977 to 1991. Only one governor, Richard J. Oglesby, served more than one term that were not back-to-back. He was elected in 1864, 1872, and 1884.
The current governor is J. B. Pritzker. He started his term on January 14, 2019.
Governors of Illinois
Illinois as a Territory
The Illinois Territory was created on March 1, 1809. It was formed from part of the Indiana Territory. Before Illinois became a state, only two governors were chosen by the president of the United States. However, only one of them actually took office.
No. | Governor | Term in office | Appointed by | |
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1 | ![]() |
John Boyle (1774–1834) |
March 7, 1809 – April 3, 1809 (resigned before taking office) |
James Madison |
2 | ![]() |
Ninian Edwards (1775–1833) |
April 24, 1809 – October 6, 1818 (statehood) |
James Madison |
Illinois as a State
Illinois officially became a state on December 3, 1818. It joined the United States using the southern part of the Illinois Territory. The rest of the territory became part of the Michigan Territory.
The first Illinois Constitution was approved in 1818. It said that a governor would be elected every four years. Their term would begin in December after the election. The 1848 constitution changed this. It moved the start of the term to January. This made the term won in the 1844 election shorter, lasting only two years. The 1870 constitution changed the rules again. It allowed governors to serve more than one term in a row.
The job of lieutenant governor was also created in the first constitution. This person would take over if the governor's office became empty. The current constitution, from 1970, states that if the governor's job becomes vacant, the lieutenant governor becomes the new governor. Today, the governor and lieutenant governor are elected together on the same ballot. If a governor feels they cannot do their job because of a serious issue, they can let the secretary of state know. Then, the next person in line becomes the acting governor until the governor can return to their duties.
No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||
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1 | ![]() |
Shadrach Bond (1773–1832) |
October 6, 1818 – December 5, 1822 (term-limited) |
Democratic- Republican |
1818 | Pierre Menard | ||
2 | ![]() |
Edward Coles (1786–1868) |
December 5, 1822 – December 6, 1826 (term-limited) |
Independent | 1822 | Adolphus Hubbard | ||
3 | ![]() |
Ninian Edwards (1775–1833) |
December 6, 1826 – December 6, 1830 (term-limited) |
Democratic- Republican |
1826 | William Kinney | ||
4 | ![]() |
John Reynolds (1788–1865) |
December 6, 1830 – November 17, 1834 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1830 | Zadok Casey (resigned March 1, 1833) |
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William Lee D. Ewing (acting) |
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5 | ![]() |
William Lee D. Ewing (1795–1846) |
November 17, 1834 – December 3, 1834 (successor took office) |
Democratic | Lieutenant governor acting |
Vacant | ||
6 | ![]() |
Joseph Duncan (1794–1844) |
December 3, 1834 – December 7, 1838 (term-limited) |
Whig | 1834 | Alexander M. Jenkins (resigned December 9, 1836) |
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William H. Davidson (acting) |
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7 | ![]() |
Thomas Carlin (1789–1852) |
December 7, 1838 – December 8, 1842 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1838 | Stinson Anderson | ||
8 | ![]() |
Thomas Ford (1800–1850) |
December 8, 1842 – December 9, 1846 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1842 | John Moore | ||
9 | ![]() |
Augustus C. French (1808–1864) |
December 9, 1846 – January 10, 1853 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1846 | Joseph Wells | ||
1848 | William McMurtry | |||||||
10 | ![]() |
Joel Aldrich Matteson (1808–1873) |
January 10, 1853 – January 12, 1857 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1852 | Gustav Koerner | ||
11 | ![]() |
William Henry Bissell (1811–1860) |
January 12, 1857 – March 18, 1860 (died in office) |
Republican | 1856 | John Wood | ||
12 | ![]() |
John Wood (1798–1880) |
March 18, 1860 – January 14, 1861 (successor took office) |
Republican | Lieutenant governor acting |
Thomas Marshall (acting) |
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13 | ![]() |
Richard Yates (1815–1873) |
January 14, 1861 – January 16, 1865 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1860 | Francis Hoffmann | ||
14 | ![]() |
Richard J. Oglesby (1824–1899) |
January 16, 1865 – January 11, 1869 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1864 | William Bross | ||
15 | ![]() |
John M. Palmer (1817–1900) |
January 11, 1869 – January 13, 1873 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1868 | John Dougherty | ||
14 | ![]() |
Richard J. Oglesby (1824–1899) |
January 13, 1873 – January 23, 1873 (resigned) |
Republican | 1872 | John Lourie Beveridge | ||
16 | ![]() |
John Lourie Beveridge (1824–1910) |
January 23, 1873 – January 8, 1877 (successor took office) |
Republican | Lieutenant governor acting |
John Early (acting) (term ended January 8, 1875) |
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Archibald A. Glenn (acting) |
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17 | ![]() |
Shelby Moore Cullom (1829–1914) |
January 8, 1877 – February 6, 1883 (resigned) |
Republican | 1876 | Andrew Shuman | ||
1880 | John Marshall Hamilton | |||||||
18 | ![]() |
John Marshall Hamilton (1847–1905) |
February 6, 1883 – January 30, 1885 (successor took office) |
Republican | Lieutenant governor acting |
William J. Campbell (acting) |
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14 | ![]() |
Richard J. Oglesby (1824–1899) |
January 30, 1885 – January 14, 1889 (did not run) |
Republican | 1884 | John C. Smith | ||
19 | ![]() |
Joseph W. Fifer (1840–1938) |
January 14, 1889 – January 10, 1893 (lost election) |
Republican | 1888 | Lyman Beecher Ray | ||
20 | ![]() |
John Peter Altgeld (1847–1902) |
January 10, 1893 – January 11, 1897 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1892 | Joseph B. Gill | ||
21 | ![]() |
John Riley Tanner (1844–1901) |
January 11, 1897 – January 14, 1901 (did not run) |
Republican | 1896 | William Northcott | ||
22 | ![]() |
Richard Yates Jr. (1860–1936) |
January 14, 1901 – January 9, 1905 (lost nomination) |
Republican | 1900 | |||
23 | ![]() |
Charles S. Deneen (1863–1940) |
January 9, 1905 – February 3, 1913 (lost election) |
Republican | 1904 | Lawrence Yates Sherman | ||
1908 | John G. Oglesby | |||||||
24 | ![]() |
Edward Fitzsimmons Dunne (1853–1937) |
February 3, 1913 – January 8, 1917 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1912 | Barratt O'Hara | ||
25 | ![]() |
Frank Orren Lowden<<small|(1861–1943)}} |
January 8, 1917 – January 10, 1921 (did not run) |
Republican | 1916 | John G. Oglesby | ||
26 | ![]() |
Len Small (1862–1936) |
January 10, 1921 – January 14, 1929 (did not run) |
Republican | 1920 | Fred E. Sterling | ||
1924 | ||||||||
27 | ![]() |
Louis Lincoln Emmerson (1863–1941) |
January 14, 1929 – January 9, 1933 (did not run) |
Republican | 1928 | |||
28 | ![]() |
Henry Horner (1878–1940) |
January 9, 1933 – October 6, 1940 (died in office) |
Democratic | 1932 | Thomas Donovan | ||
1936 | John Henry Stelle | |||||||
29 | ![]() |
John Henry Stelle (1891–1962) |
October 6, 1940 – January 13, 1941 (successor took office) |
Democratic | Lieutenant governor acting |
Vacant | ||
30 | ![]() |
Dwight H. Green (1897–1958) |
January 13, 1941 – January 10, 1949 (lost election) |
Republican | 1940 | Hugh W. Cross | ||
1944 | ||||||||
31 | ![]() |
Adlai Stevenson II (1900–1965) |
January 10, 1949 – January 12, 1953 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1948 | Sherwood Dixon | ||
32 | ![]() |
William Stratton (1914–2001) |
January 12, 1953 – January 9, 1961 (lost election) |
Republican | 1952 | John William Chapman | ||
1956 | ||||||||
33 | ![]() |
Otto Kerner Jr. (1908–1976) |
January 9, 1961 – May 20, 1968 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1960 | Samuel H. Shapiro | ||
1964 | ||||||||
34 | ![]() |
Samuel H. Shapiro (1907–1987) |
May 21, 1968 – January 13, 1969 (lost election) |
Democratic | Lieutenant governor acting |
Vacant | ||
35 | ![]() |
Richard B. Ogilvie (1923–1988) |
January 13, 1969 – January 8, 1973 (lost election) |
Republican | 1968 | Paul Simon | ||
36 | ![]() |
Dan Walker (1922–2015) |
January 8, 1973 – January 10, 1977 (lost nomination) |
Democratic | 1972 | Neil Hartigan | ||
37 | ![]() |
James R. Thompson (1936–2020) |
January 10, 1977 – January 14, 1991 (did not run) |
Republican | 1976 | Dave O'Neal (resigned July 31, 1981) |
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1978 | ||||||||
Vacant | ||||||||
1982 | George Ryan | |||||||
1986 | ||||||||
38 | ![]() |
Jim Edgar (b. 1946) |
January 14, 1991 – January 11, 1999 (did not run) |
Republican | 1990 | Bob Kustra (resigned July 1, 1998) |
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1994 | ||||||||
Vacant | ||||||||
39 | ![]() |
George Ryan (b. 1934) |
January 11, 1999 – January 13, 2003 (did not run) |
Republican | 1998 | Corinne Wood | ||
40 | ![]() |
Rod Blagojevich (b. 1956) |
January 13, 2003 – January 29, 2009 (impeached and removed) |
Democratic | 2002 | Pat Quinn | ||
2006 | ||||||||
41 | ![]() |
Pat Quinn (b. 1948) |
January 29, 2009 – January 12, 2015 (lost election) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
2010 | Sheila Simon | |||||||
42 | ![]() |
Bruce Rauner (b. 1956) |
January 12, 2015 – January 14, 2019 (lost election) |
Republican | 2014 | Evelyn Sanguinetti | ||
43 | ![]() |
J. B. Pritzker (b. 1965) |
January 14, 2019 – Incumbent |
Democratic | 2018 | Juliana Stratton | ||
2022 |
See also
- List of Illinois state legislatures
- List of commandants of the Illinois Country