List of governors of Indiana facts for kids
The governor of Indiana is the head of government of the U.S. state of Indiana. The governor is the head of the executive branch of Indiana's state government and is charged with enforcing state laws.
While a territory, Indiana had two governors appointed by the President of the United States. Since statehood in 1816, it has had 49 governors, serving 51 distinct terms; Isaac P. Gray and Henry F. Schricker are the only governors to have served non-consecutive terms. Four governors have served two four-year terms; territorial governor William Henry Harrison served for over 12 years. The shortest-serving governor is Henry Smith Lane, who served two days before resigning to become a U.S. Senator. The current governor is Eric Holcomb, who took office on January 9, 2017.
Contents
Governors
Governors of the Territory of Indiana
Indiana Territory was formed on July 4, 1800, from the Northwest Territory. Despite remaining a territory for nearly 16 years, it had only two governors appointed by the President of the United States before it became a state.
No. | Governor | Term in office | Appointed by | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | William Henry Harrison February 9, 1773 – April 4, 1841 (aged 68) |
January 10, 1801 – December 28, 1812 |
John Adams | |
Thomas Jefferson | ||||
James Madison | ||||
— | John Gibson May 23, 1740 – April 10, 1822 (aged 81) |
December 28, 1812 – March 3, 1813 |
acting | |
2 | Thomas Posey July 9, 1750 – March 19, 1818 (aged 67) |
March 3, 1813 – November 7, 1816 |
James Madison |
Governors of the State of Indiana
Indiana was admitted to the Union on December 11, 1816.
The original 1816 Constitution of Indiana provided for the election of a governor and a lieutenant governor every three years, limited to six years out of any nine-year period. The second and current constitution of 1851 lengthened terms to four years and set the commencement of the governor's term on the second Monday in the January following the election. Governors were allowed to serve for four years in any eight-year period, but a 1972 amendment permitted governors to serve for eight years in any twelve-year period. Should the office of governor become vacant, the lieutenant governor becomes governor. If the office of lieutenant governor is vacant, the president pro tempore of the Indiana Senate becomes governor; this has happened once, when James B. Ray succeeded William Hendricks.
No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||
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1 | Jonathan Jennings March 27, 1784 – July 26, 1834 (aged 50) |
November 7, 1816 – September 12, 1822 (resigned) |
Democratic- Republican |
1816 | Christopher Harrison (resigned December 18, 1818) |
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Vacant | ||||||||
1819 | Ratliff Boon | |||||||
2 | Ratliff Boon January 18, 1781 – November, 1844 (aged 63) |
September 12, 1822 – December 5, 1822 (successor took office) |
Democratic- Republican |
Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Vacant | |||
3 | William Hendricks November 12, 1782 – May 16, 1850 (aged 67) |
December 5, 1822 – February 12, 1825 (resigned) |
Democratic- Republican |
1822 | Ratliff Boon (resigned January 30, 1824) |
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Vacant | ||||||||
4 | James B. Ray February 19, 1794 – August 4, 1848 (aged 54) |
February 12, 1825 – December 7, 1831 (term limited) |
Independent | Succeeded from President of the Senate |
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1825 | John H. Thompson | |||||||
1828 | Milton Stapp | |||||||
5 | Noah Noble January 15, 1794 – February 8, 1844 (aged 50) |
December 7, 1831 – December 6, 1837 (term limited) |
Whig | 1831 | David Wallace | |||
1834 | ||||||||
6 | David Wallace April 24, 1799 – September 4, 1859 (aged 60) |
December 6, 1837 – December 9, 1840 (term limited) |
Whig | 1837 | David Hillis | |||
7 | Samuel Bigger March 20, 1802 – September 9, 1846 (aged 44) |
December 9, 1840 – December 6, 1843 (lost election) |
Whig | 1840 | Samuel Hall | |||
8 | James Whitcomb December 1, 1795 – October 4, 1852 (aged 56) |
December 6, 1843 – December 27, 1848 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1843 | Jesse D. Bright (resigned December 8, 1845) |
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Vacant | ||||||||
1846 | Paris C. Dunning | |||||||
9 | Paris C. Dunning March 15, 1806 – May 9, 1884 (aged 78) |
December 27, 1848 – December 5, 1849 (not candidate for election) |
Democratic | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Vacant | |||
10 | Joseph A. Wright April 17, 1810 – May 11, 1867 (aged 57) |
December 5, 1849 – January 12, 1857 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1849 | James Henry Lane | |||
1852 | Ashbel P. Willard | |||||||
11 | Ashbel P. Willard October 31, 1820 – October 4, 1860 (aged 39) |
January 12, 1857 – October 4, 1860 (died in office) |
Democratic | 1856 | Abram A. Hammond | |||
12 | Abram A. Hammond March 21, 1814 – August 27, 1874 (aged 60) |
October 4, 1860 – January 14, 1861 (successor took office) |
Democratic | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Vacant | |||
13 | Henry Smith Lane February 24, 1811 – June 19, 1881 (aged 70) |
January 14, 1861 – January 16, 1861 (resigned) |
Republican | 1860 | Oliver P. Morton | |||
14 | Oliver P. Morton August 4, 1823 – November 1, 1877 (aged 54) |
January 16, 1861 – January 24, 1867 (resigned) |
Republican | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Vacant | |||
1864 | Conrad Baker | |||||||
15 | Conrad Baker February 12, 1817 – April 28, 1885 (aged 68) |
January 24, 1867 – January 13, 1873 (term limited) |
Republican | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Vacant | |||
1868 | William Cumback (resigned January 11, 1871) |
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Vacant | ||||||||
16 | Thomas A. Hendricks September 7, 1819 – November 25, 1885 (aged 66) |
January 13, 1873 – January 8, 1877 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1872 | Leonidas Sexton | |||
17 | James D. Williams January 16, 1808 – November 20, 1880 (aged 72) |
January 8, 1877 – November 20, 1880 (died in office) |
Democratic | 1876 | Isaac P. Gray | |||
18 | Isaac P. Gray October 18, 1828 – February 14, 1895 (aged 66) |
November 20, 1880 – January 10, 1881 (successor took office) |
Democratic | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Vacant | |||
19 | Albert G. Porter April 20, 1824 – May 3, 1897 (aged 73) |
January 10, 1881 – January 12, 1885 (term limited) |
Republican | 1880 | Thomas Hanna | |||
20 | Isaac P. Gray October 18, 1828 – February 14, 1895 (aged 66) |
January 12, 1885 – January 14, 1889 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1884 | Mahlon Dickerson Manson (resigned July 1886) |
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Vacant | ||||||||
21 | Alvin Peterson Hovey September 6, 1821 – November 23, 1891 (aged 70) |
January 14, 1889 – November 23, 1891 (died in office) |
Republican | 1888 | Ira Joy Chase | |||
22 | Ira Joy Chase December 7, 1834 – May 11, 1895 (aged 60) |
November 23, 1891 – January 9, 1893 (lost election) |
Republican | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Vacant | |||
23 | Claude Matthews December 14, 1845 – August 28, 1898 (aged 52) |
January 9, 1893 – January 11, 1897 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1892 | Mortimer Nye | |||
24 | James A. Mount March 24, 1843 – January 16, 1901 (aged 57) |
January 11, 1897 – January 14, 1901 (term limited) |
Republican | 1896 | William S. Haggard | |||
25 | Winfield T. Durbin May 4, 1847 – December 18, 1928 (aged 81) |
January 14, 1901 – January 9, 1905 (term limited) |
Republican | 1900 | Newton W. Gilbert | |||
26 | Frank Hanly April 4, 1863 – August 1, 1920 (aged 57) |
January 9, 1905 – January 11, 1909 (term limited) |
Republican | 1904 | Hugh Thomas Miller | |||
27 | Thomas R. Marshall March 14, 1854 – June 1, 1925 (aged 71) |
January 11, 1909 – January 13, 1913 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1908 | Frank J. Hall | |||
28 | Samuel M. Ralston December 1, 1857 – October 14, 1925 (aged 67) |
January 13, 1913 – January 8, 1917 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1912 | William P. O'Neill | |||
29 | James P. Goodrich February 18, 1864 – August 15, 1940 (aged 76) |
January 8, 1917 – January 10, 1921 (term limited) |
Republican | 1916 | Edgar D. Bush | |||
30 | Warren T. McCray February 4, 1865 – December 19, 1938 (aged 63) |
January 10, 1921 – April 30, 1924 (resigned) |
Republican | 1920 | Emmett Forest Branch | |||
31 | Emmett Forest Branch May 16, 1874 – February 23, 1932 (aged 57) |
April 30, 1924 – January 12, 1925 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Vacant | |||
32 | Edward L. Jackson December 27, 1873 – November 18, 1954 (aged 80) |
January 12, 1925 – January 14, 1929 (term limited) |
Republican | 1924 | F. Harold Van Orman | |||
33 | Harry G. Leslie April 6, 1878 – December 10, 1937 (aged 59) |
January 14, 1929 – January 9, 1933 (term limited) |
Republican | 1928 | Edgar D. Bush | |||
34 | Paul V. McNutt July 19, 1891 – March 24, 1955 (aged 63) |
January 9, 1933 – January 11, 1937 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1932 | M. Clifford Townsend | |||
35 | M. Clifford Townsend August 11, 1884 – November 11, 1954 (aged 70) |
January 11, 1937 – January 13, 1941 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1936 | Henry F. Schricker | |||
36 | Henry F. Schricker August 30, 1883 – December 28, 1966 (aged 83) |
January 13, 1941 – January 8, 1945 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1940 | Charles M. Dawson | |||
37 | Ralph F. Gates February 24, 1893 – July 28, 1978 (aged 85) |
January 8, 1945 – January 10, 1949 (term limited) |
Republican | 1944 | Richard T. James (resigned April 1, 1948) |
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Vacant | ||||||||
Rue J. Alexander (appointed April 14, 1948) (died January 2, 1949) |
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Vacant | ||||||||
38 | Henry F. Schricker August 30, 1883 – December 28, 1966 (aged 83) |
January 10, 1949 – January 12, 1953 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1948 | John A. Watkins | |||
39 | George N. Craig August 6, 1909 – December 17, 1992 (aged 83) |
January 12, 1953 – January 14, 1957 (term limited) |
Republican | 1952 | Harold W. Handley | |||
40 | Harold W. Handley November 27, 1909 – August 30, 1972 (aged 62) |
January 14, 1957 – January 9, 1961 (term limited) |
Republican | 1956 | Crawford F. Parker | |||
41 | Matthew E. Welsh Septemember 15, 1912 – May 28, 1995 (aged 82) |
January 9, 1961 – January 11, 1965 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1960 | Richard O. Ristine | |||
42 | Roger D. Branigin July 26, 1902 – November 19, 1975 (aged 73) |
January 11, 1965 – January 13, 1969 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1964 | Robert L. Rock | |||
43 | Edgar Whitcomb November 6, 1917 – February 4, 2016 (aged 98) |
January 13, 1969 – January 8, 1973 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1968 | Richard E. Folz | |||
44 | Otis Bowen February 26, 1918 – May 4, 2013 (aged 95) |
January 8, 1973 – January 12, 1981 (term limited) |
Republican | 1972 | Robert D. Orr | |||
1976 | ||||||||
45 | Robert D. Orr November 17, 1917 – March 10, 2004 (aged 86) |
January 12, 1981 – January 9, 1989 (term limited) |
Republican | 1980 | John Mutz | |||
1984 | ||||||||
46 | Evan Bayh December 26, 1955 |
January 9, 1989 – January 13, 1997 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1988 | Frank O'Bannon | |||
1992 | ||||||||
47 | Frank O'Bannon January 30, 1930 – September 13, 2003 (aged 73) |
January 13, 1997 – September 13, 2003 (died in office) |
Democratic | 1996 | Joe Kernan | |||
2000 | ||||||||
48 | Joe Kernan April 8, 1946 – July 29, 2020 (aged 74) |
September 13, 2003 – January 10, 2005 (lost election) |
Democratic | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Vacant | |||
Kathy Davis (appointed October 20, 2003) |
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49 | Mitch Daniels April 7, 1949 |
January 10, 2005 – January 14, 2013 (term limited) |
Republican | 2004 | Becky Skillman | |||
2008 | ||||||||
50 | Mike Pence June 7, 1959 |
January 14, 2013 – January 9, 2017 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 2012 | Sue Ellspermann (resigned March 2, 2016) |
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Vacant | ||||||||
Eric Holcomb (appointed March 3, 2016) |
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51 | Eric Holcomb May 2, 1968 |
January 9, 2017 – Incumbent |
Republican | 2016 | Suzanne Crouch | |||
2020 |
Succession
Living former governors of Indiana
As of January 2022, three former U.S. governors of Indiana are currently living, the oldest being Mitch Daniels (served 2005–2013, born 1949). The most recent and most recently serving U.S. governor of Indiana to die was Joe Kernan (served 2003–2005, born 1946), on July 29, 2020.
Governor | Gubernatorial term | Date of birth (and age) |
---|---|---|
Mitch Daniels | 2005–2013 | April 7, 1949 |
Evan Bayh | 1989–1997 | December 26, 1955 |
Mike Pence | 2013–2017 | June 7, 1959 |