List of governors of Louisiana facts for kids
The governor of Louisiana is like the main leader of the state government. They are in charge of the executive branch, which means they make sure state laws are followed.
Currently, Jeff Landry is the governor of Louisiana. He is a Republican and started his term on January 8, 2024.
Early Governors: Territory of Orleans
After the United States bought Louisiana from France in 1803, a part of it was organized into the Territory of Orleans on October 1, 1804. This territory was the first step before Louisiana became a state.
Governor | Term in office | Appointed by | |
---|---|---|---|
![]() |
William C. C. Claiborne (died in 1817) |
December 20, 1803 – July 30, 1812 (elected state governor) |
Thomas Jefferson |
James Madison |
Governors of the State of Louisiana
Louisiana officially became a state on April 30, 1812. Later, during the American Civil War, Louisiana left the United States in 1861 and joined the Confederate States of America. Because parts of the state were controlled by both sides during the war, there were two different groups of governors at times. After the war, Louisiana rejoined the Union on July 9, 1868.
The first constitution for Louisiana in 1812 said that the governor would serve for four years. Over the years, the rules for when a governor's term starts and how long they can serve have changed several times. For example, in 1966, a rule was added that allowed governors to serve two terms in a row before needing a break.
If a governor could no longer serve, the President of the Senate would take over. Later, the state created the job of Lieutenant Governor. This person is elected at the same time as the governor and takes over if the governor's office becomes empty.
No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
William C. C. Claiborne (died in 1817) |
July 30, 1812 – December 17, 1816 (term-limited) |
Democratic- Republican |
1812 | Office did not exist | ||
2 | ![]() |
Jacques Villeré (1761–1830) |
December 17, 1816 – December 18, 1820 (term-limited) |
Democratic- Republican |
1816 | |||
3 | ![]() |
Thomas B. Robertson (1779–1828) |
December 18, 1820 – November 15, 1824 (resigned) |
Democratic- Republican |
1820 | |||
4 | ![]() |
Henry S. Thibodaux (1769–1827) |
November 15, 1824 – December 13, 1824 (successor took office) |
Democratic- Republican |
President of the Senate acting |
|||
5 | ![]() |
Henry Johnson (1783–1864) |
December 13, 1824 – December 15, 1828 (term-limited) |
Adams Republican |
1824 | |||
6 | ![]() |
Pierre Derbigny (1769–1829) |
December 15, 1828 – October 6, 1829 (died in office) |
Adams Republican |
1828 | |||
7 | ![]() |
Arnaud Beauvais (1783–1843) |
October 6, 1829 – January 14, 1830 (senate term ended) |
National Republican |
President of the Senate acting |
|||
8 | ![]() |
Jacques Dupré (1773–1846) |
January 14, 1830 – January 31, 1831 (successor took office) |
National Republican |
President of the Senate acting |
|||
9 | ![]() |
Andre B. Roman (1795–1866) |
January 31, 1831 – February 2, 1835 (term-limited) |
National Republican |
1830 (special) |
|||
10 | ![]() |
Edward Douglass White Sr. (1795–1847) |
February 2, 1835 – February 4, 1839 (term-limited) |
Whig | 1834 | |||
9 | ![]() |
Andre B. Roman (1795–1866) |
February 4, 1839 – January 30, 1843 (term-limited) |
Whig | 1838 | |||
11 | ![]() |
Alexandre Mouton (1804–1885) |
January 30, 1843 – February 12, 1846 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1842 | |||
12 | ![]() |
Isaac Johnson (1803–1853) |
February 12, 1846 – January 28, 1850 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1846 | Trasimond Landry | ||
13 | ![]() |
Joseph Marshall Walker (1784–1856) |
January 28, 1850 – January 20, 1853 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1849 | Jean Baptiste Plauché | ||
14 | ![]() |
Paul Octave Hébert (1818–1880) |
January 20, 1853 – January 28, 1856 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1852 | William Wood Farmer (died October 29, 1854) |
||
Robert C. Wickliffe | ||||||||
15 | ![]() |
Robert C. Wickliffe (1819–1895) |
January 28, 1856 – January 23, 1860 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1855 | Charles Homer Mouton (resigned 1856) |
||
William F. Griffin | ||||||||
16 | ![]() |
Thomas Overton Moore (1804–1876) |
January 23, 1860 – January 25, 1864 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1859 | Henry M. Hyams | ||
17 | ![]() |
George Foster Shepley (1819–1878) |
July 2, 1862 – March 4, 1864 (successor took office) |
Military governor | Vacant | |||
18 | ![]() |
Henry Watkins Allen (1820–1866) |
January 25, 1864 – June 2, 1865 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1863 (Confederate) |
Benjamin W. Pearce | ||
19 | ![]() |
Michael Hahn (1830–1886) |
March 4, 1864 – March 4, 1865 (resigned) |
Union Free Trade (Republican) |
1864 (Union) |
James Madison Wells | ||
20 | ![]() |
James Madison Wells (1808–1899) |
March 4, 1865 – June 3, 1867 (removed) |
Citizens Ticket | Lieutenant governor acting |
Vacant | ||
1865 | Albert Voorhies | |||||||
21 | ![]() |
Benjamin Flanders (1816–1896) |
June 6, 1867 – January 2, 1868 (resigned) |
Appointed by military occupation |
Vacant | |||
22 | ![]() |
Joshua Baker (1799–1885) |
January 2, 1868 – June 27, 1868 (removed) |
Appointed by military occupation |
||||
23 | ![]() |
Henry C. Warmoth (1842–1931) |
June 27, 1868 – December 9, 1872 (removed) |
Appointed by military occupation |
||||
Republican | 1868 | Oscar Dunn (died November 22, 1871) |
||||||
Vacant | ||||||||
P. B. S. Pinchback (appointed December 6, 1871) |
||||||||
24 | ![]() |
P. B. S. Pinchback (1837–1921) |
December 9, 1872 – January 13, 1873 (successor took office) |
Republican | Lieutenant governor acting |
Vacant | ||
25 | ![]() |
John McEnery (1833–1891) |
January 13, 1873 – May 22, 1873 (removed) |
Democratic | 1872 | Davidson B. Penn | ||
26 | ![]() |
William Pitt Kellogg (1830–1918) |
January 13, 1873 – January 8, 1877 (did not run) |
Republican | Caesar Antoine | |||
27 | ![]() |
Stephen B. Packard (1839–1922) |
January 8, 1877 – April 25, 1877 (removed) |
Republican | 1876 | |||
28 | ![]() |
Francis T. Nicholls (1834–1912) |
January 8, 1877 – January 14, 1880 (did not run) |
Democratic | Louis A. Wiltz | |||
29 | ![]() |
Louis A. Wiltz (1843–1881) |
January 14, 1880 – October 16, 1881 (died in office) |
Democratic | 1879 | Samuel D. McEnery | ||
30 | ![]() |
Samuel D. McEnery (1837–1910) |
October 16, 1881 – May 21, 1888 (lost nomination) |
Democratic | Lieutenant governor acting |
William A. Robertson (removed December 24, 1881) |
||
George L. Walton | ||||||||
1884 | Clay Knobloch | |||||||
28 | ![]() |
Francis T. Nicholls (1834–1912) |
May 21, 1888 – May 16, 1892 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1888 | James Jeffries | ||
31 | ![]() |
Murphy J. Foster (1849–1921) |
May 16, 1892 – May 21, 1900 (term-limited) |
Anti-Lottery Democratic |
1892 | Charles Parlange (resigned December 11, 1893) |
||
Hiram R. Lott (died June 2, 1895) |
||||||||
Robert H. Snyder | ||||||||
1896 | ||||||||
32 | ![]() |
William Wright Heard (1853–1926) |
May 21, 1900 – May 16, 1904 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1900 | Albert Estopinal | ||
33 | ![]() |
Newton C. Blanchard (1849–1922) |
May 16, 1904 – May 18, 1908 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1904 | Jared Y. Sanders Sr. | ||
34 | ![]() |
Jared Y. Sanders Sr. (1869–1944) |
May 18, 1908 – May 20, 1912 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1908 | Paul M. Lambremont | ||
35 | ![]() |
Luther E. Hall (1869–1921) |
May 20, 1912 – May 15, 1916 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1912 | Thomas C. Barret | ||
36 | ![]() |
Ruffin G. Pleasant (1871–1937) |
May 15, 1916 – May 17, 1920 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1916 | Fernand Mouton | ||
37 | ![]() |
John M. Parker (1863–1939) |
May 17, 1920 – May 19, 1924 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1920 | Hewitt Bouanchaud (resigned April 12, 1924) |
||
Delos R. Johnson | ||||||||
38 | ![]() |
Henry L. Fuqua (1865–1926) |
May 19, 1924 – October 11, 1926 (died in office) |
Democratic | 1924 | Oramel H. Simpson | ||
39 | ![]() |
Oramel H. Simpson (1870–1932) |
October 11, 1926 – May 21, 1928 (lost nomination) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Philip H. Gilbert | ||
40 | ![]() |
Huey Long (1893–1935) |
May 21, 1928 – January 25, 1932 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1928 | Paul N. Cyr (removed March 4, 1931) |
||
Alvin Olin King | ||||||||
41 | ![]() |
Alvin Olin King (1890–1958) |
January 25, 1932 – May 16, 1932 (successor took office) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
42 | ![]() |
Oscar K. Allen (1882–1936) |
May 16, 1932 – January 28, 1936 (died in office) |
Democratic | 1932 | John B. Fournet (resigned January 2, 1935) |
||
James A. Noe | ||||||||
43 | ![]() |
James A. Noe (1890–1976) |
January 28, 1936 – May 12, 1936 (successor took office) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
44 | ![]() |
Richard W. Leche (1898–1965) |
May 12, 1936 – June 26, 1939 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1936 | Earl Long | ||
45 | ![]() |
Earl Long (1895–1960) |
June 26, 1939 – May 14, 1940 (lost nomination) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Coleman Lindsey | ||
46 | ![]() |
Sam H. Jones (1897–1978) |
May 14, 1940 – May 9, 1944 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1940 | Marc M. Mouton | ||
47 | ![]() |
Jimmie Davis (1899–2000) |
May 9, 1944 – May 11, 1948 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1944 | J. Emile Verret | ||
45 | ![]() |
Earl Long (1895–1960) |
May 11, 1948 – May 13, 1952 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1948 | Bill Dodd | ||
48 | ![]() |
Robert F. Kennon (1902–1988) |
May 13, 1952 – May 15, 1956 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1952 | C. E. Barham | ||
45 | ![]() |
Earl Long (1895–1960) |
May 15, 1956 – May 10, 1960 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1956 | Lether Frazar | ||
47 | ![]() |
Jimmie Davis (1899–2000) |
May 10, 1960 – May 12, 1964 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1960 | Taddy Aycock | ||
49 | ![]() |
John McKeithen (1918–1999) |
May 12, 1964 – May 9, 1972 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1964 | |||
1968 | ||||||||
50 | ![]() |
Edwin Edwards (1927–2021) |
May 9, 1972 – March 10, 1980 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1972 | Jimmy Fitzmorris | ||
1975 | ||||||||
51 | ![]() |
Dave Treen (1928–2009) |
March 10, 1980 – March 12, 1984 (lost election) |
Republican | 1979 | Robert Louis Freeman Sr. | ||
50 | ![]() |
Edwin Edwards (1927–2021) |
March 12, 1984 – March 14, 1988 (withdrew) |
Democratic | 1983 | |||
52 | ![]() |
Buddy Roemer (1943–2021) |
March 14, 1988 – January 13, 1992 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1987 | Paul Hardy | ||
50 | ![]() |
Edwin Edwards (1927–2021) |
January 13, 1992 – January 8, 1996 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1991 | Melinda Schwegmann | ||
53 | Mike Foster (1930–2020) |
January 8, 1996 – January 12, 2004 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1995 | Kathleen Blanco | |||
1999 | ||||||||
54 | ![]() |
Kathleen Blanco (1942–2019) |
January 12, 2004 – January 14, 2008 (did not run) |
Democratic | 2003 | Mitch Landrieu (resigned May 3, 2010) |
||
55 | ![]() |
Bobby Jindal (born in 1971) |
January 14, 2008 – January 11, 2016 (term-limited) |
Republican | 2007 | |||
Scott Angelle | ||||||||
Jay Dardenne (elected November 22, 2010) |
||||||||
2011 | ||||||||
56 | ![]() |
John Bel Edwards (born in 1966) |
January 11, 2016 – January 8, 2024 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 2015 | Billy Nungesser | ||
2019 | ||||||||
57 | ![]() |
Jeff Landry (born in 1970) |
January 8, 2024 – Incumbent |
Republican | 2023 |
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Gobernadores de Luisiana para niños
- List of Louisiana state legislatures
- List of colonial governors of Louisiana
- Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Louisiana