List of governors of Nebraska facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Governor of Nebraska |
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![]() Seal of Nebraska
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Style | The Honorable |
Residence | Nebraska Governor's Mansion |
Term length | 4 years, renewable once consecutively |
Inaugural holder | David Butler |
Formation | Constitution of Nebraska |
Succession | Line of succession |
Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska |
Salary | $105,000 USD (2022) |
The governor of Nebraska is like the chief executive officer for the state of Nebraska. This important job is described in the state's constitution. The person holding this office is chosen by voters for a four-year term. Elections for governor happen two years after the big presidential elections.
A governor can be elected many times, but they can only serve two terms in a row. The current governor is Jim Pillen, who is a Republican. He started his term on January 5, 2023.
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Becoming Governor of Nebraska
To become the governor of Nebraska, a person must be at least 30 years old. They also need to have been a citizen and lived in Nebraska for five years before the election.
Before 1966, governors were elected for two-year terms. In 1962, a change was made to the state's constitution. This change made the governor's term four years long, starting with the 1966 election. Another change in 1966 added a limit. It said a governor could only serve two terms in a row. The lieutenant governor has the same limits. They run for office together with the governor.
Only one person, Charles W. Bryan, has served as Governor of Nebraska at different times, not back-to-back. Dave Heineman holds the record for serving the longest. He was governor for 10 years.
What Happens When a Governor Starts or Can't Serve?
The governor's term, along with other statewide elected officials, begins in January. It starts on the first Thursday after the first Tuesday of the month. This happens after an election.
If the governor is unable to do their job, or if they are out of the state, the lieutenant governor steps in. They act as governor during that time. If the governor's office becomes empty, or if the governor can no longer serve permanently, the lieutenant governor becomes the new governor. They then finish the rest of the term.
If both the governor and lieutenant governor offices become empty, there's a plan for who takes over. The next person in line is the Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature. After that, the leaders of different committees in the legislature would be next.
Governors Through History
Nebraska Territory Governors
The area known as Nebraska Territory was officially set up on May 30, 1854. During this time, five governors were chosen by the president of the United States.
Before the territory was officially organized, in 1853, William Walker was chosen as a temporary governor. This event actually helped push the federal government to officially organize the territory.
No. | Governor | Term in office | Appointed by | |
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1 | ![]() |
Francis Burt (1807–1854) |
August 2, 1854 – October 18, 1854 (died in office) |
Franklin Pierce |
2 | ![]() |
Mark W. Izard (1799–1866) |
December 20, 1854 – October 25, 1857 (resigned) |
Franklin Pierce |
3 | ![]() |
William Alexander Richardson (1811–1875) |
December 10, 1857 – December 5, 1858 (resigned) |
James Buchanan |
4 | ![]() |
Samuel W. Black (1816–1862) |
February 8, 1859 – February 24, 1861 (resigned) |
James Buchanan |
5 | ![]() |
Alvin Saunders (1817–1899) |
March 27, 1861 – March 27, 1867 (statehood) |
Abraham Lincoln |
Andrew Johnson |
Governors of the State of Nebraska
Nebraska officially became a state on March 1, 1867. Since then, many people have served as its governor.
No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||
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1 | ![]() |
David Butler (1829–1891) |
March 27, 1867 – June 2, 1871 (impeached and removed) |
Republican | 1866 | Office did not exist | ||
1868 | ||||||||
1870 | ||||||||
– | ![]() |
William H. James (1831–1920) |
June 2, 1871 – January 13, 1873 (successor took office) |
Republican | Secretary of state acting |
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2 | ![]() |
Robert Wilkinson Furnas (1824–1905) |
January 13, 1873 – January 12, 1875 (did not run) |
Republican | 1872 | |||
3 | ![]() |
Silas Garber (1833–1905) |
January 12, 1875 – January 9, 1879 (did not run) |
Republican | 1874 | |||
1876 | Othman A. Abbott | |||||||
4 | ![]() |
Albinus Nance (1848–1911) |
January 9, 1879 – January 4, 1883 (did not run) |
Republican | 1878 | Edmund C. Carns | ||
1880 | ||||||||
5 | ![]() |
James W. Dawes (1845–1918) |
January 4, 1883 – January 6, 1887 (did not run) |
Republican | 1882 | Alfred W. Agee | ||
1884 | Hibbard H. Shedd | |||||||
6 | ![]() |
John Milton Thayer (1820–1906) |
January 6, 1887 – January 15, 1891 (did not run) |
Republican | 1886 | |||
1888 | George de Rue Meiklejohn | |||||||
Thomas Jefferson Majors | ||||||||
7 | ![]() |
James E. Boyd (1834–1906) |
January 15, 1891 – May 5, 1891 (removed) |
Democratic | 1890 | |||
6 | ![]() |
John Milton Thayer (1820–1906) |
May 5, 1891 – February 8, 1892 (removed) |
Republican | ||||
7 | ![]() |
James E. Boyd (1834–1906) |
February 8, 1892 – January 13, 1893 (did not run) |
Democratic | ||||
8 | ![]() |
Lorenzo Crounse (1834–1909) |
January 13, 1893 – January 3, 1895 (did not run) |
Republican | 1892 | |||
9 | ![]() |
Silas A. Holcomb (1858–1920) |
January 3, 1895 – January 5, 1899 (did not run) |
Fusion | 1894 | Robert E. Moore | ||
1896 | James E. Harris | |||||||
10 | ![]() |
William A. Poynter (1848–1909) |
January 5, 1899 – January 3, 1901 (lost election) |
Fusion | 1898 | Edward A. Gilbert | ||
11 | ![]() |
Charles Henry Dietrich (1853–1924) |
January 3, 1901 – May 1, 1901 (resigned) |
Republican | 1900 | Ezra P. Savage | ||
12 | ![]() |
Ezra P. Savage (1842–1920) |
May 1, 1901 – January 8, 1903 (did not run) |
Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Calvin F. Steele (acting) |
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13 | ![]() |
John H. Mickey (1845–1910) |
January 8, 1903 – January 3, 1907 (did not run) |
Republican | 1902 | Edmund G. McGilton | ||
1904 | ||||||||
14 | ![]() |
George L. Sheldon (1870–1960) |
January 3, 1907 – January 7, 1909 (lost election) |
Republican | 1906 | Melville R. Hopewell (died May 2, 1911) |
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15 | ![]() |
Ashton C. Shallenberger (1862–1938) |
January 7, 1909 – January 5, 1911 (lost nomination) |
Democratic | 1908 | |||
16 | ![]() |
Chester Hardy Aldrich (1863–1924) |
January 5, 1911 – January 9, 1913 (lost election) |
Republican | 1910 | |||
John H. Morehead (acting) |
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17 | ![]() |
John H. Morehead (1861–1942) |
January 9, 1913 – January 4, 1917 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1912 | Samuel Roy McKelvie | ||
1914 | James Pearson | |||||||
18 | ![]() |
Keith Neville (1884–1959) |
January 4, 1917 – January 9, 1919 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1916 | Edgar Howard | ||
19 | ![]() |
Samuel Roy McKelvie (1881–1956) |
January 9, 1919 – January 4, 1923 (did not run) |
Republican | 1918 | Pelham A. Barrows | ||
1920 | ||||||||
20 | ![]() |
Charles W. Bryan (1867–1945) |
January 4, 1923 – January 8, 1925 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1922 | Fred Gustus Johnson | ||
21 | ![]() |
Adam McMullen (1872–1959) |
January 8, 1925 – January 3, 1929 (did not run) |
Republican | 1924 | George A. Williams | ||
1926 | ||||||||
22 | ![]() |
Arthur J. Weaver (1873–1945) |
January 3, 1929 – January 8, 1931 (lost election) |
Republican | 1928 | |||
23 | ![]() |
Charles W. Bryan (1867–1945) |
January 8, 1931 – January 3, 1935 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1930 | Theodore W. Metcalfe | ||
1932 | Walter H. Jurgensen (removed June 26, 1938) |
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24 | ![]() |
Robert Leroy Cochran (1886–1963) |
January 3, 1935 – January 9, 1941 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1934 | |||
1936 | ||||||||
Vacant | ||||||||
Nate M. Parsons (elected November 8, 1938) |
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1938 | William E. Johnson | |||||||
25 | ![]() |
Dwight Griswold (1893–1954) |
January 9, 1941 – January 9, 1947 (did not run) |
Republican | 1940 | |||
1942 | Roy W. Johnson | |||||||
1944 | ||||||||
26 | ![]() |
Val Peterson (1903–1983) |
January 9, 1947 – January 8, 1953 (did not run) |
Republican | 1946 | Robert B. Crosby | ||
1948 | Charles J. Warner (died September 24, 1955) |
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1950 | ||||||||
27 | ![]() |
Robert B. Crosby (1911–2000) |
January 8, 1953 – January 6, 1955 (did not run) |
Republican | 1952 | |||
28 | ![]() |
Victor Emanuel Anderson (1902–1962) |
January 6, 1955 – January 8, 1959 (lost election) |
Republican | 1954 | |||
Vacant | ||||||||
1956 | Dwight W. Burney | |||||||
29 | ![]() |
Ralph G. Brooks (1898–1960) |
January 8, 1959 – September 9, 1960 (died in office) |
Democratic | 1958 | |||
30 | ![]() |
Dwight W. Burney (1892–1987) |
September 9, 1960 – January 5, 1961 (did not run) |
Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
31 | ![]() |
Frank B. Morrison (1905–2004) |
January 5, 1961 – January 5, 1967 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1960 | Dwight W. Burney | ||
1962 | ||||||||
1964 | Philip C. Sorensen | |||||||
32 | ![]() |
Norbert Tiemann (1924–2012) |
January 5, 1967 – January 7, 1971 (lost election) |
Republican | 1966 | John E. Everroad | ||
33 | ![]() |
J. James Exon (1921–2005) |
January 7, 1971 – January 4, 1979 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1970 | Frank Marsh | ||
1974 | Gerald T. Whelan | |||||||
34 | ![]() |
Charles Thone (1924–2018) |
January 4, 1979 – January 6, 1983 (lost election) |
Republican | 1978 | Roland A. Luedtke | ||
35 | ![]() |
Bob Kerrey (b. 1943) |
January 6, 1983 – January 8, 1987 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1982 | Donald McGinley | ||
36 | ![]() |
Kay A. Orr (b. 1939) |
January 8, 1987 – January 10, 1991 (lost election) |
Republican | 1986 | William E. Nichol | ||
37 | ![]() |
Ben Nelson (b. 1941) |
January 10, 1991 – January 7, 1999 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1990 | Maxine Moul (resigned October 6, 1993) |
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Kim M. Robak (appointed October 6, 1993) |
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1994 | ||||||||
38 | ![]() |
Mike Johanns (b. 1950) |
January 7, 1999 – January 20, 2005 (resigned) |
Republican | 1998 | David Maurstad (resigned October 1, 2001) |
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Dave Heineman (appointed October 1, 2001) |
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2002 | ||||||||
39 | ![]() |
Dave Heineman (b. 1948) |
January 20, 2005 – January 8, 2015 (term-limited) |
Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
Rick Sheehy (appointed January 24, 2005) (resigned February 2, 2013) |
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2006 | ||||||||
2010 | ||||||||
Vacant | ||||||||
Lavon Heidemann (appointed February 13, 2013) (resigned September 9, 2014) |
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Vacant | ||||||||
John E. Nelson (appointed September 29, 2014) |
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40 | ![]() |
Pete Ricketts (b. 1964) |
Republican | 2014 | Mike Foley | |||
2018 | January 8, 2015 – January 5, 2023 (term-limited) |
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41 | ![]() |
Jim Pillen (b. 1955) |
January 5, 2023 – Incumbent |
Republican | 2022 | Joe Kelly |
Timeline of Governors
Timeline of Nebraska governors |
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More to Explore
- United States congressional delegations from Nebraska
- Political party strength in Nebraska
- Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Nebraska
- List of Nebraska state legislatures