List of governors of New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Governor of New Jersey
Coat of arms of New Jersey
Incumbent Phil Murphy since January 16, 2018
Style	Governor (informal) The Honorable (formal)
Residence	Drumthwacket
Seat	Trenton, New Jersey
Term length	Four years, renewable once consecutively
Constituting instrument	New Jersey Constitution of 1776
Precursor	Governor of New Jersey (Great Britain)
Inaugural holder	William Livingston
Formation	August 31, 1776 (247 years ago) (1776-08-31)
Deputy	Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey

The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the New Jersey Legislature, to convene the legislature, and to grant pardons, except in cases of treason or impeachment.

The first New Jersey State Constitution, ratified in 1776, provided that a governor be elected annually by the state legislature, the members of which were selected by the several counties. Under this constitution, the governor was president of the upper house of the legislature, then called the Legislative Council. The 1844 constitution provided for a popular vote to elect the governor, who no longer presided over the upper house of the legislature, now called the Senate. The 1844 constitution also lengthened the governor's term to three years, set to start on the third Tuesday in January following an election, and barred governors from succeeding themselves. The 1947 constitution extended terms to four years, and limits governors from being elected to more than two consecutive terms, though they can run again after a third term has passed. Joseph Bloomfield, Peter Dumont Vroom, Daniel Haines, Joel Parker, Leon Abbett, and Walter Evans Edge each served two non-consecutive stints as governor while A. Harry Moore served three non-consecutive stints. Foster McGowan Voorhees, James Fairman Fielder, and Richard Codey each served two non-consecutive stints, one as acting governor and one as official governor.

The 1776 constitution provided that the vice-president of the Legislative Council would act as governor (who was president of the Council) should that office be vacant. The 1844 constitution placed the president of the Senate first in the line of succession, as did the subsequent 1947 constitution. A constitutional amendment in 2006 created the office of lieutenant governor, to be elected on the same ticket for the same term as the governor, and if the office of governor is vacant, the lieutenant governor becomes governor. This office was first filled in 2010.

There have been 56 official governors of New Jersey, 1 of whom was female, with several others acting as governor for a time. In the official numbering, governors are counted only once each, and traditionally, only elected governors were included. However, legislation signed on January 10, 2006, allowed acting governors who had served at least 180 days to be considered full governors. The law was retroactive to January 1, 2001; it therefore changed the titles of Donald DiFrancesco and Richard Codey, affecting Jim McGreevey's numbering. The first and longest-serving governor of New Jersey was William Livingston, who served from August 31, 1776, to July 25, 1790. A. Harry Moore remains the longest-serving popularly elected governor. The current and 56th governor is Phil Murphy, a Democrat who assumed office on January 16, 2018.

Governors

New Jersey was one of the original Thirteen Colonies and was admitted as a state on December 18, 1787. Before it declared its independence, New Jersey was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Prior to 2010, unlike most other states, New Jersey did not have the office of lieutenant governor. Until 2010, when the office of governor was vacant or the governor was unable to fulfill his/her duties through injury, the president of the State Senate served as the acting governor. The Senate president continued in the legislative role during his/her tenure as the state's acting chief executive, thus giving the person control over executive and legislative authority. The acting governor served either until a special election was held (which would occur if the governor died, resigned, or was removed from office with more than 16 months before the end of the term), until the governor recovered from his/her injuries, or, if the governor died, resigned, or was removed from office less than 16 months before end of the term, until the end of the term.

Following the resignation of Christine Todd Whitman in 2001 to become EPA Administrator, Donald DiFrancesco assumed the acting governor's post. Following Whitman's resignation and DiFrancesco's departure, John O. Bennett served as acting governor for three and a half days. During that time, he signed a few bills into law, gave a State of the State Address, and held parties at Drumthwacket, the New Jersey governor's mansion. Similarly, Richard J. Codey served as acting governor as well. Because control of the New Jersey State Senate was split, resulting in two Senate co-presidents, Codey and Bennett, each held the office of acting governor for three days. For a second time, Richard Codey served as acting governor of New Jersey until January 2006, following the resignation of Jim McGreevey in late 2004. Perhaps the spectacle of having six changes in the governorship in a four-year span, in as much as any other factor, led to the voters' decision to amend the state constitution in 2005 to create the office of lieutenant governor of New Jersey effective with the 2009 state elections.

Governors of the State of New Jersey

No.	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor
1			William Livingston (1723–1790)	August 31, 1776 – July 25, 1790 (died in office)	Federalist	1776	Office did not exist
						1777
						1778
						1779
						1780
						1781
						1782
						1783
						1784
						1785
						1786
						1787
						1788
						1789
—			Elisha Lawrence (1746–1799)	July 25, 1790 – October 29, 1790 (successor took office)	Federalist	Vice-president of the Legislative Council acting
2			William Paterson (1745–1806)	October 29, 1790 – May 27, 1793 (resigned)	Federalist	1790
						1791
						1792
—			Thomas Henderson (1743–1824)	May 27, 1793 – June 3, 1793 (successor took office)	Federalist	Vice-president of the Legislative Council acting
3			Richard Howell (1754–1802)	June 3, 1793 – October 31, 1801 (did not run)	Federalist	1793
						1794
						1795
						1796
						1797
						1798
						1799
						1800
4			Joseph Bloomfield (1753–1823)	October 31, 1801 – October 28, 1802 (deadlocked election)	Democratic- Republican	1801
—			John Lambert (1746–1823)	October 28, 1802 – October 27, 1803 (successor took office)	Democratic- Republican	1802
4			Joseph Bloomfield (1753–1823)	October 27, 1803 – October 29, 1812 (did not run)	Democratic- Republican	1803
						1804
						1805
						1806
						1807
						1808
						1809
						1810
						1811
5			Aaron Ogden (1756–1839)	October 29, 1812 – October 29, 1813 (lost election)	Federalist	1812
6			William Sanford Pennington (1757–1826)	October 29, 1813 – June 19, 1815 (resigned)	Democratic- Republican	1813
						1814
—			William Kennedy (1775–1826)	June 19, 1815 – October 26, 1815 (successor took office)	Democratic- Republican	Vice-president of the Legislative Council acting
7			Mahlon Dickerson (1770–1853)	October 26, 1815 – February 1, 1817 (resigned)	Democratic- Republican	1815
						1816
8			Isaac Halstead Williamson (1767–1844)	February 6, 1817 – October 30, 1829 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican	1817
						1818
						1819
						1820
						1821
						1822
						1823
						1824
						1825
						1826
						1827
						1828
—			Garret D. Wall (1783–1850)	October 30, 1829 – November 2, 1829 (declined)	Democratic	1829
9			Peter Dumont Vroom (1791–1873)	November 6, 1829 – October 26, 1832 (lost election)	Democratic
						1830
						1831
10			Samuel L. Southard (1787–1842)	October 26, 1832 – February 27, 1833 (resigned)	Whig	1832
11			Elias P. Seeley (1791–1846)	February 27, 1833 – October 25, 1833 (lost election)	Whig
9			Peter Dumont Vroom (1791–1873)	October 25, 1833 – November 3, 1836 (resigned)	Democratic	1833
						1834
						1835
12			Philemon Dickerson (1788–1862)	November 3, 1836 – October 27, 1837 (lost election)	Democratic	1836
13			William Pennington (1796–1862)	October 27, 1837 – October 27, 1843 (did not run)	Whig	1837
						1838
						1839
						1840
						1841
						1842
14			Daniel Haines (1801–1877)	October 27, 1843 – January 21, 1845 (did not run)	Democratic	1843
15			Charles C. Stratton (1796–1859)	January 21, 1845 – January 18, 1848 (term-limited)	Whig	1844
14			Daniel Haines (1801–1877)	January 18, 1848 – January 21, 1851 (term-limited)	Democratic	1847
16			George Franklin Fort (1809–1872)	January 21, 1851 – January 17, 1854 (term-limited)	Democratic	1850
17			Rodman M. Price (1816–1894)	January 17, 1854 – January 20, 1857 (term-limited)	Democratic	1853
18			William A. Newell (1817–1901)	January 20, 1857 – January 17, 1860 (term-limited)	Republican	1856
19			Charles Smith Olden (1799–1876)	January 17, 1860 – January 20, 1863 (term-limited)	Republican	1859
20			Joel Parker (1816–1888)	January 20, 1863 – January 16, 1866 (term-limited)	Democratic	1862
21			Marcus Lawrence Ward (1812–1884)	January 16, 1866 – January 19, 1869 (term-limited)	Republican	1865
22			Theodore Fitz Randolph (1826–1883)	January 19, 1869 – January 16, 1872 (term-limited)	Democratic	1868
20			Joel Parker (1816–1888)	January 16, 1872 – January 19, 1875 (term-limited)	Democratic	1871
23			Joseph D. Bedle (1831–1894)	January 19, 1875 – January 15, 1878 (term-limited)	Democratic	1874
24			George B. McClellan (1826–1885)	January 15, 1878 – January 18, 1881 (term-limited)	Democratic	1877
25			George C. Ludlow (1830–1900)	January 18, 1881 – January 15, 1884 (term-limited)	Democratic	1880
26			Leon Abbett (1836–1894)	January 15, 1884 – January 18, 1887 (term-limited)	Democratic	1883
27			Robert Stockton Green (1831–1895)	January 18, 1887 – January 21, 1890 (term-limited)	Democratic	1886
26			Leon Abbett (1836–1894)	January 21, 1890 – January 17, 1893 (term-limited)	Democratic	1889
28			George Theodore Werts (1846–1910)	January 17, 1893 – January 21, 1896 (term-limited)	Democratic	1892
29			John W. Griggs (1849–1927)	January 21, 1896 – January 31, 1898 (resigned)	Republican	1895
—			Foster McGowan Voorhees (1856–1927)	January 31, 1898 – October 18, 1898 (resigned)	Republican	President of the Senate acting
—			David Ogden Watkins (1862–1938)	October 18, 1898 – January 17, 1899 (successor took office)	Republican	Speaker of the Assembly acting
30			Foster McGowan Voorhees (1856–1927)	January 17, 1899 – January 21, 1902 (term-limited)	Republican	1898
31			Franklin Murphy (1846–1920)	January 21, 1902 – January 17, 1905 (term-limited)	Republican	1901
32			Edward C. Stokes (1860–1942)	January 17, 1905 – January 21, 1908 (term-limited)	Republican	1904
33			John Franklin Fort (1852–1920)	January 21, 1908 – January 17, 1911 (term-limited)	Republican	1907
34			Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924)	January 17, 1911 – March 1, 1913 (resigned)	Democratic	1910
—			James Fairman Fielder (1867–1954)	March 1, 1913 – October 28, 1913 (resigned)	Democratic	President of the Senate acting
—			Leon Rutherford Taylor (1883–1924)	October 28, 1913 – January 20, 1914 (successor took office)	Democratic	Speaker of the Assembly acting
35			James Fairman Fielder (1867–1954)	January 20, 1914 – January 16, 1917 (term-limited)	Democratic	1913
36			Walter Evans Edge (1873–1956)	January 16, 1917 – May 16, 1919 (resigned)	Republican	1916
—			William Nelson Runyon (1871–1931)	May 16, 1919 – January 13, 1920 (senate term expired)	Republican	President of the Senate acting
—			Clarence E. Case (1877–1961)	January 13, 1920 – January 20, 1920 (successor took office)	Republican	President of the Senate acting
37			Edward I. Edwards (1863–1931)	January 20, 1920 – January 15, 1923 (term-limited)	Democratic	1919
38			George Sebastian Silzer (1870–1940)	January 15, 1923 – January 19, 1926 (term-limited)	Democratic	1922
39			A. Harry Moore (1877–1952)	January 19, 1926 – January 15, 1929 (term-limited)	Democratic	1925
40			Morgan Foster Larson (1882–1961)	January 15, 1929 – January 19, 1932 (term-limited)	Republican	1928
39			A. Harry Moore (1877–1952)	January 19, 1932 – January 3, 1935 (resigned)	Democratic	1931
—			Clifford Ross Powell (1893–1973)	January 3, 1935 – January 8, 1935 (senate term expired)	Republican	President of the Senate acting
—			Horace Griggs Prall (1881–1951)	January 8, 1935 – January 15, 1935 (successor took office)	Republican	President of the Senate acting
41			Harold G. Hoffman (1896–1954)	January 15, 1935 – January 18, 1938 (term-limited)	Republican	1934
39			A. Harry Moore (1877–1952)	January 18, 1938 – January 21, 1941 (term-limited)	Democratic	1937
42			Charles Edison (1890–1969)	January 21, 1941 – January 18, 1944 (term-limited)	Democratic	1940
36			Walter Evans Edge (1873–1956)	January 18, 1944 – January 21, 1947 (term-limited)	Republican	1943
43			Alfred E. Driscoll (1902–1975)	January 21, 1947 – January 19, 1954 (term-limited)	Republican	1946
						1949
44			Robert B. Meyner (1908–1990)	January 19, 1954 – January 16, 1962 (term-limited)	Democratic	1953
						1957
45			Richard J. Hughes (1909–1992)	January 16, 1962 – January 20, 1970 (term-limited)	Democratic	1961
						1965
46			William T. Cahill (1912–1996)	January 20, 1970 – January 15, 1974 (lost nomination)	Republican	1969
47			Brendan Byrne (1924–2018)	January 15, 1974 – January 19, 1982 (term-limited)	Democratic	1973
						1977
48			Thomas Kean (b. 1935)	January 19, 1982 – January 16, 1990 (term-limited)	Republican	1981
						1985
49			James Florio (1937–2022)	January 16, 1990 – January 18, 1994 (lost election)	Democratic	1989
50			Christine Todd Whitman (b. 1946)	January 18, 1994 – January 31, 2001 (resigned)	Republican	1993
						1997
51			Donald DiFrancesco (b. 1944)	January 31, 2001 – January 8, 2002 (senate term expired)	Republican	Succeeded from president of the Senate
—			John Farmer Jr. (b. 1957)	January 8, 2002 – January 8, 2002 (successor took office)	Republican	Attorney general acting
—			John O. Bennett (b. 1948)	January 8, 2002 – January 12, 2002 (successor took office)	Republican	President of the Senate acting
—			Richard Codey (b. 1946)	January 12, 2002 – January 15, 2002 (successor took office)	Democratic	President of the Senate acting
52			Jim McGreevey (b. 1957)	January 15, 2002 – November 15, 2004 (resigned)	Democratic	2001
53			Richard Codey (b. 1946)	November 16, 2004 – January 17, 2006 (did not run)	Democratic	Succeeded from president of the Senate
54			Jon Corzine (b. 1947)	January 17, 2006 – January 19, 2010 (lost election)	Democratic	2005
55			Chris Christie (b. 1962)	January 19, 2010 – January 16, 2018 (term-limited)	Republican	2009		Guadagno, KimKim Guadagno
						2013
56			Phil Murphy (b. 1957)	January 16, 2018 – Incumbent	Democratic	2017		Oliver, SheilaSheila Oliver (died August 1, 2023)
						2021
							Vacant
								Way, TaheshaTahesha Way (appointed September 8, 2023)

See also

• Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States (New Jersey)
• List of New Jersey state legislatures