List of governors of New Mexico facts for kids

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

Twenty-eight individuals have held the office of governor of New Mexico since the state's admission to the Union in 1912, two of whom—Edwin L. Mechem and Bruce King—served three non-consecutive terms. King holds the record as New Mexico's longest-serving governor, with 12 years of service. William C. McDonald, the first governor, took office on January 15, 1912. The first woman to serve as Governor was Republican Susana Martinez, who served from 2011-2019. The current officeholder is Michelle Lujan Grisham, who took office on January 1, 2019, as the first elected female Democratic governor of the state.

List of governors

On August 18, 1846, American forces led by Stephen W. Kearny captured Santa Fe, capital of the Mexican territory of Santa Fe de Nuevo México. A code of laws known as the Kearny Code was established on September 22, 1846. The region remained under military control until formally annexed by the United States on July 4, 1848. Following Kearny's departure for California on September 26, the chief military officer in the territory was Col. Sterling Price until October 11, 1848; Lt. Col. John M. Washington until October 23, 1849; and Col. John Munroe until the territory was organized.

Kearny appointed Charles Bent as governor before he left for California; Bent would be assassinated during the Taos Revolt on January 19, 1847. Col. Price appointed Donaciano Vigil as acting governor. A statehood convention chose Henry Connelly as governor on June 20, 1850, but this was never recognized by the federal government.

Territory of New Mexico

New Mexico Territory was organized on December 13, 1850. It would remain a territory for 62 years.

Governors of the Territory of New Mexico

No.	Governor		Term in office	Appointing President
1		James Calhoun (1802–1852)	January 9, 1851 – July 2, 1852 (died in office)	Fillmore, MillardMillard Fillmore
2		William Carr Lane (1789–1863)	July 15, 1852 – May 6, 1853 (successor appointed)	Fillmore, MillardMillard Fillmore
3		David Meriwether (1800–1893)	May 6, 1853 – August 17, 1857 (successor appointed)	Pierce, FranklinFranklin Pierce
4		Abraham Rencher (1798–1883)	August 17, 1857 – May 24, 1861 (successor appointed)	Buchanan, JamesJames Buchanan
5		Henry Connelly (1800–1866)	May 24, 1861 – January 15, 1866 (successor appointed)	Lincoln, AbrahamAbraham Lincoln
6		Robert Byington Mitchell (1823–1882)	January 15, 1866 – May 28, 1869 (resigned)	Johnson, AndrewAndrew Johnson
7		William A. Pile (1829–1889)	May 28, 1869 – July 27, 1871 (successor appointed)	Grant, Ulysses S.Ulysses S. Grant
8		Marsh Giddings (1816–1875)	July 27, 1871 – June 3, 1875 (died in office)	Grant, Ulysses S.Ulysses S. Grant
9		Samuel Beach Axtell (1819–1891)	June 8, 1875 – September 4, 1878 (suspended)	Grant, Ulysses S.Ulysses S. Grant
10		Lew Wallace (1827–1905)	September 4, 1878 – May 5, 1881 (resigned)	Hayes, Rutherford B.Rutherford B. Hayes
11		Lionel Allen Sheldon (1828–1917)	May 5, 1881 – May 23, 1885 (successor appointed)	Garfield, James A.James A. Garfield
12		Edmund G. Ross (1826–1907)	May 23, 1885 – April 2, 1889 (successor appointed)	Cleveland, GroverGrover Cleveland
13		L. Bradford Prince (1840–1922)	April 2, 1889 – April 7, 1893 (successor appointed)	Harrison, BenjaminBenjamin Harrison
14		William Taylor Thornton (1843–1916)	April 7, 1893 – April 5, 1897 (resigned)	Cleveland, GroverGrover Cleveland
15		Miguel Antonio Otero (1859–1944)	June 2, 1897 – January 10, 1906 (successor appointed)	McKinley, WilliamWilliam McKinley
				Roosevelt, TheodoreTheodore Roosevelt
16		Herbert James Hagerman (1871–1935)	January 10, 1906 – May 3, 1907 (resigned)	Roosevelt, TheodoreTheodore Roosevelt
17		George Curry (1861–1947)	May 27, 1907 – February 28, 1910 (resigned)	Roosevelt, TheodoreTheodore Roosevelt
18		William J. Mills (1849–1915)	March 1, 1910 – January 14, 1912 (statehood)	Taft, William HowardWilliam Howard Taft

State of New Mexico

The state of New Mexico was admitted to the Union on January 6, 1912.

The state constitution of 1912 called for the election of a governor and lieutenant governor every four years. The term was changed to two years by a 1914 amendment, and lengthened back to four years in 1970. Governors originally could not succeed themselves; this was changed in 1914 to allow governors to succeed themselves once before having to take a term off. With the lengthening of the term to four years in 1970, this was changed back to prohibiting them from succeeding themselves, but in 1986 it was lengthened back to two terms. A 1962 amendment made it so that the governor and lieutenant governor are elected on a ticket (election). In the event of a vacancy in the office of governor, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.

Governors of the State of New Mexico

No.	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor
1			William C. McDonald (1858–1918)	January 15, 1912 – January 1, 1917 (term-limited)	Democratic	1911		De Baca, Ezequiel CabezaEzequiel Cabeza De Baca
2			Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca (1864–1917)	January 1, 1917 – February 18, 1917 (died in office)	Democratic	1916		Lindsey, Washington EllsworthWashington Ellsworth Lindsey
3			Washington Ellsworth Lindsey (1862–1926)	February 18, 1917 – January 1, 1919 (lost nomination)	Republican	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
4			Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo (1859–1930)	January 1, 1919 – January 1, 1921 (lost nomination)	Republican	1918		Pankey, Benjamin F.Benjamin F. Pankey
5			Merritt C. Mechem (1870–1946)	January 1, 1921 – January 1, 1923 (did not run)	Republican	1920		Duckworth, William H.William H. Duckworth
6			James F. Hinkle (1862–1951)	January 1, 1923 – January 1, 1925 (did not run)	Democratic	1922		Baca, José A.José A. Baca (died May 17, 1924)
							Vacant
7			Arthur T. Hannett (1884–1966)	January 1, 1925 – January 1, 1927 (lost election)	Democratic	1924		Sargent, Edward G.Edward G. Sargent
8			Richard C. Dillon (1877–1966)	January 1, 1927 – January 1, 1931 (term-limited)	Republican	1926
						1928		Woodward, Hugh B.Hugh B. Woodward (resigned July 1929)
							Vacant
9			Arthur Seligman (1871–1933)	January 1, 1931 – September 25, 1933 (died in office)	Democratic	1930		Hockenhull, Andrew W.Andrew W. Hockenhull
						1932
10			Andrew W. Hockenhull (1877–1974)	September 25, 1933 – January 1, 1935 (did not run)	Democratic	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
11			Clyde Tingley (1881–1960)	January 1, 1935 – January 1, 1939 (term-limited)	Democratic	1934		de Baca, Louis CabezaLouis Cabeza de Baca
						1936		Dow, Hiram M.Hiram M. Dow
12			John E. Miles (1884–1971)	January 1, 1939 – January 1, 1943 (term-limited)	Democratic	1938		Murray Sr., JamesJames Murray Sr.
						1940		Quintana, CeferinoCeferino Quintana
13			John J. Dempsey (1879–1958)	January 1, 1943 – January 1, 1947 (term-limited)	Democratic	1942		Jones, James B.James B. Jones
						1944
14			Thomas J. Mabry (1884–1962)	January 1, 1947 – January 1, 1951 (term-limited)	Democratic	1946		Montoya, JosephJoseph Montoya
						1948
15			Edwin L. Mechem (1912–2002)	January 1, 1951 – January 1, 1955 (term-limited)	Republican	1950		Chávez, Tibo J.Tibo J. Chávez
						1952
16			John F. Simms (1916–1975)	January 1, 1955 – January 1, 1957 (lost election)	Democratic	1954		Montoya, JosephJoseph Montoya (resigned April 9, 1957)
17			Edwin L. Mechem (1912–2002)	January 1, 1957 – January 1, 1959 (lost election)	Republican	1956
							Vacant
18			John Burroughs (1907–1978)	January 1, 1959 – January 1, 1961 (lost election)	Democratic	1958		Mead, Ed V.Ed V. Mead
19			Edwin L. Mechem (1912–2002)	January 1, 1961 – November 30, 1962 (resigned)	Republican	1960		Bolack, TomTom Bolack
20			Tom Bolack (1918–1998)	November 30, 1962 – January 1, 1963 (successor took office)	Republican	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
21			Jack M. Campbell (1916–1999)	January 1, 1963 – January 1, 1967 (term-limited)	Democratic	1962		Easley, MackMack Easley
						1964
22			David Cargo (1929–2013)	January 1, 1967 – January 1, 1971 (term-limited)	Republican	1966		Francis, LeeLee Francis
						1968
23			Bruce King (1924–2009)	January 1, 1971 – January 1, 1975 (term-limited)	Democratic	1970		Mondragón, RobertoRoberto Mondragón
24			Jerry Apodaca (1934–2023)	January 1, 1975 – January 1, 1979 (term-limited)	Democratic	1974		Ferguson, Robert E.Robert E. Ferguson
25			Bruce King (1924–2009)	January 1, 1979 – January 1, 1983 (term-limited)	Democratic	1978		Mondragón, RobertoRoberto Mondragón
26			Toney Anaya (b. 1941)	January 1, 1983 – January 1, 1987 (term-limited)	Democratic	1982		Runnels, MikeMike Runnels
27			Garrey Carruthers (b. 1939)	January 1, 1987 – January 1, 1991 (term-limited)	Republican	1986		Stahl, Jack L.Jack L. Stahl
28			Bruce King (1924–2009)	January 1, 1991 – January 1, 1995 (lost election)	Democratic	1990		Luna, CaseyCasey Luna
29			Gary Johnson (b. 1953)	January 1, 1995 – January 1, 2003 (term-limited)	Republican	1994		Bradley, Walter DwightWalter Dwight Bradley
						1998
30			Bill Richardson (1947–2023)	January 1, 2003 – January 1, 2011 (term-limited)	Democratic	2002		Denish, DianeDiane Denish
						2006
31			Susana Martinez (b. 1959)	January 1, 2011 – January 1, 2019 (term-limited)	Republican	2010		Sanchez, JohnJohn Sanchez
						2014
32			Michelle Lujan Grisham (b. 1959)	January 1, 2019 – Incumbent	Democratic	2018		Morales, HowieHowie Morales
						2022

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Gobernadores de Nuevo México para niños