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List of governors of Oklahoma facts for kids

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Flag of the Governor of Oklahoma
Standard of the governor of Oklahoma

The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.

List of governors

Oklahoma Territory

Oklahoma Territory was organized on May 2, 1890. It had seven governors appointed by the president of the United States.

Governors of the Territory of Oklahoma
No. Governor Term in office Appointing president
1 GeorgeWashingtonSteele.jpg George Washington Steele
(1839–1922)
May 14, 1890

November 8, 1891
(resigned)
Harrison, BenjaminBenjamin Harrison
2 Abraham Jefferson Seay.jpg Abraham Jefferson Seay
(1832–1915)
January 18, 1892

May 7, 1893
(successor appointed)
Harrison, BenjaminBenjamin Harrison
3 William Cary Renfrow.jpg William Cary Renfrow
(1845–1922)
May 6, 1893

May 11, 1897
(resigned)
Cleveland, GroverGrover Cleveland
4 Cassius McDonald Barnes.jpg Cassius McDonald Barnes
(1845–1925)
May 11, 1897

April 20, 1901
(successor appointed)
McKinley, WilliamWilliam McKinley
5 William Miller Jenkins.jpg William Miller Jenkins
(1856–1941)
April 20, 1901

November 30, 1901
(removed)
McKinley, WilliamWilliam McKinley
6 Thompson Benton Ferguson.jpg Thompson Benton Ferguson
(1857–1921)
November 30, 1901

January 13, 1906
(successor appointed)
Roosevelt, TheodoreTheodore Roosevelt
7 Frank Frantz.jpg Frank Frantz
(1872–1941)
January 13, 1906

November 16, 1907
(lost election)
Roosevelt, TheodoreTheodore Roosevelt

State of Oklahoma

Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory were combined and admitted to the Union as the State of Oklahoma on November 16, 1907.

The Constitution of Oklahoma calls for the election of a governor every four years, to take office on the second Monday in January after the election. Originally, governors could not succeed themselves, with no limit on total terms; a 1966 constitutional amendment allowed them to succeed themselves once. An amendment in 2010 limited them to eight years in total, retroactively applying to all living former governors. Should the office become vacant because of a death, resignation or removal of the governor, the lieutenant governor immediately succeeds to the governorship. After Jack C. Walton was impeached and removed in 1923, Lieutenant Governor Martin E. Trapp served in the office for the remainder of the term. He styled himself "Acting Governor," as the constitution only specified that the powers of the office devolved upon the lieutenant governor, hoping that he would not be prevented from running in the next election. However, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled in 1926 that, in the case of a vacancy in the office, the lieutenant governor becomes governor, and he was ineligible to run for a consecutive term.

Governors of the State of Oklahoma
No. Governor Term in office Party Election Lt. Governor
1 HASKELL, C.N. GOVERNOR LCCN2016858937 (cropped).jpg   Charles N. Haskell
(1860–1933)
November 16, 1907

January 9, 1911
(term-limited)
Democratic 1907   Bellamy, George W.George W. Bellamy
2 Lee Cruce.jpg Lee Cruce
(1863–1933)
January 9, 1911

January 11, 1915
(term-limited)
Democratic 1910 McAlester, J. J.J. J. McAlester
3 RobertLWilliams.jpg Robert L. Williams
(1868–1948)
January 11, 1915

January 13, 1919
(term-limited)
Democratic 1914 Trapp, Martin E.Martin E. Trapp
4
JBA Robertson 1920.jpg
James B. A. Robertson
(1871–1938)
January 13, 1919

January 8, 1923
(term-limited)
Democratic 1918
5 Jack Walton.jpg Jack C. Walton
(1881–1949)
January 8, 1923

November 19, 1923
(impeached and removed)
Democratic 1922
6 MartinETrapp.jpg Martin E. Trapp
(1877–1951)
November 19, 1923

January 10, 1927
(term-limited)
Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
7 Henry S. Johnston2.jpg Henry S. Johnston
(1867–1965)
January 10, 1927

March 20, 1929
(impeached and removed)
Democratic 1926 Holloway, William J.William J. Holloway
8 Governor William Holloway.jpg William J. Holloway
(1888–1970)
March 20, 1929

January 12, 1931
(term-limited)
Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
9 Alfalfa Bill.jpg William H. Murray
(1869–1956)
January 12, 1931

January 14, 1935
(term-limited)
Democratic 1930 Burns, RobertRobert Burns
10 E. W. Marland (Oklahoma Governor).jpg E. W. Marland
(1874–1941)
January 14, 1935

January 9, 1939
(term-limited)
Democratic 1934 Berry, James E.James E. Berry
11
Leon Phillips 1938.jpg
Leon C. Phillips
(1890–1958)
January 9, 1939

January 11, 1943
(term-limited)
Democratic 1938
12 Robert S. Kerr (OK).png Robert S. Kerr
(1896–1963)
January 11, 1943

January 13, 1947
(term-limited)
Democratic 1942
13 Roy J. Turner.jpg Roy J. Turner
(1894–1973)
January 13, 1947

January 8, 1951
(term-limited)
Democratic 1946
14 Gov Johnston Murray.jpg Johnston Murray
(1902–1974)
January 8, 1951

January 10, 1955
(term-limited)
Democratic 1950
15 Raymond Gary.jpg Raymond D. Gary
(1908–1993)
January 10, 1955

January 12, 1959
(term-limited)
Democratic 1954 Williams, Cowboy PinkCowboy Pink Williams
16 J. Howard Edmondson (OK).png J. Howard Edmondson
(1925–1971)
January 12, 1959

January 6, 1963
(resigned)
Democratic 1958 Nigh, GeorgeGeorge Nigh
17 George Nigh 1972.jpg George Nigh
(b. 1927)
January 6, 1963

January 14, 1963
(successor took office)
Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
18 BellmonHL.jpg Henry Bellmon
(1921–2009)
January 14, 1963

January 9, 1967
(term-limited)
Republican 1962 Winters, LeoLeo Winters
19 Dewey Bartlett.jpg Dewey F. Bartlett
(1919–1979)
January 9, 1967

January 11, 1971
(lost election)
Republican 1966 Nigh, GeorgeGeorge Nigh
20 David Hall (OK).jpg David Hall
(1930–2016)
January 11, 1971

January 13, 1975
(lost nomination)
Democratic 1970
21 David Boren (OK).png David Boren
(b. 1941)
January 13, 1975

January 2, 1979
(resigned)
Democratic 1974
22 George Nigh (cropped).jpg George Nigh
(b. 1927)
January 3, 1979

January 12, 1987
(term-limited)
Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Bernard, SpencerSpencer Bernard
1978
1982
23 BellmonHL.jpg Henry Bellmon
(1921–2009)
January 12, 1987

January 14, 1991
(did not run)
Republican 1986 Kerr III, Robert S.Robert S. Kerr III
24 David Walters.jpg David Walters
(b. 1951)
January 14, 1991

January 9, 1995
(did not run)
Democratic 1990 Mildren, JackJack Mildren
25 Frank Keating at a conference, Oct 20, 2001 - cropped.jpg Frank Keating
(b. 1944)
January 9, 1995

January 13, 2003
(term-limited)
Republican 1994 Fallin, MaryMary Fallin
1998
26 BradhenryDEA.jpg Brad Henry
(b. 1963)
January 13, 2003

January 10, 2011
(term-limited)
Democratic 2002
2006 Askins, JariJari Askins
27 Governor Mary Fallin May 2015.jpg Mary Fallin
(b. 1954)
January 10, 2011

January 14, 2019
(term-limited)
Republican 2010 Lamb, ToddTodd Lamb
2014
28 Kevin Stitt 2021.jpg Kevin Stitt
(b. 1972)
January 14, 2019

Incumbent
Republican 2018 Pinnell, MattMatt Pinnell
2022
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