List of governors of Tennessee facts for kids
The governor of Tennessee is like the main leader or CEO of the U.S. state of Tennessee. This person is in charge of the state's government and helps make important decisions for everyone living in Tennessee.
Tennessee has had 50 governors so far. The person currently serving as governor is Bill Lee. Some governors, like John Sevier and Andrew Johnson, have served more than one term, but not always one right after the other. Each governor is counted only once, no matter how many times they served.
Contents
Leaders of Tennessee
Early Leaders: Southwest Territory
Before Tennessee became a state, it was known as the Territory South of the Ohio River, or the Southwest Territory. This territory was set up on May 26, 1790.
During its six years as a territory, it had only one governor. This governor was William Blount, who was chosen by the federal government.
| Governor | Time in Office | Appointed by | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
William Blount (1749–1800) |
June 8, 1790 – March 28, 1796 (became a state) |
George Washington |
Governors of the State of Tennessee
The Southwest Territory officially became the state of Tennessee on June 1, 1796.
The first state constitution in 1796 said that a governor would serve for two years. It also said that no one could be governor for more than six years in any eight-year period. Later, in 1953, the rules changed. The governor's term became four years long, and they could not serve two terms in a row.
However, the rules changed again in 1978. Now, a governor is elected for a four-year term and can serve two terms in a row.
| No. | Governor | Time in Office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
John Sevier (1745–1815) |
March 30, 1796 – September 23, 1801 (term limit reached) |
Democratic- Republican |
1796 | Office did not exist | ||
| 1797 | ||||||||
| 1799 | ||||||||
| 2 |  |
Archibald Roane (d. 1819) |
September 23, 1801 – September 23, 1803 (lost election) |
Democratic- Republican |
1801 | |||
| 1 | |
John Sevier (1745–1815) |
September 23, 1803 – September 20, 1809 (term limit reached) |
Democratic- Republican |
1803 | |||
| 1805 | ||||||||
| 1807 | ||||||||
| 3 |  |
Willie Blount (1768–1835) |
September 20, 1809 – September 27, 1815 (term limit reached) |
Democratic- Republican |
1809 | |||
| 1811 | ||||||||
| 1813 | ||||||||
| 4 |  |
Joseph McMinn (1758–1824) |
September 27, 1815 – October 1, 1821 (term limit reached) |
Democratic- Republican |
1815 | |||
| 1817 | ||||||||
| 1819 | ||||||||
| 5 |  |
William Carroll (1788–1844) |
October 1, 1821 – October 1, 1827 (term limit reached) |
Democratic- Republican |
1821 | |||
| 1823 | ||||||||
| 1825 | ||||||||
| 6 |  |
Sam Houston (1793–1863) |
October 1, 1827 – April 16, 1829 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1827 | |||
| 7 |  |
William Hall (1775–1856) |
April 16, 1829 – October 1, 1829 (did not run) |
Democratic | Took over from speaker of the Senate |
|||
| 5 | |
William Carroll (1788–1844) |
October 1, 1829 – October 12, 1835 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | 1829 | |||
| 1831 | ||||||||
| 1833 | ||||||||
| 8 |  |
Newton Cannon (1781–1841) |
October 12, 1835 – October 14, 1839 (lost election) |
Whig | 1835 | |||
| 1837 | ||||||||
| 9 |  |
James K. Polk (1795–1849) |
October 14, 1839 – October 14, 1841 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1839 | |||
| 10 |  |
James C. Jones (1809–1859) |
October 14, 1841 – October 15, 1845 (did not run) |
Whig | 1841 | |||
| 1843 | ||||||||
| 11 | .jpg) |
Aaron V. Brown (1795–1859) |
October 15, 1845 – October 17, 1847 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1845 | |||
| 12 |  |
Neill S. Brown (1810–1886) |
October 17, 1847 – October 16, 1849 (lost election) |
Whig | 1847 | |||
| 13 |  |
William Trousdale (1790–1872) |
October 16, 1849 – October 16, 1851 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1849 | |||
| 14 |  |
William B. Campbell (1807–1867) |
October 16, 1851 – October 17, 1853 (did not run) |
Whig | 1851 | |||
| 15 |  |
Andrew Johnson (1808–1875) |
October 17, 1853 – November 3, 1857 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1853 | |||
| 1855 | ||||||||
| 16 |  |
Isham G. Harris (1818–1897) |
November 3, 1857 – March 12, 1862 (removed from office) |
Democratic | 1857 | |||
| 1859 | ||||||||
| 1861 | ||||||||
| 15 | |
Andrew Johnson (1808–1875) |
March 12, 1862 – March 4, 1865 (resigned) |
Military governor chosen by President |
||||
| — |  |
Edward H. East (1830–1904) |
March 4, 1865 – April 5, 1865 (new governor took office) |
— | Secretary of state acting |
|||
| 17 |  |
Parson Brownlow (1805–1877) |
April 5, 1865 – February 25, 1869 (resigned) |
Republican | 1865 | |||
| 1867 | ||||||||
| 18 |  |
Dewitt Clinton Senter (1830–1898) |
February 25, 1869 – October 10, 1871 (did not run) |
Republican | Took over from speaker of the Senate |
|||
| 1869 | ||||||||
| 19 |  |
John C. Brown (1827–1889) |
October 10, 1871 – January 18, 1875 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1870 | |||
| 1872 | ||||||||
| 20 |  |
James D. Porter (1828–1912) |
January 18, 1875 – February 16, 1879 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1874 | |||
| 1876 | ||||||||
| 21 |  |
Albert S. Marks (1836–1891) |
February 16, 1879 – January 17, 1881 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1878 | |||
| 22 |  |
Alvin Hawkins (1821–1905) |
January 17, 1881 – January 15, 1883 (lost election) |
Republican | 1880 | |||
| 23 |  |
William B. Bate (1826–1905) |
January 15, 1883 – January 17, 1887 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1882 | |||
| 1884 | ||||||||
| 24 |  |
Robert Love Taylor (1850–1912) |
January 17, 1887 – January 19, 1891 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1886 | |||
| 1888 | ||||||||
| 25 |  |
John P. Buchanan (1847–1930) |
January 19, 1891 – January 16, 1893 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1890 | |||
| 26 |  |
Peter Turney (1827–1903) |
January 16, 1893 – January 21, 1897 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1892 | |||
| 1894 | ||||||||
| 24 | |
Robert Love Taylor (1850–1912) |
January 21, 1897 – January 16, 1899 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1896 | |||
| 27 |  |
Benton McMillin (1845–1933) |
January 16, 1899 – January 20, 1903 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1898 | |||
| 1900 | ||||||||
| 28 |  |
James B. Frazier (1856–1937) |
January 20, 1903 – March 27, 1905 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1902 | |||
| 1904 | ||||||||
| 29 |  |
John I. Cox (1855–1946) |
March 27, 1905 – January 17, 1907 (lost nomination) |
Democratic | Took over from speaker of the Senate |
|||
| 30 |  |
Malcolm R. Patterson (1861–1935) |
January 17, 1907 – January 25, 1911 (withdrew) |
Democratic | 1906 | |||
| 1908 | ||||||||
| 31 |  |
Ben W. Hooper (1870–1957) |
January 25, 1911 – January 15, 1915 (lost election) |
Republican | 1910 | |||
| 1912 | ||||||||
| 32 |  |
Thomas Clarke Rye (1863–1953) |
January 15, 1915 – January 15, 1919 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1914 | |||
| 1916 | ||||||||
| 33 |  |
Albert H. Roberts (1868–1946) |
January 15, 1919 – January 15, 1921 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1918 | |||
| 34 |  |
Alfred A. Taylor (1848–1931) |
January 15, 1921 – January 16, 1923 (lost election) |
Republican | 1920 | |||
| 35 |  |
Austin Peay (1876–1927) |
January 16, 1923 – October 2, 1927 (died in office) |
Democratic | 1922 | |||
| 1924 | ||||||||
| 1926 | ||||||||
| 36 |  |
Henry Hollis Horton (1866–1934) |
October 2, 1927 – January 17, 1933 (did not run) |
Democratic | Took over from speaker of the Senate |
|||
| 1928 | ||||||||
| 1930 | ||||||||
| 37 |  |
Hill McAlister (1875–1959) |
January 17, 1933 – January 15, 1937 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1932 | |||
| 1934 | ||||||||
| 38 | .png) |
Gordon Browning (1889–1976) |
January 15, 1937 – January 16, 1939 (lost nomination) |
Democratic | 1936 | |||
| 39 |  |
Prentice Cooper (1895–1969) |
January 16, 1939 – January 16, 1945 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | 1938 | |||
| 1940 | ||||||||
| 1942 | ||||||||
| 40 |  |
Jim Nance McCord (1879–1968) |
January 16, 1945 – January 17, 1949 (lost nomination) |
Democratic | 1944 | |||
| 1946 | ||||||||
| 38 | |
Gordon Browning (1889–1976) |
January 17, 1949 – January 15, 1953 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | 1948 | |||
| 1950 | Walter M. Haynes | |||||||
| 41 |  |
Frank G. Clement (1920–1969) |
January 15, 1953 – January 19, 1959 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | 1952 | Jared Maddux | ||
| 1954 | ||||||||
| 42 |  |
Buford Ellington (1907–1972) |
January 19, 1959 – January 15, 1963 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | 1958 | William D. Baird | ||
| 41 | |
Frank G. Clement (1920–1969) |
January 15, 1963 – January 16, 1967 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | 1962 | James L. Bomar Jr. | ||
| Jared Maddux | ||||||||
| 42 | |
Buford Ellington (1907–1972) |
January 16, 1967 – January 16, 1971 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | 1966 | Frank Gorrell | ||
| 43 |  |
Winfield Dunn (1927–2024) |
January 16, 1971 – January 18, 1975 (term limit reached) |
Republican | 1970 | John Shelton Wilder | ||
| 44 |  |
Ray Blanton (1930–1996) |
January 18, 1975 – January 17, 1979 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1974 | |||
| 45 | .png) |
Lamar Alexander (b. 1940) |
January 17, 1979 – January 17, 1987 (term limit reached) |
Republican | 1978 | |||
| 1982 | ||||||||
| 46 |  |
Ned McWherter (1930–2011) |
January 17, 1987 – January 21, 1995 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | 1986 | |||
| 1990 | ||||||||
| 47 |  |
Don Sundquist (1936–2023) |
January 21, 1995 – January 18, 2003 (term limit reached) |
Republican | 1994 | |||
| 1998 | ||||||||
| 48 | .jpg) |
Phil Bredesen (b. 1943) |
January 18, 2003 – January 15, 2011 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | 2002 | |||
| 2006 | Ron Ramsey | |||||||
| 49 |  |
Bill Haslam (b. 1958) |
January 15, 2011 – January 19, 2019 (term limit reached) |
Republican | 2010 | |||
| 2014 | ||||||||
| Randy McNally | ||||||||
| 50 | _(cropped).jpg) |
Bill Lee (b. 1959) |
January 19, 2019 – Incumbent |
Republican | 2018 | |||
| 2022 | ||||||||
See also
- Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States § Tennessee
- List of Tennessee General Assemblies
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List of governors of Tennessee Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.