List of governors of Tennessee facts for kids
The governor of Tennessee is like the principal of the entire state of Tennessee! They are the main leader and head of the government for the state.
Tennessee has had 50 governors so far, including the current one, Bill Lee. Some governors, like John Sevier and William Carroll, served more than one time, but not right after each other. Each governor is counted only once, even if they served multiple terms.
Contents
Who Has Led Tennessee?
Governors of the 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 officially created on May 26, 1790.
During its six years as a territory, it had only one governor. He was chosen by the federal government.
| Governor | Time in office | Appointed by | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
William Blount (1749–1800) |
June 8, 1790 – March 28, 1796 (Tennessee became a state) |
George Washington |
Governors of the State of Tennessee
The Southwest Territory officially joined the United States as the state of Tennessee on June 1, 1796.
When Tennessee first became a state, its constitution said that the governor would serve for two years. A person could not be governor for more than six years in any eight-year period. Later, in 1953, the term changed to four years, and governors could not serve two terms in a row. Today, the state constitution, updated in 1978, allows a governor to serve two four-year 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 limits 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 limits reached) |
Democratic- Republican |
1803 | |||
| 1805 | ||||||||
| 1807 | ||||||||
| 3 |  |
Willie Blount (1768–1835) |
September 20, 1809 – September 27, 1815 (term limits reached) |
Democratic- Republican |
1809 | |||
| 1811 | ||||||||
| 1813 | ||||||||
| 4 |  |
Joseph McMinn (1758–1824) |
September 27, 1815 – October 1, 1821 (term limits reached) |
Democratic- Republican |
1815 | |||
| 1817 | ||||||||
| 1819 | ||||||||
| 5 |  |
William Carroll (1788–1844) |
October 1, 1821 – October 1, 1827 (term limits reached) |
Democratic- Republican |
1821 | |||
| 1823 | ||||||||
| 1825 | ||||||||
| 6 |  |
Sam Houston (1793–1863) |
October 1, 1827 – April 16, 1829 (resigned) |
Democratic- Republican |
1827 | |||
| 7 |  |
William Hall (1775–1856) |
April 16, 1829 – October 1, 1829 (did not run) |
Democratic- Republican |
Became governor from being speaker of the Senate |
|||
| 5 | |
William Carroll (1788–1844) |
October 1, 1829 – October 12, 1835 (term limits 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 |  |
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 appointed by President |
||||
| — |  |
Edward H. East (1830–1904) |
March 4, 1865 – April 5, 1865 (successor 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 | Became governor from being 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 | Became governor from being 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 | Became governor from being 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 limits 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 limits reached) |
Democratic | 1948 | |||
| 1950 | Walter M. Haynes | |||||||
| 41 |  |
Frank G. Clement (1920–1969) |
January 15, 1953 – January 19, 1959 (term limits reached) |
Democratic | 1952 | Jared Maddux | ||
| 1954 | ||||||||
| 42 |  |
Buford Ellington (1907–1972) |
January 19, 1959 – January 15, 1963 (term limits reached) |
Democratic | 1958 | William D. Baird | ||
| 41 | |
Frank G. Clement (1920–1969) |
January 15, 1963 – January 16, 1967 (term limits reached) |
Democratic | 1962 | James L. Bomar Jr. | ||
| Jared Maddux | ||||||||
| 42 | |
Buford Ellington (1907–1972) |
January 16, 1967 – January 16, 1971 (term limits reached) |
Democratic | 1966 | Frank Gorrell | ||
| 43 |  |
Winfield Dunn (1927–2024) |
January 16, 1971 – January 18, 1975 (term limits 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 limits reached) |
Republican | 1978 | |||
| 1982 | ||||||||
| 46 |  |
Ned McWherter (1930–2011) |
January 17, 1987 – January 21, 1995 (term limits reached) |
Democratic | 1986 | |||
| 1990 | ||||||||
| 47 |  |
Don Sundquist (1936–2023) |
January 21, 1995 – January 18, 2003 (term limits reached) |
Republican | 1994 | |||
| 1998 | ||||||||
| 48 | .jpg) |
Phil Bredesen (b. 1943) |
January 18, 2003 – January 15, 2011 (term limits reached) |
Democratic | 2002 | |||
| 2006 | Ron Ramsey | |||||||
| 49 |  |
Bill Haslam (b. 1958) |
January 15, 2011 – January 19, 2019 (term limits reached) |
Republican | 2010 | |||
| 2014 | ||||||||
| Randy McNally | ||||||||
| 50 | _(cropped).jpg) |
Bill Lee (b. 1959) |
January 19, 2019 – Incumbent |
Republican | 2018 | |||
| 2022 | ||||||||
More to Explore
- List of Tennessee General Assemblies
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List of governors of Tennessee Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.