List of female governors in the United States facts for kids

Map of states with male or female governors as of January 2025      Male     Female

A governor is the leader of a state or territory in the United States. They are like the chief executive, making sure laws are followed and the state runs smoothly. As of 2025, 51 women have served as governors of U.S. states. Three women have also been governors of U.S. territories, and two have been mayors of Washington, D.C.

In January 2025, 12 U.S. states have women serving as governor. This number changed slightly during January, reaching 13 or 14 at different times. Women also lead Guam, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. Of the women currently serving as state governors, 8 are from the Democratic Party and 4 are from the Republican Party. The oldest living former female governor is Madeleine Kunin, who is 91 years old.

The First Women Governors

The number of female governors each state has had as of January 2025. Gray means 0.      1      2      3      4      5

The very first woman to act as a governor was Carolyn B. Shelton. She was the Acting Governor of Oregon for just one weekend in 1909. The governor before her had to leave early for the U.S. Senate. The new governor was sick and couldn't start right away. So, Governor Chamberlain left his secretary, Shelton, in charge for those few days. This happened before women in Oregon were even allowed to vote!

The first woman to have important duties as an acting governor was Soledad Chávez de Chacón. She was the Secretary of State for New Mexico. In 1924, she took over as governor for two weeks. The governor was away at a convention, and the Lieutenant Governor had passed away. Chacón believed this was the first time a woman in the U.S. had taken on such a big role.

The first woman to become governor after a special election was Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming. She was elected on November 4, 1924. She took office on January 5, 1925, after her husband, who was the former governor, died. Wyoming was the first state to allow women to vote, after New Jersey stopped it in 1807.

Miriam A. Ferguson of Texas won a general election on November 3, 1924. She was sworn in on January 20, 1925. Her husband, a former governor, had been removed from office earlier. The first woman elected governor who was not related to a previous governor was Ella T. Grasso of Connecticut. She was elected in 1974 and started her term on January 8, 1975.

No woman governor has ever changed political parties while in office. Also, no woman has been elected governor as a third-party member or an independent.

Facts About Women Governors

As of 2025, five states have elected women governors from both major parties. These states are Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and New Mexico. Arizona was the first state where one woman governor was followed by another. They were from different political parties. Arizona has had the most women governors with five. It is also the first state to have three women serve as governor one after another.

A new record was set in January 2025. At that time, 14 out of 50 state governorships were held by women. This happened when Kelly Ayotte became Governor of New Hampshire.

As of 2025, 18 states have never had a female governor. These include California, Florida, Illinois, and Virginia. Four states (Minnesota, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Utah) have never had a major party nominate a woman for governor. However, one woman has served as governor of Utah. Also, Minnesota has had 9 women serve as lieutenant governors in a row since 1983.

Three women of color have been state governors. Susana Martinez and Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico are both Hispanic. Nikki Haley of South Carolina is Indian-American. Martinez and Haley are Republicans, while Lujan Grisham is a Democrat.

Six women who governed U.S. territories or Washington, D.C., have been from ethnic minority groups. Sharon Pratt and Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C., are African-American. Sila María Calderón, Wanda Vázquez Garced, and Jenniffer González-Colón of Puerto Rico are Hispanic. Lou Leon Guerrero of Guam is Pacific Islander. Most of these women are Democrats, except for Vázquez Garced and Gonzalez-Colon, who are Republicans.

Number of Women Governors Over Time

List of Women State Governors

Image	Name (lifespan)	State	Term Start	Term End	Party	Key Facts	How They Left Office	Time in Office
	Ross, NellieNellie Ross (1876–1977)	Wyoming	January 5, 1925	January 3, 1927	Democratic	First woman to serve as governor.	Lost re-election	1 year, 363 days
	Ferguson, Miriam A.Miriam A. Ferguson (1875–1961)	Texas	January 20, 1925	January 17, 1927	Democratic	First woman elected in a general election. First to serve non-consecutive terms.	Lost re-nomination	1 year, 362 days
			January 17, 1933	January 15, 1935			Retired	1 year, 363 days
	Wallace, LurleenLurleen Wallace (1926–1968)	Alabama	January 16, 1967	May 7, 1968	Democratic	First woman governor of Alabama. First to die in office.	Died in office	1 year, 112 days
	Grasso, Ella T.Ella T. Grasso (1919–1981)	Connecticut	January 8, 1975	December 31, 1980	Democratic	First woman governor of Connecticut.	Resigned	5 years, 358 days
	Ray, Dixy LeeDixy Lee Ray (1914–1994)	Washington	January 12, 1977	January 14, 1981	Democratic	First woman governor of Washington.	Lost re-nomination	4 years, 2 days
	Roy, Vesta M.Vesta M. Roy (1925–2002)	New Hampshire	December 29, 1982	January 6, 1983	Republican	First woman Acting Governor of New Hampshire. Shortest serving female governor.	Replaced by new governor	8 days
	Collins, MarthaMartha Collins (born 1936)	Kentucky	December 13, 1983	December 8, 1987	Democratic	First woman governor of Kentucky.	Term-limited	3 years, 360 days
	Kunin, MadeleineMadeleine Kunin (born 1933)	Vermont	January 10, 1985	January 10, 1991	Democratic	First woman governor of Vermont. First foreign-born woman governor.	Retired	6 years, 0 days
	Orr, Kay A.Kay A. Orr (born 1939)	Nebraska	January 9, 1987	January 9, 1991	Republican	First woman governor of Nebraska. First Republican woman elected governor.	Lost re-election	4 years, 0 days
	Mofford, RoseRose Mofford (1922–2016)	Arizona	April 4, 1988	March 6, 1991	Democratic	First woman governor of Arizona. Became governor from Secretary of State.	Retired	2 years, 336 days
	Finney, JoanJoan Finney (1925–2001)	Kansas	January 14, 1991	January 9, 1995	Democratic	First woman governor of Kansas. First to defeat a sitting governor.	Retired	3 years, 360 days
	Roberts, BarbaraBarbara Roberts (born 1936)	Oregon	January 14, 1991	January 9, 1995	Democratic	First woman governor of Oregon.	Retired	3 years, 360 days
	Richards, AnnAnn Richards (1933–2006)	Texas	January 15, 1991	January 17, 1995	Democratic		Lost re-election	4 years, 2 days
	Todd Whitman, ChristineChristine Todd Whitman (born 1946)	New Jersey	January 18, 1994	January 31, 2001	Republican	First woman governor of New Jersey. First Republican woman to defeat a sitting governor.	Resigned to join EPA	7 years, 13 days
	Shaheen, JeanneJeanne Shaheen (born 1947)	New Hampshire	January 9, 1997	January 9, 2003	Democratic	First woman elected Governor of New Hampshire.	Retired	6 years, 0 days
	Hull, Jane DeeJane Dee Hull (1935–2020)	Arizona	September 5, 1997	January 6, 2003	Republican	Became governor from Secretary of State.	Term-limited	5 years, 123 days
	Hollister, NancyNancy Hollister (born 1949)	Ohio	December 31, 1998	January 11, 1999	Republican	First woman governor of Ohio. Became governor from Lieutenant Governor.	Term ended	11 days
	Martz, JudyJudy Martz (1943–2017)	Montana	January 1, 2001	January 3, 2005	Republican	First woman governor of Montana.	Retired	4 years, 2 days
	Minner, Ruth AnnRuth Ann Minner (1935–2021)	Delaware	January 3, 2001	January 20, 2009	Democratic	First woman governor of Delaware. Longest serving female governor.	Term-limited	8 years, 17 days
	Swift, JaneJane Swift (born 1965)	Massachusetts	April 10, 2001	January 2, 2003	Republican	First woman Acting Governor of Massachusetts. First to give birth while in office.	Retired	1 year, 267 days
	Lingle, LindaLinda Lingle (born 1953)	Hawaii	December 2, 2002	December 6, 2010	Republican	First woman governor of Hawaii.	Term-limited	8 years, 4 days
	Granholm, JenniferJennifer Granholm (born 1959)	Michigan	January 1, 2003	January 1, 2011	Democratic	First woman governor of Michigan.	Term-limited	8 years, 0 days
	Napolitano, JanetJanet Napolitano (born 1957)	Arizona	January 6, 2003	January 21, 2009	Democratic	First woman to follow another woman as governor.	Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security	6 years, 15 days
	Sebelius, KathleenKathleen Sebelius (born 1948)	Kansas	January 13, 2003	April 28, 2009	Democratic	First governor who is the daughter of a former governor.	Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services	6 years, 105 days
	Walker, OleneOlene Walker (1930–2015)	Utah	November 5, 2003	January 3, 2005	Republican	First woman governor of Utah. Became governor from Lieutenant Governor.	Lost nomination for full term	1 year, 59 days
	Blanco, KathleenKathleen Blanco (1942–2019)	Louisiana	January 12, 2004	January 14, 2008	Democratic	First woman governor of Louisiana.	Retired	4 years, 2 days
	Rell, JodiJodi Rell (1946–2024)	Connecticut	July 1, 2004	January 5, 2011	Republican	Became governor from Lieutenant Governor.	Retired	6 years, 188 days
	Gregoire, ChristineChristine Gregoire (born 1947)	Washington	January 12, 2005	January 16, 2013	Democratic		Retired	8 years, 4 days
	Palin, SarahSarah Palin (born 1964)	Alaska	December 4, 2006	July 26, 2009	Republican	First woman governor of Alaska.	Resigned	2 years, 234 days
	Perdue, BevBev Perdue (born 1947)	North Carolina	January 10, 2009	January 5, 2013	Democratic	First woman governor of North Carolina.	Retired	3 years, 361 days
	Brewer, JanJan Brewer (born 1944)	Arizona	January 21, 2009	January 5, 2015	Republican	Became governor from Secretary of State.	Retired	5 years, 349 days
	Martinez, SusanaSusana Martinez (born 1959)	New Mexico	January 1, 2011	January 1, 2019	Republican	First woman governor of New Mexico. First Latina governor of a U.S. state.	Term-limited	8 years, 0 days
	Fallin, MaryMary Fallin (born 1954)	Oklahoma	January 10, 2011	January 14, 2019	Republican	First woman governor of Oklahoma.	Term-limited	8 years, 4 days
	Haley, NikkiNikki Haley (born 1972)	South Carolina	January 12, 2011	January 24, 2017	Republican	First woman governor of South Carolina. First Indian American woman governor.	Resigned to become U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations	6 years, 12 days
	Hassan, MaggieMaggie Hassan (born 1958)	New Hampshire	January 3, 2013	January 2, 2017	Democratic		Resigned to become a U.S. Senator	3 years, 365 days
	Raimondo, GinaGina Raimondo (born 1971)	Rhode Island	January 6, 2015	March 2, 2021	Democratic	First woman governor of Rhode Island.	Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Commerce	6 years, 55 days
	Brown, KateKate Brown (born 1960)	Oregon	February 18, 2015	January 9, 2023	Democratic	Became governor from Secretary of State.	Term-limited	7 years, 325 days
	Ivey, KayKay Ivey (born 1944)	Alabama	April 10, 2017	Incumbent	Republican	Became governor from Lieutenant Governor.	Serving	8 years, 82 days
	Reynolds, KimKim Reynolds (born 1959)	Iowa	May 24, 2017	Incumbent	Republican	First woman governor of Iowa. Became governor from Lieutenant Governor.	Serving	8 years, 38 days
	Whitmer, GretchenGretchen Whitmer (born 1971)	Michigan	January 1, 2019	Incumbent	Democratic		Serving	6 years, 181 days
	Lujan Grisham, MichelleMichelle Lujan Grisham (born 1959)	New Mexico	January 1, 2019	Incumbent	Democratic		Serving	6 years, 181 days
	Mills, JanetJanet Mills (born 1947)	Maine	January 2, 2019	Incumbent	Democratic	First woman governor of Maine.	Serving	6 years, 180 days
	Noem, KristiKristi Noem (born 1971)	South Dakota	January 5, 2019	January 25, 2025	Republican	First woman governor of South Dakota.	Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security	6 years, 20 days
	Kelly, LauraLaura Kelly (born 1950)	Kansas	January 14, 2019	Incumbent	Democratic		Serving	6 years, 168 days
	Hochul, KathyKathy Hochul (born 1958)	New York	August 24, 2021	Incumbent	Democratic	First woman governor of New York. Became governor from Lieutenant Governor.	Serving	3 years, 311 days
	Hobbs, KatieKatie Hobbs (born 1969)	Arizona	January 2, 2023	Incumbent	Democratic		Serving	2 years, 180 days
	Healey, MauraMaura Healey (born 1971)	Massachusetts	January 5, 2023	Incumbent	Democratic	First woman elected Governor of Massachusetts.	Serving	2 years, 177 days
	Kotek, TinaTina Kotek (born 1966)	Oregon	January 9, 2023	Incumbent	Democratic		Serving	2 years, 173 days
	Huckabee Sanders, SarahSarah Huckabee Sanders (born 1982)	Arkansas	January 10, 2023	Incumbent	Republican	First woman governor of Arkansas. Youngest current governor.	Serving	2 years, 172 days
	Bethany Hall-Long (born 1963)	Delaware	January 7, 2025	January 21, 2025	Democratic	Became governor from Lieutenant Governor.	Lost nomination for full term	14 days
	Kelly Ayotte (born 1968)	New Hampshire	January 9, 2025	Incumbent	Republican		Serving	174 days

Women Governors by Party

States with Women Governors

Governors Who Gave Birth While in Office

Women Governors of Territories and Washington, D.C.

Image	Name (lifespan)	Area	Term Start	Term End	Party	Key Facts	How They Left Office
	Pratt, SharonSharon Pratt (born 1944)	District of Columbia	January 2, 1991	January 2, 1995	Democratic	First African American woman mayor of a major city. First woman mayor of Washington, D.C.	Lost re-nomination
	Calderón, SilaSila Calderón (born 1942)	Puerto Rico	January 2, 2001	January 2, 2005	Popular Democratic/ Democratic	First woman governor of Puerto Rico. First Hispanic American woman governor.	Retired
	Bowser, MurielMuriel Bowser (born 1972)	District of Columbia	January 2, 2015	Incumbent	Democratic		Serving
	Guerrero, Lou LeonLou Leon Guerrero (born 1950)	Guam	January 7, 2019	Incumbent	Democratic	First and only woman governor of Guam. First Pacific Islander American woman governor.	Serving
	Vázquez Garced, WandaWanda Vázquez Garced (born 1960)	Puerto Rico	August 7, 2019	January 2, 2021	New Progressive/ Republican	Became governor from Secretary of Justice.	Lost re-nomination
	Jenniffer González-Colón (born 1976)	Puerto Rico	January 2, 2025	Incumbent	New Progressive/ Republican		Serving

Number of Women Governors by Party in Territories

Timeline of Women Serving as Governors

Elections with Two Female Candidates

In some elections, both major parties nominated a woman for governor. The winning governor is shown in bold.

See Also

• List of first gentlemen in the United States
• List of female lieutenant governors in the United States
• List of female first ministers in Canada
• List of female heads of government in Australia