Governor of Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Governor of Colorado |
|
---|---|
![]() Seal of the Executive Office
|
|
Government of Colorado | |
Style | The Honorable |
Residence | Colorado Governor's Mansion |
Term length | Four years, renewable once consecutively |
Inaugural holder | John Long Routt |
Formation | August 1, 1876 |
Succession | Line of succession |
Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of Colorado |
Salary | $123,193 (2019) |
The governor of Colorado is like the main boss or leader of the state of Colorado. They are in charge of the state's executive branch. This means they make sure state laws are followed.
The governor has several important jobs:
- They can approve or veto (say no to) new laws passed by the Colorado General Assembly.
- They can call the state legislature together for special meetings.
- They can grant pardons, which means forgiving someone for a crime, except in very serious cases like treason.
- The governor is also the commander-in-chief of Colorado's military forces, like the Colorado National Guard.
Before Colorado became a state, seven people served as governors of the Colorado Territory. These governors were chosen by the President of the United States. Since Colorado became a state, there have been 38 different governors. Some governors, like Alva Adams, served more than one term, but not always one right after the other.
The governors who served the longest were Richard "Dick" Lamm (1975–1987) and Roy Romer (1987–1999). Each of them served for 12 years. The shortest time a governor served was on March 16 and 17, 1905. During those 24 hours, Colorado had three different governors! Alva Adams won the election, but then the state legislature decided his opponent, James Hamilton Peabody, should be governor. Peabody agreed to be governor only if he could resign right away, so his lieutenant governor, Jesse McDonald, could take over. So, Peabody was governor for less than a day!
The current governor is Jared Polis. He is a Democrat and started his term on January 8, 2019.
Contents
Colorado's Early Leaders
Jefferson Territory: A Short-Lived Government
Before Colorado was officially a territory, a group of people created their own government called the Provisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson. This happened on November 7, 1859. This territory covered most of what is now Colorado, plus a bit more land around it. However, the United States government never officially recognized it. This was a very busy time in the country, right before the American Civil War.
The Jefferson Territory had only one governor, Robert Williamson Steele. He was a Democrat who supported the Union. He announced that the territory was no longer active on June 6, 1861. This was just a few days after the first official governor of the Colorado Territory arrived.
Governors of Colorado Territory
The official Territory of Colorado was created on February 28, 1861. It was made from parts of other territories like New Mexico, Utah, and Nebraska. It also included some land that wasn't organized yet, which used to be part of Kansas Territory.
The governors of the Colorado Territory were chosen by the President of the United States. Here's a list of who they were:
No. | Governor | Term in office | Appointed by | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
William Gilpin (1813–1894) |
March 25, 1861 – March 26, 1862 (successor appointed) |
Abraham Lincoln |
2 | ![]() |
John Evans (1814–1897) |
March 26, 1862 – October 17, 1865 (resigned) |
Abraham Lincoln |
3 | ![]() |
Alexander Cummings (1810–1879) |
October 17, 1865 – May 8, 1867 (resigned) |
Andrew Johnson |
4 | ![]() |
Alexander Cameron Hunt (1825–1894) |
May 8, 1867 – April 19, 1869 (successor appointed) |
Andrew Johnson |
5 | ![]() |
Edward M. McCook (1833–1909) |
April 19, 1869 – April 17, 1873 (successor appointed) |
Ulysses S. Grant |
6 | ![]() |
Samuel Hitt Elbert (1833–1899) |
April 17, 1873 – July 26, 1874 (successor appointed) |
Ulysses S. Grant |
7 | ![]() |
Edward M. McCook (1833–1909) |
June 19, 1874 – February 8, 1875 (successor appointed) |
Ulysses S. Grant |
8 | ![]() |
John Long Routt (1826–1907) |
February 8, 1875 – November 3, 1876 (elected state governor) |
Ulysses S. Grant |
Governors of the State of Colorado
Colorado officially became a state on August 1, 1876. This is when it joined the United States.
Becoming Governor: Rules and Requirements
To become the governor of Colorado, a person must be at least 30 years old. They also need to be a citizen of the United States. Plus, they must have lived in Colorado for at least two years before the election.
When Colorado first became a state, the governor was elected every two years. Their term started on the second Tuesday of January after the election. In 1956, a change was made to the state's constitution. This change meant that governors would serve for four years instead of two. This new rule started in 1959.
At first, there was no limit on how many times a person could be governor. But in 1990, another change was made. Now, a governor can only be re-elected once right after their first term. However, if they leave office for four years, they can run again.
What Happens if the Governor's Office is Empty?
If the governor's job becomes empty, the lieutenant governor steps in and becomes governor. The lieutenant governor is like the second-in-command.
Before 1968, the governor and lieutenant governor were elected separately. But after a change in the constitution that year, they are now elected together on the same "ticket." This means you vote for both of them at the same time.
If both the governor and lieutenant governor jobs are empty, then other state leaders can take over. The line of succession goes to senior members of the state senate and state house of representatives who are from the same political party as the governor was.
List of Colorado State Governors
Here is a list of all the people who have served as governor of the State of Colorado:
No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
John Long Routt (1826–1907) |
November 3, 1876 – January 14, 1879 (did not run) |
Republican | 1876 | Lafayette Head | ||
2 | ![]() |
Frederick Walker Pitkin (1837–1886) |
January 14, 1879 – January 9, 1883 (did not run) |
Republican | 1878 | Horace Tabor | ||
1880 | ||||||||
3 | ![]() |
James Benton Grant (1848–1911) |
January 9, 1883 – January 13, 1885 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1882 | William H. Meyer | ||
4 | ![]() |
Benjamin Harrison Eaton (1833–1904) |
January 13, 1885 – January 11, 1887 (did not run) |
Republican | 1884 | Peter W. Breene | ||
5 | ![]() |
Alva Adams (1850–1922) |
January 11, 1887 – January 8, 1889 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1886 | Norman H. Meldrum | ||
6 | ![]() |
Job Adams Cooper (1843–1899) |
January 8, 1889 – January 13, 1891 (did not run) |
Republican | 1888 | William Grover Smith | ||
7 | ![]() |
John Long Routt (1826–1907) |
January 13, 1891 – January 10, 1893 (did not run) |
Republican | 1890 | William Story | ||
8 | ![]() |
Davis Hanson Waite (1825–1901) |
January 10, 1893 – January 8, 1895 (lost election) |
People's | 1892 | David H. Nichols | ||
9 | ![]() |
Albert McIntire (1853–1935) |
January 8, 1895 – January 12, 1897 (did not run) |
Republican | 1894 | Jared L. Brush | ||
10 | ![]() |
Alva Adams (1850–1922) |
January 12, 1897 – January 10, 1899 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1896 | |||
11 | ![]() |
Charles S. Thomas (1849–1934) |
January 10, 1899 – January 8, 1901 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1898 | Francis Patrick Carney | ||
12 | ![]() |
James Bradley Orman (1849–1919) |
January 8, 1901 – January 13, 1903 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1900 | David C. Coates | ||
13 | ![]() |
James Hamilton Peabody (1852–1917) |
January 13, 1903 – January 10, 1905 (lost election) |
Republican | 1902 | Warren A. Haggott | ||
14 | ![]() |
Alva Adams (1850–1922) |
January 10, 1905 – March 16, 1905 (declared loser in election) |
Democratic | 1904 | Arthur Cornforth | ||
15 | ![]() |
James Hamilton Peabody (1852–1917) |
March 16, 1905 – March 17, 1905 (resigned) |
Republican | Jesse Fuller McDonald | |||
16 | ![]() |
Jesse Fuller McDonald (1858–1942) |
March 17, 1905 – January 8, 1907 (did not run) |
Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Arthur Cornforth (removed July 5, 1905) |
||
Fred W. Parks | ||||||||
17 | ![]() |
Henry Augustus Buchtel (1847–1924) |
January 8, 1907 – January 12, 1909 (did not run) |
Republican | 1906 | Erastus Harper | ||
18 | ![]() |
John F. Shafroth (1854–1922) |
January 12, 1909 – January 14, 1913 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1908 | Stephen R. Fitzgarrald | ||
1910 | ||||||||
19 | ![]() |
Elias M. Ammons (1860–1925) |
January 14, 1913 – January 12, 1915 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1912 | Benjamin F. Montgomery | ||
20 | ![]() |
George Alfred Carlson (1876–1926) |
January 12, 1915 – January 9, 1917 (lost election) |
Republican | 1914 | Moses E. Lewis | ||
21 | ![]() |
Julius Caldeen Gunter (1858–1940) |
January 9, 1917 – January 14, 1919 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1916 | James Pulliam | ||
22 | ![]() |
Oliver Henry Shoup (1869–1940) |
January 14, 1919 – January 9, 1923 (did not run) |
Republican | 1918 | George Stephan | ||
1920 | Earl Cooley | |||||||
23 | ![]() |
William Ellery Sweet (1869–1942) |
January 9, 1923 – January 13, 1925 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1922 | Robert F. Rockwell | ||
24 | ![]() |
Clarence Morley (1869–1948) |
January 13, 1925 – January 11, 1927 (did not run) |
Republican | 1924 | Sterling Byrd Lacy | ||
25 | ![]() |
Billy Adams (1861–1954) |
January 11, 1927 – January 10, 1933 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1926 | George Milton Corlett | ||
1928 | ||||||||
1930 | Edwin C. Johnson | |||||||
26 | ![]() |
Edwin C. Johnson (1884–1970) |
January 10, 1933 – January 2, 1937 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1932 | Ray Herbert Talbot | ||
1934 | ||||||||
27 | ![]() |
Ray Herbert Talbot (1896–1955) |
January 2, 1937 – January 12, 1937 (successor took office) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
28 | ![]() |
Teller Ammons (1895–1972) |
January 12, 1937 – January 10, 1939 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1936 | Frank Hayes | ||
29 | ![]() |
Ralph Lawrence Carr (1887–1950) |
January 10, 1939 – January 12, 1943 (did not run) |
Republican | 1938 | John Charles Vivian | ||
1940 | ||||||||
30 | ![]() |
John Charles Vivian (1887–1964) |
January 12, 1943 – January 14, 1947 (did not run) |
Republican | 1942 | William Eugene Higby | ||
1944 | ||||||||
31 | ![]() |
William Lee Knous (1889–1959) |
January 14, 1947 – April 15, 1950 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1946 | Homer L. Pearson | ||
1948 | Walter Walford Johnson | |||||||
32 | ![]() |
Walter Walford Johnson (1904–1987) |
April 15, 1950 – January 9, 1951 (lost election) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Charles P. Murphy | ||
33 | ![]() |
Daniel I. J. Thornton (1911–1976) |
January 9, 1951 – January 11, 1955 (did not run) |
Republican | 1950 | Gordon Allott | ||
1952 | ||||||||
34 | ![]() |
Edwin C. Johnson (1884–1970) |
January 11, 1955 – January 8, 1957 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1954 | Stephen McNichols | ||
35 | ![]() |
Stephen McNichols (1914–1997) |
January 8, 1957 – January 8, 1963 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1956 | Frank L. Hays | ||
1958 | Robert Lee Knous | |||||||
36 | ![]() |
John Arthur Love (1916–2002) |
January 8, 1963 – July 16, 1973 (resigned) |
Republican | 1962 | |||
1966 | Mark Anthony Hogan | |||||||
1970 | John D. Vanderhoof | |||||||
37 | ![]() |
John D. Vanderhoof (1922–2013) |
July 16, 1973 – January 14, 1975 (lost election) |
Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Ted L. Strickland | ||
38 | ![]() |
Richard Lamm (1935–2021) |
January 14, 1975 – January 13, 1987 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1974 | George L. Brown | ||
1978 | Nancy E. Dick | |||||||
1982 | ||||||||
39 | ![]() |
Roy Romer (b. 1928) |
January 13, 1987 – January 12, 1999 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1986 | Mike Callihan (resigned May 10, 1994) |
||
1990 | ||||||||
Samuel H. Cassidy | ||||||||
1994 | Gail Schoettler | |||||||
40 | ![]() |
Bill Owens (b. 1950) |
January 12, 1999 – January 9, 2007 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1998 | Joe Rogers | ||
2002 | Jane E. Norton | |||||||
41 | ![]() |
Bill Ritter (b. 1956) |
January 9, 2007 – January 11, 2011 (did not run) |
Democratic | 2006 | Barbara O'Brien | ||
42 | ![]() |
John Hickenlooper (b. 1952) |
January 11, 2011 – January 8, 2019 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 2010 | Joseph García (resigned May 12, 2016) |
||
2014 | ||||||||
Donna Lynne | ||||||||
43 | ![]() |
Jared Polis (b. 1975) |
January 8, 2019 – Incumbent |
Democratic | 2018 | Dianne Primavera | ||
2022 |
Timeline of Colorado Governors
This timeline shows when each governor served, from the early territorial days to the present.
Timeline of Colorado governors |
![]() |
More About Colorado's Government
- Index of Colorado-related articles
- List of Colorado state legislatures
- Outline of Colorado
- State of Colorado
- Government of Colorado
- Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Colorado
- Lieutenant Governor of Colorado