List of governors of Florida facts for kids

The governor of Florida is like the chief leader of the state of Florida. They are in charge of the executive branch of the state government. This means they help make sure the state's laws are carried out. The governor is also the commander-in-chief of the Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard, which are like Florida's own defense forces.
The current governor is Ron DeSantis. He is a member of the Republican Party and started his term on January 8, 2019.
Contents
Florida's Early Leaders
Florida became a part of the United States on July 10, 1821, after being acquired from Spain. Before it was officially organized as a territory, a military commissioner was in charge.
First Commissioner: Andrew Jackson
The very first person to lead Florida as a U.S. territory was Andrew Jackson. He was a military general who later became a U.S. President. He served as the military commissioner from March 10, 1821, to December 31, 1821.
Governors of Florida Territory
Florida officially became a U.S. territory on March 30, 1822. This combined East and West Florida into one area.
The first governor of the Florida Territory was William Pope Duval. He served for a long time, from April 17, 1822, to April 17, 1834. Other governors followed, helping to shape Florida before it became a state.
Florida Becomes a State
Florida officially joined the United States as a state on March 3, 1845. This was a big step for Florida!
Florida During the Civil War
Later, on January 10, 1861, Florida decided to leave the Union (the United States) and joined the Confederate States of America on February 8, 1861. This was during the American Civil War. After the war ended, Florida was readmitted to the Union on June 25, 1868.
How Governors Are Chosen and Serve
Over the years, the rules for how Florida's governors are elected and how long they can serve have changed.
- Term Length: The first Florida Constitution in 1838 said a governor would be elected every four years. They couldn't serve two terms in a row.
- Changes Over Time: After the Civil War, the term limit was removed for a while, but it was brought back in 1885. The current rules, from 1968, say that a governor cannot be elected for the next term if they have served more than six years in two terms in a row.
- Starting a Term: Since 1885, a governor's term officially starts on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January, right after their election.
Who Takes Over if the Governor Can't Serve?
If the governor's office becomes empty, someone else needs to step in.
- Early Days: Originally, the president of the state senate would become the acting governor.
- Lieutenant Governor: In 1865 and 1868, the state created the job of lieutenant governor. This person would take over if the governor couldn't serve. This job was removed in 1885, and the Senate president took over again.
- Today: The 1968 constitution brought back the lieutenant governor's role. Now, the lieutenant governor becomes governor if the governor is absent. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected together as a team.
Political Parties in Florida's History
Florida's political landscape has changed a lot.
- Early Years: Before the Civil War, Florida was mostly a Democratic state.
- After Reconstruction: After the Reconstruction era (following the Civil War), Florida elected three Republican governors.
- Democratic Control: Then, the Democratic Party took control again for about 90 years.
- Recent Years: Since 1998, Florida has been a strongly Republican state.
Governors of the State of Florida
Here are some of the governors who have led Florida as a state:
No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
William Dunn Moseley (1795–1863) |
June 25, 1845 – October 1, 1849 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1845 | Office did not exist | ||
2 | ![]() |
Thomas Brown (1785–1867) |
October 1, 1849 – October 3, 1853 (term-limited) |
Whig | 1848 | |||
3 | ![]() |
James E. Broome (1808–1883) |
October 3, 1853 – October 5, 1857 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1852 | |||
4 | ![]() |
Madison S. Perry (1814–1865) |
October 5, 1857 – October 7, 1861 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1856 | |||
5 | ![]() |
John Milton (1807–1865) |
October 7, 1861 – April 1, 1865 (died in office) |
Democratic | 1860 | |||
6 | ![]() |
Abraham K. Allison (1810–1893) |
April 1, 1865 – May 19, 1865 (resigned) |
Democratic | President of the Senate acting |
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— | Vacant | May 19, 1865 – July 13, 1865 |
Office vacated after civil war |
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7 | ![]() |
William Marvin (1808–1902) |
July 13, 1865 – December 20, 1865 (provisional term ended) |
Provisional governor appointed by President |
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8 | ![]() |
David S. Walker (1815–1891) |
December 20, 1865 – July 4, 1868 (did not run) |
Conservative | 1865 | William W. J. Kelly | ||
9 | ![]() |
Harrison Reed (1813–1899) |
July 4, 1868 – January 7, 1873 (did not run) |
Republican | 1868 | William Henry Gleason (removed December 14, 1868) |
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Vacant | ||||||||
Edmund C. Weeks (appointed January 24, 1870) (term ended December 27, 1870) |
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Samuel T. Day (took office December 27, 1870) |
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10 | ![]() |
Ossian B. Hart (1821–1874) |
January 7, 1873 – March 18, 1874 (died in office) |
Republican | 1872 | Marcellus Stearns | ||
11 | ![]() |
Marcellus Stearns (1839–1891) |
March 18, 1874 – January 2, 1877 (lost election) |
Republican | Lieutenant governor acting |
Acting as governor | ||
12 | ![]() |
George Franklin Drew (1827–1900) |
January 2, 1877 – January 4, 1881 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1876 | Noble A. Hull (resigned March 3, 1879) |
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Vacant | ||||||||
13 | ![]() |
William D. Bloxham (1835–1911) |
January 4, 1881 – January 6, 1885 (lost nomination) |
Democratic | 1880 | Livingston W. Bethel | ||
14 | ![]() |
Edward A. Perry (1831–1889) |
January 6, 1885 – January 8, 1889 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1884 | Milton H. Mabry | ||
15 | ![]() |
Francis P. Fleming (1841–1908) |
January 8, 1889 – January 3, 1893 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1888 | Office did not exist | ||
16 | ![]() |
Henry L. Mitchell (1831–1903) |
January 3, 1893 – January 5, 1897 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1892 | |||
17 | ![]() |
William D. Bloxham (1835–1911) |
January 5, 1897 – January 8, 1901 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1896 | |||
18 | ![]() |
William Sherman Jennings (1863–1920) |
January 8, 1901 – January 3, 1905 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1900 | |||
19 | ![]() |
Napoleon B. Broward (1857–1910) |
January 3, 1905 – January 5, 1909 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1904 | |||
20 | ![]() |
Albert W. Gilchrist (1858–1926) |
January 5, 1909 – January 7, 1913 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1908 | |||
21 | ![]() |
Park Trammell (1876–1936) |
January 7, 1913 – January 2, 1917 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1912 | |||
22 | ![]() |
Sidney Johnston Catts (1863–1936) |
January 2, 1917 – January 4, 1921 (term-limited) |
Prohibition | 1916 | |||
23 | ![]() |
Cary A. Hardee (1876–1957) |
January 4, 1921 – January 6, 1925 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1920 | |||
24 | ![]() |
John W. Martin (1884–1958) |
January 6, 1925 – January 8, 1929 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1924 | |||
25 | ![]() |
Doyle E. Carlton (1885–1972) |
January 8, 1929 – January 3, 1933 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1928 | |||
26 | ![]() |
David Sholtz (1891–1953) |
January 3, 1933 – January 5, 1937 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1932 | |||
27 | ![]() |
Fred P. Cone (1871–1948) |
January 5, 1937 – January 7, 1941 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1936 | |||
28 | ![]() |
Spessard Holland (1892–1971) |
January 7, 1941 – January 2, 1945 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1940 | |||
29 | ![]() |
Millard Caldwell (1897–1984) |
January 2, 1945 – January 4, 1949 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1944 | |||
30 | ![]() |
Fuller Warren (1905–1973) |
January 4, 1949 – January 6, 1953 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1948 | |||
31 | ![]() |
Daniel T. McCarty (1912–1953) |
January 6, 1953 – September 28, 1953 (died in office) |
Democratic | 1952 | |||
32 | ![]() |
Charley Eugene Johns (1905–1990) |
September 28, 1953 – January 4, 1955 (lost nomination) |
Democratic | President of the Senate acting |
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33 | ![]() |
LeRoy Collins (1909–1991) |
January 4, 1955 – January 3, 1961 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1954 (special) |
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1956 | ||||||||
34 | ![]() |
C. Farris Bryant (1914–2002) |
January 3, 1961 – January 5, 1965 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1960 | |||
35 | ![]() |
W. Haydon Burns (1912–1987) |
January 5, 1965 – January 3, 1967 (lost nomination) |
Democratic | 1964 | |||
36 | ![]() |
Claude R. Kirk Jr. (1926–2011) |
January 3, 1967 – January 5, 1971 (lost election) |
Republican | 1966 | |||
Ray C. Osborne (office created January 7, 1969) |
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37 | ![]() |
Reubin Askew (1928–2014) |
January 5, 1971 – January 2, 1979 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1970 | Thomas Burton Adams Jr. | ||
1974 | Jim Williams | |||||||
38 | ![]() |
Bob Graham (1936–2024) |
January 2, 1979 – January 3, 1987 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1978 | Wayne Mixson | ||
1982 | ||||||||
39 | ![]() |
Wayne Mixson (1922–2020) |
January 3, 1987 – January 6, 1987 (successor took office) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
40 | ![]() |
Bob Martinez (b. 1934) |
January 6, 1987 – January 8, 1991 (lost election) |
Republican | 1986 | Bobby Brantley | ||
41 | ![]() |
Lawton Chiles (1930–1998) |
January 8, 1991 – December 12, 1998 (died in office) |
Democratic | 1990 | Buddy MacKay | ||
1994 | ||||||||
42 | ![]() |
Buddy MacKay (1933–2024) |
December 12, 1998 – January 5, 1999 (successor took office) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
43 | ![]() |
Jeb Bush (b. 1953) |
January 5, 1999 – January 2, 2007 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1998 | Frank Brogan (resigned March 3, 2003) |
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2002 | ||||||||
Toni Jennings | ||||||||
44 | ![]() |
Charlie Crist (b. 1956) |
January 2, 2007 – January 4, 2011 (did not run) |
Republican | 2006 | Jeff Kottkamp | ||
45 | ![]() |
Rick Scott (b. 1952) |
January 4, 2011 – January 7, 2019 (term-limited) |
Republican | 2010 | Jennifer Carroll (resigned March 12, 2013) |
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Vacant | ||||||||
Carlos Lopez-Cantera (appointed February 3, 2014) |
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2014 | ||||||||
46 | ![]() |
Ron DeSantis (b. 1978) |
January 8, 2019 – Incumbent |
Republican | 2018 | Jeanette Nuñez (resigned February 16, 2025) |
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2022 | ||||||||
Vacant |
When a Governor Can't Serve
Sometimes, a governor might not be able to do their job, even for a short time. Florida has rules for this.
- Historical Rule: In the past, if the governor left the state, the person next in line (like the Senate president) would become the acting governor. For example, in 1853, when Governor Thomas Brown was out of state, the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, A.K. Allison, became acting governor for 17 days.
- Modern Rule: Today, if the governor is physically or mentally unable to do their job, the lieutenant governor steps in to "act as Governor." This happened on June 18, 2008, when Governor Charlie Crist had knee surgery. He officially transferred his power to Lieutenant Governor Jeff Kottkamp for that time.
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Gobernadores de Florida para niños
- Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Florida
- List of Florida state legislatures