List of Governors of Georgia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Governor of Georgia
Great Seal of the State of Georgia
Incumbent Brian Kemp since January 14, 2019
Residence	Georgia Governor's Mansion
Term length	Four years, renewable once
Inaugural holder	Archibald Bulloch
Formation	July 12, 1775
Salary	$139,339 (2013)

The Governor of Georgia is the head of the executive branch of Georgia's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor also has a duty to enforce state laws, the power to either veto or approve bills passed by the Georgia Legislature, and the power to convene the legislature.

The current governor is Republican Brian Kemp who assumed office on January 14, 2019.

Governors

Georgia was one of the original Thirteen Colonies and ratified the Constitution of the United States on January 2, 1788. Before it declared its independence, Georgia was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain. Like most early states, Georgia had claims to western areas, but did not cede its claims during the formation of the country like the other states. It sold this area, the Yazoo Lands, to the federal government on April 24, 1802, when it was assigned to Mississippi Territory.

In Georgia's Rules and Regulations of 1776, considered by some to be the first constitution, the chief executive was a president chosen by the legislature every six months. This was quickly superseded by the 1777 constitution, which called for a governor to be chosen by the legislature each year, with a term limited to one year out of every three. In the event of a vacancy, the president of the executive council acted as governor. The governor's term was lengthened to two years in the 1789 constitution. The 1798 constitution modified succession so that the president of the senate would act as governor should that office become vacant. An 1818 amendment to that constitution extended the line of succession to the speaker of the house, and an 1824 amendment provided for popular election of the governor.

While the 1861 secessionist constitution kept the office the same, the other constitutions surrounding the American Civil War brought lots of changes. The 1865 constitution, following Georgia's surrender, limited governors to two consecutive terms of two years each, allowing them to serve again after a gap of four years. The Reconstruction constitution of 1868 increased the governor's term to four years. The 1877 constitution, after local rule was re-established, returned the office to the provisions of the 1865 constitution. An amendment in 1941 lengthened terms to 4 years, but governors could no longer succeed themselves, having to wait four years to serve again. The constitution does not specify when terms start, only that the governor is installed at the next session of the General Assembly.

The 1945 constitution provided for a lieutenant governor, to serve the same term as governor and to act as governor if that office became vacant. Should it become vacant within 30 days of the next general election, or if the governor's term would have ended within 90 days of the next election, the lieutenant governor acts out the term; otherwise, a successor is chosen in the next general election. This was retained in the 1976 constitution. The current constitution of 1983 allows governors to succeed themselves once before having to wait four years to serve again, and lieutenant governors now become governor in the event of a vacancy. Should the office of lieutenant governor be vacant, the speaker of the house acts as governor, and a special election to fill the office must happen in 90 days.

The revolutionary government was thrown into disarray by the Capture of Savannah in 1778, which led to two governments with varying levels of influence; they would reunite in 1780. This article relies on the Official and Statistical Register of Georgia, which ignores the Council of Safety of William Ewen in favor of Archibald Bulloch's government, and omits the government of William Glascock and Seth John Cuthbert.

Governors of the State of Georgia

No.	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor
7			Archibald Bulloch	January 22, 1776 – February 22, 1777 (died in office)	None	—	Office did not exist
8			Button Gwinnett	March 4, 1777 – May 8, 1777	None	—
9			John A. Treutlen	May 8, 1777 – January 10, 1778	None	—
10			John Houstoun	January 10, 1778 – December 29, 1778	None	—
—	Vacant			December 29, 1778 – August 6, 1779	—	Government in chaos after fall of Savannah
11			John Wereat	August 6, 1779 – November 1779	None	—
12			George Walton	November 1779 – January 4, 1780	None	—
13			Richard Howly	January 4, 1780 – February 5, 1780 (resigned)	None	—
14			Stephen Heard	February 18, 1780 – August 18, 1781	None	—
15			Nathan Brownson	August 18, 1781 – January 3, 1782 (term limited)	None	1781
16			John Martin	January 3, 1782 – January 8, 1783 (term limited)	None	1782
17			Lyman Hall	January 8, 1783 – January 9, 1784 (term limited)	None	1783
10			John Houstoun	January 9, 1784 – January 6, 1785 (term limited)	None	1784
18			Samuel Elbert	January 6, 1785 – January 9, 1786 (term limited)	None	1785
19			Edward Telfair	January 9, 1786 – January 9, 1787 (term limited)	None	1786
20			George Mathews	January 9, 1787 – January 26, 1788 (term limited)	None	1787
21			George Handley	January 26, 1788 – January 7, 1789 (term limited)	None	1788
12			George Walton	January 7, 1789 – November 9, 1789 (term limited)	Democratic- Republican	Jan. 1789
19			Edward Telfair	November 9, 1789 – November 7, 1793 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican	Nov. 1789
						1791
20			George Mathews	November 7, 1793 – January 15, 1796 (not candidate for election)	Democratic- Republican	1793
22			Jared Irwin	January 15, 1796 – January 12, 1798 (not candidate for election)	Democratic- Republican	1795
23			James Jackson	January 12, 1798 – March 3, 1801 (resigned)	Democratic- Republican	1797
						1799
24			David Emanuel	March 3, 1801 – November 7, 1801 (not candidate for election)	Democratic- Republican	Succeeded from President of the Senate
25			Josiah Tattnall	November 7, 1801 – November 4, 1802 (resigned)	Democratic- Republican	1801
26			John Milledge	November 4, 1802 – September 23, 1806 (resigned)	Democratic- Republican	1802 (special)
						1803
						1805
22			Jared Irwin	September 23, 1806 – November 10, 1809 (not candidate for election)	Democratic- Republican	Succeeded from President of the Senate
						1807
27			David Brydie Mitchell	November 10, 1809 – November 5, 1813 (not candidate for election)	Democratic- Republican	1809
						1811
28			Peter Early	November 5, 1813 – November 20, 1815 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican	1813
27			David Brydie Mitchell	November 20, 1815 – March 4, 1817 (resigned)	Democratic- Republican	1815
29			William Rabun	March 4, 1817 – October 24, 1819 (died in office)	Democratic- Republican	Succeeded from President of the Senate
						1817
30			Matthew Talbot	October 24, 1819 – November 5, 1819 (successor took office)	Democratic- Republican	Succeeded from President of the Senate
31			John Clark	November 5, 1819 – November 7, 1823 (not candidate for election)	Democratic- Republican	1819
						1821
32			George Troup	November 7, 1823 – November 7, 1827 (not candidate for election)	Democratic- Republican	1823
						1825
33			John Forsyth	November 7, 1827 – November 4, 1829 (not candidate for election)	Democratic- Republican	1827
34			George Rockingham Gilmer	November 4, 1829 – November 9, 1831 (not candidate for election)	Democratic- Republican	1829
35			Wilson Lumpkin	November 9, 1831 – November 4, 1835 (not candidate for election)	Union (Democratic)	1831
						1833
36			William Schley	November 4, 1835 – November 8, 1837 (not candidate for election)	Union (Democratic)	1835
34			George Rockingham Gilmer	November 8, 1837 – November 6, 1839 (not candidate for election)	State Rights (Whig)	1837
37			Charles James McDonald	November 6, 1839 – November 8, 1843 (not candidate for election)	Union (Democratic)	1839
						1841
38			George W. Crawford	November 8, 1843 – November 3, 1847 (not candidate for election)	Whig	1843
						1845
39			George W. Towns	November 3, 1847 – November 5, 1851 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1847
						1849
40			Howell Cobb	November 5, 1851 – November 9, 1853 (not candidate for election)	Constitutional Union	1851
41			Herschel Vespasian Johnson	November 9, 1853 – November 6, 1857 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1853
						1855
42			Joseph E. Brown	November 6, 1857 – June 17, 1865 (resigned)	Democratic	1857
						1859
						1861
						1863
43			James Johnson	June 17, 1865 – December 14, 1865 (provisional term ended)	Democratic	Provisional governor appointed by President
44			Charles J. Jenkins	December 14, 1865 – January 13, 1868 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1865
45			Thomas H. Ruger	January 13, 1868 – July 4, 1868 (state readmitted)	—	Military occupation
46			Rufus Bullock	July 4, 1868 – October 30, 1871 (resigned)	Republican	1868
47			Benjamin F. Conley	October 30, 1871 – January 12, 1872	Republican	President of the Senate acting as Governor
48			James Milton Smith	January 12, 1872 – January 12, 1877 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1871 (special)
						1872
49			Alfred H. Colquitt	January 12, 1877 – November 4, 1882 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1876
						1880
50			Alexander H. Stephens	November 4, 1882 – March 4, 1883 (died in office)	Democratic	1882
51			James S. Boynton	March 4, 1883 – May 10, 1883 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	President of the Senate acting as Governor
52			Henry Dickerson McDaniel	May 10, 1883 – November 9, 1886 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1883 (special)
						1884
53			John Brown Gordon	November 9, 1886 – November 8, 1890 (term limited)	Democratic	1886
						1888
54			William J. Northen	November 8, 1890 – October 27, 1894 (term limited)	Democratic	1890
						1892
55			William Yates Atkinson	October 27, 1894 – October 29, 1898 (term limited)	Democratic	1894
						1896
56			Allen D. Candler	October 29, 1898 – October 25, 1902 (term limited)	Democratic	1898
						1900
57			Joseph M. Terrell	October 25, 1902 – June 29, 1907 (term limited)	Democratic	1902
						1904
58			M. Hoke Smith	June 29, 1907 – June 26, 1909 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1906
59			Joseph Mackey Brown	June 26, 1909 – July 1, 1911 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1908
58			M. Hoke Smith	July 1, 1911 – November 15, 1911 (resigned)	Democratic	1910
60			John M. Slaton	November 16, 1911 – January 25, 1912 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	President of the Senate acting as Governor
59			Joseph Mackey Brown	January 25, 1912 – June 28, 1913 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1912 (special)
60			John M. Slaton	June 28, 1913 – June 26, 1915 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1912
61			Nathaniel Edwin Harris	June 26, 1915 – June 30, 1917 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1914
62			Hugh Dorsey	June 30, 1917 – June 25, 1921 (term limited)	Democratic	1916
						1918
63			Thomas W. Hardwick	June 25, 1921 – June 30, 1923 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1920
64			Clifford Walker	June 30, 1923 – June 25, 1927 (term limited)	Democratic	1922
						1924
65			Lamartine Griffin Hardman	June 25, 1927 – June 27, 1931 (term limited)	Democratic	1926
						1928
66			Richard Russell Jr.	June 27, 1931 – January 10, 1933 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1930
67			Eugene Talmadge	January 10, 1933 – January 12, 1937 (term limited)	Democratic	1932
						1934
68			Eurith D. Rivers	January 12, 1937 – January 14, 1941 (term limited)	Democratic	1936
						1938
67			Eugene Talmadge	January 14, 1941 – January 12, 1943 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1940
69			Ellis Arnall	January 12, 1943 – January 14, 1947 (term limited)	Democratic	1942
—			Eugene Talmadge	Died before taking office	Democratic	1946		Melvin E. Thompson
—			Herman Talmadge	January 14, 1947 – March 18, 1947 (removed from office)	Democratic
70			Melvin E. Thompson	March 18, 1947 – November 17, 1948 (lost election)	Democratic	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor	Vacant
71			Herman Talmadge	November 17, 1948 – January 11, 1955 (term limited)	Democratic	1948 (special)		Marvin Griffin
						1950
72			Marvin Griffin	January 11, 1955 – January 13, 1959 (term limited)	Democratic	1954		Ernest Vandiver
73			Ernest Vandiver	January 13, 1959 – January 15, 1963 (term limited)	Democratic	1958		Garland T. Byrd
74			Carl Sanders	January 15, 1963 – January 11, 1967 (term limited)	Democratic	1962		Peter Zack Geer
75			Lester Maddox	January 11, 1967 – January 12, 1971 (term limited)	Democratic	1966		George T. Smith
76			Jimmy Carter	January 12, 1971 – January 14, 1975 (term limited)	Democratic	1970		Lester Maddox
77			George Busbee	January 14, 1975 – January 11, 1983 (term limited)	Democratic	1974		Zell Miller
						1978
78			Joe Frank Harris	January 11, 1983 – January 14, 1991 (term limited)	Democratic	1982
						1986
79			Zell Miller	January 14, 1991 – January 11, 1999 (term limited)	Democratic	1990		Pierre Howard
						1994
80			Roy Barnes	January 11, 1999 – January 13, 2003 (lost election)	Democratic	1998		Mark Taylor
81			Sonny Perdue	January 13, 2003 – January 10, 2011 (term limited)	Republican	2002
						2006		Casey Cagle
82			Nathan Deal	January 10, 2011 – January 14, 2019 (term limited)	Republican	2010
						2014
83			Brian Kemp	January 14, 2019 – present	Republican	2018		Geoff Duncan