List of governors of Hawaii facts for kids
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The Governor of Hawaii is like the chief executive officer for the state of Hawaii. This person is the leader of the state government. They are also in charge of Hawaii's military forces, like the Hawaii National Guard.
The governor has several important jobs. They make sure state laws are followed. They can approve or reject (this is called a veto) new laws passed by the Hawaii State Legislature. The governor can also call the legislature together for special meetings. They can even grant pardons, which means forgiving someone for a crime, except in very serious cases like treason or impeachment.
Hawaii has had eight governors since it became a state. Two governors served three terms, and four served two terms. No governor has ever resigned or died while in office. George Ariyoshi was the first Asian American to become a governor in any U.S. state. The current governor is Josh Green. He is a Democrat and started his term on December 5, 2022.
The governors who served the longest were John A. Burns (1962–1974) and George Ariyoshi (1974–1986). Both served for 12 years.
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Governors of Hawaii: A Historical Look
Hawaii became part of the United States in 1898. Before that, it was a republic. In 1900, it became the Hawaii Territory. Then, in 1959, it officially became a U.S. state. The Republic of Hawaii had only one president, Sanford B. Dole. He later became the first governor of the Hawaii Territory.
Governors of Hawaii Territory
The Hawaii Territory was officially set up on June 14, 1900. It remained a territory for 59 years. During this time, 12 different people served as territorial governors. They were chosen by the president of the United States.
No. | Governor | Term in office | Appointed by | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
Sanford B. Dole (1844–1926) |
June 14, 1900 – November 23, 1903 |
William McKinley |
2 | ![]() |
George R. Carter (1866–1933) |
November 23, 1903 – August 15, 1907 |
Theodore Roosevelt |
3 | ![]() |
Walter F. Frear (1863–1948) |
August 15, 1907 – November 29, 1913 |
Theodore Roosevelt |
4 | ![]() |
Lucius E. Pinkham (1850–1922) |
November 29, 1913 – June 22, 1918 |
Woodrow Wilson |
5 | ![]() |
Charles J. McCarthy (1861–1929) |
June 22, 1918 – July 5, 1921 |
Woodrow Wilson |
6 | ![]() |
Wallace Rider Farrington (1871–1933) |
July 5, 1921 – July 5, 1929 |
Warren G. Harding |
Calvin Coolidge | ||||
7 | ![]() |
Lawrence M. Judd (1887–1968) |
July 5, 1929 – March 1, 1934 |
Herbert Hoover |
8 | ![]() |
Joseph Poindexter (1869–1951) |
March 1, 1934 – August 24, 1942 |
Franklin D. Roosevelt |
9 | ![]() |
Ingram Stainback (1883–1961) |
August 24, 1942 – April 30, 1951 |
Franklin D. Roosevelt |
Harry S. Truman | ||||
10 | ![]() |
Oren E. Long (1889–1965) |
May 8, 1951 – February 28, 1953 |
Harry S. Truman |
11 | ![]() |
Samuel Wilder King (1886–1959) |
February 28, 1953 – August 29, 1957 |
Dwight D. Eisenhower |
12 | ![]() |
William F. Quinn (1919–2006) |
September 2, 1957 – August 21, 1959 |
Dwight D. Eisenhower |
Governors of the State of Hawaii
Hawaii officially became a U.S. state on August 21, 1959. Since then, there have been nine governors.
The governor is elected for a four-year term. Their term starts on the first Monday in December after the election. The lieutenant governor is also elected for the same four-year term. Since 1964, the governor and lieutenant governor run for office together on the same "ticket." This means you vote for both of them at once.
There's a rule that a governor can only serve two terms in a row. If the governor's office becomes empty, the lieutenant governor takes over. If the governor is out of the state or can't do their job, the lieutenant governor steps in temporarily.
No. | Governor | Term of office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
William F. Quinn (1919–2006) |
August 21, 1959 – December 3, 1962 |
Republican | 1959 | James Kealoha | ||
2 | ![]() |
John A. Burns (1909–1975) |
December 3, 1962 – December 2, 1974 |
Democratic | 1962 | William S. Richardson | ||
Andrew T.F. Ing | ||||||||
1966 | Thomas Gill | |||||||
1970 | George Ariyoshi | |||||||
3 | ![]() |
George Ariyoshi (b. 1926) |
December 2, 1974 – December 1, 1986 |
Democratic | 1974 | Nelson Doi | ||
1978 | Jean King | |||||||
1982 | John D. Waiheʻe III | |||||||
4 | ![]() |
John D. Waiheʻe III (b. 1946) |
December 1, 1986 – December 5, 1994 |
Democratic | 1986 | Ben Cayetano | ||
1990 | ||||||||
5 | ![]() |
Ben Cayetano (b. 1939) |
December 5, 1994 – December 2, 2002 |
Democratic | 1994 | Mazie Hirono | ||
1998 | ||||||||
6 | ![]() |
Linda Lingle (b. 1953) |
December 2, 2002 – December 6, 2010 |
Republican | 2002 | Duke Aiona | ||
2006 | ||||||||
7 | ![]() |
Neil Abercrombie (b. 1938) |
December 6, 2010 – December 1, 2014 |
Democratic | 2010 | Brian Schatz | ||
Vacant | ||||||||
Shan Tsutsui | ||||||||
8 | ![]() |
David Ige (b. 1957) |
December 1, 2014 – December 5, 2022 |
Democratic | 2014 | |||
Vacant | ||||||||
Doug Chin | ||||||||
2018 | Josh Green | |||||||
9 | ![]() |
Josh Green (b. 1970) |
December 5, 2022 – Incumbent |
Democratic | 2022 | Sylvia Luke |
More About Hawaii's Leaders
- List of governors of Hawaii (island)
- List of governors of Maui
- List of governors of Oahu
- List of governors of Kauai
- List of Hawaii state legislatures