List of governors of Iowa Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Governor of Iowa
State seal
Incumbent Kim Reynolds since May 24, 2017
Government of Iowa
Style	The Honorable
Residence	Terrace Hill
Term length	Four years, no term limits
Precursor	Governor of Iowa Territory
Inaugural holder	Ansel Briggs
Formation	December 3, 1846 (178 years ago) (1846-12-03)
Salary	$130,000 (2022)

The governor of Iowa is like the chief leader of the state of Iowa. Think of them as the manager of the state government. Their main job is to make sure that state laws are followed.

The governor has important powers. They can approve or reject new laws passed by the Iowa General Assembly. They can also call meetings of the state legislature. Plus, they are the leader of Iowa's military forces, called the Iowa National Guard.

Iowa has had 41 different governors. Two of them, Samuel J. Kirkwood and Terry Branstad, served more than one time. The current governor is Kim Reynolds. She is the first woman to hold this important job in Iowa. She became governor on May 24, 2017.

The governor who served the longest was Terry Branstad. He was governor from 1983 to 1999 and then again from 2011 to 2017. He holds the record for the longest-serving governor in all of U.S. history. The shortest-serving governor was Robert D. Fulton, who served for only 16 days.

Iowa's First Governors
From Territory to State
- How the Governor's Job Changed
Notable Governors of Iowa
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See also

Iowa's First Governors

Before Iowa became a state, it was a territory. This means it was a part of the U.S. but not yet a full state. The president of the United States chose the governors for the Iowa Territory.

Robert Lucas was the second governor of Iowa Territory.

The Iowa Territory was created on July 4, 1838. It had four governors during this time. The very first one, Henry Atkinson, actually resigned before he even arrived in Iowa! The second governor was Robert Lucas, who started his term on July 7, 1838.

From Territory to State

Iowa officially became a state on December 28, 1846. This was a big step! With statehood, the people of Iowa could now elect their own governor.

How the Governor's Job Changed

The first Constitution of Iowa in 1846 said the governor would serve for four years. There was no specific start date for their term. Later, in 1857, the constitution changed the term to two years. But in 1972, it changed back to four years.

The 1857 constitution also created the job of lieutenant governor. This person is elected at the same time as the governor. If the governor's job becomes empty, the lieutenant governor steps in. There is no limit to how many terms a governor can serve in Iowa.

Notable Governors of Iowa

Iowa has had many interesting governors throughout its history. Here are a few key ones:

First State Governor

Ansel Briggs was Iowa's first state governor.

The first governor of the State of Iowa was Ansel Briggs. He took office on December 3, 1846. He was a member of the Democratic Party.

Longest-Serving Governor

Terry Branstad served as Iowa's governor for 22 years, the longest in U.S. history.

Terry Branstad holds the record as Iowa's longest-serving governor. He was governor for a total of 22 years. He served from 1983 to 1999 and then again from 2011 to 2017. He is also the longest-serving governor in all of U.S. history.

First Female Governor

Kim Reynolds is the first woman to be governor of Iowa.

Kim Reynolds made history as the first woman to become governor of Iowa. She took office on May 24, 2017. She had previously served as the lieutenant governor.

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Henry Atkinson was the first appointed governor of Iowa Territory, but resigned before taking office.
John Chambers served as the third governor of Iowa Territory.
James Clarke was the last governor of Iowa Territory.
Stephen P. Hempstead was Iowa's second state governor.
James W. Grimes was Iowa's third state governor.
Ralph P. Lowe was Iowa's fourth state governor.
Samuel J. Kirkwood served two non-consecutive terms as governor.
William M. Stone was Iowa's sixth state governor.
Samuel Merrill was Iowa's seventh state governor.
Cyrus C. Carpenter was Iowa's eighth state governor.
Joshua G. Newbold became governor after Samuel Kirkwood resigned.
John H. Gear was Iowa's eleventh state governor.
Buren R. Sherman was Iowa's twelfth state governor.
William Larrabee was Iowa's thirteenth state governor.
Horace Boies was Iowa's fourteenth state governor.
Frank D. Jackson was Iowa's fifteenth state governor.
Francis M. Drake was Iowa's sixteenth state governor.
L. M. Shaw was Iowa's seventeenth state governor.
Albert B. Cummins was Iowa's eighteenth state governor.
Warren Garst became governor after Albert B. Cummins resigned.
Beryl F. Carroll was Iowa's twentieth state governor.
George W. Clarke was Iowa's twenty-first state governor.
William L. Harding was Iowa's twenty-second state governor.
Nathan E. Kendall was Iowa's twenty-third state governor.
John Hammill was Iowa's twenty-fourth state governor.
Dan W. Turner was Iowa's twenty-fifth state governor.
Clyde L. Herring was Iowa's twenty-sixth state governor.
Nelson G. Kraschel was Iowa's twenty-seventh state governor.
George A. Wilson was Iowa's twenty-eighth state governor.
Bourke B. Hickenlooper was Iowa's twenty-ninth state governor.
Robert D. Blue was Iowa's thirtieth state governor.
William S. Beardsley was Iowa's thirty-first state governor.
Leo Elthon became governor after William S. Beardsley died in office.
Leo Hoegh was Iowa's thirty-third state governor.
Herschel C. Loveless was Iowa's thirty-fourth state governor.
Norman A. Erbe was Iowa's thirty-fifth state governor.
Harold Hughes was Iowa's thirty-sixth state governor.
Robert D. Fulton was Iowa's thirty-seventh state governor, serving the shortest term.
Robert D. Ray was Iowa's thirty-eighth state governor.
Terry Branstad served the longest as governor.
Tom Vilsack was Iowa's fortieth state governor.
Chet Culver was Iowa's forty-first state governor.