List of governors of Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Governor of Kansas |
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Government of Kansas | |
Residence | Cedar Crest |
Term length | Four years, renewable once consecutively |
Inaugural holder | Charles L. Robinson |
Formation | February 9, 1861 |
Succession | Line of succession |
Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of Kansas |
Salary | $99,636 (2017) |
The Governor of Kansas is the main leader of the state of Kansas. They are in charge of the state's military, called the Kansas National Guard. The governor makes sure state laws are followed. They can also approve or reject new laws from the Kansas Legislature. The governor can call the legislature together whenever needed. They can also grant pardons, which means forgiving someone for a crime.
Kansas has had 48 governors since it became a state. The governors who served the longest were Robert Docking, John W. Carlin, and Bill Graves. Each of them served for 8 years. The governor who served the shortest time was John McCuish, who was governor for only 11 days.
The current governor is Democrat Laura Kelly. She started her term on January 14, 2019.
Contents
Kansas Governors Through History
Kansas Territory Leaders
Kansas Territory was set up on May 30, 1854. This land used to be part of Missouri Territory. Even though it only existed for six years, it had six governors. These governors were chosen by the president of the United States.
No. | Governor | Term in office | Appointed by | |
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1 | ![]() |
Andrew Horatio Reeder (1807–1864) |
June 29, 1854 – July 31, 1855 (removed) |
Franklin Pierce |
2 | ![]() |
Wilson Shannon (1802–1877) |
August 10, 1855 – August 18, 1856 (resigned) |
Franklin Pierce |
3 | ![]() |
John W. Geary (1819–1873) |
July 31, 1856 – March 4, 1857 (resigned) |
Franklin Pierce |
4 | ![]() |
Robert J. Walker (1801–1869) |
March 30, 1857 – December 17, 1857 (resigned) |
James Buchanan |
5 | ![]() |
James W. Denver (1817–1892) |
February 24, 1858 – November 8, 1858 (resigned) |
James Buchanan |
6 | ![]() |
Samuel Medary (1801–1864) |
November 23, 1858 – December 20, 1860 (resigned) |
James Buchanan |
State of Kansas Governors

Kansas officially joined the United States on January 29, 1861. The Kansas Constitution said that a governor and a lieutenant governor would be elected every two years. Their term would start in January after the election.
In 1972, a change was made. Terms became four years long. A governor could not serve more than two terms in a row. Also, the governor and lieutenant governor are now elected together. If the governor's job becomes empty, the lieutenant governor becomes the new governor.
Until 2018, there was no age rule to run for governor. In 2017, some teenagers even tried to run! A law passed in 2018 changed this. Now, you must be at least 25 years old to run for governor or lieutenant governor.
No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||
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1 | ![]() |
Charles L. Robinson (1818–1894) |
February 9, 1861 – January 12, 1863 (lost nomination) |
Republican | 1859 | Joseph Pomeroy Root | ||
2 | ![]() |
Thomas Carney (1824–1888) |
January 12, 1863 – January 9, 1865 (lost nomination) |
Republican | 1862 | Thomas A. Osborn | ||
3 | ![]() |
Samuel J. Crawford (1835–1913) |
January 9, 1865 – November 4, 1868 (resigned) |
Republican | 1864 | James McGrew | ||
1866 | Nehemiah Green | |||||||
4 | ![]() |
Nehemiah Green (1837–1890) |
November 4, 1868 – January 11, 1869 (successor took office) |
Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
5 | ![]() |
James M. Harvey (1833–1894) |
January 11, 1869 – January 13, 1873 (did not run) |
Republican | 1868 | Charles Vernon Eskridge | ||
1870 | Peter Percival Elder | |||||||
6 | ![]() |
Thomas A. Osborn (1836–1898) |
January 13, 1873 – January 8, 1877 (did not run) |
Republican | 1872 | Elias S. Stover | ||
1874 | Melville J. Salter | |||||||
7 | ![]() |
George T. Anthony (1824–1896) |
January 8, 1877 – January 13, 1879 (lost nomination) |
Republican | 1876 | |||
Lyman U. Humphrey | ||||||||
8 | ![]() |
John St. John (1833–1916) |
January 13, 1879 – January 8, 1883 (lost election) |
Republican | 1878 | |||
1880 | David Wesley Finney | |||||||
9 | ![]() |
George Washington Glick (1827–1911) |
January 8, 1883 – January 12, 1885 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1882 | |||
10 | ![]() |
John Martin (1839–1889) |
January 12, 1885 – January 14, 1889 (did not run) |
Republican | 1884 | Alexander P. Riddle | ||
1886 | ||||||||
11 | ![]() |
Lyman U. Humphrey (1844–1915) |
January 14, 1889 – January 9, 1893 (did not run) |
Republican | 1888 | Andrew Jackson Felt | ||
1890 | ||||||||
12 | ![]() |
Lorenzo D. Lewelling (1846–1900) |
January 9, 1893 – January 14, 1895 (lost election) |
Populist | 1892 | Percy Daniels | ||
13 | ![]() |
Edmund Needham Morrill (1834–1909) |
January 14, 1895 – January 11, 1897 (lost election) |
Republican | 1894 | James Armstrong Troutman | ||
14 | ![]() |
John W. Leedy (1849–1935) |
January 11, 1897 – January 9, 1899 (lost election) |
Populist | 1896 | Alexander Miller Harvey | ||
15 | ![]() |
William Eugene Stanley (1844–1910) |
January 9, 1899 – January 12, 1903 (did not run) |
Republican | 1898 | Harry E. Richter | ||
1900 | ||||||||
16 | ![]() |
Willis J. Bailey (1854–1932) |
January 12, 1903 – January 9, 1905 (lost nomination) |
Republican | 1902 | David John Hanna | ||
17 | ![]() |
Edward W. Hoch (1849–1925) |
January 9, 1905 – January 11, 1909 (did not run) |
Republican | 1904 | |||
1906 | William James Fitzgerald | |||||||
18 | ![]() |
Walter R. Stubbs (1858–1929) |
January 11, 1909 – January 13, 1913 (did not run) |
Republican | 1908 | |||
1910 | Richard Joseph Hopkins | |||||||
19 | ![]() |
George H. Hodges (1866–1947) |
January 13, 1913 – January 11, 1915 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1912 | Sheffield Ingalls | ||
20 | ![]() |
Arthur Capper (1865–1951) |
January 11, 1915 – January 13, 1919 (did not run) |
Republican | 1914 | William Yoast Morgan | ||
1916 | ||||||||
21 | ![]() |
Henry Justin Allen (1868–1950) |
January 13, 1919 – January 8, 1923 (did not run) |
Republican | 1918 | Charles Solomon Huffman | ||
1920 | ||||||||
22 | ![]() |
Jonathan M. Davis (1871–1943) |
January 8, 1923 – January 12, 1925 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1922 | Benjamin S. Paulen | ||
23 | ![]() |
Benjamin S. Paulen (1869–1961) |
January 12, 1925 – January 14, 1929 (did not run) |
Republican | 1924 | De Lanson Alson Newton Chase | ||
1926 | ||||||||
24 | ![]() |
Clyde M. Reed (1871–1949) |
January 14, 1929 – January 12, 1931 (lost nomination) |
Republican | 1928 | Jacob W. Graybill | ||
25 | ![]() |
Harry Hines Woodring (1887–1967) |
January 12, 1931 – January 9, 1933 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1930 | |||
26 | ![]() |
Alf Landon (1887–1987) |
January 9, 1933 – January 11, 1937 (did not run) |
Republican | 1932 | Charles W. Thompson | ||
1934 | ||||||||
27 | ![]() |
Walter A. Huxman (1887–1972) |
January 11, 1937 – January 9, 1939 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1936 | William M. Lindsay | ||
28 | ![]() |
Payne Ratner (1896–1974) |
January 9, 1939 – January 11, 1943 (did not run) |
Republican | 1938 | Carl E. Friend | ||
1940 | ||||||||
29 | ![]() |
Andrew Frank Schoeppel (1894–1962) |
January 11, 1943 – January 13, 1947 (did not run) |
Republican | 1942 | Jess C. Denious | ||
1944 | ||||||||
30 | ![]() |
Frank Carlson (1893–1987) |
January 13, 1947 – November 28, 1950 (resigned) |
Republican | 1946 | Frank L. Hagaman | ||
1948 | ||||||||
31 | ![]() |
Frank L. Hagaman (1894–1966) |
November 28, 1950 – January 8, 1951 (successor took office) |
Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
32 | ![]() |
Edward F. Arn (1906–1998) |
January 8, 1951 – January 10, 1955 (did not run) |
Republican | 1950 | Fred Hall | ||
1952 | ||||||||
33 | ![]() |
Fred Hall (1916–1970) |
January 10, 1955 – January 3, 1957 (resigned) |
Republican | 1954 | John McCuish | ||
34 | ![]() |
John McCuish (1906–1962) |
January 3, 1957 – January 14, 1957 (successor took office) |
Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
35 | ![]() |
George Docking (1904–1964) |
January 14, 1957 – January 9, 1961 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1956 | Joseph W. Henkle Sr. | ||
1958 | ||||||||
36 | ![]() |
John Anderson Jr. (1917–2014) |
January 9, 1961 – January 11, 1965 (did not run) |
Republican | 1960 | Harold H. Chase | ||
1962 | ||||||||
37 | ![]() |
William H. Avery (1911–2009) |
January 11, 1965 – January 9, 1967 (lost election) |
Republican | 1964 | John Crutcher | ||
38 | ![]() |
Robert Docking (1925–1983) |
January 9, 1967 – January 13, 1975 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1966 | |||
1968 | James H. DeCoursey Jr. | |||||||
1970 | Reynolds Shultz | |||||||
1972 | Dave Owen | |||||||
39 | ![]() |
Robert Frederick Bennett (1927–2000) |
January 13, 1975 – January 8, 1979 (lost election) |
Republican | 1974 | Shelby Smith | ||
40 | ![]() |
John W. Carlin (b. 1940) |
January 8, 1979 – January 12, 1987 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1978 | Paul Dugan | ||
1982 | Thomas Docking | |||||||
41 | ![]() |
Mike Hayden (b. 1944) |
January 12, 1987 – January 14, 1991 (lost election) |
Republican | 1986 | Jack D. Walker | ||
42 | ![]() |
Joan Finney (1925–2001) |
January 14, 1991 – January 9, 1995 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1990 | Jim Francisco | ||
43 | ![]() |
Bill Graves (b. 1953) |
January 9, 1995 – January 13, 2003 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1994 | Sheila Frahm (resigned June 11, 1996) |
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Vacant | ||||||||
Gary Sherrer (appointed July 18, 1996) |
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1998 | ||||||||
44 | ![]() |
Kathleen Sebelius (b. 1948) |
January 13, 2003 – April 28, 2009 (resigned) |
Democratic | 2002 | John E. Moore | ||
2006 | Mark Parkinson | |||||||
45 | ![]() |
Mark Parkinson (b. 1957) |
April 28, 2009 – January 10, 2011 (did not run) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
Troy Findley (appointed May 15, 2009) |
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46 | ![]() |
Sam Brownback (b. 1956) |
January 10, 2011 – January 31, 2018 (resigned) |
Republican | 2010 | Jeff Colyer | ||
2014 | ||||||||
47 | ![]() |
Jeff Colyer (b. 1960) |
January 31, 2018 – January 14, 2019 (lost nomination) |
Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
Tracey Mann (appointed February 14, 2018) |
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48 | ![]() |
Laura Kelly (b. 1950) |
January 14, 2019 – Incumbent |
Democratic | 2018 | Lynn Rogers (resigned January 2, 2021) |
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David Toland (appointed January 2, 2021) |
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2022 |
Timeline of Governors
Timeline of Kansas governors |
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See Also
- List of Kansas state legislatures
- Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Kansas