List of governors of Kentucky facts for kids
The Governor of Kentucky is like the chief executive officer of the state. They lead the government and are in charge of Kentucky's military forces, called the Kentucky National Guard. The governor's main jobs include making sure state laws are followed, deciding whether to approve or reject new laws passed by the Kentucky General Assembly, and having the power to forgive people for certain crimes. They can also change how the state government is organized. Historically, this job has been seen as one of the most powerful in the United States.
Fifty-nine different people have served as governor. For a long time, a governor could not serve two terms in a row. However, four men—Isaac Shelby, John L. Helm, James B. McCreary, and Happy Chandler—served multiple terms, but not back-to-back. In 1992, the Kentucky Constitution was changed to allow governors to run for a second term right away. Paul E. Patton was the first governor to be re-elected for a second consecutive term in 1999. James Garrard also served two terms in a row, but that was before the rule against it existed. Garrard is also the longest-serving governor, holding the office for over eight years. In 2023, Democrat Andy Beshear became the third governor in Kentucky history to be re-elected for a second consecutive term.
William Goebel, who became governor after a very close election in 1899, is the only governor in any U.S. state to be assassinated while in office. He served for only three days, making him the shortest-serving governor. Martha Layne Collins, who was governor from 1983 to 1987, was the first woman to hold the office in Kentucky. She was also one of the first women governors in any U.S. state who was not related to a previous governor. The 63rd and current Governor of Kentucky is Democrat Andy Beshear, who started his first term on December 10, 2019.
Governors of Kentucky
Kentucky became a state on June 1, 1792. Since then, 59 people have served as governor, holding the office for 63 different terms.
The first Kentucky Constitution in 1792 stated that the governor would be chosen by a special group of voters for a four-year term. In 1799, a new constitution changed this so that people would vote directly for the governor. It also said that a governor could not be re-elected for seven years after their term ended. The third constitution in 1850 shortened this waiting period to four years. A change in 1992 finally allowed governors to serve a second term right after their first.
Originally, if the governor's office became empty, the leader of the Senate would take over. In 1799, the job of lieutenant governor was created to fill this role. Since 1992, the governor and lieutenant governor run for election together as a team.
| No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Isaac Shelby (1750–1826) |
June 4, 1792 – June 1, 1796 (did not run) |
Democratic- Republican |
1792 | Office did not exist | ||
| 2 |  |
James Garrard (1749–1822) |
June 1, 1796 – September 5, 1804 (term-limited) |
Democratic- Republican |
1796 | |||
| 1800 | Alexander Scott Bullitt | |||||||
| 3 |  |
Christopher Greenup (1750–1818) |
September 5, 1804 – August 23, 1808 (term-limited) |
Democratic- Republican |
1804 | John Caldwell (died November 19, 1804) |
||
| Vacant | ||||||||
| Thomas Posey (acting, elected Speaker in 1805) |
||||||||
| 4 |  |
Charles Scott (1739–1813) |
August 23, 1808 – August 24, 1812 (term-limited) |
Democratic- Republican |
1808 | Gabriel Slaughter | ||
| 5 | |
Isaac Shelby (1750–1826) |
August 24, 1812 – September 5, 1816 (term-limited) |
Democratic- Republican |
1812 | Richard Hickman | ||
| 6 |  |
George Madison (1763–1816) |
September 5, 1816 – October 14, 1816 (died in office) |
Democratic- Republican |
1816 | Gabriel Slaughter | ||
| 7 |  |
Gabriel Slaughter (1767–1830) |
October 14, 1816 – September 7, 1820 (did not run) |
Democratic- Republican |
Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
| 8 |  |
John Adair (1757–1840) |
September 7, 1820 – August 24, 1824 (term-limited) |
Democratic- Republican |
1820 | William T. Barry | ||
| 9 |  |
Joseph Desha (1768–1842) |
August 24, 1824 – August 26, 1828 (term-limited) |
Democratic- Republican |
1824 | Robert B. McAfee | ||
| 10 |  |
Thomas Metcalfe (1780–1855) |
August 26, 1828 – August 28, 1832 (term-limited) |
National Republican |
1828 | John Breathitt | ||
| 11 |  |
John Breathitt (1786–1834) |
August 28, 1832 – February 21, 1834 (died in office) |
Democratic | 1832 | James Turner Morehead | ||
| 12 |  |
James Turner Morehead (1797–1854) |
February 21, 1834 – August 30, 1836 (did not run) |
National Republican |
Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
| 13 |  |
James Clark (1779–1839) |
August 30, 1836 – August 27, 1839 (died in office) |
Whig | 1836 | Charles A. Wickliffe | ||
| 14 |  |
Charles A. Wickliffe (1788–1869) |
August 27, 1839 – September 2, 1840 (did not run) |
Whig | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
| 15 |  |
Robert P. Letcher (1788–1861) |
September 2, 1840 – September 4, 1844 (term-limited) |
Whig | 1840 | Manlius Valerius Thomson | ||
| 16 |  |
William Owsley (1782–1862) |
September 4, 1844 – September 6, 1848 (term-limited) |
Whig | 1844 | Archibald Dixon | ||
| 17 |  |
John J. Crittenden (1787–1863) |
September 6, 1848 – July 30, 1850 (resigned) |
Whig | 1848 | John L. Helm | ||
| 18 |  |
John L. Helm (1802–1867) |
July 30, 1850 – September 2, 1851 (did not run) |
Whig | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
| 19 |  |
Lazarus W. Powell (1812–1867) |
September 2, 1851 – September 4, 1855 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1851 | John Burton Thompson | ||
| 20 |  |
Charles S. Morehead (1802–1868) |
September 4, 1855 – August 30, 1859 (term-limited) |
American | 1855 | James Greene Hardy | ||
| 21 |  |
Beriah Magoffin (1815–1885) |
August 30, 1859 – August 18, 1862 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1859 | Linn Boyd (died December 17, 1859) |
||
| Vacant | ||||||||
| 22 |  |
James Fisher Robinson (1800–1882) |
August 18, 1862 – September 1, 1863 (did not run) |
Democratic | Succeeded from president of the Senate |
|||
| 23 | .jpg) |
Thomas E. Bramlette (1817–1875) |
September 1, 1863 – September 3, 1867 (term-limited) |
Union Democratic |
1863 | Richard Taylor Jacob | ||
| 24 | |
John L. Helm (1802–1867) |
September 3, 1867 – September 8, 1867 (died in office) |
Democratic | 1867 | John W. Stevenson | ||
| 25 |  |
John W. Stevenson (1812–1886) |
September 8, 1867 – February 13, 1871 (resigned) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
| 1868 (special) |
||||||||
| 26 |  |
Preston Leslie (1819–1907) |
February 13, 1871 – August 31, 1875 (term-limited) |
Democratic | Succeeded from president of the Senate |
|||
| 1871 | John G. Carlisle | |||||||
| 27 |  |
James B. McCreary (1838–1918) |
August 31, 1875 – September 2, 1879 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1875 | John C. Underwood | ||
| 28 |  |
Luke P. Blackburn (1816–1887) |
September 2, 1879 – September 4, 1883 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1879 | James E. Cantrill | ||
| 29 |  |
J. Proctor Knott (1830–1911) |
September 4, 1883 – August 30, 1887 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1883 | James R. Hindman | ||
| 30 |  |
Simon Bolivar Buckner (1823–1914) |
August 30, 1887 – September 1, 1891 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1887 | James William Bryan | ||
| 31 |  |
John Y. Brown (1835–1904) |
September 1, 1891 – December 10, 1895 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1891 | Mitchell Cary Alford | ||
| 32 |  |
William O'Connell Bradley (1847–1914) |
December 10, 1895 – December 12, 1899 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1895 | William Jackson Worthington | ||
| 33 |  |
William S. Taylor (1853–1928) |
December 12, 1899 – January 31, 1900 (removed from office) |
Republican | 1899 | John Marshall | ||
| 34 |  |
William Goebel (1856–1900) |
January 31, 1900 – February 3, 1900 (died in office) |
Democratic | J. C. W. Beckham | |||
| 35 | .jpg) |
J. C. W. Beckham (1869–1940) |
February 3, 1900 – December 10, 1907 (term-limited) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
| 1900 (special) |
||||||||
| 1903 | William P. Thorne | |||||||
| 36 |  |
Augustus E. Willson (1846–1931) |
December 10, 1907 – December 12, 1911 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1907 | William Hopkinson Cox | ||
| 37 | |
James B. McCreary (1838–1918) |
December 12, 1911 – December 7, 1915 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1911 | Edward J. McDermott | ||
| 38 |  |
Augustus Owsley Stanley (1867–1958) |
December 7, 1915 – May 19, 1919 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1915 | James D. Black | ||
| 39 |  |
James D. Black (1849–1938) |
May 19, 1919 – December 9, 1919 (lost election) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
| 40 |  |
Edwin P. Morrow (1877–1935) |
December 9, 1919 – December 11, 1923 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1919 | S. Thruston Ballard | ||
| 41 | .jpg) |
William J. Fields (1874–1954) |
December 11, 1923 – December 13, 1927 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1923 | Henry Denhardt | ||
| 42 | .png) |
Flem D. Sampson (1875–1967) |
December 13, 1927 – December 8, 1931 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1927 | James Breathitt Jr. | ||
| 43 |  |
Ruby Laffoon (1869–1941) |
December 8, 1931 – December 10, 1935 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1931 | Happy Chandler | ||
| 44 | .jpg) |
Happy Chandler (1898–1991) |
December 10, 1935 – October 9, 1939 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1935 | Keen Johnson | ||
| 45 |  |
Keen Johnson (1896–1970) |
October 9, 1939 – December 7, 1943 (term-limited) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
| 1939 | Rodes K. Myers | |||||||
| 46 | .png) |
Simeon Willis (1879–1965) |
December 7, 1943 – December 9, 1947 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1943 | Kenneth H. Tuggle | ||
| 47 |  |
Earle Clements (1896–1985) |
December 9, 1947 – November 27, 1950 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1947 | Lawrence Wetherby | ||
| 48 | .jpg) |
Lawrence Wetherby (1908–1994) |
November 27, 1950 – December 13, 1955 (term-limited) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
| 1951 | Emerson Beauchamp | |||||||
| 49 | |
Happy Chandler (1898–1991) |
December 13, 1955 – December 8, 1959 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1955 | Harry Lee Waterfield | ||
| 50 | .jpg) |
Bert Combs (1911–1991) |
December 8, 1959 – December 10, 1963 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1959 | Wilson W. Wyatt | ||
| 51 | .jpg) |
Ned Breathitt (1924–2003) |
December 10, 1963 – December 12, 1967 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1963 | Harry Lee Waterfield | ||
| 52 | .jpg) |
Louie Nunn (1924–2004) |
December 12, 1967 – December 7, 1971 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1967 | Wendell Ford | ||
| 53 |  |
Wendell Ford (1924–2015) |
December 7, 1971 – December 28, 1974 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1971 | Julian Carroll | ||
| 54 |  |
Julian Carroll (1931–2023) |
December 28, 1974 – December 11, 1979 (term-limited) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
| 1975 | Thelma Stovall | |||||||
| 55 | .png) |
John Y. Brown Jr. (1933–2022) |
December 11, 1979 – December 13, 1983 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1979 | Martha Layne Collins | ||
| 56 | .jpg) |
Martha Layne Collins (b. 1936) |
December 13, 1983 – December 8, 1987 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1983 | Steve Beshear | ||
| 57 |  |
Wallace Wilkinson (1941–2002) |
December 8, 1987 – December 10, 1991 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1987 | Brereton C. Jones | ||
| 58 | .jpg) |
Brereton C. Jones (1939–2023) |
December 10, 1991 – December 12, 1995 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1991 | Paul E. Patton | ||
| 59 | .jpg) |
Paul E. Patton (b. 1937) |
December 12, 1995 – December 9, 2003 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1995 | Steve Henry | ||
| 1999 | ||||||||
| 60 |  |
Ernie Fletcher (b. 1952) |
December 9, 2003 – December 11, 2007 (lost election) |
Republican | 2003 | Steve Pence | ||
| 61 |  |
Steve Beshear (b. 1944) |
December 11, 2007 – December 8, 2015 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 2007 | Daniel Mongiardo | ||
| 2011 | Jerry Abramson (resigned November 13, 2014) |
|||||||
| Crit Luallen | ||||||||
| 62 | .jpg) |
Matt Bevin (b. 1967) |
December 8, 2015 – December 10, 2019 (lost election) |
Republican | 2015 | Jenean Hampton | ||
| 63 | .jpg) |
Andy Beshear (b. 1977) |
December 10, 2019 – Incumbent |
Democratic | 2019 | Jacqueline Coleman | ||
| 2023 | ||||||||
Confederate Governors
During the American Civil War, a group of people who wanted Kentucky to join the Confederacy met in Russellville. They formed a separate Confederate government for the state. However, this government never truly controlled Kentucky, and the state remained part of the Union throughout the war. Two men were chosen as governor for this Confederate government: George W. Johnson, who served from November 20, 1861, until he died in battle on April 8, 1862. After him, Richard Hawes became governor and served until the Confederate forces surrendered on April 9, 1865. The Confederate government of Kentucky ended shortly after the war in 1865.
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Gobernadores de Kentucky para niños
- Timeline of Kentucky history
- List of Kentucky General Assemblies
