List of governors of Michigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Governor of Michigan
Seal of the governor
Flag of the governor
Incumbent Gretchen Whitmer since January 1, 2019
Style	Her Excellency
Status	Head of state Head of government
Residence	Michigan Governor's Mansion
Term length	Four years, renewable once
Precursor	Governor of Michigan Territory
Inaugural holder	Stevens T. Mason
Formation	November 3, 1835
Succession	Line of succession
Deputy	Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
Salary	$159,300 (2019)

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The governor of Michigan is like the chief executive officer of the state. They are the main leader of the state government. The governor is also the boss of Michigan's military forces, like the Michigan National Guard.

The governor has several important jobs. They make sure state laws are followed. They can approve or reject new laws about money that the Michigan Legislature passes. The governor can also call the legislature together for special meetings. They have the power to grant pardons, which means forgiving someone for a crime, but not in cases of impeachment. The governor can also change how the state government is organized.

For a long time, Michigan was controlled by France and then Britain. It was managed by their colonial governors. Later, parts of Michigan were part of other U.S. territories. In 1805, the Michigan Territory was created. Five people served as governors of this territory. Michigan officially became a state in 1837. Since then, 47 different people have been the state governor. The first female governor, Jennifer Granholm, served from 2003 to 2011.

When Michigan first became a state, governors served for two years. This changed to four years with the 1963 Michigan Constitution. A rule was added in 1992 that a person can only be governor for two four-year terms in their lifetime. The governor who served the longest was William Milliken. He became governor after George W. Romney left office. Milliken was then elected three more times. Only two governors, John S. Barry and Frank Fitzgerald, served terms that were not back-to-back.

Michigan's Governors: A Historical Look

Governors of Michigan Territory

The Michigan Territory was set up on June 30, 1805. It was formed from the northern part of the Indiana Territory. Three governors were chosen by the president of the United States for this territory. Lewis Cass served the longest of any territorial governor, for 18 years!

Governors of Michigan Territory

No.	Governor		Term in office	Appointed by
1		William Hull (1753–1825)	March 1, 1805 – October 29, 1813 (successor appointed)	Jefferson, ThomasThomas Jefferson
				Madison, JamesJames Madison
2		Lewis Cass (1782–1866)	October 29, 1813 – August 1, 1831 (resigned)	Madison, JamesJames Madison
				Monroe, JamesJames Monroe
				Adams, John QuincyJohn Quincy Adams
3		George Bryan Porter (1791–1834)	August 6, 1831 – July 6, 1834 (died in office)	Jackson, AndrewAndrew Jackson
—		Stevens T. Mason (1811–1843)	July 6, 1834 – September 21, 1835 (successor appointed)	Territorial secretary acting
—		John S. Horner (1802–1883)	September 21, 1835 – July 3, 1836 (resigned)	Territorial secretary acting

Governors of the State of Michigan

Michigan became a state on January 26, 1837. The first state constitution in 1835 said that the governor and lieutenant governor would be elected every two years. The current constitution, from 1963, changed this to four-year terms. There was no limit on how many terms a governor could serve until 1993. That's when a new rule limited governors to two terms in total.

If the governor's office becomes empty, the lieutenant governor takes over. If they can't, then the secretary of state is next in line, followed by the attorney general. Before the 1963 constitution, the lieutenant governor would just do the governor's duties without actually becoming governor. Since 1850, a governor's term starts at noon on January 1st of the year after the election. Before that, there wasn't a set start date.

In the past, the governor and lieutenant governor were elected separately. This meant they could be from different political parties. But in 1963, this changed. Now, people vote for a governor and lieutenant governor as a team, and they must be from the same political party.

Governors of the State of Michigan

No.	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor
1			Stevens T. Mason (1811–1843)	November 3, 1835 – January 7, 1840 (retired)	Democratic	1835		Mundy, EdwardEdward Mundy
						1837
2			William Woodbridge (1780–1861)	January 7, 1840 – February 24, 1841 (resigned)	Whig	1839		Gordon, James WrightJames Wright Gordon
3			James Wright Gordon (1809–1853)	February 24, 1841 – January 3, 1842 (retired)	Whig	Succeeded from lieutenant governor		Drake, Thomas J.Thomas J. Drake
4			John S. Barry (1802–1870)	January 3, 1842 – January 5, 1846 (retired)	Democratic	1841		Richardson, Origen D.Origen D. Richardson
						1843
5			Alpheus Felch (1804–1896)	January 5, 1846 – March 3, 1847 (resigned)	Democratic	1845		Greenly, William L.William L. Greenly
6			William L. Greenly (1813–1883)	March 3, 1847 – January 3, 1848 (retired)	Democratic	Succeeded from lieutenant governor		Bush, Charles P.Charles P. Bush
7			Epaphroditus Ransom (1798–1859)	January 3, 1848 – January 7, 1850 (lost re-nomination)	Democratic	1847		Fenton, William M.William M. Fenton
8			John S. Barry (1802–1870)	January 7, 1850 – January 1, 1852 (retired)	Democratic	1849
9			Robert McClelland (1807–1880)	January 1, 1852 – March 7, 1853 (resigned)	Democratic	1851		Britain, CalvinCalvin Britain
						1852		Parsons, AndrewAndrew Parsons
10			Andrew Parsons (1817–1855)	March 7, 1853 – January 3, 1855 (retired)	Democratic	Succeeded from lieutenant governor		Griswold, GeorgeGeorge Griswold
11			Kinsley S. Bingham (1808–1861)	January 3, 1855 – January 5, 1859 (retired)	Republican	1854		Coe, GeorgeGeorge Coe
						1856
12			Moses Wisner (1815–1863)	January 5, 1859 – January 2, 1861 (retired)	Republican	1858		Fairfield, Edmund BurkeEdmund Burke Fairfield
13			Austin Blair (1818–1894)	January 2, 1861 – January 4, 1865 (retired)	Republican	1860		Birney, James M.James M. Birney (resigned April 3, 1861)
								Williams, Joseph R.Joseph R. Williams (died June 15, 1861)
								Backus, Henry T.Henry T. Backus
						1862		May, Charles S.Charles S. May
14			Henry H. Crapo (1804–1869)	January 4, 1865 – January 1, 1869 (retired)	Republican	1864		Grosvenor, Ebenezer O.Ebenezer O. Grosvenor
						1866		May, DwightDwight May
15			Henry P. Baldwin (1814–1892)	January 1, 1869 – January 1, 1873 (retired)	Republican	1868		Bates, MorganMorgan Bates
						1870
16			John J. Bagley (1832–1881)	January 1, 1873 – January 3, 1877 (retired)	Republican	1872		Holt, Henry H.Henry H. Holt
						1874
17			Charles Croswell (1825–1886)	January 3, 1877 – January 1, 1881 (retired)	Republican	1876		Sessions, AlonzoAlonzo Sessions
						1878
18			David Jerome (1829–1896)	January 1, 1881 – January 1, 1883 (lost re-election)	Republican	1880		Crosby, Moreau S.Moreau S. Crosby
19			Josiah Begole (1815–1896)	January 1, 1883 – January 1, 1885 (lost re-election)	Democratic	1882
20			Russell A. Alger (1836–1907)	January 1, 1885 – January 1, 1887 (retired)	Republican	1884		Buttars, ArchibaldArchibald Buttars
21			Cyrus G. Luce (1824–1905)	January 1, 1887 – January 1, 1891 (retired)	Republican	1886		MacDonald, James H.James H. MacDonald
						1888		Ball, WilliamWilliam Ball
22			Edwin B. Winans (1826–1894)	January 1, 1891 – January 1, 1893 (retired)	Democratic	1890		Strong, JohnJohn Strong
23			John Treadway Rich (1841–1926)	January 1, 1893 – January 1, 1897 (retired)	Republican	1892		Giddings, J. WightJ. Wight Giddings
						1894		Milnes, AlfredAlfred Milnes (resigned June 1, 1895)
								McLaughlin, Joseph R.Joseph R. McLaughlin
24			Hazen S. Pingree (1840–1901)	January 1, 1897 – January 1, 1901 (retired)	Republican	1896		Dunstan, Thomas B.Thomas B. Dunstan
						1898		Robinson, Orrin W.Orrin W. Robinson
25			Aaron T. Bliss (1837–1906)	January 1, 1901 – January 2, 1905 (retired)	Republican	1900
						1902		Maitland, AlexanderAlexander Maitland
26			Fred M. Warner (1865–1923)	January 2, 1905 – January 1, 1911 (retired)	Republican	1904
						1906		Kelley, Patrick H.Patrick H. Kelley
						1908
27			Chase Osborn (1860–1949)	January 1, 1911 – January 1, 1913 (retired)	Republican	1910		Ross, John Q.John Q. Ross
28			Woodbridge N. Ferris (1853–1928)	January 1, 1913 – January 1, 1917 (retired)	Democratic	1912
						1914		Dickinson, LurenLuren Dickinson
29			Albert Sleeper (1862–1934)	January 1, 1917 – January 1, 1921 (retired)	Republican	1916
						1918
30			Alex J. Groesbeck (1873–1953)	January 1, 1921 – January 1, 1927 (retired)	Republican	1920		Read, ThomasThomas Read
						1922
						1924		Welsh, George W.George W. Welsh
31			Fred W. Green (1871–1936)	January 1, 1927 – January 1, 1931 (retired)	Republican	1926		Dickinson, LurenLuren Dickinson
						1928
32			Wilber M. Brucker (1894–1968)	January 1, 1931 – January 1, 1933 (lost re-election)	Republican	1930
33			William Comstock (1877–1949)	January 1, 1933 – January 1, 1935 (lost re-nomination)	Democratic	1932		Stebbins, Allen E.Allen E. Stebbins
34			Frank Fitzgerald (1885–1939)	January 1, 1935 – January 1, 1937 (lost re-election)	Republican	1934		Read, ThomasThomas Read
35			Frank Murphy (1890–1949)	January 1, 1937 – January 1, 1939 (lost re-election)	Democratic	1936		Nowicki, Leo J.Leo J. Nowicki
36			Frank Fitzgerald (1885–1939)	January 1, 1939 – March 16, 1939 (died in office)	Republican	1938		Dickinson, LurenLuren Dickinson
37			Luren Dickinson (1859–1943)	March 16, 1939 – January 1, 1941 (lost election)	Republican	Succeeded from lieutenant governor		Wilson, Matilda DodgeMatilda Dodge Wilson
38			Murray Van Wagoner (1898–1986)	January 1, 1941 – January 1, 1943 (lost re-election)	Democratic	1940		Murphy, FrankFrank Murphy
39			Harry Kelly (1895–1971)	January 1, 1943 – January 1, 1947 (retired)	Republican	1942		Keyes, Eugene C.Eugene C. Keyes
						1944		Brown, Vernon J.Vernon J. Brown
40			Kim Sigler (1894–1953)	January 1, 1947 – January 1, 1949 (lost re-election)	Republican	1946		Keyes, Eugene C.Eugene C. Keyes
41			G. Mennen Williams (1911–1988)	January 1, 1949 – January 1, 1961 (retired)	Democratic	1948		Connolly, John W.John W. Connolly
						1950		Vandenberg, William C.William C. Vandenberg
						1952		Reid, Clarence A.Clarence A. Reid
						1954		Hart, PhilipPhilip Hart
						1956
						1958		Swainson, JohnJohn Swainson
42			John Swainson (1925–1994)	January 1, 1961 – January 1, 1963 (lost re-election)	Democratic	1960		Lesinski, T. JohnT. John Lesinski
43			George W. Romney (1907–1995)	January 1, 1963 – January 22, 1969 (resigned)	Republican	1962
						1964		Milliken, WilliamWilliam Milliken
						1966
44			William Milliken (1922–2019)	January 22, 1969 – January 1, 1983 (retired)	Republican	Succeeded from lieutenant governor		Schweigert, Thomas F.Thomas F. Schweigert
						1970		Brickley, James H.James H. Brickley
						1974		Damman, JamesJames Damman
						1978		Brickley, James H.James H. Brickley
45			James Blanchard (b. 1942)	January 1, 1983 – January 1, 1991 (lost re-election)	Democratic	1982		Griffiths, MarthaMartha Griffiths
						1986
46			John Engler (b. 1948)	January 1, 1991 – January 1, 2003 (term-limited)	Republican	1990		Binsfeld, ConnieConnie Binsfeld
						1994
						1998		Posthumus, DickDick Posthumus
47			Jennifer Granholm (b. 1959)	January 1, 2003 – January 1, 2011 (term-limited)	Democratic	2002		Cherry, John D.John D. Cherry
						2006
48			Rick Snyder (b. 1958)	January 1, 2011 – January 1, 2019 (term-limited)	Republican	2010		Calley, BrianBrian Calley
						2014
49			Gretchen Whitmer (b. 1971)	January 1, 2019 – Incumbent	Democratic	2018		Gilchrist, GarlinGarlin Gilchrist
						2022

More About Michigan Government

• Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Michigan
• List of Michigan state legislatures