List of governors of Michigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Governor of Michigan
Flag of the governor
Seal of the governor
Incumbent Gretchen Whitmer since January 1, 2019
Style	Her Excellency
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
Deputy	Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
Salary	$159,300 (2019)

The governor of Michigan, is the head of government of the U.S. state of Michigan as well as the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws; the power to either approve or veto appropriation bills passed by the Michigan Legislature; the power to convene the legislature; and the power to grant pardons, except in cases of impeachment. The governor is also empowered to reorganize the executive branch of the state government.

In the 17th and 18th century, Michigan was part of French and then British holdings, and administered by their colonial governors. After becoming part of the United States, areas of what is today Michigan were part of the Northwest Territory, Indiana Territory and Illinois Territory, and administered by territorial governors. In 1805, the Michigan Territory was created, and five men served as territorial governors, until Michigan was granted statehood in 1837. Forty-seven individuals have held the position of state governor. The first female governor, Jennifer Granholm, served from 2003 to 2011.

After Michigan gained statehood, governors held the office for a 2-year term, until the 1963 Michigan Constitution changed the term to 4 years. The number of times an individual could hold the office was unlimited until a 1992 constitutional amendment imposed a lifetime term limit of two 4-year governorships. The longest-serving governor in Michigan's history was William Milliken, who was promoted from lieutenant governor after Governor George W. Romney resigned to become Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, then was elected to three further successive terms. The only governors to serve non-consecutive terms were John S. Barry and Frank Fitzgerald.

List of governors

Territory of Michigan

Michigan Territory was organized on June 30, 1805, from the north half of Indiana Territory. It had three governors appointed by the president of the United States, including the longest-serving governor of any territory, Lewis Cass, who served 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

State of Michigan

Michigan was admitted to the Union on January 26, 1837. The original 1835 Constitution of Michigan provided for the election of a governor and a lieutenant governor every 2 years. The current constitution of 1963 increased this term to four years. There was no term limit on governors until a 1993 constitutional amendment limited governors to two terms.

Should the office of governor become vacant, the lieutenant governor becomes governor, followed in order of succession by the secretary of state and the attorney general. Prior to the current constitution, the duties of the office would devolve upon the lieutenant governor, without that person actually becoming governor. Beginning in 1850, the term begins at noon on January 1 of the year following the election; before, it had no set start date, and terms would last until when their successor was inaugurated, which would be at least the first Monday in January following their election. Prior to the 1963 constitution, the governor and lieutenant governor were elected through separate votes, allowing them to be from different parties. In 1963, this was changed, so that votes are cast jointly for a governor and lieutenant governor of the same 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 (did not run)	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 (did not run)	Whig	Succeeded from lieutenant governor		Drake, Thomas J.Thomas J. Drake
4			John S. Barry (1802–1870)	January 3, 1842 – January 5, 1846 (did not run)	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 (did not run)	Democratic	Succeeded from lieutenant governor		Bush, Charles P.Charles P. Bush
7			Epaphroditus Ransom (1798–1859)	January 3, 1848 – January 7, 1850 (lost nomination)	Democratic	1847		Fenton, William M.William M. Fenton
8			John S. Barry (1802–1870)	January 7, 1850 – January 1, 1852 (did not run)	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 (did not run)	Democratic	Succeeded from lieutenant governor		Griswold, GeorgeGeorge Griswold
11			Kinsley S. Bingham (1808–1861)	January 3, 1855 – January 5, 1859 (did not run)	Republican	1854		Coe, GeorgeGeorge Coe
						1856
12			Moses Wisner (1815–1863)	January 5, 1859 – January 2, 1861 (did not run)	Republican	1858		Fairfield, Edmund BurkeEdmund Burke Fairfield
13			Austin Blair (1818–1894)	January 2, 1861 – January 4, 1865 (did not run)	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 (did not run)	Republican	1864		Grosvenor, Ebenezer O.Ebenezer O. Grosvenor
						1866		May, DwightDwight May
15			Henry P. Baldwin (1814–1892)	January 1, 1869 – January 1, 1873 (did not run)	Republican	1868		Bates, MorganMorgan Bates
						1870
16			John J. Bagley (1832–1881)	January 1, 1873 – January 3, 1877 (did not run)	Republican	1872		Holt, Henry H.Henry H. Holt
						1874
17			Charles Croswell (1825–1886)	January 3, 1877 – January 1, 1881 (did not run)	Republican	1876		Sessions, AlonzoAlonzo Sessions
						1878
18			David Jerome (1829–1896)	January 1, 1881 – January 1, 1883 (lost election)	Republican	1880		Crosby, Moreau S.Moreau S. Crosby
19			Josiah Begole (1815–1896)	January 1, 1883 – January 1, 1885 (lost election)	Democratic	1882
20			Russell A. Alger (1836–1907)	January 1, 1885 – January 1, 1887 (did not run)	Republican	1884		Buttars, ArchibaldArchibald Buttars
21			Cyrus G. Luce (1824–1905)	January 1, 1887 – January 1, 1891 (did not run)	Republican	1886		MacDonald, James H.James H. MacDonald
						1888		Ball, WilliamWilliam Ball
22			Edwin B. Winans (1826–1894)	January 1, 1891 – January 1, 1893 (did not run)	Democratic	1890		Strong, JohnJohn Strong
23			John Treadway Rich (1841–1926)	January 1, 1893 – January 1, 1897 (did not run)	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 (did not run)	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 (did not run)	Republican	1900
						1902		Maitland, AlexanderAlexander Maitland
26			Fred M. Warner (1865–1923)	January 2, 1905 – January 1, 1911 (did not run)	Republican	1904
						1906		Kelley, Patrick H.Patrick H. Kelley
						1908
27			Chase Osborn (1860–1949)	January 1, 1911 – January 1, 1913 (did not run)	Republican	1910		Ross, John Q.John Q. Ross
28			Woodbridge N. Ferris (1853–1928)	January 1, 1913 – January 1, 1917 (did not run)	Democratic	1912
						1914		Dickinson, LurenLuren Dickinson
29			Albert Sleeper (1862–1934)	January 1, 1917 – January 1, 1921 (did not run)	Republican	1916
						1918
30			Alex J. Groesbeck (1873–1953)	January 1, 1921 – January 1, 1927 (did not run)	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 (did not run)	Republican	1926		Dickinson, LurenLuren Dickinson
						1928
32			Wilber M. Brucker (1894–1968)	January 1, 1931 – January 1, 1933 (lost election)	Republican	1930
33			William Comstock (1877–1949)	January 1, 1933 – January 1, 1935 (lost nomination)	Democratic	1932		Stebbins, Allen E.Allen E. Stebbins
34			Frank Fitzgerald (1885–1939)	January 1, 1935 – January 1, 1937 (lost election)	Republican	1934		Read, ThomasThomas Read
35			Frank Murphy (1890–1949)	January 1, 1937 – January 1, 1939 (lost 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 election)	Democratic	1940		Murphy, FrankFrank Murphy
39			Harry Kelly (1895–1971)	January 1, 1943 – January 1, 1947 (did not run)	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 election)	Republican	1946		Keyes, Eugene C.Eugene C. Keyes
41			G. Mennen Williams (1911–1988)	January 1, 1949 – January 1, 1961 (did not run)	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 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 (did not run)	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 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

See also

• Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Michigan