List of governors of New Mexico facts for kids
The governor of New Mexico is like the top leader of the state of New Mexico. Think of them as the principal of the whole state! They are in charge of making sure state laws are followed. The governor also leads New Mexico's military forces, like the New Mexico National Guard.
One of the governor's big jobs is to decide on new laws. They can either approve a bill passed by the New Mexico Legislature (making it a law) or say no to it (veto). They can also call the legislature together for special meetings and even forgive people for certain crimes (grant pardons).
Since New Mexico became a state in 1912, 28 different people have been governor. Two governors, Edwin L. Mechem and Bruce King, served three times each! Bruce King holds the record for serving the longest, with 12 years as governor. The very first governor was William C. McDonald, who started his term on January 15, 1912.
New Mexico has also had two female governors. The first woman to serve was Susana Martinez, a Republican, from 2011 to 2019. The current governor is Michelle Lujan Grisham, who took office on January 1, 2019. She is the first female Democratic governor of the state.
Contents
New Mexico's Governors: A Historical Look
New Mexico has a rich history, and its leaders have changed over time. Before it became a U.S. state, it was a territory.
Early Days: Military Rule
On August 18, 1846, American soldiers led by Stephen W. Kearny took control of Santa Fe, which was the capital of the Mexican territory of New Mexico. A set of laws called the Kearny Code was put in place on September 22, 1846. The area was under military control until it officially became part of the United States on July 4, 1848.
Before leaving, Kearny named Charles Bent as governor. Sadly, Bent was killed during the Taos Revolt on January 19, 1847. After that, other military officers and acting governors managed the territory.
New Mexico as a Territory
New Mexico Territory was officially set up on December 13, 1850. It remained a territory for 62 years before becoming a state. During this time, governors were appointed by the U.S. President.
| No. | Governor | Term in office | Appointing President | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .jpg) |
James Calhoun (1802–1852) |
January 9, 1851 – July 2, 1852 (died in office) |
Millard Fillmore |
| 2 | .jpg) |
William Carr Lane (1789–1863) |
July 15, 1852 – May 6, 1853 (successor appointed) |
Millard Fillmore |
| 3 |  |
David Meriwether (1800–1893) |
May 6, 1853 – August 17, 1857 (successor appointed) |
Franklin Pierce |
| 4 | .jpg) |
Abraham Rencher (1798–1883) |
August 17, 1857 – May 24, 1861 (successor appointed) |
James Buchanan |
| 5 | .jpg) |
Henry Connelly (1800–1866) |
May 24, 1861 – January 15, 1866 (successor appointed) |
Abraham Lincoln |
| 6 |  |
Robert Byington Mitchell (1823–1882) |
January 15, 1866 – May 28, 1869 (resigned) |
Andrew Johnson |
| 7 |  |
William A. Pile (1829–1889) |
May 28, 1869 – July 27, 1871 (successor appointed) |
Ulysses S. Grant |
| 8 |  |
Marsh Giddings (1816–1875) |
July 27, 1871 – June 3, 1875 (died in office) |
Ulysses S. Grant |
| 9 |  |
Samuel Beach Axtell (1819–1891) |
June 8, 1875 – September 4, 1878 (suspended) |
Ulysses S. Grant |
| 10 |  |
Lew Wallace (1827–1905) |
September 4, 1878 – May 5, 1881 (resigned) |
Rutherford B. Hayes |
| 11 |  |
Lionel Allen Sheldon (1828–1917) |
May 5, 1881 – May 23, 1885 (successor appointed) |
James A. Garfield |
| 12 |  |
Edmund G. Ross (1826–1907) |
May 23, 1885 – April 2, 1889 (successor appointed) |
Grover Cleveland |
| 13 |  |
L. Bradford Prince (1840–1922) |
April 2, 1889 – April 7, 1893 (successor appointed) |
Benjamin Harrison |
| 14 | .jpg) |
William Taylor Thornton (1843–1916) |
April 7, 1893 – April 5, 1897 (resigned) |
Grover Cleveland |
| 15 |  |
Miguel Antonio Otero (1859–1944) |
June 2, 1897 – January 10, 1906 (successor appointed) |
William McKinley |
| Theodore Roosevelt | ||||
| 16 | .jpg) |
Herbert James Hagerman (1871–1935) |
January 10, 1906 – May 3, 1907 (resigned) |
Theodore Roosevelt |
| 17 |  |
George Curry (1861–1947) |
May 27, 1907 – February 28, 1910 (resigned) |
Theodore Roosevelt |
| 18 |  |
William J. Mills (1849–1915) |
March 1, 1910 – January 14, 1912 (statehood) |
William Howard Taft |
New Mexico Becomes a State
New Mexico officially became a state on January 6, 1912. This meant people in New Mexico could now elect their own governor!
The state's first constitution said that the governor and lieutenant governor would be elected every four years. At first, a governor couldn't serve two terms in a row. But this rule changed over time. Now, a governor can serve two terms in a row before someone else has to take over. If the governor's office becomes empty, the lieutenant governor steps in.
| No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .jpg) |
William C. McDonald (1858–1918) |
January 15, 1912 – January 1, 1917 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1911 | Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca | ||
| 2 |  |
Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca (1864–1917) |
January 1, 1917 – February 18, 1917 (died in office) |
Democratic | 1916 | Washington Ellsworth Lindsey | ||
| 3 |  |
Washington Ellsworth Lindsey (1862–1926) |
February 18, 1917 – January 1, 1919 (lost nomination) |
Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
| 4 |  |
Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo (1859–1930) |
January 1, 1919 – January 1, 1921 (lost nomination) |
Republican | 1918 | Benjamin F. Pankey | ||
| 5 | .jpg) |
Merritt C. Mechem (1870–1946) |
January 1, 1921 – January 1, 1923 (did not run) |
Republican | 1920 | William H. Duckworth | ||
| 6 |  |
James F. Hinkle (1862–1951) |
January 1, 1923 – January 1, 1925 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1922 | José A. Baca (died May 17, 1924) |
||
| Vacant | ||||||||
| 7 |  |
Arthur T. Hannett (1884–1966) |
January 1, 1925 – January 1, 1927 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1924 | Edward G. Sargent | ||
| 8 |  |
Richard C. Dillon (1877–1966) |
January 1, 1927 – January 1, 1931 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1926 | |||
| 1928 | Hugh B. Woodward (resigned July 1929) |
|||||||
| Vacant | ||||||||
| 9 | .jpg) |
Arthur Seligman (1871–1933) |
January 1, 1931 – September 25, 1933 (died in office) |
Democratic | 1930 | Andrew W. Hockenhull | ||
| 1932 | ||||||||
| 10 |  |
Andrew W. Hockenhull (1877–1974) |
September 25, 1933 – January 1, 1935 (did not run) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
| 11 |  |
Clyde Tingley (1881–1960) |
January 1, 1935 – January 1, 1939 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1934 | Louis Cabeza de Baca | ||
| 1936 | Hiram M. Dow | |||||||
| 12 |  |
John E. Miles (1884–1971) |
January 1, 1939 – January 1, 1943 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1938 | James Murray Sr. | ||
| 1940 | Ceferino Quintana | |||||||
| 13 |  |
John J. Dempsey (1879–1958) |
January 1, 1943 – January 1, 1947 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1942 | James B. Jones | ||
| 1944 | ||||||||
| 14 |  |
Thomas J. Mabry (1884–1962) |
January 1, 1947 – January 1, 1951 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1946 | Joseph Montoya | ||
| 1948 | ||||||||
| 15 | .png) |
Edwin L. Mechem (1912–2002) |
January 1, 1951 – January 1, 1955 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1950 | Tibo J. Chávez | ||
| 1952 | ||||||||
| 16 | .jpg) |
John F. Simms (1916–1975) |
January 1, 1955 – January 1, 1957 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1954 | Joseph Montoya (resigned April 9, 1957) |
||
| 17 | .jpg) |
Edwin L. Mechem (1912–2002) |
January 1, 1957 – January 1, 1959 (lost election) |
Republican | 1956 | |||
| Vacant | ||||||||
| 18 |  |
John Burroughs (1907–1978) |
January 1, 1959 – January 1, 1961 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1958 | Ed V. Mead | ||
| 19 | .png) |
Edwin L. Mechem (1912–2002) |
January 1, 1961 – November 30, 1962 (resigned) |
Republican | 1960 | Tom Bolack | ||
| 20 | .jpg) |
Tom Bolack (1918–1998) |
November 30, 1962 – January 1, 1963 (successor took office) |
Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
| 21 |  |
Jack M. Campbell (1916–1999) |
January 1, 1963 – January 1, 1967 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1962 | Mack Easley | ||
| 1964 | ||||||||
| 22 | .png) |
David Cargo (1929–2013) |
January 1, 1967 – January 1, 1971 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1966 | Lee Francis | ||
| 1968 | ||||||||
| 23 |  |
Bruce King (1924–2009) |
January 1, 1971 – January 1, 1975 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1970 | Roberto Mondragón | ||
| 24 |  |
Jerry Apodaca (1934–2023) |
January 1, 1975 – January 1, 1979 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1974 | Robert E. Ferguson | ||
| 25 | |
Bruce King (1924–2009) |
January 1, 1979 – January 1, 1983 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1978 | Roberto Mondragón | ||
| 26 | .png) |
Toney Anaya (b. 1941) |
January 1, 1983 – January 1, 1987 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1982 | Mike Runnels | ||
| 27 | .jpg) |
Garrey Carruthers (b. 1939) |
January 1, 1987 – January 1, 1991 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1986 | Jack L. Stahl | ||
| 28 | |
Bruce King (1924–2009) |
January 1, 1991 – January 1, 1995 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1990 | Casey Luna | ||
| 29 |  |
Gary Johnson (b. 1953) |
January 1, 1995 – January 1, 2003 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1994 | Walter Dwight Bradley | ||
| 1998 | ||||||||
| 30 |  |
Bill Richardson (1947–2023) |
January 1, 2003 – January 1, 2011 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 2002 | Diane Denish | ||
| 2006 | ||||||||
| 31 |  |
Susana Martinez (b. 1959) |
January 1, 2011 – January 1, 2019 (term-limited) |
Republican | 2010 | John Sanchez | ||
| 2014 | ||||||||
| 32 | .jpg) |
Michelle Lujan Grisham (b. 1959) |
January 1, 2019 – Incumbent |
Democratic | 2018 | Howie Morales | ||
| 2022 | ||||||||
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Gobernadores de Nuevo México para niños
- List of New Mexico state legislatures
