List of governors of Oklahoma facts for kids
The governor of Oklahoma is like the main leader or "boss" of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. They are in charge of the state government and help make sure things run smoothly for everyone living in Oklahoma.
Contents
Leaders of Oklahoma
Oklahoma Territory Governors
Before Oklahoma became a state, it was called Oklahoma Territory. This territory was created on May 2, 1890. It had seven governors, and these leaders were chosen by the president of the United States.
| No. | Governor | Time in office | President who chose them | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
George Washington Steele (1839–1922) |
May 14, 1890 – November 8, 1891 (left the job) |
Benjamin Harrison |
| 2 |  |
Abraham Jefferson Seay (1832–1915) |
January 18, 1892 – May 7, 1893 (new governor chosen) |
Benjamin Harrison |
| 3 |  |
William Cary Renfrow (1845–1922) |
May 6, 1893 – May 11, 1897 (left the job) |
Grover Cleveland |
| 4 |  |
Cassius McDonald Barnes (1845–1925) |
May 11, 1897 – April 20, 1901 (new governor chosen) |
William McKinley |
| 5 |  |
William Miller Jenkins (1856–1941) |
April 20, 1901 – November 30, 1901 (removed from job) |
William McKinley |
| 6 |  |
Thompson Benton Ferguson (1857–1921) |
November 30, 1901 – January 13, 1906 (new governor chosen) |
Theodore Roosevelt |
| 7 |  |
Frank Frantz (1872–1941) |
January 13, 1906 – November 16, 1907 (did not win election) |
Theodore Roosevelt |
Governors of the State of Oklahoma
On November 16, 1907, Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory joined together. This is when they officially became the State of Oklahoma.
The rules for Oklahoma's governor are in its state constitution. People vote for a governor every four years. The new governor starts their job on the second Monday in January after the election.
At first, a governor could not serve two terms in a row. But they could serve as many terms as they wanted, just not back-to-back. In 1966, a rule change allowed them to serve two terms in a row. Then, in 2010, another rule limited governors to a total of eight years in office. This rule applied to all living former governors.
If the governor's job becomes empty because they pass away, leave the job, or are removed, the lieutenant governor takes over right away. For example, when Jack C. Walton was removed from office in 1923, Lieutenant Governor Martin E. Trapp became governor for the rest of the term. The governor and lieutenant governor are not chosen together on the same ballot.
| No. | Governor | Time in office | Political Party | Election Year | Lieutenant Governor | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .jpg) |
Charles N. Haskell (1860–1933) |
November 16, 1907 – January 9, 1911 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | 1907 | George W. Bellamy | ||
| 2 |  |
Lee Cruce (1863–1933) |
January 9, 1911 – January 11, 1915 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | 1910 | J. J. McAlester | ||
| 3 |  |
Robert L. Williams (1868–1948) |
January 11, 1915 – January 13, 1919 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | 1914 | Martin E. Trapp | ||
| 4 |
|
James B. A. Robertson (1871–1938) |
January 13, 1919 – January 8, 1923 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | 1918 | |||
| 5 |  |
Jack C. Walton (1881–1949) |
January 8, 1923 – November 19, 1923 (removed from job) |
Democratic | 1922 | |||
| 6 |  |
Martin E. Trapp (1877–1951) |
November 19, 1923 – January 10, 1927 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | Became governor from lieutenant governor |
Job was empty | ||
| 7 |  |
Henry S. Johnston (1867–1965) |
January 10, 1927 – March 20, 1929 (removed from job) |
Democratic | 1926 | William J. Holloway | ||
| 8 |  |
William J. Holloway (1888–1970) |
March 20, 1929 – January 12, 1931 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | Became governor from lieutenant governor |
Job was empty | ||
| 9 |  |
William H. Murray (1869–1956) |
January 12, 1931 – January 14, 1935 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | 1930 | Robert Burns | ||
| 10 | .jpg) |
E. W. Marland (1874–1941) |
January 14, 1935 – January 9, 1939 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | 1934 | James E. Berry | ||
| 11 |
|
Leon C. Phillips (1890–1958) |
January 9, 1939 – January 11, 1943 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | 1938 | |||
| 12 | .png) |
Robert S. Kerr (1896–1963) |
January 11, 1943 – January 13, 1947 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | 1942 | |||
| 13 |  |
Roy J. Turner (1894–1973) |
January 13, 1947 – January 8, 1951 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | 1946 | |||
| 14 |  |
Johnston Murray (1902–1974) |
January 8, 1951 – January 10, 1955 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | 1950 | |||
| 15 |  |
Raymond D. Gary (1908–1993) |
January 10, 1955 – January 12, 1959 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | 1954 | Cowboy Pink Williams | ||
| 16 | .png) |
J. Howard Edmondson (1925–1971) |
January 12, 1959 – January 6, 1963 (left the job) |
Democratic | 1958 | George Nigh | ||
| 17 |  |
George Nigh (born in 1927) |
January 6, 1963 – January 14, 1963 (new governor took office) |
Democratic | Became governor from lieutenant governor |
Job was empty | ||
| 18 |  |
Henry Bellmon (1921–2009) |
January 14, 1963 – January 9, 1967 (term limit reached) |
Republican | 1962 | Leo Winters | ||
| 19 |  |
Dewey F. Bartlett (1919–1979) |
January 9, 1967 – January 11, 1971 (did not win election) |
Republican | 1966 | George Nigh | ||
| 20 | .jpg) |
David Hall (1930–2016) |
January 11, 1971 – January 13, 1975 (did not win party vote) |
Democratic | 1970 | |||
| 21 | .png) |
David Boren (born in 1941) |
January 13, 1975 – January 2, 1979 (left the job) |
Democratic | 1974 | |||
| 22 | .jpg) |
George Nigh (born in 1927) |
January 3, 1979 – January 12, 1987 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | Became governor from lieutenant governor |
Spencer Bernard | ||
| 1978 | ||||||||
| 1982 | ||||||||
| 23 | |
Henry Bellmon (1921–2009) |
January 12, 1987 – January 14, 1991 (did not run again) |
Republican | 1986 | Robert S. Kerr III | ||
| 24 |  |
David Walters (born in 1951) |
January 14, 1991 – January 9, 1995 (did not run again) |
Democratic | 1990 | Jack Mildren | ||
| 25 |  |
Frank Keating (born in 1944) |
January 9, 1995 – January 13, 2003 (term limit reached) |
Republican | 1994 | Mary Fallin | ||
| 1998 | ||||||||
| 26 |  |
Brad Henry (born in 1963) |
January 13, 2003 – January 10, 2011 (term limit reached) |
Democratic | 2002 | |||
| 2006 | Jari Askins | |||||||
| 27 |  |
Mary Fallin (born in 1954) |
January 10, 2011 – January 14, 2019 (term limit reached) |
Republican | 2010 | Todd Lamb | ||
| 2014 | ||||||||
| 28 |  |
Kevin Stitt (born in 1972) |
January 14, 2019 – Incumbent |
Republican | 2018 | Matt Pinnell | ||
| 2022 | ||||||||
See also
- List of Oklahoma state legislatures
