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 important decisions for everyone living in Oklahoma.
Governors of Oklahoma Territory
Before Oklahoma became a state, it was known as Oklahoma Territory. This territory was officially created on May 2, 1890. During this time, it had seven governors. These governors were not elected by the people living in the territory. Instead, they were chosen and appointed by the president of the United States.
| No. | Governor | Time in Office | President Who Appointed Them | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
George Washington Steele (1839–1922) |
May 14, 1890 – November 8, 1891 (left office) |
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 office) |
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) |
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 (lost election) |
Theodore Roosevelt |
Governors of the State of Oklahoma
On November 16, 1907, Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory joined together to become the State of Oklahoma. This was a big step for the area!
The Constitution of Oklahoma is like the rulebook for the state. It says that a governor is elected every four years. They start their job on the second Monday in January after the election.
At first, a governor could not be elected right after their first term. However, a change in the rules in 1966 allowed them to serve two terms in a row. Later, in 2010, another rule change limited governors to a total of eight years in office. This rule applied to all living former governors too.
If the governor's job becomes empty because they leave office, the lieutenant governor steps in right away. For example, after Governor Jack C. Walton had to leave office in 1923, Lieutenant Governor Martin E. Trapp took over for the rest of the term. He called himself "Acting Governor." However, the Oklahoma Supreme Court later decided that when the governor's office is empty, the lieutenant governor officially becomes the new governor. This meant they couldn't run for the next term if they had already served a full term.
The governor and the lieutenant governor are elected separately, not as a team.
| 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 ended) |
Democratic | 1907 | George W. Bellamy | ||
| 2 |  |
Lee Cruce (1863–1933) |
January 9, 1911 – January 11, 1915 (term ended) |
Democratic | 1910 | J. J. McAlester | ||
| 3 |  |
Robert L. Williams (1868–1948) |
January 11, 1915 – January 13, 1919 (term ended) |
Democratic | 1914 | Martin E. Trapp | ||
| 4 |
|
James B. A. Robertson (1871–1938) |
January 13, 1919 – January 8, 1923 (term ended) |
Democratic | 1918 | |||
| 5 |  |
Jack C. Walton (1881–1949) |
January 8, 1923 – November 19, 1923 (removed from office) |
Democratic | 1922 | |||
| 6 |  |
Martin E. Trapp (1877–1951) |
November 19, 1923 – January 10, 1927 (term ended) |
Democratic | Became governor from lieutenant governor |
None | ||
| 7 |  |
Henry S. Johnston (1867–1965) |
January 10, 1927 – March 20, 1929 (removed from office) |
Democratic | 1926 | William J. Holloway | ||
| 8 |  |
William J. Holloway (1888–1970) |
March 20, 1929 – January 12, 1931 (term ended) |
Democratic | Became governor from lieutenant governor |
None | ||
| 9 |  |
William H. Murray (1869–1956) |
January 12, 1931 – January 14, 1935 (term ended) |
Democratic | 1930 | Robert Burns | ||
| 10 | .jpg) |
E. W. Marland (1874–1941) |
January 14, 1935 – January 9, 1939 (term ended) |
Democratic | 1934 | James E. Berry | ||
| 11 |
|
Leon C. Phillips (1890–1958) |
January 9, 1939 – January 11, 1943 (term ended) |
Democratic | 1938 | |||
| 12 | .png) |
Robert S. Kerr (1896–1963) |
January 11, 1943 – January 13, 1947 (term ended) |
Democratic | 1942 | |||
| 13 |  |
Roy J. Turner (1894–1973) |
January 13, 1947 – January 8, 1951 (term ended) |
Democratic | 1946 | |||
| 14 |  |
Johnston Murray (1902–1974) |
January 8, 1951 – January 10, 1955 (term ended) |
Democratic | 1950 | |||
| 15 |  |
Raymond D. Gary (1908–1993) |
January 10, 1955 – January 12, 1959 (term ended) |
Democratic | 1954 | Cowboy Pink Williams | ||
| 16 | .png) |
J. Howard Edmondson (1925–1971) |
January 12, 1959 – January 6, 1963 (left office) |
Democratic | 1958 | George Nigh | ||
| 17 |  |
George Nigh (b. 1927) |
January 6, 1963 – January 14, 1963 (new governor took office) |
Democratic | Became governor from lieutenant governor |
None | ||
| 18 |  |
Henry Bellmon (1921–2009) |
January 14, 1963 – January 9, 1967 (term ended) |
Republican | 1962 | Leo Winters | ||
| 19 |  |
Dewey F. Bartlett (1919–1979) |
January 9, 1967 – January 11, 1971 (lost election) |
Republican | 1966 | George Nigh | ||
| 20 | .jpg) |
David Hall (1930–2016) |
January 11, 1971 – January 13, 1975 (lost nomination) |
Democratic | 1970 | |||
| 21 | .png) |
David Boren (1941–2025) |
January 13, 1975 – January 2, 1979 (left office) |
Democratic | 1974 | |||
| 22 | .jpg) |
George Nigh (b. 1927) |
January 3, 1979 – January 12, 1987 (term ended) |
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 (b. 1951) |
January 14, 1991 – January 9, 1995 (did not run again) |
Democratic | 1990 | Jack Mildren | ||
| 25 |  |
Frank Keating (b. 1944) |
January 9, 1995 – January 13, 2003 (term ended) |
Republican | 1994 | Mary Fallin | ||
| 1998 | ||||||||
| 26 |  |
Brad Henry (b. 1963) |
January 13, 2003 – January 10, 2011 (term ended) |
Democratic | 2002 | |||
| 2006 | Jari Askins | |||||||
| 27 |  |
Mary Fallin (b. 1954) |
January 10, 2011 – January 14, 2019 (term ended) |
Republican | 2010 | Todd Lamb | ||
| 2014 | ||||||||
| 28 |  |
Kevin Stitt (b. 1972) |
January 14, 2019 – Incumbent |
Republican | 2018 | Matt Pinnell | ||
| 2022 | ||||||||
See also
- List of Oklahoma state legislatures
