List of governors of Oregon facts for kids
The governor of Oregon is the leader of the government for the U.S. state of Oregon.
Contents
Oregon's Early Leaders
Before Oregon became a state, its land was known as the Oregon Country. This area was shared by the United States and the United Kingdom starting in 1819. They officially set the borders in 1846 with the Oregon Treaty.
From 1841 to 1843, people held meetings called the Champoeg Meetings. These meetings helped create a temporary government. At first, it was hard to pick a governor because English American and French Canadian settlers disagreed. However, other leaders were chosen, like Ira Babcock as the Supreme Judge. Since there was no official government, the Supreme Judge also handled executive and law-making duties.
These meetings led to Oregon Country's first constitution. They also asked the U.S. government to make Oregon a territory. This resulted in a provisional government (a temporary government) being formed on July 5, 1843. The first leaders were a three-person Executive Committee. Later, George Abernethy became governor, serving from 1845 to 1849. The U.S. government never officially recognized this temporary government.
Governors of Oregon Territory
Oregon became an official U.S. territory on August 14, 1848. During this time, five governors were chosen by the president of the United States.
| No. | Governor | Term in office | Appointing President | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .jpg) |
Joseph Lane (1801–1881) |
August 18, 1848 – June 18, 1850 (successor appointed) |
James K. Polk |
| 2 |  |
John P. Gaines (1795–1857) |
October 2, 1849 – May 16, 1853 (successor appointed) |
Millard Fillmore |
| 3 | |
Joseph Lane (1801–1881) |
May 16, 1853 – May 18, 1853 (resigned) |
Franklin Pierce |
| 4 |  |
John Wesley Davis (1799–1859) |
September 6, 1853 – August 1, 1854 (resigned) |
Franklin Pierce |
| 5 |  |
George Law Curry (1820–1878) |
November 1, 1854 – July 8, 1858 (statehood) |
Franklin Pierce |
Governors of the State of Oregon
Oregon officially became a state on February 14, 1859.
The 1857 Constitution of Oregon set the rules for the governor. A governor is elected every four years and can serve for no more than eight years in any twelve-year period. Oregon is one of the few states that does not have a lieutenant governor. If the governor's office becomes empty, the Secretary of State usually takes over. This rule changed a few times but returned to the Secretary of State in 1972.
| No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
John Whiteaker (1820–1902) |
July 8, 1858 – September 10, 1862 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1858 | |
| 2 |  |
A. C. Gibbs (1825–1886) |
September 10, 1862 – September 12, 1866 (did not run) |
Republican | 1862 | |
| 3 |  |
George Lemuel Woods (1832–1890) |
September 12, 1866 – September 14, 1870 (did not run) |
Republican | 1866 | |
| 4 |  |
La Fayette Grover (1823–1911) |
September 14, 1870 – February 1, 1877 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1870 | |
| 1874 | ||||||
| 5 |  |
Stephen F. Chadwick (1825–1895) |
February 1, 1877 – September 11, 1878 (did not run) |
Democratic | Succeeded from secretary of state |
|
| 6 |  |
W. W. Thayer (1827–1899) |
September 11, 1878 – September 13, 1882 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1878 | |
| 7 | .jpg) |
Zenas Ferry Moody (1832–1917) |
September 13, 1882 – January 12, 1887 (did not run) |
Republican | 1882 | |
| 8 |  |
Sylvester Pennoyer (1831–1902) |
January 12, 1887 – January 16, 1895 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1886 | |
| 1890 | ||||||
| 9 |  |
William Paine Lord (1838–1911) |
January 16, 1895 – January 10, 1899 (lost nomination) |
Republican | 1894 | |
| 10 |  |
Theodore Thurston Geer (1851–1924) |
January 10, 1899 – January 14, 1903 (did not run) |
Republican | 1898 | |
| 11 |  |
George Earle Chamberlain (1854–1928) |
January 14, 1903 – March 1, 1909 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1902 | |
| 1906 | ||||||
| 12 |  |
Frank W. Benson (1858–1911) |
March 1, 1909 – June 16, 1910 (resigned) |
Republican | Succeeded from secretary of state |
|
| 13 |  |
Jay Bowerman (1876–1957) |
June 16, 1910 – January 10, 1911 (lost election) |
Republican | Succeeded from president of the Senate |
|
| 14 |  |
Oswald West (1873–1960) |
January 10, 1911 – January 12, 1915 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1910 | |
| 15 |  |
James Withycombe (1854–1919) |
January 12, 1915 – March 3, 1919 (died in office) |
Republican | 1914 | |
| 1918 | ||||||
| 16 |  |
Ben W. Olcott (1872–1952) |
March 3, 1919 – January 8, 1923 (lost election) |
Republican | Succeeded from secretary of state |
|
| 17 |  |
Walter M. Pierce (1861–1954) |
January 8, 1923 – January 10, 1927 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1922 | |
| 18 |  |
I. L. Patterson (1859–1929) |
January 10, 1927 – December 21, 1929 (died in office) |
Republican | 1926 | |
| 19 |  |
Albin Walter Norblad Sr. (1881–1960) |
December 21, 1929 – January 12, 1931 (lost nomination) |
Republican | Succeeded from President of the Senate |
|
| 20 |  |
Julius Meier (1874–1937) |
January 12, 1931 – January 14, 1935 (did not run) |
Independent | 1930 | |
| 21 |  |
Charles Martin (1863–1946) |
January 14, 1935 – January 9, 1939 (lost nomination) |
Democratic | 1934 | |
| 22 |  |
Charles A. Sprague (1887–1969) |
January 9, 1939 – January 13, 1943 (lost nomination) |
Republican | 1938 | |
| 23 |  |
Earl Snell (1895–1947) |
January 13, 1943 – October 28, 1947 (died in office) |
Republican | 1942 | |
| 1946 | ||||||
| 24 |  |
John Hubert Hall (1899–1970) |
October 28, 1947 – January 10, 1949 (lost nomination) |
Republican | Succeeded from speaker of the House |
|
| 25 |  |
Douglas McKay (1893–1959) |
January 10, 1949 – December 17, 1952 (resigned) |
Republican | 1948 (special) |
|
| 1950 | ||||||
| 26 |  |
Paul L. Patterson (1900–1956) |
December 17, 1952 – January 31, 1956 (died in office) |
Republican | Succeeded from president of the Senate |
|
| 1954 | ||||||
| 27 |  |
Elmo Smith (1909–1968) |
January 31, 1956 – January 14, 1957 (lost election) |
Republican | Succeeded from president of the Senate |
|
| 28 |  |
Robert D. Holmes (1909–1976) |
January 14, 1957 – January 12, 1959 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1956 (special) |
|
| 29 | .jpg) |
Mark Hatfield (1922–2011) |
January 12, 1959 – January 9, 1967 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1958 | |
| 1962 | ||||||
| 30 |  |
Tom McCall (1913–1983) |
January 9, 1967 – January 13, 1975 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1966 | |
| 1970 | ||||||
| 31 | .jpg) |
Robert W. Straub (1920–2002) |
January 13, 1975 – January 8, 1979 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1974 | |
| 32 |  |
Victor Atiyeh (1923–2014) |
January 8, 1979 – January 12, 1987 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1978 | |
| 1982 | ||||||
| 33 |  |
Neil Goldschmidt (1940–2024) |
January 12, 1987 – January 14, 1991 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1986 | |
| 34 |  |
Barbara Roberts (b. 1936) |
January 14, 1991 – January 9, 1995 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1990 | |
| 35 | .jpg) |
John Kitzhaber (b. 1947) |
January 9, 1995 – January 13, 2003 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1994 | |
| 1998 | ||||||
| 36 |  |
Ted Kulongoski (b. 1940) |
January 13, 2003 – January 10, 2011 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 2002 | |
| 2006 | ||||||
| 37 | |
John Kitzhaber (b. 1947) |
January 10, 2011 – February 18, 2015 (resigned) |
Democratic | 2010 | |
| 2014 | ||||||
| 38 |  |
Kate Brown (b. 1960) |
February 18, 2015 – January 9, 2023 (term-limited) |
Democratic | Succeeded from secretary of state |
|
| 2016 (special) |
||||||
| 2018 | ||||||
| 39 | .jpg) |
Tina Kotek (b. 1966) |
January 9, 2023 – Incumbent |
Democratic | 2022 | |
See also
- List of Oregon Legislative Assemblies
