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. This person is in charge of the state's executive branch, making sure laws are carried out and managing state affairs.
Contents
Early Leaders of Oregon
The land known as the Oregon Country became part of the United States on January 30, 1819. At first, the United States shared this area with the United Kingdom. This sharing ended on June 15, 1846, when the Oregon Treaty officially set the borders.
Before Oregon became an official territory, people living there held meetings from February 1841 to May 1843. These were called the Champoeg Meetings. They acted like a temporary government. It was hard to choose a governor because settlers from different backgrounds disagreed. However, they did elect other officials, like Ira Babcock as the Supreme Judge. Since there was no official government, the Supreme Judge also handled executive (leading) and legislative (law-making) duties.
These meetings led to the first constitution for the Oregon Country. On July 5, 1843, a temporary government was created. The first leaders were a group of three people called the Executive Committee. Later, George Abernethy was elected governor. He served from June 3, 1845, to March 3, 1849. However, the U.S. federal 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 up 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. These rules have not changed since then. 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. In 1920, a change made the president of the Senate next in line, but in 1972, the Secretary of State was put back first.
| 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 | .jpg) |
Tom McCall (1913–1983) |
January 9, 1967 – January 13, 1975 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1966 | |
| 1970 | ||||||
| 31 |  |
Robert W. Straub (1920–2002) |
January 13, 1975 – January 8, 1979 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1974 | |
| 32 | .jpg) |
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
