List of governors of Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Governor of Texas |
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![]() Gubernatorial standard
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![]() Gubernatorial seal
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Style |
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Residence | Texas Governor's Mansion |
Term length | Four years, no term limit |
Inaugural holder | James Pinckney Henderson 1846 |
Formation | Texas Constitution |
Salary | $150,000 (2013) |
The governor of Texas is the main leader of the government in the U.S. state of Texas. The person holding this job right now is Greg Abbott. He is the 48th governor to serve Texas since it became a state in 1845.
Compared to governors in some other states, the Texas governor has less power. In fact, the lieutenant governor of Texas, who leads the Texas Senate, often has more influence.
Rick Perry served as governor for the longest time. He became governor in 2000 when George W. Bush left to become the 43rd president of the United States. Perry was elected in 2002 and won re-election in 2006 and 2010. He served for 14 years before deciding not to run again in 2014.
Allan Shivers became governor in July 1949 after Beauford Jester passed away. Shivers was elected in 1950, 1952, and 1954. He served for 7 and a half years, making him the third longest-serving governor. Bill Clements also served two terms, from 1979 to 1983 and again from 1987 to 1991. Both Shivers' and Clements' records were later passed by Rick Perry.
The current governor, Greg Abbott, was first elected in 2014. He won re-election in 2018 and again in 2022. He is on track to serve 12 years by January 19, 2027.
How Texas Governors Are Chosen
Texas officially joined the United States on December 29, 1845. This is when the role of governor for the state began.
The governor starts their term on the third Tuesday of January every four years. The lieutenant governor also begins their term at the same time.
In the past, the rules for governors were different. The first state constitution in 1845 said a governor would serve for two years. They could serve no more than four years out of every six. After the American Civil War, the 1866 constitution changed the term to four years. It also limited a governor to serving no more than eight years out of every twelve.
However, the constitution of 1869 removed these limits. Today, Texas is one of many states where there is no limit on how many terms a governor can serve. The current constitution, from 1876, first returned terms to two years. But a change in 1972 made them four years again.
If the governor's office becomes empty, the lieutenant governor steps in and becomes the new governor. Before 1999, the lieutenant governor would only act as governor until the term ended. It's important to know that the governor and lieutenant governor are not elected together on the same ballot.
No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||
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1 | ![]() |
J. Pinckney Henderson (1808–1858) |
February 19, 1846 – December 21, 1847 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1845 | Albert Clinton Horton | ||
2 | ![]() |
George Tyler Wood (1795–1858) |
December 21, 1847 – December 21, 1849 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1847 | John Alexander Greer | ||
3 | ![]() |
Peter Hansborough Bell (1810–1898) |
December 21, 1849 – November 23, 1853 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1849 | |||
1851 | James W. Henderson | |||||||
4 | ![]() |
James W. Henderson (1817–1880) |
November 23, 1853 – December 21, 1853 (successor took office) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
5 | ![]() |
Elisha M. Pease (1812–1883) |
December 21, 1853 – December 21, 1857 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1853 | David Catchings Dickson | ||
1855 | Hardin Richard Runnels | |||||||
6 | ![]() |
Hardin Richard Runnels (1820–1873) |
December 21, 1857 – December 21, 1859 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1857 | Francis Lubbock | ||
7 | ![]() |
Sam Houston (1793–1863) |
December 21, 1859 – March 16, 1861 (removed) |
Independent | 1859 | Edward Clark | ||
8 | ![]() |
Edward Clark (1815–1880) |
March 16, 1861 – November 7, 1861 (lost election) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
9 | ![]() |
Francis Lubbock (1815–1905) |
November 7, 1861 – November 5, 1863 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1861 | John McClannahan Crockett | ||
10 | ![]() |
Pendleton Murrah (d. 1865) |
November 5, 1863 – June 17, 1865 (office vacated) |
Democratic | 1863 | Fletcher Stockdale | ||
11 | ![]() |
Andrew Jackson Hamilton (1815–1875) |
Military governor appointed by President |
Vacant | ||||
12 | ![]() |
James W. Throckmorton (1825–1894) |
August 9, 1866 – July 30, 1867 (removed) |
Democratic | 1866 | George Washington Jones | ||
13 | ![]() |
Elisha M. Pease (1812–1883) |
July 30, 1867 – September 30, 1869 (resigned) |
Installed by military occupation |
Vacant | |||
— | Vacant |
September 30, 1869 – January 8, 1870 |
Office vacated after resignation |
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14 | ![]() |
Edmund J. Davis (1827–1883) |
January 8, 1870 – January 15, 1874 (lost election) |
Republican | 1869 | |||
15 | ![]() |
Richard Coke (1829–1897) |
January 15, 1874 – December 1, 1876 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1873 | Richard B. Hubbard | ||
1876 | ||||||||
16 | ![]() |
Richard B. Hubbard (1832–1901) |
December 1, 1876 – January 21, 1879 (did not run) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
17 | ![]() |
Oran Milo Roberts (1815–1898) |
January 21, 1879 – January 16, 1883 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1878 | Joseph D. Sayers | ||
1880 | Leonidas Jefferson Storey | |||||||
18 | ![]() |
John Ireland (1827–1896) |
January 16, 1883 – January 18, 1887 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1882 | Francis Marion Martin | ||
1884 | Barnett Gibbs | |||||||
19 | ![]() |
Lawrence Sullivan Ross (1838–1898) |
January 18, 1887 – January 20, 1891 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1886 | Thomas Benton Wheeler | ||
1888 | ||||||||
20 | ![]() |
Jim Hogg (1851–1906) |
January 20, 1891 – January 15, 1895 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1890 | George C. Pendleton | ||
1892 | Martin McNulty Crane | |||||||
21 | ![]() |
Charles A. Culberson (1855–1925) |
January 15, 1895 – January 17, 1899 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1894 | George Taylor Jester | ||
1896 | ||||||||
22 | ![]() |
Joseph D. Sayers (1841–1929) |
January 17, 1899 – January 20, 1903 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1898 | James Browning | ||
1900 | ||||||||
23 | ![]() |
S. W. T. Lanham (1846–1908) |
January 20, 1903 – January 15, 1907 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1902 | George D. Neal | ||
1904 | ||||||||
24 | ![]() |
Thomas Mitchell Campbell (1856–1923) |
January 15, 1907 – January 17, 1911 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1906 | Asbury Bascom Davidson | ||
1908 | ||||||||
25 | ![]() |
Oscar Branch Colquitt (1861–1940) |
January 17, 1911 – January 19, 1915 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1910 | |||
1912 | William Harding Mayes | |||||||
26 | ![]() |
James E. Ferguson (1871–1944) |
January 19, 1915 – September 22, 1917 (impeached and removed) |
Democratic | 1914 | William P. Hobby | ||
1916 | ||||||||
27 | ![]() |
William P. Hobby (1878–1964) |
September 22, 1917 – January 18, 1921 (did not run) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
1918 | Willard Arnold Johnson | |||||||
28 | ![]() |
Pat Morris Neff (1871–1952) |
January 18, 1921 – January 20, 1925 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1920 | Lynch Davidson | ||
1922 | Thomas Whitfield Davidson | |||||||
29 | ![]() |
Miriam A. Ferguson (1875–1961) |
January 20, 1925 – January 18, 1927 (lost nomination) |
Democratic | 1924 | Barry Miller | ||
30 | ![]() |
Dan Moody (1893–1966) |
January 18, 1927 – January 20, 1931 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1926 | |||
1928 | ||||||||
31 | ![]() |
Ross S. Sterling (1875–1949) |
January 20, 1931 – January 17, 1933 (lost nomination) |
Democratic | 1930 | Edgar E. Witt | ||
32 | ![]() |
Miriam A. Ferguson (1875–1961) |
January 17, 1933 – January 15, 1935 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1932 | |||
33 | ![]() |
James Burr V Allred (1899–1959) |
January 15, 1935 – January 17, 1939 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1934 | Walter Frank Woodul | ||
1936 | ||||||||
34 | ![]() |
W. Lee O'Daniel (1890–1969) |
January 17, 1939 – August 4, 1941 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1938 | Coke R. Stevenson | ||
1940 | ||||||||
35 | ![]() |
Coke R. Stevenson (1888–1975) |
August 4, 1941 – January 21, 1947 (did not run) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
1942 | John Lee Smith | |||||||
1944 | ||||||||
36 | ![]() |
Beauford H. Jester (1893–1949) |
January 21, 1947 – July 11, 1949 (died in office) |
Democratic | 1946 | Allan Shivers | ||
1948 | ||||||||
37 | ![]() |
Allan Shivers (1907–1985) |
July 11, 1949 – January 15, 1957 (did not run) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
1950 | Ben Ramsey | |||||||
1952 | ||||||||
1954 | ||||||||
38 | ![]() |
Price Daniel (1910–1988) |
January 15, 1957 – January 15, 1963 (lost nomination) |
Democratic | 1956 | |||
1958 | ||||||||
1960 | ||||||||
Vacant | ||||||||
39 | ![]() |
John Connally (1917–1993) |
January 15, 1963 – January 21, 1969 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1962 | Preston Smith | ||
1964 | ||||||||
1966 | ||||||||
40 | ![]() |
Preston Smith (1912–2003) |
January 21, 1969 – January 16, 1973 (lost nomination) |
Democratic | 1968 | Ben Barnes | ||
1970 | ||||||||
41 | ![]() |
Dolph Briscoe (1923–2010) |
January 16, 1973 – January 16, 1979 (lost nomination) |
Democratic | 1972 | William P. Hobby Jr. | ||
1974 | ||||||||
42 | ![]() |
Bill Clements (1917–2011) |
January 16, 1979 – January 18, 1983 (lost election) |
Republican | 1978 | |||
43 | ![]() |
Mark White (1940–2017) |
January 18, 1983 – January 20, 1987 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1982 | |||
44 | ![]() |
Bill Clements (1917–2011) |
January 20, 1987 – January 15, 1991 (did not run) |
Republican | 1986 | |||
45 | ![]() |
Ann Richards (1933–2006) |
January 15, 1991 – January 17, 1995 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1990 | Bob Bullock | ||
46 | ![]() |
George W. Bush (b. 1946) |
January 17, 1995 – December 21, 2000 (resigned) |
Republican | 1994 | |||
1998 | Rick Perry | |||||||
47 | ![]() |
Rick Perry (b. 1950) |
December 21, 2000 – January 20, 2015 (did not run) |
Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Bill Ratliff | ||
2002 | David Dewhurst | |||||||
2006 | ||||||||
2010 | ||||||||
48 | ![]() |
Greg Abbott (b. 1957) |
January 20, 2015 – Incumbent |
Republican | 2014 | Dan Patrick | ||
2018 | ||||||||
2022 |
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Gobernantes de Texas para niños
- Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Texas
- List of Texas state legislatures