List of governors of Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Governor of Texas
Gubernatorial standard
Gubernatorial seal
Incumbent Greg Abbott since January 20, 2015
Style	Governor (informal) The Honorable (formal)
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 head of government of the U.S. state of Texas. The incumbent, Greg Abbott, is the forty-eighth governor to serve in the office since Texas' statehood in 1845.

When compared to those of other states, the governorship of Texas has been described as one of relative weakness. In some respects, it is the lieutenant governor of Texas, who presides over the Texas Senate, who possesses greater influence to exercise their prerogatives.

Rick Perry is the longest-serving governor, having assumed the governorship in 2000 upon the exit of George W. Bush, who resigned to take office as the 43rd president of the United States. Perry was elected in 2002 and he was re-elected in 2006 and 2010 serving for 14 years before choosing to retire in 2014.

Allan Shivers assumed the governorship upon the death of Beauford Jester in July 1949 and was elected in 1950 and re-elected in 1952 and 1954, serving for 7+1⁄2 years, making him the third longest serving governor before choosing to retire in 1956. Price Daniel was elected to the governorship in 1956 and re-elected in 1958 and 1960 before losing his re-election for an unprecedented fourth term in the 1962 Democratic primary, missing the runoff. John Connally was elected in 1962 and re-elected in 1964 and 1966 before choosing to retire in 1968, leaving office on January 21, 1969. Bill Clements served two non-consecutive four-year terms, having been elected in 1978 but lost re-election in 1982 before winning re-election in 1986, choosing to retire in 1990, was the second longest-serving governor: both of Shivers and Clements' records were surpassed by Perry.

Current governor Greg Abbott was elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018 and again in 2022. With his recent re-election, Abbott is on track to becoming the state's second longest-serving governor with 12 years of service by January 19, 2027.

Governors

Texas was annexed by the United States and admitted to the Union on December 29, 1845.

The governor is inaugurated on the third Tuesday of January every four years along with the lieutenant governor, and serves a term of four years. Prior to the present laws, in 1845, the state's first constitution established the office of governor, serving a term of two years, but no more than four years of every six. The 1861 constitution, following secession from the Union, established the first Monday of November following election as the term's start. Following the end of the American Civil War, the 1866 constitution increased term length to four years, limiting overall service to no more than eight years of every twelve, moving the term's start to the first Thursday following organization of the legislature, or "as soon thereafter as practicable." The constitution of 1869, enacted during Reconstruction, removed term limitations, to this day making Texas one of sixteen states, territory or jurisdiction (including the U.S. Territory Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia with no limit on gubernatorial terms. The present constitution of 1876 returned terms to two years, but a 1972 amendment again returned them to four.

In the case of a vacancy in the office, the lieutenant governor becomes governor. Prior to a 1999 amendment, the lieutenant governor only acted as governor until the expiration of the term to which he succeeded.

Governors of the State of Texas

No.	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor
1			J. Pinckney Henderson (1808–1858)	February 19, 1846 – December 21, 1847 (did not run)	Democratic	1845		Horton, Albert ClintonAlbert Clinton Horton
2			George Tyler Wood (1795–1858)	December 21, 1847 – December 21, 1849 (lost election)	Democratic	1847		Greer, John AlexanderJohn Alexander Greer
3			Peter Hansborough Bell (1810–1898)	December 21, 1849 – November 23, 1853 (resigned)	Democratic	1849
						1851		Henderson, James W.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		Dickson, David CatchingsDavid Catchings Dickson
						1855		Runnels, Hardin RichardHardin Richard Runnels
6			Hardin Richard Runnels (1820–1873)	December 21, 1857 – December 21, 1859 (lost election)	Democratic	1857		Lubbock, FrancisFrancis Lubbock
7			Sam Houston (1793–1863)	December 21, 1859 – March 16, 1861 (removed)	Independent	1859		Clark, EdwardEdward 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		Crockett, John McClannahanJohn McClannahan Crockett
10			Pendleton Murrah (d. 1865)	November 5, 1863 – June 17, 1865 (office vacated)	Democratic	1863		Stockdale, FletcherFletcher Stockdale
11			Andrew Jackson Hamilton (1815–1875)	June 17, 1865 – August 9, 1866 (successor took office)	Military governor appointed by President		Vacant
12			James W. Throckmorton (1825–1894)	August 9, 1866 – July 30, 1867 (removed)	Democratic	1866		Jones, George WashingtonGeorge 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
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		Hubbard, Richard B.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		Sayers, Joseph D.Joseph D. Sayers
						1880		Storey, Leonidas J.Leonidas J. Storey
18			John Ireland (1827–1896)	January 16, 1883 – January 18, 1887 (did not run)	Democratic	1882		Martin, Francis MarionFrancis Marion Martin
						1884		Gibbs, BarnettBarnett Gibbs
19			Lawrence Sullivan Ross (1838–1898)	January 18, 1887 – January 20, 1891 (did not run)	Democratic	1886		Wheeler, Thomas BentonThomas Benton Wheeler
						1888
20			Jim Hogg (1851–1906)	January 20, 1891 – January 15, 1895 (did not run)	Democratic	1890		Pendleton, George C.George C. Pendleton
						1892		Crane, Martin McNultyMartin McNulty Crane
21			Charles A. Culberson (1855–1925)	January 15, 1895 – January 17, 1899 (did not run)	Democratic	1894		Jester, George TaylorGeorge Taylor Jester
						1896
22			Joseph D. Sayers (1841–1929)	January 17, 1899 – January 20, 1903 (did not run)	Democratic	1898		Browning, JamesJames Browning
						1900
23			S. W. T. Lanham (1846–1908)	January 20, 1903 – January 15, 1907 (did not run)	Democratic	1902		Neal, George D.George D. Neal
						1904
24			Thomas Mitchell Campbell (1856–1923)	January 15, 1907 – January 17, 1911 (did not run)	Democratic	1906		Davidson, Asbury BascomAsbury Bascom Davidson
						1908
25			Oscar Branch Colquitt (1861–1940)	January 17, 1911 – January 19, 1915 (did not run)	Democratic	1910
						1912		Mayes, William HardingWilliam Harding Mayes
26			James E. Ferguson (1871–1944)	January 19, 1915 – September 22, 1917 (impeached and removed)	Democratic	1914		Hobby, William P.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		Johnson, Willard ArnoldWillard Arnold Johnson
28			Pat Morris Neff (1871–1952)	January 18, 1921 – January 20, 1925 (did not run)	Democratic	1920		Davidson, LynchLynch Davidson
						1922		Davidson, Thomas WhitfieldThomas Whitfield Davidson
29			Miriam A. Ferguson (1875–1961)	January 20, 1925 – January 18, 1927 (lost nomination)	Democratic	1924		Miller, BarryBarry 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		Witt, Edgar E.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		Woodul, Walter FrankWalter Frank Woodul
						1936
34			W. Lee O'Daniel (1890–1969)	January 17, 1939 – August 4, 1941 (resigned)	Democratic	1938		Stevenson, Coke R.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		Smith, John LeeJohn Lee Smith
						1944
36			Beauford H. Jester (1893–1949)	January 21, 1947 – July 11, 1949 (died in office)	Democratic	1946		Shivers, AllanAllan Shivers
						1948
37			Allan Shivers (1907–1985)	July 11, 1949 – January 15, 1957 (did not run)	Democratic	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
						1950		Ramsey, BenBen 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		Smith, PrestonPreston Smith
						1964
						1966
40			Preston Smith (1912–2003)	January 21, 1969 – January 16, 1973 (lost nomination)	Democratic	1968		Barnes, BenBen Barnes
						1970
41			Dolph Briscoe (1923–2010)	January 16, 1973 – January 16, 1979 (lost nomination)	Democratic	1972		Hobby Jr., William P.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		Bullock, BobBob Bullock
46			George W. Bush (b. 1946)	January 17, 1995 – December 21, 2000 (resigned)	Republican	1994
						1998		Perry, RickRick Perry
47			Rick Perry (b. 1950)	December 21, 2000 – January 20, 2015 (did not run)	Republican	Succeeded from lieutenant governor		Ratliff, BillBill Ratliff
						2002		Dewhurst, DavidDavid Dewhurst
						2006
						2010
48			Greg Abbott (b. 1957)	January 20, 2015 – Incumbent	Republican	2014		Patrick, DanDan Patrick
						2018
						2022

See also

• Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Texas