List of governors of Montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Governor of Montana |
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Government of Montana | |
Style | The Honorable |
Residence | Montana Governor's Residence |
Term length | Four years, renewable once (limited to eight years in a sixteen year period) |
Constituting instrument | Montana Constitution of 1889 |
Inaugural holder | Joseph K. Toole |
Formation | November 8, 1889 |
Succession | Line of succession |
Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of Montana |
Salary | $108,167 (2022) |
The Governor of Montana is like the chief executive officer for the state of Montana. This person is the head of government for Montana and also leads the state's military forces, known as the Montana National Guard.
The governor has several important jobs. They must make sure that state laws are followed. They can also approve or reject (veto) new laws that the Montana State Legislature passes. The governor can call the legislature together for special meetings whenever needed. They also have the power to grant pardons, which means forgiving someone for a crime.
Montana has had 24 governors since it became a state. These leaders have come from two main political parties: 9 were Republicans and 15 were Democrats. The governor who served the longest was Joseph Toole. He was in office for 11 years, from 1889 to 1893 and again from 1901 to 1908. He is the only governor to serve terms that were not back-to-back. The shortest-serving governor was Elmer Holt, who was in office for less than 13 months after the previous governor passed away. The current governor is Republican Greg Gianforte, who started his term on January 4, 2021.
Montana's Early Governors: The Territorial Period
Before Montana became a state, it was a territory. This territory was created on May 26, 1864. During its 35 years as a territory, Montana had nine governors. These governors were chosen by the president of the United States. There were also three acting governors who stepped in when needed.
The first acting governor was Thomas Francis Meagher, who served from 1865 to 1867. Later, James Tufts served for one month in 1869, followed by Wiley Scribner from 1869 to 1870.
No. | Governor | Time in Office | Appointed by | |
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1 | ![]() |
Sidney Edgerton (1818–1900) |
June 22, 1864 – July 13, 1866 |
Abraham Lincoln |
2 | ![]() |
Green Clay Smith (1826–1895) |
July 13, 1866 – April 9, 1869 |
Andrew Johnson |
3 | ![]() |
James Mitchell Ashley (1824–1896) |
April 9, 1869 – December 17, 1869 |
Ulysses S. Grant |
4 | ![]() |
Benjamin F. Potts (1836–1887) |
July 13, 1870 – August 4, 1882 |
Ulysses S. Grant |
Rutherford B. Hayes | ||||
5 | ![]() |
John Schuyler Crosby (1839–1914) |
August 4, 1882 – November 11, 1884 |
Chester A. Arthur |
6 | ![]() |
B. Platt Carpenter (1837–1921) |
December 22, 1884 – July 3, 1885 |
Chester A. Arthur |
7 | ![]() |
Samuel Thomas Hauser (1833–1914) |
May 14, 1886 – January 13, 1887 |
Grover Cleveland |
8 | ![]() |
Preston Leslie (1819–1907) |
January 13, 1887 – March 27, 1889 |
Grover Cleveland |
9 | ![]() |
Benjamin F. White (1838–1920) |
March 27, 1889 – November 8, 1889 |
Benjamin Harrison |
Montana's State Governors: From 1889 to Today
Montana officially became a state on November 8, 1889. The state's current Constitution, which was approved in 1972, says that a governor serves a 4-year term. This term begins on the first Monday in January after an election.
A rule added in 1992 limits a governor to serving 8 years within any 16-year period. This means they can serve two terms, but then must wait before running again. The constitution also states that a lieutenant governor is elected at the same time as the governor. They run together as a team. If the governor leaves office early due to resignation, disqualification, or death, the lieutenant governor takes over for the rest of the term. If the governor is temporarily unable to do their job, the lieutenant governor can become acting governor.
No. | Governor | Time in Office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||
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1 | Joseph Toole (1851–1929) |
November 8, 1889 – January 2, 1893 |
Democratic | 1889 | John E. Rickards | |||
2 | ![]() |
John E. Rickards (1848–1927) |
January 2, 1893 – January 4, 1897 |
Republican | 1892 | Alexander Campbell Botkin | ||
3 | ![]() |
Robert Burns Smith (1854–1908) |
January 4, 1897 – January 7, 1901 |
Fusion | 1896 | Archibald E. Spriggs | ||
4 | Joseph Toole (1851–1929) |
January 7, 1901 – April 1, 1908 |
Democratic | 1900 | Frank G. Higgins | |||
1904 | Edwin L. Norris | |||||||
5 | ![]() |
Edwin L. Norris (1865–1924) |
April 1, 1908 – January 6, 1913 |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Benjamin F. White | ||
1908 | William Allen | |||||||
6 | ![]() |
Sam V. Stewart (1872–1939) |
January 6, 1913 – January 3, 1921 |
Democratic | 1912 | W. W. McDowell | ||
1916 | ||||||||
7 | ![]() |
Joseph M. Dixon (1867–1934) |
January 3, 1921 – January 5, 1925 |
Republican | 1920 | Nelson Story Jr. | ||
8 | ![]() |
John E. Erickson (1863–1946) |
January 5, 1925 – March 13, 1933 |
Democratic | 1924 | W. S. McCormack | ||
1928 | Frank A. Hazelbaker | |||||||
1932 | Frank Henry Cooney | |||||||
9 | ![]() |
Frank Henry Cooney (1872–1935) |
March 13, 1933 – December 15, 1935 |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Tom Kane | ||
Ernest T. Eaton | ||||||||
Elmer Holt | ||||||||
10 | ![]() |
Elmer Holt (1884–1945) |
December 15, 1935 – January 4, 1937 |
Democratic | Succeeded from president of the Senate |
William P. Pilgeram | ||
11 | ![]() |
Roy E. Ayers (1882–1955) |
January 4, 1937 – January 6, 1941 |
Democratic | 1936 | Hugh R. Adair | ||
12 | ![]() |
Sam C. Ford (1882–1961) |
January 6, 1941 – January 3, 1949 |
Republican | 1940 | Ernest T. Eaton | ||
1944 | ||||||||
13 | ![]() |
John W. Bonner (1902–1970) |
January 3, 1949 – January 5, 1953 |
Democratic | 1948 | Paul C. Cannon | ||
14 | ![]() |
J. Hugo Aronson (1891–1978) |
January 5, 1953 – January 2, 1961 |
Republican | 1952 | George M. Gosman | ||
1956 | Paul C. Cannon | |||||||
15 | ![]() |
Donald Grant Nutter (1915–1962) |
January 2, 1961 – January 25, 1962 |
Republican | 1960 | Tim Babcock | ||
16 | ![]() |
Tim Babcock (1919–2015) |
January 25, 1962 – January 6, 1969 |
Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
David F. James | ||
1964 | Ted James | |||||||
17 | ![]() |
Forrest H. Anderson (1913–1989) |
January 6, 1969 – January 1, 1973 |
Democratic | 1968 | Thomas Lee Judge | ||
18 | ![]() |
Thomas Lee Judge (1934–2006) |
January 1, 1973 – January 5, 1981 |
Democratic | 1972 | Bill Christiansen | ||
1976 | Ted Schwinden | |||||||
19 | ![]() |
Ted Schwinden (1925–2023) |
January 5, 1981 – January 2, 1989 |
Democratic | 1980 | George Turman | ||
1984 | ||||||||
Gordon McOmber | ||||||||
20 | ![]() |
Stan Stephens (1929–2021) |
January 2, 1989 – January 4, 1993 |
Republican | 1988 | Allen Kolstad | ||
Denny Rehberg | ||||||||
21 | Marc Racicot (b. 1948) |
January 4, 1993 – January 2, 2001 |
Republican | 1992 | ||||
1996 | Judy Martz | |||||||
22 | ![]() |
Judy Martz (1943–2017) |
January 2, 2001 – January 3, 2005 |
Republican | 2000 | Karl Ohs | ||
23 | ![]() |
Brian Schweitzer (b. 1955) |
January 3, 2005 – January 7, 2013 |
Democratic | 2004 | John Bohlinger | ||
2008 | ||||||||
24 | ![]() |
Steve Bullock (b. 1966) |
January 7, 2013 – January 4, 2021 |
Democratic | 2012 | John Walsh | ||
Angela McLean | ||||||||
Mike Cooney | ||||||||
2016 | ||||||||
25 | ![]() |
Greg Gianforte (b. 1961) |
January 4, 2021 – Incumbent |
Republican | 2020 | Kristen Juras | ||
2024 |
See also
- Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Montana
- First Ladies and Gentlemen of Montana
- List of Montana state legislatures