List of governors of Iowa
The governor of Iowa is the head of government of the U.S. state of Iowa. The governor is the head of the executive branch of the state government[2] and is charged with enforcing state laws.[3] The officeholder has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Iowa General Assembly,[4] to convene the legislature,[5] as well as to grant pardons, except in cases of treason and impeachment.[6] The Governor of Iowa is also the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.[7]
| Governor of Iowa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Style | The Honorable |
| Residence | Terrace Hill |
| Term length | Four years, no term limits |
| Precursor | Governor of Iowa Territory |
| Inaugural holder | Ansel Briggs |
| Formation | December 3, 1846 |
| Salary | $130,000 (2013)[1] |
| Website | governor |
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There have been 41 individuals who held the position of Iowa governor, with two of those serving multiple distinct terms, Samuel J. Kirkwood and Terry Branstad. The current governor, Kim Reynolds, is the first woman to hold the position and was sworn in on May 24, 2017. The longest-serving is Terry Branstad, who served from 1983 to 1999 and then again from 2011 to 2017. He is the longest-serving governor in U.S. history, surpassing the previous record of 21 years set by George Clinton of New York. The shortest-serving was Robert D. Fulton, who served 16 days.
Governors of the Territory of Iowa
Iowa Territory was formed on July 4, 1838, from Wisconsin Territory. It had three governors appointed by the President of the United States. The first governor did not arrive for six weeks after the territory had been created; in the interim, territorial secretary William B. Conway acted as governor.[8]
| No. | Governor | Term in office | Appointed by | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Robert Lucas April 1, 1781 – February 7, 1853 (aged 71) |
August 15, 1838 – May 13, 1841[lower-alpha 1] |
Martin Van Buren |
| 2 |  |
John Chambers October 6, 1780 – September 21, 1852 (aged 71) |
May 13, 1841[lower-alpha 1] – November 18, 1845[lower-alpha 2] |
John Tyler |
| 3 |  |
James Clarke July 5, 1812 – July 28, 1850 (aged 38) |
November 18, 1845[lower-alpha 2] – December 3, 1846[lower-alpha 3] |
James K. Polk |
Governors of the State of Iowa
The southeast portion of Iowa Territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Iowa on December 28, 1846. The first Constitution of Iowa, adopted in 1846, created the office of governor with a four-year term,[11] with no specific start date. The 1857 constitution reduced this term to two years,[12] but an amendment in 1972 increased this back to four years.[13] The 1857 constitution also set the start of the term to the second Monday in the January following the election,[14] which was moved one day later by a 1988 amendment.[15]
The office of lieutenant governor was created in the 1857 constitution, elected for the same term as the governor.[16] An amendment in 1988 specified that the lieutenant governor would be elected on the same ticket as the governor.[17] If the office becomes vacant, it devolves upon the lieutenant governor for the remainder of the term or vacancy.[18] Prior to 1857, if the office became vacant, the Secretary of State of Iowa would act as governor.[19] There is no term limit on the number of terms a governor may serve.
| No.[lower-alpha 4] | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor[lower-alpha 5][lower-alpha 6] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Ansel Briggs February 3, 1806 – May 5, 1881 (aged 75) |
December 3, 1846[lower-alpha 3] – December 4, 1850 (not candidate for election) |
Democratic | 1846 | Office did not exist | ||
| 2 |  |
Stephen P. Hempstead October 1, 1812 – February 16, 1883 (aged 70) |
December 4, 1850 – December 9, 1854 (not candidate for election) |
Democratic | 1850 | |||
| 3 |  |
James W. Grimes October 20, 1816 – February 7, 1872 (aged 55) |
December 9, 1854 – January 13, 1858 (not candidate for election) |
Whig | 1854[lower-alpha 7] | |||
| 4 |  |
Ralph P. Lowe November 27, 1805 – December 22, 1883 (aged 78) |
January 13, 1858 – January 11, 1860 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1857[lower-alpha 8] | Oran Faville | ||
| 5 |  |
Samuel J. Kirkwood December 20, 1813 – September 1, 1894 (aged 80) |
January 11, 1860 – January 14, 1864 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1859 | Nicholas J. Rusch | ||
| 1861 | John R. Needham | |||||||
| 6 |  |
William M. Stone October 14, 1827 – July 18, 1893 (aged 65) |
January 14, 1864 – January 16, 1868 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1863 | Enoch W. Eastman | ||
| 1865 | Benjamin F. Gue | |||||||
| 7 |  |
Samuel Merrill August 7, 1822 – August 31, 1899 (aged 77) |
January 16, 1868 – January 11, 1872 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1867 | John Scott | ||
| 1869 | Madison Miner Walden (resigned 1871)[lower-alpha 9] | |||||||
| Vacant | ||||||||
| Henry C. Bulis (appointed September 13, 1871) | ||||||||
| 8 |  |
Cyrus C. Carpenter November 24, 1829 – May 29, 1898 (aged 68) |
January 11, 1872 – January 13, 1876 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1871 | |||
| 1873 | Joseph Dysart | |||||||
| 9 | |
Samuel J. Kirkwood December 20, 1813 – September 1, 1894 (aged 80) |
January 13, 1876 – February 1, 1877 (resigned)[lower-alpha 10] |
Republican | 1875 | Joshua G. Newbold | ||
| 10 |  |
Joshua G. Newbold May 12, 1830 – June 10, 1903 (aged 73) |
February 1, 1877 – January 17, 1878 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Vacant | ||
| 11 |  |
John H. Gear April 7, 1825 – July 14, 1900 (aged 75) |
January 17, 1878 – January 12, 1882 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1877 | Frank T. Campbell | ||
| 1879 | ||||||||
| 12 |  |
Buren R. Sherman May 28, 1836 – November 11, 1904 (aged 68) |
January 12, 1882 – January 14, 1886 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1881 | Orlando H. Manning | ||
| 1883 | ||||||||
| 13 |  |
William Larrabee January 20, 1832 – November 16, 1912 (aged 80) |
January 14, 1886 – February 27, 1890[lower-alpha 11] (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1885 | John A. T. Hull | ||
| 1887 | ||||||||
| 14 |  |
Horace Boies December 7, 1827 – April 4, 1923 (aged 95) |
February 27, 1890[lower-alpha 11] – January 11, 1894 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1889 | Alfred N. Poyneer[lower-alpha 12] | ||
| 1891 | Samuel L. Bestow | |||||||
| 15 |  |
Frank D. Jackson January 26, 1854 – November 16, 1938 (aged 84) |
January 11, 1894 – January 16, 1896 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1893 | Warren S. Dungan | ||
| 16 |  |
Francis M. Drake December 30, 1830 – November 20, 1903 (aged 72) |
January 16, 1896 – January 13, 1898 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1895 | Matt Parrott | ||
| 17 |  |
L. M. Shaw November 2, 1848 – March 28, 1932 (aged 83) |
January 13, 1898 – January 16, 1902 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1897 | James C. Milliman | ||
| 1899 | ||||||||
| 18 |  |
Albert B. Cummins February 15, 1850 – July 30, 1926 (aged 76) |
January 16, 1902 – November 24, 1908 (resigned)[lower-alpha 13] |
Republican | 1901 | John Herriott | ||
| 1903[lower-alpha 14] | ||||||||
| 1906 | Warren Garst | |||||||
| 19 |  |
Warren Garst December 4, 1850 – October 5, 1924 (aged 73) |
November 24, 1908 – January 14, 1909 (successor took office) |
Republican | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Vacant | ||
| 20 |  |
Beryl F. Carroll March 15, 1860 – December 16, 1939 (aged 79) |
January 14, 1909 – January 16, 1913 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1908 | George W. Clarke | ||
| 1910 | ||||||||
| 21 |  |
George W. Clarke October 24, 1852 – November 28, 1936 (aged 84) |
January 16, 1913 – January 11, 1917 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1912 | William L. Harding | ||
| 1914 | ||||||||
| 22 |  |
William L. Harding October 3, 1877 – December 17, 1934 (aged 57) |
January 11, 1917 – January 13, 1921 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1916 | Ernest Robert Moore | ||
| 1918 | ||||||||
| 23 |  |
Nathan E. Kendall March 17, 1868 – November 5, 1936 (aged 68) |
January 13, 1921 – January 15, 1925 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1920 | John Hammill | ||
| 1922 | ||||||||
| 24 |  |
John Hammill October 14, 1875 – April 6, 1936 (aged 60) |
January 15, 1925 – January 15, 1931 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1924 | Clem F. Kimball (died September 10, 1928) | ||
| 1926 | ||||||||
| Vacant | ||||||||
| Arch W. McFarlane (appointed November 15, 1928) | ||||||||
| 1928 | ||||||||
| 25 |  |
Dan W. Turner March 17, 1877 – April 15, 1969 (aged 92) |
January 15, 1931 – January 12, 1933 (lost election) |
Republican | 1930 | |||
| 26 |  |
Clyde L. Herring May 3, 1879 – September 15, 1945 (aged 66) |
January 12, 1933 – January 14, 1937 (not candidate for election) |
Democratic | 1932 | Nelson G. Kraschel | ||
| 1934 | ||||||||
| 27 |  |
Nelson G. Kraschel October 27, 1889 – March 15, 1957 (aged 67) |
January 14, 1937 – January 12, 1939 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1936 | John K. Valentine | ||
| 28 |  |
George A. Wilson April 1, 1884 – September 8, 1953 (aged 69) |
January 12, 1939 – January 14, 1943 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1938 | Bourke B. Hickenlooper | ||
| 1940 | ||||||||
| 29 |  |
Bourke B. Hickenlooper July 21, 1896 – September 4, 1971 (aged 75) |
January 14, 1943 – January 11, 1945 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1942 | Robert D. Blue | ||
| 30 |  |
Robert D. Blue September 24, 1898 – December 14, 1989 (aged 91) |
January 11, 1945 – January 13, 1949 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1944 | Kenneth A. Evans | ||
| 1946 | ||||||||
| 31 |  |
William S. Beardsley May 13, 1901 – November 21, 1954 (aged 53) |
January 13, 1949 – November 21, 1954 (died in office) |
Republican | 1948 | |||
| 1950 | William H. Nicholas | |||||||
| 1952 | Leo Elthon | |||||||
| 32 |  |
Leo Elthon June 9, 1898 – April 16, 1967 (aged 68) |
November 21, 1954 – January 13, 1955 (successor took office) |
Republican | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Vacant | ||
| 33 |  |
Leo Hoegh March 30, 1908 – July 15, 2000 (aged 92) |
January 13, 1955 – January 17, 1957 (lost election) |
Republican | 1954 | Leo Elthon | ||
| 34 | .jpg.webp) |
Herschel C. Loveless May 5, 1911 – May 4, 1989 (aged 77) |
January 17, 1957 – January 12, 1961 (not candidate for election) |
Democratic | 1956 | William H. Nicholas[lower-alpha 12] | ||
| 1958 | Edward Joseph McManus | |||||||
| 35 | .jpg.webp) |
Norman A. Erbe October 25, 1919 – June 8, 2000 (aged 80) |
January 12, 1961 – January 17, 1963 (lost election) |
Republican | 1960 | W. L. Mooty[lower-alpha 15] | ||
| 36 |  |
Harold Hughes February 10, 1922 – October 23, 1996 (aged 74) |
January 17, 1963 – January 1, 1969 (resigned)[lower-alpha 16] |
Democratic | 1962 | |||
| 1964 | Robert D. Fulton | |||||||
| 1966 | ||||||||
| 37 |  |
Robert D. Fulton May 13, 1929 |
January 1, 1969 – January 16, 1969 (successor took office) |
Democratic | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Vacant | ||
| 38 | .png.webp) |
Robert D. Ray September 26, 1928 – July 8, 2018 (aged 89) |
January 16, 1969 – January 14, 1983 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1968 | Roger Jepsen | ||
| 1970 | ||||||||
| 1972 | Arthur Neu | |||||||
| 1974[lower-alpha 17] | ||||||||
| 1978 | Terry Branstad | |||||||
| 39 |  |
Terry Branstad November 17, 1946 |
January 14, 1983 – January 15, 1999 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1982 | Robert T. Anderson[lower-alpha 15] | ||
| 1986 | Jo Ann Zimmerman[lower-alpha 15] | |||||||
| 1990 | Joy Corning | |||||||
| 1994 | ||||||||
| 40 | .jpg.webp) |
Tom Vilsack December 13, 1950 |
January 15, 1999 – January 12, 2007 (not candidate for election) |
Democratic | 1998 | Sally Pederson | ||
| 2002 | ||||||||
| 41 | _(cropped).jpg.webp) |
Chet Culver January 25, 1966 |
January 12, 2007 – January 14, 2011 (lost election) |
Democratic | 2006 | Patty Judge | ||
| 42 |  |
Terry Branstad November 17, 1946 |
January 14, 2011 – May 24, 2017 (resigned)[lower-alpha 18] |
Republican | 2010 | Kim Reynolds | ||
| 2014 | ||||||||
| 43 |  |
Kim Reynolds August 4, 1959 |
May 24, 2017 – Incumbent[lower-alpha 19] |
Republican | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Vacant | ||
| Adam Gregg (appointed May 25, 2017)[lower-alpha 20] | ||||||||
| 2018 | ||||||||
Succession
Living former governors of Iowa
As of 2 May 2022, four former U.S. governors of Iowa are currently living, the oldest being Robert D. Fulton (served 1969, born 1929). The most recent and most recently serving U.S. governor of Iowa to die was Robert D. Ray (served 1969–1983), on July 8, 2018.[26]
| Governor | Gubernatorial term | Date of birth (and age) |
|---|---|---|
| Robert D. Fulton | 1969 | May 13, 1929 |
| Terry Branstad | 1983–1999, 2011–2017 | November 17, 1946 |
| Chet Culver | 2007–2011 | March 23, 1950 |
| Tom Vilsack | 1999–2007 | December 13, 1950 |
Notes
- Chambers was appointed on March 25 to the position of territorial governor, to take office when sworn in. He arrived in the state on May 12 and took office the next day. Lucas was out of the capital at the time and did not formally resign his commission until June 17, per a letter written to U.S. Secretary of State Daniel Webster.[9]
- Clark was appointed on November 18;[10] it is unknown what specific date he assumed office.
- Briggs was sworn into office 25 days before the state was formally admitted.[21]
- There is no official numbering, and different governors have interpreted it differently, depending on if they give a new number when a governor has multiple distinct terms in office.[20] This article includes numbering for every distinct term in office.
- The office of Lieutenant Governor was created in the 1857 constitution.[16]
- Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
- The election schedule changed with this term, switching to odd-numbered years and shortening the term by nearly a year.
- First term under the 1857 constitution, which shortened terms to two years.[12]
- No source appears to know which date Walden resigned, just that it was to take an elected seat in the United States House of Representatives for a term beginning March 4.
- Kirkwood resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[22]
- All sources state Boies was sworn in on February 27, 1890, with no explanation given for the delay; it appears from primary sources that the state legislature was deadlocked, performing over one hundred votes to name the speaker, and the certification of election results was delayed,[23] with Larrabee remaining in office until his successor was certified.
- Represented the Republican Party
- Cummins resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
- The election schedule changed with this term, switching to odd-numbered years and lengthening the term by nearly a year.
- Represented the Democratic Party
- Hughes resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[24]
- First term under a 1972 constitutional amendment which lengthened terms to four years.[13]
- Branstad resigned to become United States Ambassador to China.[25]
- Reynolds' first full term began on January 18, 2019, and will expire on January 10, 2023.
- Gregg was appointed acting lieutenant governor by Reynolds but, while he had the full powers and salary of the office, he was not in the line of succession; he later won election to the post in the 2018 election.
References
- General
- "Former Iowa Governors". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
- Constitutions
- "Constitution of the State of Iowa". Iowa General Assembly. 1857. Archived from the original on July 3, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
- "Amendments to the Constitution of Iowa". Iowa General Assembly. 1998. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
- "Constitution of the State of Iowa". Iowa General Assembly. 1846. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
- Specific
- "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries". The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
- IA Const. art. IV, § 1.
- IA Const. art. IV, § 9.
- IA Const. art III, § 16
- IA Const. art. IV, § 11.
- IA Const., art. IV, § 16.
- IA Const. art. IV, § 7.
- Shambaugh, Benjamin F., ed. (1903). The Messages and Proclamations of the Governors of Iowa. Vol. 1. Iowa City, Iowa: State Historical Society of Iowa. p. 208.
- Executive Journal of Iowa 1838–1841, Governor Robert Lucas. State Historical Society of Iowa. 1906. pp. 277–279.
- Benjamin F. Gue (1903). Iowa biography. Century History Company. p. 52.
- 1846 Const. article V, § 2
- IA Const. art. IV, § 2
- IA Const. amendment 32
- IA Const. art. IV, § 15
- IA Const. amendment 42
- IA Const. art. IV, § 3
- IA Const. amendment 41
- IA Const. art. IV, § 17
- 1846 Const. art V, § 18
- "No 41st Governor for Iowa?". The Gazette (Cedar Rapids). November 5, 2010. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
- Secretary Of State, Iowa (1951). Iowa Official Register – 1951–1952. p. 97.
- "Samuel Jordan Kirkwood". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
- Journal of the House of the General Assembly of the State of Iowa. 1890. pp. 1–95. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- "Harold Everett Hughes". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
- Pfannenstiel, Brianne (May 24, 2017). "Branstad resigns governorship, takes office as U.S. Ambassador to China". Des Moines Register. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
- Finney, Daniel P. "Bob Ray, beloved 5-term Iowa governor, dies at 89". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2022-02-23.
External links
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