List of Governors of Iowa

Kim Reynolds, 43rd and current Governor of Iowa

Below is a list of Governors of the U.S. state of Iowa. There have been 41 individuals who served as Governor of Iowa, including the current Governor and first female to hold the position, Kim Reynolds, who was sworn in on May 24, 2017. She replaced Terry Branstad, the longest-serving Governor in Iowa and U.S. history (more than 22 years), surpassing the previous record (21 years) set by George Clinton of the State of New York. The shortest-serving Governor was Robert D. Fulton, who served 16 days in 1969.

Governors of the Territory of Iowa

For the period before Iowa Territory was formed, see List of Governors of Wisconsin Territory.

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.[1]

# Governor Term in office Appointed by
1 Portrait of a man. Robert Lucas August 15, 1838
–
May 13, 1841[lower-alpha 1]		 Martin Van Buren
2 Portrait of a man. John Chambers May 13, 1841[lower-alpha 1]
–
November 18, 1845[lower-alpha 2]		 William Henry Harrison
3 Portrait of a man. James Clarke November 18, 1845[lower-alpha 2]
–
December 28, 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 remainder became unorganized territory.

The first state Constitution of 1846 created the office of Governor, to have a four-year term,[4] with no specific start date for the term. The constitution of 1857 reduced this term to two years,[5] but an amendment in 1972 increased this back to four years.[6] The 1857 constitution set the start of the term to the second Monday in the January following the election,[7] which was changed to the day after that by a 1988 amendment.[8]

The office of Lieutenant Governor of Iowa was created in the 1857 Constitution, elected for the same term as the governor.[9] An amendment in 1988 specified that the Lieutenant Governor would be elected on the same ticket as the Governor.[10] If the office of governor becomes vacant, the office devolves upon the lieutenant governor for the remainder of the term or vacancy.[11] Prior to 1857, if the office of Governor became vacant, the Secretary of State would act as Governor.[12] There is no term limit on the number of terms a Governor may serve.

#[lower-alpha 4] Governor Term in office Party Election Lieutenant Governor[lower-alpha 5][lower-alpha 6]
1   Ansel Briggs December 3, 1846
–
December 4, 1850		 Democratic 1846
[lower-alpha 7]		 Office did not exist
2 Stephen P. Hempstead December 4, 1850
–
December 9, 1854		 Democratic 1850
3 James W. Grimes December 9, 1854
–
January 13, 1858		 Whig 1854
[lower-alpha 8]
4 Ralph P. Lowe January 13, 1858
–
January 11, 1860		 Republican 1857
[lower-alpha 9]		   Oran Faville
5 Samuel J. Kirkwood January 11, 1860
–
January 14, 1864		 Republican 1859 Nicholas J. Rusch
1861 John R. Needham
6 William M. Stone January 14, 1864
–
January 16, 1868		 Republican 1863 Enoch W. Eastman
1865 Benjamin F. Gue
7 Samuel Merrill January 16, 1868
–
January 11, 1872		 Republican 1867 John Scott
1869 Madison Miner Walden
(resigned 1871)[lower-alpha 10]
Vacant
Henry C. Bulis
(appointed September 13, 1871)
8 Cyrus C. Carpenter January 11, 1872
–
January 13, 1876		 Republican 1871
1873 Joseph Dysart
9 Samuel J. Kirkwood January 13, 1876
–
February 1, 1877		 Republican 1875
[lower-alpha 11]		 Joshua G. Newbold
10 Joshua G. Newbold February 1, 1877
–
January 17, 1878		 Republican Vacant
11 John H. Gear January 17, 1878
–
January 12, 1882		 Republican 1877 Frank T. Campbell
1879
12 Buren R. Sherman January 12, 1882
–
January 14, 1886		 Republican 1881 Orlando H. Manning
1883
13 William Larrabee January 14, 1886
–
February 27, 1890		 Republican 1885 John A. T. Hull
1887
[lower-alpha 12]
14 Horace Boies February 27, 1890
–
January 11, 1894		 Democratic 1889
[lower-alpha 12]		 Alfred N. Poyneer[lower-alpha 13]
1891 Samuel L. Bestow
15 Frank D. Jackson January 11, 1894
–
January 16, 1896		 Republican 1893 Warren S. Dungan
16 Francis M. Drake January 16, 1896
–
January 13, 1898		 Republican 1895 Matt Parrott
17 L. M. Shaw January 13, 1898
–
January 16, 1902		 Republican 1897 James C. Milliman
1899
18 Albert B. Cummins January 16, 1902
–
November 24, 1908		 Republican 1901 John Herriott
1903
[lower-alpha 14]
1906
[lower-alpha 15]		 Warren Garst
19 Warren Garst November 24, 1908
–
January 14, 1909		 Republican Vacant
20 Beryl F. Carroll January 14, 1909
–
January 16, 1913		 Republican 1908 George W. Clarke
1910
21 George W. Clarke January 16, 1913
–
January 11, 1917		 Republican 1912 William L. Harding
1914
22 William L. Harding January 11, 1917
–
January 13, 1921		 Republican 1916 Ernest Robert Moore
1918
23 Nathan E. Kendall January 13, 1921
–
January 15, 1925		 Republican 1920 John Hammill
1922
24 John Hammill January 15, 1925
–
January 15, 1931		 Republican 1924 Clem F. Kimball
(died September 10, 1928)
1926
Vacant
Arch W. McFarlane
(appointed November 15, 1928)
1928
25 Dan W. Turner January 15, 1931
–
January 12, 1933		 Republican 1930
26 Clyde L. Herring January 12, 1933
–
January 14, 1937		 Democratic 1932 Nelson G. Kraschel
1934
27 Nelson G. Kraschel January 14, 1937
–
January 12, 1939		 Democratic 1936 John K. Valentine
28 George A. Wilson January 12, 1939
–
January 14, 1943		 Republican 1938 Bourke B. Hickenlooper
1940
29 Bourke B. Hickenlooper January 14, 1943
–
January 11, 1945		 Republican 1942 Robert D. Blue
30 Robert D. Blue January 11, 1945
–
January 13, 1949		 Republican 1944 Kenneth A. Evans
1946
31 William S. Beardsley January 13, 1949
–
November 21, 1954		 Republican 1948
1950 William H. Nicholas
1952
[lower-alpha 16]		 Leo Elthon
32 Leo Elthon November 21, 1954
–
January 13, 1955		 Republican Vacant
33 Leo Hoegh January 13, 1955
–
January 17, 1957		 Republican 1954 Leo Elthon
34 Herschel C. Loveless January 17, 1957
–
January 12, 1961		 Democratic 1956 William H. Nicholas[lower-alpha 13]
1958 Edward Joseph McManus
35 Norman A. Erbe January 12, 1961
–
January 17, 1963		 Republican 1960 W. L. Mooty[lower-alpha 17]
36 Harold Hughes January 17, 1963
–
January 1, 1969		 Democratic 1962
1964 Robert D. Fulton
1966
[lower-alpha 18]
37 Robert D. Fulton January 1, 1969
–
January 16, 1969		 Democratic Vacant
38 Robert D. Ray January 16, 1969
–
January 14, 1983		 Republican 1968 Roger Jepsen
1970
1972 Arthur A. Neu
1974
[lower-alpha 19]
1978 Terry Branstad
39 Terry Branstad January 14, 1983
–
January 15, 1999		 Republican 1982 Robert T. Anderson[lower-alpha 17]
1986 Jo Ann Zimmerman[lower-alpha 17]
1990 Joy Corning
1994
40 Tom Vilsack January 15, 1999
–
January 12, 2007		 Democratic 1998 Sally Pederson
2002
41 Chet Culver January 12, 2007
–
January 14, 2011		 Democratic 2006 Patty Judge
42 Terry Branstad January 14, 2011
–
May 24, 2017		 Republican 2010 Kim Reynolds
2014
[lower-alpha 20][lower-alpha 21]
43 Kim Reynolds May 24, 2017
–
present		 Republican Vacant
Adam Gregg[lower-alpha 22]
(Acting, appointed May 25, 2017)

Notes

  1. 1 2 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.[2]
  2. 1 2 Clark was appointed on November 18;[3] it is unknown what specific date he assumed office.
  3. ↑ Although Ansel Briggs was sworn in as governor of the state on December 3, it remained a territory until December 28.[3]
  4. ↑ There is no official numbering, and different governors have interpreted it differently, based on if repeat terms are numbered.[13] This article includes numbering for every distinct term in office.
  5. ↑ The office of Lieutenant Governor was created in the 1857 constitution.[9]
  6. ↑ Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
  7. ↑ Briggs was sworn into office 25 days before the state was formally admitted.[14]
  8. ↑ The election schedule changed with this term, switching to odd-numbered years and shortening the term by nearly a year.
  9. ↑ Terms were shortened from four to two years beginning with this term.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ Kirkwood resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate; as Lieutenant Governor, Newbold succeeded him.
  12. 1 2 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,[15] with Larrabee remaining in office until his successor was certified.
  13. 1 2 Represented the Republican Party.
  14. ↑ The election schedule changed with this term, switching to odd-numbered years and lenthening the term by nearly a year.
  15. ↑ Cummins resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate; as Lieutenant Governor, Garst succeeded him.
  16. ↑ Beardsley died in office; as Lieutenant Governor, Elthon succeeded him.
  17. 1 2 3 Represented the Democratic Party.
  18. ↑ Hughes resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate; as Lieutenant Governor, Fulton succeeded him.
  19. ↑ Terms were lengthened from two to four years beginning with this term.
  20. ↑ Branstad resigned to become United States Ambassador to China; as Lieutenant Governor, Reynolds succeeded him.
  21. ↑ Governor Reynolds' term expires on January 11, 2019.
  22. ↑ Reynolds appointed Adam Gregg as Acting Lieutenant Governor but, while he has the full powers and salary of the office, he is not in the line of succession.

References

General

  • "Governors of Iowa". National Governors Association. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
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
  1. ↑ Shambaugh, Benjamin F., ed. (1903). "The Messages and Proclamations of the Governors of Iowa". The Messages and Proclamations of the Governors of Iowa. 1. Iowa City, Iowa: State Historical Society of Iowa. p. 208.
  2. ↑ Executive Journal of Iowa 1838–1841, Governor Robert Lucas. State Historical Society of Iowa. 1906. pp. 277–279.
  3. 1 2 Benjamin F. Gue (1903). Iowa biography. Century History Company. p. 52.
  4. ↑ 1846 Const. article V, § 2.
  5. ↑ IA Const. art. IV, § 2
  6. ↑ IA Const. amendment 32.
  7. ↑ IA Const. art. IV, § 15
  8. ↑ IA Const. amendment 42.
  9. 1 2 IA Const. art. IV, § 3.
  10. ↑ IA Const. amendment 41.
  11. ↑ IA Const. art. IV, § 17.
  12. ↑ 1846 Const. art V, § 18.
  13. ↑ "No 41st Governor for Iowa?". The Gazette (Cedar Rapids). November 5, 2010. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  14. ↑ Secretary Of State, Iowa (1951). Iowa Official Register – 1951–1952. p. 97.
  15. ↑ Journal of the House of the General Assembly of the State of Iowa. 1890. pp. 1&ndash, 95. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
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