List of Governors of California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Party | Governors |
|---|---|
| Republican | 22 |
| Democratic | 15 |
| American | 1 |
The following is a list of Governors of the State of California. The governor is the highest executive authority in California and commander-in-chief of the state militia, with the duty to enforce the laws of the state and the ability to veto bills passed by the legislature. The governor is also a member of the Regents of the University of California, the governing board of the University of California. Since becoming a state in 1850, 38 people have served as governor, all men, and there have been no non-consecutive terms.
According to the California Elections Code, elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November (§1001).[A] According to Article 5, §2 of the California Constitution, each governor's term lasts 4 years.[B] In 1990, the electorate adopted an amendment[C] to Article 5, §2 implementing a term limit of two terms; prior to this limit, only one governor had been elected to more than two terms, Earl Warren. The term of office of a governor begins on the first Monday after January 1 after the election.
Many governors of California have been influential nationwide, in areas far-flung from politics. Leland Stanford founded Stanford University in 1891. Earl Warren, the longest-serving governor, won an election with the nominations of the three major parties - the only person ever to run essentially unopposed for governor of California. He later became Chief Justice of the United States. Ronald Reagan, who was president of the Screen Actors Guild and later President of the United States, and current governor Arnold Schwarzenegger both came to prominence through acting. Gray Davis was the first governor of California, and second governor in American history, to be recalled by voters.
For the Spanish, Mexican, Bear Flag, military and territorial governors of Alta California prior to statehood on September 9 1850, see list of pre-statehood governors of California.
Contents |
[edit] List of Governors
[edit] Notes
- ^ A civilian government was formed in late 1849 prior to official statehood, and operated as the state government for ten months before official statehood was granted as part of the Compromise of 1850.
- ^ Resigned, citing personal reasons.
- ^ a b c As president of the senate, acted as lieutenant governor.
- ^ a b c d e As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term.
- ^ Resigned to take a self-appointed seat in the United States Senate.
- ^ Elected president of the senate, therefore becoming new acting lieutenant governor.
- ^ Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
- ^ a b c d Died in office.
- ^ As president pro tempore of the state senate, acted as lieutenant governor.
- ^ Represented Progressive Party.
- ^ a b Resigned.
- ^ Warren ran as a Republican for his first and third terms. For his second term, he won the nomination of the Republican, Democratic, and Progressive parties.
- ^ Resigned to become Chief Justice of the United States.
- ^ As president pro tempore of the state senate, filled unexpired term.
- ^ As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term, and was subsequently elected in his own right.
- ^ Resigned to be United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.
- ^ Recalled in a special election.
- ^ Elected in a special election to replace Governor Davis should he be recalled.
- ^ Governor Schwarzenegger's second term expires in 2011; he is term limited.
[edit] Other high offices held
This is a table of congressional and other federal offices held by governors.[D] All representatives and senators mentioned represented California except where noted. * denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take.
| Name | Gubernatorial term | U.S. Congress | Other offices held | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House | Senate | |||
| John Bigler | 1852–1856 | Ambassador to Chile | ||
| John B. Weller | 1858–1860 | S | U.S. Representative from Ohio, Ambassador to Mexico | |
| Milton Latham | 1860 | H | S* | |
| Leland Stanford | 1862–1863 | S | ||
| Frederick Low | 1863–1867 | H | Ambassador to the Great Qing Empire (China) | |
| Newton Booth | 1871–1875 | S* | ||
| Romualdo Pacheco | 1875 | H | Ambassador to all of Central America, Guatemala, and Honduras | |
| George Clement Perkins | 1880–1883 | S | ||
| Henry Markham | 1891–1895 | H | ||
| James Budd | 1895–1899 | H | ||
| Henry Gage | 1899–1903 | Ambassador to Portugal | ||
| James Gillett | 1907–1911 | H | ||
| Hiram Johnson | 1911–1917 | S | ||
| William Stephens | 1917–1923 | H | ||
| Earl Warren | 1943–1953 | Chief Justice of the United States* | ||
| Ronald Reagan | 1967–1975 | President of the United States | ||
| Pete Wilson | 1991–1999 | S | ||
[edit] Living former governors
As of August 2007, four former governors were alive, the oldest being George Deukmejian (1983–1991, born 1928). The most recent governor to die was Ronald Reagan (1967–1975), on June 5 2004.
| Name | Gubernatorial term | Date of birth |
|---|---|---|
| Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. | 1975–1983 | April 7 1938 |
| George Deukmejian | 1983–1991 | July 6 1928 |
| Pete Wilson | 1991–1999 | August 23 1933 |
| Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis, Jr. | 1999–2003 | December 26 1942 |
[edit] See also
- Governor of California
- List of United States Governors
- List of California Governors by time in office
- List of Lieutenant Governors of California
[edit] References
- General
- Governors of California. Official Site of the State of California. Retrieved on 2007-07-18.
- Governors of California. National Governors Association. Retrieved on 2007-07-18.
- Chronology of California's Lieutenant Governors. Office of the Lieutenant Governor. Retrieved on 2007-08-10.
- Specific
- A Elections Code Section 1000-1003. California State Code. Official California Legislative Information. Retrieved on 2007-07-17.
- B Article 5 - Executive. California Constitution. Retrieved on 2007-07-17.
- C California Ballot Propositions 1990-1999. Los Angeles County Law Library. Retrieved on 2007-07-17.
- D Governors of California. National Governors Association. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
[edit] External links
Governors of California |
|---|
| Burnett • McDougall • Bigler • J. Johnson • Weller • Latham • Downey • Stanford • Low • Haight • Booth • Pacheco • Irwin • Perkins • Stoneman • Bartlett • Waterman • Markham • Budd • Gage • Pardee • Gillett • H. Johnson • Stephens • Richardson • Young • Rolph • Merriam • Olson • Warren • Knight • P. Brown • Reagan • J. Brown • Deukmejian • Wilson • Davis • Schwarzenegger |
Lists of chief executives of the United States | |
|---|---|
| President | President of the United States |
| State governors | Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming |
| Territorial executives | American Samoa • District of Columbia • Guam • Northern Mariana Islands • Puerto Rico • United States Virgin Islands |
| Defunct | Pre-state territories • Panama Canal Zone • Philippine Islands • Cuba |
fr:Liste des gouverneurs de Californie id:Daftar Gubernur California pl:Gubernatorzy stanu Kalifornia sv:Lista över guvernörer i Kalifornien
