Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts | |
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![]() Seal of the Governor | |
![]() Standard of the Governor | |
Government of Massachusetts | |
Style |
|
Status | Head of state Head of government |
Member of | Governor's Council Cabinet |
Residence | None official |
Seat | State House, Boston, Massachusetts |
Nominator | Political parties |
Appointer | Popular vote |
Term length | Four years, no term limits [1] |
Constituting instrument | Constitution of Massachusetts |
Formation | Original post: April 30, 1629 Current form: October 25, 1780 |
First holder | John Endecott |
Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts |
Salary | $185,000 (2018) [2] |
Website | Official website ![]() |
The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the chief executive officer of the government of Massachusetts. The governor is the head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonwealth's military forces.
Massachusetts has a republican system of government that is akin to a presidential system. The governor acts as the head of government while having a distinct role from that of the legislative branch. The governor has far-reaching political obligations, including ceremonial and political duties. The governor also signs bills into law and has veto power. The governor is a member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council, a popularly elected council with eight members who provide advice and consent on certain legal matters and appointments. [3]
Beginning with the Massachusetts Bay Company in 1629, the role of the governor has changed throughout its history in terms of powers and selection. The modern form of the position was created in the 1780 Constitution of Massachusetts, which called for the position of a "supreme executive magistrate". [4]
Governors of Massachusetts are elected every four years during state elections that are held on the first Tuesday of November after November 1. As of November 2022, the most recent Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held in 2022. Following each gubernatorial election, the elected governor is inaugurated on the Thursday after the first Wednesday following the next January 1. [5] There are no term limits restricting how long a governor may serve. [6] [7] [8] The longest-serving Massachusetts governor is Michael Dukakis, who served 12 years; Dukakis was in office from 1975 to 1979 and from 1983 to 1991. The current governor is Maura Healey, a Democrat who won the 2022 gubernatorial election.
Any person seeking to become Governor of Massachusetts must meet the following requirements: [9]
The role of governor has existed in Massachusetts since the Royal Charter of 1628. The original role was one of a president of the board of a joint-stock company, namely the Massachusetts Bay Company. The governor would be elected by freemen, who were shareholders of the company. These shareholders were mostly colonists themselves who fit certain religious requirements. The governor acted in a vice-regal manner, overseeing the governance and functioning of the colony. Originally they were supposed to reside in London, as was the case with other colonial company governors, although this protocol was broken when John Winthrop was appointed Governor. The governor served as the executive of the colony, originally elected annually, they were joined by a Council of Assistants. This council was a group of magistrates who performed judicial functions, acted as an upper house of the General Court, and provided advice and consent to the governor. The early governors of Massachusetts Bay were staunchly Puritan colonists who wished to form a state that coincided with religious law. [10]
With the founding of the Dominion of New England, the New England colonies were combined with the Province of New York, Province of West Jersey, and the Province of East Jersey. During this period (1686-1689) Massachusetts had no governor of its own. Instead there existed a royally appointed governor who resided in Boston and served at the King's pleasure. Though there existed a council which served as a quasi-legislature, however the logistics of calling the council to meet were so arduous that the Dominion was essentially governed by the Crown through the Royal Governor. The reason for the creation of such a post was there existed tremendous hostility between the Kingdom of England and the colonists of Massachusetts Bay. In an effort to bring the colonies under tighter control the Crown dismantled the old assembly system and created the Viceroy system based on the Spanish model in New Spain. This model of government was greatly disliked by the colonists all throughout British North America but especially in New England where colonists at one time did have some semblance of democratic and local control. With the Glorious Revolution and the Boston Revolt the Dominion was abolished in 1689. [11]
With the creation of the Massachusetts Charter in 1691, the role of civilian governor was restored in Massachusetts Bay. Now the Province of Massachusetts Bay, the colony then encompassed the territory of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Plymouth Colony, and areas of what is now the state of Maine. The governor however would not be chosen by the electorate, instead the position would remain a royal appointment. In order to ease tensions with royal authorities and the colonists the General Court was reestablished and given significant powers. This created acrimony between the governors and the assembly of the General Court. The governor could veto any decision made by the assembly and had control over the militia, however the General Court had authority of the treasury and provincial finances. This meant that in the event the governor did not agree with or consent with the rulings and laws of the General Court then the assembly would threaten to withhold any pay for the governor and other Royal Officers. [12]
From 1765 on the unraveling of the Province into a full political crisis only increased the tensions between the governor and the people of Massachusetts Bay. Following the passage of the Stamp Act Governor Thomas Hutchinson had his home broken into and ransacked. The early stages of the American Revolution saw political turmoil in Massachusetts Bay. With the passage of the Intolerable Acts the then Royal Governor Thomas Gage dissolved the General Court and began to govern the province by decree. In 1774 the Massachusetts Provincial Congress was formed as an alternative revolutionary government to the royal government in Boston. With Massachusetts Bay declaring its independence in May 1776 the role of Governor was vacant for four years. The executive role during this time was filled by the Governor's Council, the Committee of Safety, and the president of the Congress when in session. [12]
With the adoption of the Constitution of Massachusetts in 1780 the role of an elected civilian governor was restored. John Hancock was elected as the first governor of the independent commonwealth on October 25, 1780. [12]
Part the Second, Chapter II, Section I, Article I of the Massachusetts Constitution reads,
There shall be a supreme executive magistrate, who shall be styled, The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and whose title shall be – His Excellency.
The governor of Massachusetts is the chief executive of the commonwealth, and is supported by a number of subordinate officers. He, like most other state officers, senators, and representatives, was originally elected annually. In 1918 this was changed to a two-year term, and since 1966 the office of governor has carried a four-year term. The governor of Massachusetts does not receive a mansion or other official residence and resides in their own private residence. The governor does receives a housing allowance/stipend for $65,000. The title "His Excellency" is a holdover from the royally appointed governors of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. The first governor to use the title was Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont, in 1699; since he was an Earl, it was thought proper to call him "Your Excellency." The title was retained until 1742, when an order from King George II forbade its further use. However, the framers of the state constitution revived it because they found it fitting to dignify the governor with this title. [13]
The governor also serves as commander-in-chief of the commonwealth's armed forces.
According to the Massachusetts State Constitution:
Whenever the chair of the governor shall be vacant, by reason of his death, or absence from the commonwealth, or otherwise, the lieutenant governor, for the time being, shall, during such vacancy, perform all the duties incumbent upon the governor, and shall have and exercise all the powers and authorities, which by this constitution the governor is vested with, when personally present. [14]
The Constitution does not use the term "acting governor," but the practice in Massachusetts has been that the lieutenant governor retains his or her position and title as "lieutenant governor" and becomes acting governor, not governor. The lieutenant governor, when acting as governor, is referred to as "the lieutenant-governor, acting governor" in official documents. [15]
Despite this terminology, the Massachusetts courts have found that the full authority of the office of the governor devolves to the lieutenant governor upon vacancy in the office of governor, and that there is no circumstance short of death, resignation, or impeachment that would relieve the acting governor from the full gubernatorial responsibilities.[ citation needed ]
The first use of the succession provision occurred in 1785, five years after the constitution's adoption, when Governor John Hancock resigned the post, leaving Lieutenant Governor Thomas Cushing as acting governor. Most recently, Jane Swift became acting governor upon the resignation of Paul Cellucci.
When the constitution was first adopted, the Governor's Council was charged with acting as governor in the event that both the governorship and lieutenant governorship were vacant. This occurred in 1799 when Governor Increase Sumner died in office on June 7, 1799, leaving Lieutenant Governor Moses Gill as acting governor. Acting Governor Gill never received a lieutenant and died on May 20, 1800, between that year's election and the inauguration of Governor-elect Caleb Strong. The Governor's Council served as the executive for ten days; the council's chair, Thomas Dawes was at no point named governor or acting governor.
Article LV of the Constitution, enacted in 1918, created a new line of succession:
The governor has a 10-person cabinet, each of whom oversees a portion of the government under direct administration (as opposed to independent executive agencies). See Government of Massachusetts for a complete listing.
The front doors of the State House are only opened when a governor leaves office, a head of state or the president of the United States comes to visit the State House, or for the return of flags from Massachusetts regiments at the end of wars. The tradition of the ceremonial door originated when departing governor Benjamin Butler kicked open the front door and walked out by himself in 1884.[source?]
Incoming governors usually choose at least one past governor's portrait to hang in their office.
Immediately before being sworn into office, the governor-elect receives four symbols from the departing governor: the ceremonial pewter "Key" for the governor's office door, the Butler Bible, the "Gavel", and a two-volume set of the Massachusetts General Statutes with a personal note from the departing governor to their successor added to the back of the text. The governor-elect is then escorted by the sergeant-at-arms to the House Chamber and sworn in by the President of the Senate before a joint session of the House and Senate. [16]
Upon completion of their term, the departing governor takes a "lone walk" down the Grand Staircase, through the House of Flags, into Doric Hall, out the central doors, and down the steps of the Massachusetts State House. The governor then crosses the street into Boston Common, thereby symbolically rejoining the commonwealth as a private citizen. Benjamin Butler started the tradition in 1884. [17] Some walks have been modified with some past governors having their wives, friends, or staff accompany them. [18] A 19-gun salute is offered during the walk, and frequently the steps are lined by the outgoing governor's friends and supporters. [19]
In January 1991, outgoing lieutenant governor Evelyn Murphy, the first woman elected to statewide office in Massachusetts, walked down the stairs before Governor Michael Dukakis. In a break from tradition, the January 2007 inauguration of Governor Deval Patrick took place the day after outgoing governor Mitt Romney took the lone walk down the front steps. [19]
Despite several proposals for establishing an official residence for the governor of Massachusetts, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts does not have a governor's mansion.
In 1955, Governor Foster Furcolo turned down a proposal to establish the Shirley–Eustis House in Roxbury, built by royal Governor William Shirley, as the official residence. [20]
At one time, Governor John A. Volpe accepted the donation of the Endicott Estate in Dedham from the heirs of Henry Bradford Endicott. He intended to renovate the 19th-century mansion into a splendid governor's residence. [21] After Volpe resigned to become United States Secretary of Transportation in the Nixon administration, the plan was aborted by his successor in consideration of budgetary constraints and because the location was considered too far from the seat of power, the State House in Boston.
Prior to their respective demolitions in 1922 and 1863, the Province House and the Hancock Manor [21] were also proposed as official residences.
Since the governor has no official residence, the expression "corner office," rather than "governor's mansion," is commonly used in the press as a metonym for the office of governor. This refers instead to the governor's office on the third floor of the State House. [22]
Since 1780, 65 people have been elected governor, six to non-consecutive terms (John Hancock, Caleb Strong, Marcus Morton, John Davis, John Volpe, and Michael Dukakis), and seven lieutenant governors have acted as governor without subsequently being elected governor. Thomas Talbot served a stint as acting governor, but later was elected governor several years later. Prior to 1918 constitutional reforms, both the governor's office and that of lieutenant governor were vacant on one occasion, when the state was governed by the Governor's Council.
The colonial history of Massachusetts begins with the founding first of the Plymouth Colony in 1620, and then the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1628. The Dominion of New England combined these and other New England colonies into a single unit in 1686, but collapsed in 1689. In 1692 the Province of Massachusetts Bay was established, merging Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay, which then included the territory of present-day Maine.
Colonial governors of Plymouth and the Massachusetts Bay Colony were elected annually by a limited subset of the male population (known as freemen), while Dominion officials and those of the 1692 province were appointed by the British crown. In 1774 General Thomas Gage became the last royally appointed governor of Massachusetts. He was recalled to England after the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775, by which time the Massachusetts Provincial Congress exercised de facto control of Massachusetts territory outside British-occupied Boston. Between 1775 and the establishment of the Massachusetts State Constitution in 1780 the state was governed by the provincial congress and an executive council.
In the table below, acting governors are denoted in the leftmost column by the letter "A", and are not counted as actual governors. The longest-serving governor was Michael Dukakis, who served twelve years in office, although they were not all consecutive. The longest period of uninterrupted service by any governor was nine years, by Levi Lincoln Jr. The shortest service period by an elected governor was one year, achieved by several 19th century governors. Increase Sumner, elected by a landslide to a third consecutive term in 1799, was on his deathbed and died not long after taking the oath of office; this represents the shortest part of an individual term served by a governor. Sumner was one of four governors to die in office; seven governors resigned, most of them to assume another office.
Political party | Number of governors |
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Democratic | 22 |
Democratic-Republican | 5 |
Federalist | 5 |
Know Nothing | 1 |
National Republican | 2 |
No party affiliation | 6 |
Republican | 34 |
Whig | 6 |
# | Governor | Party | Years | Lieutenant Governor | Electoral history |
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1 | ![]() John Hancock | None | October 25, 1780 – February 17, 1785 | Thomas Cushing (1780–1788) | Resigned due to claimed illness (recurring gout). |
A [23] | ![]() Thomas Cushing | None | February 17, 1785 – May 27, 1785 | Acted as governor for the remainder of Hancock's term. Lost election in his own right. | |
2 | ![]() James Bowdoin | None | May 27, 1785 – May 30, 1787 | Lost re-election. | |
3 | ![]() John Hancock | None | May 30, 1787 – October 8, 1793 | Died. | |
Benjamin Lincoln (1788–1789) | |||||
Samuel Adams (1789–1794) | |||||
4 | ![]() Samuel Adams | None | October 8, 1793 – June 2, 1797 | Acted as governor for the remainder of Hancock's term. Elected and re-elected in his own right until retirement. | |
Moses Gill (1794–1800) | |||||
5 | ![]() Increase Sumner | Federalist | June 2, 1797 – June 7, 1799 | Died. | |
A [23] | ![]() Moses Gill | None | June 7, 1799 – May 20, 1800 | Acted as governor for most of the remainder of Sumner's term. Died ten days before its end. | |
A [23] | ![]() Governor's Council | None | May 20, 1800 – May 30, 1800 | None. | The council was headed by Thomas Dawes. this is the only time both the governorship and the lieutenant governorship were vacant. |
6 | ![]() Caleb Strong | Federalist | May 30, 1800 – May 29, 1807 | Samuel Phillips Jr. (1801–1802) | Lost re-election. |
Edward Robbins (1802–1806) | |||||
7 | ![]() James Sullivan | Democratic- Republican | May 29, 1807 – December 10, 1808 | Levi Lincoln Sr. | Died. |
A [23] | ![]() Levi Lincoln Sr. | Democratic- Republican | December 10, 1808 – May 1, 1809 | Acted as governor for the remainder of Sullivan's term. Lost election in his own right. | |
8 | ![]() Christopher Gore | Federalist | May 1, 1809 – June 10, 1810 | David Cobb | Lost re-election. |
9 | ![]() Elbridge Gerry | Democratic- Republican | June 10, 1810 – June 5, 1812 | William Gray | Lost re-election. |
10 | ![]() Caleb Strong | Federalist | June 5, 1812 – May 30, 1816 | William Phillips Jr. | Retired. |
11 | ![]() John Brooks | Federalist | May 30, 1816 – May 31, 1823 | Retired. | |
12 | ![]() William Eustis | Democratic- Republican | May 31, 1823 – February 6, 1825 | Levi Lincoln Jr. (1823–1824) | Died. |
Marcus Morton (1824–1825) | |||||
A [23] | ![]() Marcus Morton | Democratic- Republican | February 6, 1825 – May 26, 1825 | Acted as governor for the remainder of Eustis's term. Retired. | |
13 | ![]() Levi Lincoln Jr. | National Republican | May 26, 1825 – January 9, 1834 | Thomas L. Winthrop (1826–1833) | Retired. |
14 | ![]() John Davis | National Republican | January 9, 1834 – March 1, 1835 | Samuel Turell Armstrong | Resigned to become U.S. Senator. |
A [23] | ![]() Samuel Turell Armstrong | Whig | March 1, 1835 – January 13, 1836 | Acted as governor for the remainder of Davis's term. Lost nomination. lost election as independent. | |
15 | ![]() Edward Everett | Whig | January 13, 1836 – January 18, 1840 | George Hull | Lost re-election |
16 | ![]() Marcus Morton | Democratic | January 18, 1840 – January 7, 1841 | Lost re-election. | |
17 | ![]() John Davis | Whig | January 7, 1841 – January 17, 1843 | Lost re-election. | |
18 | ![]() Marcus Morton | Democratic | January 17, 1843 – January 9, 1844 | Henry H. Childs | Lost re-election. |
19 | ![]() George N. Briggs | Whig | January 9, 1844 – January 11, 1851 | John Reed Jr. | Lost re-election. |
20 | ![]() George S. Boutwell | Democratic | January 11, 1851 – January 14, 1853 | Henry W. Cushman | Retired. |
21 | ![]() John H. Clifford | Whig | January 14, 1853 – January 12, 1854 | Elisha Huntington | Retired. |
22 | ![]() Emory Washburn | Whig | January 12, 1854 – January 4, 1855 | William C. Plunkett | Lost re-election. |
23 | ![]() Henry Gardner | Know-Nothing | January 4, 1855 – January 7, 1858 | Simon Brown (1855–1856) | Lost re-election. |
Henry W. Benchley (1856–1858) | |||||
24 | ![]() Nathaniel Prentice Banks | Republican | January 7, 1858 – January 3, 1861 | Eliphalet Trask | Retired to run for president. |
25 | ![]() John Albion Andrew | Republican | January 3, 1861 – January 4, 1866 | John Z. Goodrich (1861) | Retired. |
John Nesmith (1862) | |||||
Joel Hayden (1863–1866) | |||||
26 | ![]() Alexander H. Bullock | Republican | January 4, 1866 – January 7, 1869 | William Claflin | Retired. |
27 | ![]() William Claflin | Republican | January 7, 1869 – January 4, 1872 | Joseph Tucker (1869–1873) | Retired. |
28 | ![]() William B. Washburn | Republican | January 4, 1872 – April 29, 1874 | Resigned to become U.S. Senator. | |
Thomas Talbot (1873–1875) | |||||
A [23] | ![]() Thomas Talbot | Republican | April 29, 1874 – January 7, 1875 | Acted as governor for the remainder of Washburn's term. Lost election in his own right. | |
29 | ![]() William Gaston | Democratic | January 7, 1875 – January 6, 1876 | Horatio G. Knight | Lost re-election. |
30 | ![]() Alexander H. Rice | Republican | January 6, 1876 – January 2, 1879 | Retired. | |
31 | ![]() Thomas Talbot | Republican | January 2, 1879 – January 8, 1880 | John Davis Long | Retired. |
32 | ![]() John Davis Long | Republican | January 8, 1880 – January 4, 1883 | Byron Weston | Retired. |
33 | ![]() Benjamin F. Butler | Democratic | January 4, 1883 – January 3, 1884 | Oliver Ames | Lost re-election. |
34 | ![]() George D. Robinson | Republican | January 3, 1884 – January 6, 1887 | Retired. | |
35 | ![]() Oliver Ames | Republican | January 6, 1887 – January 7, 1890 | John Q. A. Brackett | Retired. |
36 | ![]() John Q. A. Brackett | Republican | January 7, 1890 – January 8, 1891 | William H. Haile (1890–1893) | Lost re-election. |
37 | ![]() William E. Russell | Democratic | January 8, 1891 – January 4, 1894 | Retired. | |
Roger Wolcott (1893–1897) | |||||
38 | ![]() Frederic T. Greenhalge | Republican | January 4, 1894 – March 5, 1896 | Died. | |
39 | ![]() Roger Wolcott | Republican | March 5, 1896 – January 4, 1900 | Acted as governor for the remainder of Greenhalge's term. Elected and re-elected in own right until retirement. | |
Winthrop Murray Crane (1897–1900) | |||||
40 | ![]() Winthrop Murray Crane | Republican | January 4, 1900 – January 8, 1903 | John L. Bates | Retired. |
41 | ![]() John L. Bates | Republican | January 8, 1903 – January 5, 1905 | Curtis Guild Jr. | Retired. |
42 | ![]() William L. Douglas | Democratic | January 5, 1905 – January 4, 1906 | Retired. | |
43 | ![]() Curtis Guild Jr. | Republican | January 4, 1906 – January 7, 1909 | Eben Sumner Draper | Retired. |
44 | ![]() Eben Sumner Draper | Republican | January 7, 1909 – January 5, 1911 | Louis A. Frothingham | Lost re-election. |
45 | ![]() Eugene Noble Foss | Democratic | January 5, 1911 – January 8, 1914 | Louis A. Frothingham (1911–1912) | Did not stand for renomination as Democrat. defeated as independent in general election. |
Robert Luce (1912–1913) | |||||
David I. Walsh (1913–1914) | |||||
46 | ![]() David I. Walsh | Democratic | January 8, 1914 – January 6, 1916 | Edward P. Barry (1914–1915) | Lost re-election. |
Grafton D. Cushing (1915–1916) | |||||
47 | ![]() Samuel W. McCall | Republican | January 6, 1916 – January 2, 1919 | Calvin Coolidge | Retired. |
48 | ![]() Calvin Coolidge | Republican | January 2, 1919 – January 6, 1921 | Channing H. Cox | Retired Vice President of the United States 1921-1923 President of the United States 1923-1929 |
49 | ![]() Channing H. Cox | Republican | January 6, 1921 – January 8, 1925 | Alvan T. Fuller | Elected in 1920 (first two-year term). Re-elected in 1922. Retired. |
50 | ![]() Alvan T. Fuller | Republican | January 8, 1925 – January 3, 1929 | Frank G. Allen | Retired. |
51 | ![]() Frank G. Allen | Republican | January 3, 1929 – January 8, 1931 | William S. Youngman | Lost re-election. |
52 | ![]() Joseph B. Ely | Democratic | January 8, 1931 – January 3, 1935 | William S. Youngman (1929–1933) | Retired. |
Gaspar G. Bacon (1933–1935) | |||||
53 | ![]() James Michael Curley | Democratic | January 3, 1935 – January 7, 1937 | Joseph L. Hurley | Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate |
54 | ![]() Charles F. Hurley | Democratic | January 7, 1937 – January 5, 1939 | Francis E. Kelly | Lost renomination. |
55 | ![]() Leverett Saltonstall | Republican | January 5, 1939 – January 4, 1945 | Horace T. Cahill | Retired to run successfully for U.S. Senate |
56 | ![]() Maurice J. Tobin | Democratic | January 4, 1945 – January 2, 1947 | Robert F. Bradford | Lost re-election. |
57 | ![]() Robert F. Bradford | Republican | January 2, 1947 – January 6, 1949 | Arthur W. Coolidge | Elected in 1946. Lost re-election. |
58 | ![]() Paul A. Dever | Democratic | January 6, 1949 – January 8, 1953 | Charles F. Sullivan | Elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Lost re-election. |
59 | ![]() Christian A. Herter | Republican | January 8, 1953 – January 3, 1957 | Sumner G. Whittier | Elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Retired. |
60 | ![]() Foster Furcolo | Democratic | January 3, 1957 – January 5, 1961 | Robert F. Murphy (1957–1960) | Elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Retired to run for U.S. Senator. |
61 | ![]() John A. Volpe | Republican | January 5, 1961 – January 3, 1963 | Edward F. McLaughlin Jr. | Elected in 1960. Lost re-election. |
62 | ![]() Endicott Peabody | Democratic | January 3, 1963 – January 7, 1965 | Francis Bellotti | Elected in 1962. Lost renomination. |
63 | ![]() John A. Volpe | Republican | January 7, 1965 – January 22, 1969 | Elliot Richardson (1965–1967) | Elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966 (first four-year term). Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Transportation. |
Francis Sargent (1967–1969) | |||||
64 | ![]() Francis Sargent | Republican | January 22, 1969 – January 2, 1975 | Acted as governor for the remainder of Volpe's term. Elected in own right in 1970. Lost re-election. | |
Donald Dwight (1971–1975) | |||||
65 | ![]() Michael Dukakis | Democratic | January 2, 1975 – January 4, 1979 | Thomas P. O'Neill III | Elected in 1974. Lost renomination. |
66 | ![]() Edward J. King | Democratic | January 4, 1979 – January 6, 1983 | Elected in 1978. Lost renomination. | |
67 | ![]() Michael Dukakis | Democratic | January 6, 1983 – January 3, 1991 | John Kerry (1983–1985) | Elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1986. Retired. |
Vacant (1985–1987) | |||||
Evelyn Murphy (1987–1991) | |||||
68 | ![]() Bill Weld | Republican | January 3, 1991 – July 29, 1997 | Paul Cellucci (1991–1999) | Elected in 1990. Re-elected in 1994. Resigned when nominated U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, but was not confirmed to the office. |
A [23] 69 | ![]() Paul Cellucci | Republican | July 29, 1997 – April 10, 2001 | Acted as governor for the remainder of Weld's term. Elected in own right in 1998. Resigned to become U.S. Ambassador to Canada. | |
Jane Swift (1999–2003) | |||||
A [23] | ![]() Jane Swift | Republican | April 10, 2001 – January 2, 2003 | Acted as governor for the remainder of Cellucci's term. Retired. | |
70 | ![]() Mitt Romney | Republican | January 2, 2003 – January 4, 2007 | Kerry Healey | Elected in 2002. Retired. |
71 | ![]() Deval Patrick | Democratic | January 4, 2007 – January 8, 2015 | Tim Murray (2007–2013) | Elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2010. Retired. |
Vacant | |||||
72 | ![]() Charlie Baker | Republican | January 8, 2015 – January 5, 2023 | Karyn Polito | Elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2018. Retired. |
73 | ![]() Maura Healey | Democratic | January 5, 2023 – Incumbent | Kim Driscoll | Elected in 2022. |
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The lieutenant governor of New Jersey is an elected constitutional officer in the executive branch of the state government of New Jersey in the United States. The lieutenant governor is the second highest-ranking official in the state government and is elected concurrently on a ticket with the governor for a four-year term. The position itself does not carry any powers or duties other than to be next in the order of succession, but the state constitution requires that the lieutenant governor also be appointed to serve as the head of a cabinet-level department or administrative agency within the governor's administration, other than the position of Attorney General.
The Massachusetts Governor's Council is a governmental body that provides advice and consent in certain matters – such as judicial nominations, pardons, and commutations – to the Governor of Massachusetts. Councillors are elected by the general public and their duties are set forth in the Massachusetts Constitution.
The lieutenant governor is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The lieutenant governor is elected for a four-year term in the same year as the governor. Each party picks a candidate for lieutenant governor independently of the gubernatorial primary. The winners of the party primaries are then teamed together as a single ticket for the fall general election. The lieutenant governor presides in the Pennsylvania State Senate and is first in the line of succession to the governor; in the event the governor dies, resigns, or otherwise leaves office, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.
Connecticut is known as "The Constitution State". The origin of this title is uncertain, but the nickname is assumed to be a reference to the Fundamental Orders of 1638–39 which represent the framework for the first formal government written by a representative body in Connecticut. Connecticut's government has operated under the direction of five separate documents in its history. The Connecticut Colony at Hartford was governed by the Fundamental Orders, and the Quinnipiac Colony at New Haven had its own Constitution in The Fundamental Agreement of the New Haven Colony which was signed on June 4, 1639.
The government of Virginia combines the executive, legislative and judicial branches of authority in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The current governor of Virginia is Glenn Youngkin. The State Capitol building in Richmond was designed by Thomas Jefferson, and the cornerstone was laid by Governor Patrick Henry in 1785. Virginia currently functions under the 1971 Constitution of Virginia. It is Virginia's seventh constitution. Under the Constitution, the government is composed of three branches: the legislative, the executive and the judicial.
The Massachusetts Provincial Congress (1774–1780) was a provisional government created in the Province of Massachusetts Bay early in the American Revolution. Based on the terms of the colonial charter, it exercised de facto control over the rebellious portions of the province, and after the British withdrawal from Boston in March 1776, the entire province. When Massachusetts Bay declared its independence in 1776, the Congress continued to govern under this arrangement for several years. Increasing calls for constitutional change led to a failed proposal for a constitution produced by the Congress in 1778, and then a successful constitutional convention that produced a constitution for the state in 1780. The Provincial Congress came to an end with elections in October 1780.
The Massachusetts Charter of 1691 was a charter that formally established the Province of Massachusetts Bay. Issued by the government of William III and Mary II, the corulers of the Kingdom of England, the charter defined the government of the colony, whose lands were drawn from those previously belonging to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth Colony, and portions of the Province of New York. The territorial claims embodied in the charter also encompassed all of present-day Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.
Thirty-six states have some form of term limit on the office of governor. Fourteen states do not. They are: Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.