Governor of Rhode Island | |
---|---|
Style |
|
Status | |
Term length | Four years, renewable once consecutively |
Inaugural holder | Nicholas Cooke |
Formation | November 7, 1775 |
Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island |
Salary | $128,210 (2013) [1] |
Website | governor |
The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government of Rhode Island and serves as commander-in-chief of the U.S. state's Army National Guard and Air National Guard. The current governor is Dan McKee.
Rhode Island was one of the original Thirteen Colonies and was admitted as a state on May 29, 1790. [2] Before it declared its independence, Rhode Island was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain.
The state initially continued operating under the provisions of its 1663 charter, which simply said that the governor and deputy-governor would be elected from time to time. The 1842 constitution formalized the terms for governor and lieutenant governor to be one year, beginning on the first Tuesday of May after the election. [3] Amendment XVI, taking effect in 1911, changed the term to be two years beginning from the first Tuesday in the January after the election. [4] Terms were lengthened to four years in 1992, but governors were now limited to succeeding themselves only once. [5] A former governor can run again after a four year break. Should the office of governor be vacant, the lieutenant governor becomes governor. [6] The governor and the lieutenant governor are not officially elected on the same ticket.
No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2] | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Nicholas Cooke (1717–1782) [7] | November 7, 1775 [lower-alpha 3] – May 6, 1778 (did not run) | None [9] | 1776 | William Bradford | |||
1777 | ||||||||
2 | William Greene (1731–1809) [10] | May 6, 1778 [11] – May 3, 1786 (lost election) | None [9] | 1778 | Jabez Bowen | |||
1779 | ||||||||
1780 | William West | |||||||
1781 | Jabez Bowen | |||||||
1782 | ||||||||
1783 | ||||||||
1784 | ||||||||
1785 | ||||||||
3 | John Collins (1717–1795) [12] [13] | May 3, 1786 [14] – May 5, 1790 (lost election) | None [9] | 1786 | Daniel Owen | |||
1787 | ||||||||
1788 | ||||||||
1789 | ||||||||
4 | Arthur Fenner (1745–1805) [15] [16] | May 5, 1790 [17] – October 15, 1805 (died in office) | Country | 1790 | Samuel J. Potter | |||
1791 | ||||||||
1792 | ||||||||
1793 | ||||||||
1794 | ||||||||
1795 | ||||||||
1796 | ||||||||
1797 | ||||||||
1798 | ||||||||
1799 | George Brown | |||||||
1800 | Samuel J. Potter | |||||||
1801 | ||||||||
1802 | ||||||||
1803 | Paul Mumford (died July 20, 1805) | |||||||
1804 | ||||||||
1805 | ||||||||
Vacant | ||||||||
5 | Henry Smith (1766–1818) [18] [19] | October 15, 1805 [18] – May 7, 1806 (lost election) | Democratic- Republican [lower-alpha 4] | Succeeded from president of the Senate [lower-alpha 5] | ||||
6 | Isaac Wilbour (1763–1837) [18] [20] | May 7, 1806 [21] – May 6, 1807 (successor took office) [lower-alpha 6] | Democratic- Republican [22] | 1806 [lower-alpha 7] | Acting as governor | |||
7 | James Fenner (1771–1846) [24] [25] | May 6, 1807 [11] – May 1, 1811 (lost election) | Democratic- Republican [11] | 1807 | Constant Taber | |||
1808 | Simeon Martin | |||||||
1809 | ||||||||
1810 | Isaac Wilbour | |||||||
8 | William Jones (1753–1822) [26] [27] | May 1, 1811 [26] – May 7, 1817 (lost election) | Federalist [11] | 1811 | Simeon Martin | |||
1812 | ||||||||
1813 | ||||||||
1814 | ||||||||
1815 | ||||||||
1816 | Jeremiah Thurston | |||||||
9 | Nehemiah R. Knight (1780–1854) [28] [29] | May 7, 1817 [30] – January 9, 1821 (resigned) [lower-alpha 8] | Democratic- Republican [11] | 1817 | Edward Wilcox | |||
1818 | ||||||||
1819 | ||||||||
1820 | ||||||||
— | Edward Wilcox (unknown) [33] | January 9, 1821 [11] – May 2, 1821 (did not run) | Democratic- Republican [11] | Succeeded from lieutenant governor [lower-alpha 9] | Vacant | |||
10 | William C. Gibbs (1787–1871) [34] [35] | May 2, 1821 [36] – May 5, 1824 (did not run) | Democratic- Republican [11] | 1821 | Caleb Earle | |||
1822 | ||||||||
1823 | ||||||||
11 | James Fenner (1771–1846) [24] [25] | May 5, 1824 [37] – May 4, 1831 (lost election) | Democratic- Republican [11] | 1824 | Charles Collins | |||
1825 | ||||||||
1826 | ||||||||
1827 | ||||||||
1828 | ||||||||
1829 | ||||||||
1830 | ||||||||
12 | Lemuel H. Arnold (1792–1852) [38] [39] | May 4, 1831 [40] – May 1, 1833 (lost election) | National Republican [11] | 1831 | ||||
1832 [lower-alpha 10] | ||||||||
13 | John Brown Francis (1791–1864) [41] [42] | May 1, 1833 [43] – May 2, 1838 (lost election) | Democratic- Republican/ Anti-Masonic [44] | 1833 | Jeffrey Hazard | |||
Democratic [44] | 1834 | |||||||
1835 | George Engs | |||||||
1836 | Jeffrey Hazard | |||||||
1837 | Benjamin Babock Thurston | |||||||
14 | William Sprague III (1799–1856) [45] [46] | May 2, 1838 [47] – May 2, 1839 (lost election) | Whig [11] | 1838 | Joseph Childs | |||
15 | Samuel Ward King (1786–1851) [48] [49] | May 2, 1839 [50] – May 2, 1843 (did not run) [48] | Whig [11] | 1839 [lower-alpha 11] | Byron Diman | |||
1840 | ||||||||
1841 | ||||||||
1842 [lower-alpha 12] | ||||||||
16 | James Fenner (1771–1846) [24] [25] | May 2, 1843 [51] – May 6, 1845 (lost election) | Law and Order [11] | 1843 | ||||
1844 | ||||||||
17 | Charles Jackson (1797–1876) [52] [53] | May 6, 1845 [54] – May 6, 1846 (lost election) | Liberation [11] | 1845 | ||||
18 | Byron Diman (1795–1865) [55] [56] | May 6, 1846 [57] – May 4, 1847 (did not run) [55] | Law and Order [11] | 1846 | Elisha Harris | |||
19 | Elisha Harris (1791–1861) [58] [59] | May 4, 1847 [60] – May 1, 1849 (did not run) | Whig [11] | 1847 | Edward W. Lawton | |||
1848 | ||||||||
20 | Henry B. Anthony (1815–1884) [61] [62] | May 1, 1849 [63] – May 6, 1851 (did not run) | Whig [11] | 1849 | Thomas Whipple | |||
1850 | ||||||||
21 | Philip Allen (1785–1865) [64] [65] | May 6, 1851 [66] – July 20, 1853 (resigned) [lower-alpha 13] | Democratic [11] | 1851 | William Beach Lawrence | |||
1852 | Samuel G. Arnold | |||||||
1853 | Francis M. Dimond | |||||||
22 | Francis M. Dimond (1796–1859) [67] [68] | July 20, 1853 [69] – May 2, 1854 (lost election) | Democratic [11] | Succeeded from lieutenant governor | Vacant | |||
23 | William W. Hoppin (1807–1890) [70] [71] | May 2, 1854 [72] – May 26, 1857 (did not run) [70] | Whig [lower-alpha 14] | 1854 | John J. Reynolds | |||
1855 | Anderson C. Rose | |||||||
1856 | Nicholas Brown III | |||||||
24 | Elisha Dyer (1811–1890) [76] [77] | May 26, 1857 [78] – May 31, 1859 (did not run) | Republican [11] | 1857 | Thomas G. Turner | |||
1858 | ||||||||
25 | Thomas G. Turner (1810–1875) [79] [80] | May 31, 1859 [81] – May 29, 1860 (lost nomination) [lower-alpha 15] | Republican [11] | 1859 | Isaac Saunders | |||
26 | William Sprague IV (1830–1915) [82] [83] | May 29, 1860 [84] – March 3, 1863 (resigned) [lower-alpha 16] | Democratic [lower-alpha 17] | 1860 | J. Russell Bullock | |||
1861 | ||||||||
1862 | Samuel G. Arnold (resigned December 1, 1862) | |||||||
Vacant | ||||||||
27 | William C. Cozzens (1811–1876) [85] [86] | March 3, 1863 [87] – May 26, 1863 (lost election) | Democratic [11] | Succeeded from president of the Senate [lower-alpha 18] | ||||
28 | James Y. Smith (1809–1876) [88] [89] | May 26, 1863 [11] – May 29, 1866 (did not run) [88] | Republican [11] | 1863 | Seth Padelford | |||
1864 | ||||||||
1865 | Duncan Pell | |||||||
29 | Ambrose Burnside (1824–1881) [90] [91] | May 29, 1866 [92] – May 25, 1869 (did not run) [90] | Republican [11] | 1866 | William Greene | |||
1867 | ||||||||
1868 | Pardon Stevens | |||||||
30 | Seth Padelford (1807–1878) [93] [94] | May 25, 1869 [95] – May 27, 1873 (did not run) | Republican [11] | 1869 | ||||
1870 | ||||||||
1871 | ||||||||
1872 | Charles Cutler | |||||||
31 | Henry Howard (1826–1905) [96] [97] | May 27, 1873 [98] – May 25, 1875 (did not run) [96] | Republican [lower-alpha 19] | 1873 | Charles C. Van Zandt | |||
1874 | ||||||||
32 | Henry Lippitt (1818–1891) [99] [100] | May 25, 1875 [101] – May 29, 1877 (did not run) | Republican [11] | 1875 | Henry Tillinghast Sisson | |||
1876 | ||||||||
33 | Charles C. Van Zandt (1830–1894) [102] [103] | May 29, 1877 [104] – May 25, 1880 (did not run) [102] | Republican [lower-alpha 20] | 1877 | Albert Howard | |||
1878 | ||||||||
1879 | ||||||||
34 | Alfred H. Littlefield (1829–1893) [105] [106] | May 25, 1880 [107] – May 29, 1883 (did not run) | Republican [11] | 1880 | Henry Fay | |||
1881 | ||||||||
1882 | ||||||||
35 | Augustus O. Bourn (1834–1925) [108] [109] | May 29, 1883 [110] – May 26, 1885 (did not run) | Republican [11] | 1883 | Oscar Rathbun | |||
1884 | ||||||||
36 | George P. Wetmore (1846–1921) [111] [112] | May 26, 1885 [113] – May 31, 1887 (lost election) | Republican [11] | 1885 | Lucius B. Darling | |||
1886 | ||||||||
37 | John W. Davis (1826–1907) [114] [115] | May 31, 1887 [116] – May 29, 1888 (lost election) | Democratic [11] | 1887 | Samuel R. Honey | |||
38 | Royal C. Taft (1823–1912) [117] [118] | May 29, 1888 [119] – May 28, 1889 (did not run) [117] | Republican [11] | 1888 | Enos Lapham | |||
39 | Herbert W. Ladd (1843–1913) [120] [121] | May 28, 1889 [122] – May 27, 1890 (lost election) | Republican [11] | 1889 | Daniel Littlefield | |||
40 | John W. Davis (1826–1907) [114] [115] | May 27, 1890 [123] – May 26, 1891 (lost election) | Democratic [11] | 1890 | William T. C. Wardwell | |||
41 | Herbert W. Ladd (1843–1913) [120] [121] | May 26, 1891 [124] – May 31, 1892 (did not run) | Republican [11] | 1891 | Henry A. Stearns | |||
42 | Daniel Russell Brown (1848–1919) [125] [126] | May 31, 1892 [127] – May 29, 1895 (did not run) | Republican [11] | 1892 | Melville Bull | |||
1893 | ||||||||
1894 | Edwin Allen | |||||||
43 | Charles W. Lippitt (1846–1924) [128] [129] | May 29, 1895 [130] – May 25, 1897 (did not run) | Republican [11] | 1895 | ||||
1896 | ||||||||
44 | Elisha Dyer Jr. (1839–1906) [131] [132] | May 25, 1897 [133] – May 29, 1900 (did not run) [131] | Republican [11] | 1897 | Aram J. Pothier | |||
1898 | William Gregory | |||||||
1899 | ||||||||
45 | William Gregory (1849–1901) [134] [135] | May 29, 1900 [136] – December 16, 1901 (died in office) | Republican [11] | 1900 | Charles D. Kimball | |||
46 | Charles D. Kimball (1859–1930) [137] [138] | December 16, 1901 [139] – January 6, 1903 (lost election) | Republican [11] | Succeeded from lieutenant governor | Vacant | |||
1901 [lower-alpha 21] | ||||||||
George L. Shepley (elected February 18, 1902) | ||||||||
47 | Lucius F. C. Garvin (1841–1922) [140] [141] | January 6, 1903 [142] – January 3, 1905 (lost election) | Democratic [11] | 1902 | Adelard Archambault | |||
1903 | George H. Utter | |||||||
48 | George H. Utter (1854–1912) [143] [144] | January 3, 1905 [145] – January 1, 1907 (lost election) | Republican [11] | 1904 | Frederick H. Jackson | |||
1905 | ||||||||
49 | James H. Higgins (1876–1927) [146] [147] | January 1, 1907 [148] – January 5, 1909 (did not run) [146] | Democratic [11] | 1906 | ||||
1907 | Ralph Watrous | |||||||
50 | Aram J. Pothier (1854–1928) [149] [150] | January 5, 1909 [151] – January 5, 1915 (did not run) [149] | Republican [11] | 1908 | Arthur W. Dennis | |||
1909 | Emery J. San Souci | |||||||
1910 | ||||||||
1911 | ||||||||
1912 | Rosewell Burchard | |||||||
51 | Robert Livingston Beeckman (1866–1935) [152] [153] | January 5, 1915 [154] – January 4, 1921 (did not run) | Republican [11] | 1914 | Emery J. San Souci | |||
1916 | ||||||||
1918 | ||||||||
52 | Emery J. San Souci (1857–1936) [155] [156] | January 4, 1921 [157] – January 2, 1923 (lost nomination) [lower-alpha 22] | Republican [11] | 1920 | Harold Gross | |||
53 | William S. Flynn (1885–1966) [159] [160] | January 2, 1923 [161] – January 6, 1925 (did not run) [lower-alpha 23] | Democratic [11] | 1922 | Felix A. Toupin | |||
54 | Aram J. Pothier (1854–1928) [149] [150] | January 6, 1925 [162] – February 4, 1928 (died in office) | Republican [11] | 1924 | Nathaniel W. Smith | |||
1926 | Norman S. Case | |||||||
55 | Norman S. Case (1888–1967) [163] [164] | February 4, 1928 [165] – January 3, 1933 (lost election) | Republican [11] | Succeeded from lieutenant governor | Vacant | |||
1928 | James G. Connelly | |||||||
1930 | ||||||||
56 | Theodore F. Green (1867–1966) [166] [167] | January 3, 1933 [168] – January 5, 1937 (did not run) [lower-alpha 24] | Democratic [11] | 1932 | Robert E. Quinn | |||
1934 | ||||||||
57 | Robert E. Quinn (1894–1975) [169] [170] | January 5, 1937 [171] – January 3, 1939 (lost election) | Democratic [11] | 1936 | Raymond E. Jordan | |||
58 | William Henry Vanderbilt III (1901–1981) [172] [173] | January 3, 1939 [174] – January 7, 1941 (lost election) | Republican [11] | 1938 | James O. McManus | |||
59 | J. Howard McGrath (1903–1966) [175] [176] | January 7, 1941 [177] – October 6, 1945 (resigned) [lower-alpha 25] | Democratic [11] | 1940 | Louis W. Cappelli | |||
1942 | ||||||||
1944 | John Pastore | |||||||
60 | John Pastore (1907–2000) [178] [179] | October 6, 1945 [180] – December 19, 1950 (resigned) [lower-alpha 26] | Democratic [11] | Succeeded from lieutenant governor | John S. McKiernan | |||
1946 | ||||||||
1948 | ||||||||
61 | John S. McKiernan (1911–1997) [181] [182] | December 19, 1950 [183] – January 2, 1951 (successor took office) | Democratic [11] | Succeeded from lieutenant governor | Vacant | |||
62 | Dennis J. Roberts (1903–1994) [184] [185] | January 2, 1951 [186] – January 6, 1959 (lost election) | Democratic [11] | 1950 | John S. McKiernan | |||
1952 | ||||||||
1954 | ||||||||
1956 | Armand H. Cote | |||||||
63 | Christopher Del Sesto (1907–1973) [187] [188] | January 6, 1959 [189] – January 3, 1961 (lost election) | Republican [11] | 1958 | John A. Notte Jr. | |||
64 | John A. Notte Jr. (1909–1983) [190] [191] | January 3, 1961 [192] – January 1, 1963 (lost election) | Democratic [11] | 1960 | Edward P. Gallogly | |||
65 | John Chafee (1922–1999) [193] [194] | January 1, 1963 [195] – January 7, 1969 (lost election) | Republican [11] | 1962 | ||||
1964 | Giovanni Folcarelli | |||||||
1966 | Joseph O'Donnell Jr. | |||||||
66 | Frank Licht (1916–1987) [196] [197] | January 7, 1969 [198] – January 2, 1973 (did not run) [196] | Democratic [11] | 1968 | J. Joseph Garrahy | |||
1970 | ||||||||
67 | Philip Noel (b. 1931) [199] [200] | January 2, 1973 [201] – January 4, 1977 (did not run) [199] | Democratic [11] | 1972 | ||||
1974 | ||||||||
68 | J. Joseph Garrahy (1930–2012) [202] [203] | January 4, 1977 [204] – January 1, 1985 (did not run) | Democratic [203] | 1976 | Thomas R. DiLuglio | |||
1978 | ||||||||
1980 | ||||||||
1982 | ||||||||
69 | Edward D. DiPrete (b. 1934) [205] | January 1, 1985 [206] – January 1, 1991 (lost election) | Republican [205] | 1984 | Richard A. Licht | |||
1986 | ||||||||
1988 | Roger N. Begin | |||||||
70 | Bruce Sundlun (1920–2011) [207] | January 1, 1991 [208] – January 3, 1995 (lost nomination) [lower-alpha 27] | Democratic [207] | 1990 | ||||
1992 | Robert Weygand | |||||||
71 | Lincoln Almond (1936–2023) [210] | January 3, 1995 [211] – January 7, 2003 (term-limited) [lower-alpha 28] | Republican [210] | 1994 | ||||
Bernard Jackvony | ||||||||
1998 | Charles Fogarty | |||||||
72 | Donald Carcieri (b. 1942) [213] | January 7, 2003 [214] – January 4, 2011 (term-limited) [lower-alpha 28] | Republican [213] | 2002 | ||||
2006 | Elizabeth H. Roberts | |||||||
73 | Lincoln Chafee (b. 1953) [215] | January 4, 2011 [216] – January 6, 2015 (did not run) | Independent [lower-alpha 29] | 2010 | ||||
74 | Gina Raimondo (b. 1971) [218] | January 6, 2015 – March 2, 2021 (resigned) [lower-alpha 30] | Democratic [218] | 2014 | Dan McKee | |||
2018 | ||||||||
75 | Dan McKee (b. 1951) [220] | March 2, 2021 [221] – Incumbent [lower-alpha 31] | Democratic [220] | Succeeded from lieutenant governor | Sabina Matos | |||
2022 |
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.
United States gubernatorial elections were held in 1802, in 12 states, concurrent with the House and Senate elections.
United States gubernatorial elections were held in 1804, in 13 states, concurrent with the House, Senate elections and presidential election.
United States gubernatorial elections were held in 1810, in 13 states, concurrent with the House and Senate elections.
United States gubernatorial elections were held in 1806, in 10 states, concurrent with the House and Senate elections.
The 1834 Rhode Island gubernatorial election was held on April 16, 1834.
The 1838 Rhode Island gubernatorial election was held on April 18, 1838.
The 1839 Rhode Island gubernatorial election was held on April 17, 1839.
The 1835 Vermont gubernatorial election was held on September 1, 1835.
Nehemiah R. Knight, Governor of the State of Rhode Island, was, on the 9th inst. elected by the Legislature of that State, a Senator of the United States... He accepted the appointment, and immediately resigned the office of Governor of the State.
Governor Arnold then took the chair and proceeded to business... making no remarks or inaugural address to the assembly.
The duties of Governor now devolved upon his Honor the Lieut. Governor, Francis M. Dimond...
The Governor elect appeared and took the oath of office.