List of governors of California

The governor of California is the head of government of California, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced. The governor is also the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The current governor is Gavin Newsom, who has been in office since 2019.

Gavin Newsom, the 40th and current governor of California

Thirty-nine people have served as governor, over 40 distinct terms; many have been influential nationwide in areas far-flung from politics. Leland Stanford founded Stanford University in 1891. Earl Warren, later Chief Justice of the United States, won an election with the nominations of the three major parties – the only person ever to run essentially unopposed for governor of California. Ronald Reagan, who was president of the Screen Actors Guild and later President of the United States, and Arnold Schwarzenegger both came to prominence through acting. Gray Davis, the 37th governor of California, was the second governor in American history to be recalled by voters. The shortest tenure was that of Milton Latham, who served only five days before being elected by the legislature to fill a vacant United States Senate seat. The longest tenure is that of Jerry Brown, who previously served as governor from 1975 to 1983 and again from 2011 to 2019, the only governor to serve non-consecutive terms. He is the son of former governor Pat Brown who served from 1959 to 1967.

List of governors
See also: List of governors of California before 1850

California was obtained by the United States in the Mexican Cession following the Mexican–American War. Unlike most other states, it was never organized as a territory, and was admitted as the 31st state on September 9, 1850.

The original California Constitution of 1849 called for elections every two years, with no set start date for the term. An amendment ratified in 1862 increased the term to four years,[1] and the 1879 constitution set the term to begin on the first Monday after January 1 following an election.[lower-alpha 1] In 1990, Proposition 140 led to a constitutional amendment[2] implementing a term limit of two terms;[3] prior to this limit, only one governor, Earl Warren, served more than two terms. Jerry Brown was able to be elected to a third term in 2010 because his previous terms were before the term limit was enacted. The 1849 constitution also created the office of lieutenant governor, who, in cases of vacancy in the office of governor, becomes governor.[4] The governor and lieutenant governor are not elected on the same ticket.

Governors of the State of California
No. Governor Term in office Party Election Lt. Governor[lower-alpha 2]
1   Peter Hardeman Burnett
(1807–1895)
[5][6][7]		 December 21, 1849[8][lower-alpha 3]
–
January 9, 1851
(resigned)[lower-alpha 4]		 Nonpartisan[lower-alpha 5] 1849   John McDougal
2 John McDougal
(1818–1866)
[9][10][11]		 January 9, 1851[lower-alpha 6]
–
January 8, 1852
(did not run)		 Nonpartisan[lower-alpha 7] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 David C. Broderick[lower-alpha 8]
(acting)
3 John Bigler
(1805–1871)
[14][15][16]		 January 8, 1852
–
January 9, 1856
(lost election)		 Democratic 1851 Samuel Purdy
1853
4 J. Neely Johnson
(1825–1872)
[17][18][19]		 January 9, 1856[lower-alpha 9]
–
January 8, 1858
(did not run)		 American 1855 Robert M. Anderson
5 John B. Weller
(1812–1875)
[21][22][23]		 January 8, 1858
–
January 9, 1860
(did not run)		 Democratic 1857 Joseph Walkup
6 Milton Latham
(1827–1882)
[24][25][26]		 January 9, 1860
–
January 14, 1860
(resigned)[lower-alpha 10]		 Democratic 1859 John G. Downey
7 John G. Downey
(1827–1894)
[27][28][29]		 January 14, 1860
–
January 10, 1862
(did not run)		 Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Isaac N. Quinn
(acting)
(term ended January 7, 1861)
Pablo de la Guerra
(acting)
8 Leland Stanford
(1824–1893)
[30][31][32]		 January 10, 1862
–
December 10, 1863
(did not run)		 Republican 1861 John F. Chellis
9 Frederick Low
(1828–1894)
[33][34][35]		 December 10, 1863
–
December 5, 1867
(did not run)		 Union 1863[lower-alpha 11] Tim N. Machin
10 Henry Huntly Haight
(1825–1878)
[36][37][38]		 December 5, 1867
–
December 8, 1871
(lost election)		 Democratic 1867 William Holden
11 Newton Booth
(1825–1892)
[39][40][41]		 December 8, 1871
–
February 27, 1875
(resigned)[lower-alpha 12]		 Republican 1871 Romualdo Pacheco
12 Romualdo Pacheco
(1831–1899)
[42][43][44]		 February 27, 1875
–
December 9, 1875
(did not run)		 Republican Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 William Irwin[lower-alpha 8]
(acting)
13 William Irwin
(1827–1886)
[45][46][47]		 December 9, 1875
–
January 8, 1880
(did not run)		 Democratic 1875 James A. Johnson
14 George Clement Perkins
(1839–1923)
[48][49][50]		 January 8, 1880
–
January 10, 1883
(did not run)		 Republican 1879 John Mansfield
15 George Stoneman
(1822–1894)
[51][52][53]		 January 10, 1883
–
January 8, 1887
(did not run)		 Democratic 1882 John Daggett
16 Washington Bartlett
(1824–1887)
[54][55][56]		 January 8, 1887
–
September 12, 1887
(died in office)		 Democratic 1886 Robert Waterman[lower-alpha 13]
17 Robert Waterman
(1826–1891)
[57][58][59]		 September 12, 1887
–
January 8, 1891
(did not run)		 Republican Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Stephen M. White[lower-alpha 8]
(acting)
18 Henry Markham
(1840–1923)
[60][61][62]		 January 8, 1891
–
January 11, 1895
(did not run)		 Republican 1890 John B. Reddick
19 James Budd
(1851–1908)
[63][64][65]		 January 11, 1895
–
January 4, 1899
(did not run)		 Democratic 1894 Spencer G. Millard[lower-alpha 13]
(died October 24, 1895)
William T. Jeter
20 Henry Tifft Gage
(1852–1924)
[66][67][68]		 January 4, 1899
–
January 7, 1903
(lost nomination)[lower-alpha 14]		 Republican 1898 Jacob H. Neff
21 George Pardee
(1857–1941)
[69][70][71]		 January 7, 1903
–
January 9, 1907
(lost nomination)[lower-alpha 15]		 Republican 1902 Alden Anderson
22 James Gillett
(1860–1937)
[72][73][74]		 January 9, 1907
–
January 3, 1911
(did not run)		 Republican 1906 Warren R. Porter
23 Hiram Johnson
(1866–1945)
[75][76][77]		 January 3, 1911
–
March 15, 1917
(resigned)[lower-alpha 16]		 Republican 1910 Albert Joseph Wallace
Progressive 1914 John M. Eshleman
(died February 28, 1916)
Vacant
William Stephens[lower-alpha 13]
(took office July 22, 1916)
24 William Stephens
(1859–1944)
[78][79][80]		 March 15, 1917
–
January 9, 1923
(lost nomination)[lower-alpha 17]		 Republican Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Vacant
1918 C. C. Young
25 Friend Richardson
(1865–1943)
[81][82][83]		 January 9, 1923[84]
–
January 4, 1927
(lost nomination)[lower-alpha 18]		 Republican 1922
26 C. C. Young
(1869–1947)
[86][87][88]		 January 4, 1927
–
January 6, 1931
(lost nomination)[lower-alpha 19]		 Republican 1926 Buron Fitts
(resigned November 30, 1928)
Vacant
Herschel L. Carnahan
(appointed December 4, 1928)
27 James Rolph
(1869–1934)
[90][91][92]		 January 6, 1931[93]
–
June 2, 1934
(died in office)		 Republican 1930 Frank Merriam
28 Frank Merriam
(1865–1955)
[94][95][96]		 June 2, 1934
–
January 2, 1939
(lost election)		 Republican Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Vacant
1934 George J. Hatfield
29 Culbert Olson
(1876–1962)
[97][98][99]		 January 2, 1939
–
January 4, 1943
(lost election)		 Democratic 1938 Ellis E. Patterson
30 Earl Warren
(1891–1974)
[100][101][102]		 January 4, 1943
–
October 5, 1953
(resigned)[lower-alpha 20]		 Republican[lower-alpha 21] 1942 Frederick F. Houser
1946 Goodwin Knight
1950
31 Goodwin Knight
(1896–1970)
[105][106][107]		 October 5, 1953
–
January 5, 1959
(did not run)[lower-alpha 22]		 Republican Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Harold J. Powers
1954
32 Pat Brown
(1905–1996)
[108][109][110]		 January 5, 1959
–
January 2, 1967
(lost election)		 Democratic 1958 Glenn M. Anderson
1962
33 Ronald Reagan
(1911–2004)
[111][112][113]		 January 2, 1967
–
January 6, 1975
(did not run)		 Republican 1966 Robert Finch
(resigned January 8, 1969)
Edwin Reinecke
(resigned October 2, 1974)
1970
John L. Harmer
34 Jerry Brown
(b. 1938)
[114][115][116]		 January 6, 1975[117]
–
January 3, 1983
(did not run)[lower-alpha 23]		 Democratic 1974 Mervyn M. Dymally
1978 Michael Curb[lower-alpha 13]
35 George Deukmejian
(1928–2018)
[118][119]		 January 3, 1983
–
January 7, 1991
(did not run)		 Republican 1982 Leo T. McCarthy[lower-alpha 8]
1986
36 Pete Wilson
(b. 1933)
[120][121]		 January 7, 1991
–
January 4, 1999
(term-limited)		 Republican 1990
1994 Gray Davis[lower-alpha 8]
37 Gray Davis
(b. 1942)
[122][123]		 January 4, 1999
–
November 17, 2003
(recalled)[lower-alpha 24]		 Democratic 1998 Cruz Bustamante[lower-alpha 8]
2002
38 Arnold Schwarzenegger
(b. 1947)
[125][124]		 November 17, 2003
–
January 3, 2011
(term-limited)		 Republican 2003
(special)[lower-alpha 24]
2006 John Garamendi[lower-alpha 8]
(resigned November 3, 2009)
Mona Pasquil[lower-alpha 8]
(acting)
Abel Maldonado[lower-alpha 13][lower-alpha 25]
(appointed April 27, 2010)
39 Jerry Brown
(b. 1938)
[115][126]		 January 3, 2011
–
January 7, 2019
(term-limited)		 Democratic 2010
Gavin Newsom[lower-alpha 25]
(took office January 10, 2011)
2014
40 Gavin Newsom
(b. 1967)
[128][129]		 January 7, 2019
–
Incumbent[lower-alpha 26]		 Democratic 2018 Eleni Kounalakis
2021
(special)[lower-alpha 27]
2022

See also

Notes
  1. The rule of the term beginning on the first Monday after January 1 does not seem to have been followed until 1939; all terms between 1880 and 1931, except for 1923, began on the "wrong" day, often just one or two days off. This is well sourced, and it is unknown why the terms did not match the constitution, or why they began to match the constitution in 1939.
  2. Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
  3. 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.[6]
  4. Burnett abruptly resigned after his first annual address was criticized by the legislature.[6]
  5. The 1849 election was non-partisan;[5] sources say Burnett was an Independent Democrat.[7]
  6. Modern sources say McDougal took office on January 9, 1851.[9] Due to the remoteness of California at the time, contemporary news reports were delayed and often off by a few days; the best guess is that Burnett submitted his resignation on January 8,[12] and it took effect the next day when McDougal was sworn in.[13]
  7. The 1849 election was non-partisan;[5] sources say McDougal was an Independent Democrat.[11]
  8. Represented the Democratic Party
  9. All modern sources say Johnson took office on January 9, 1856; however, the only contemporary news source found so far is a two-week-old digest from a ship delivering news from California, which states he took office on the January 11.[20] In the absence of a better contemporary report, this article uses the modern sourcing.
  10. Latham resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[25]
  11. First term under an 1862 constitutional amendment, which lengthened terms to four years.[1]
  12. Booth resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[40]
  13. Represented the Republican Party
  14. Gage lost the Republican nomination to George Pardee.[66]
  15. Pardee lost the Republican nomination to James Gillett.[69]
  16. Johnson resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[76]
  17. Stephens lost the Republican nomination to Friend Richardson.[78]
  18. Richardson lost the Republican nomination to C. C. Young.[85]
  19. Young lost the Republican nomination to James Rolph.[89]
  20. Warren resigned to be Chief Justice of the United States.[101] His resignation letter specified he would leave office at "12 o'clock midnight, Sunday, Oct 4, 1953";[103] all modern sources interpret this to mean he left office October 5.
  21. 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.[104]
  22. Knight instead unsuccessfully ran for United States Senate.[106]
  23. Brown instead unsuccessfully ran for the United States Senate.[116]
  24. Davis was recalled and Schwarzenegger elected to replace him in a special election.[124]
  25. Newsom delayed his swearing in as lieutenant governor until January 10, 2011, to remain mayor of San Francisco; Maldonado stayed on as lieutenant governor until then.[127]
  26. Newsom's second term began on January 2, 2023, and will expire January 4, 2027; he will be term-limited.
  27. Newsom survived a recall election.[130]

References
General
  • "Governors of California". California State Library. Official Site of the State of California. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  • "Former California Governors". National Governors Association. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  • Sobel, Robert (1978). Biographical directory of the governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. I. Meckler Books. ISBN 9780930466015. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
Constitutions
Specific
  1. Henning, W.F. (1899). Constitution of the State of California. C.W. Palm Company. Retrieved January 18, 2008.
  2. "California Ballot Propositions 1990-1999". Los Angeles County Law Library. Archived from the original on October 7, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
  3. CA Const. art. V, § 2
  4. CA Const. art. V, § 10
  5. Sobel p. 101
  6. "Peter Hardeman Burnett". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  7. "Peter Burnett". California State Library. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  8. "no title". The Louisville Daily Courier. 1850-02-12. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  9. Sobel pp. 101–102
  10. "John McDougal". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  11. "John McDougal". California State Library. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  12. "Governor of California Resigned". Semi-Weekly Standard. 1851-02-26. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  13. "no title". The Standard. 1851-03-10. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  14. Sobel pp. 102–103
  15. "John Bigler". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  16. "John Bigler". California State Library. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  17. Sobel p. 103
  18. "John Neely Johnson". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  19. "J. Neely Johnson". California State Library. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  20. "Governor Johnson Inaugurated on the 11th of January". Daily American Organ. 1856-02-15. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  21. Sobel pp. 103–104
  22. "John B. Weller". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  23. "John Weller". California State Library. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  24. Sobel pp. 104–105
  25. "Milton Slocum Latham". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  26. "Milton Latham". California State Library. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  27. Sobel p. 105
  28. "John G. Downey". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  29. "John Downey". California State Library. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  30. Sobel p. 106
  31. "Amasa Leland Stanford". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  32. "Leland Stanford". California State Library. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  33. Sobel p. 107
  34. "Frederick Ferdinand Low". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  35. "Frederick Low". California State Library. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  36. Sobel pp. 107–108
  37. "Henry Huntly Haight". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  38. "Henry Haight". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  39. Sobel p. 108
  40. "Newton Booth". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  41. "Newton Booth". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  42. Sobel p. 109
  43. "Romualdo Pacheco". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  44. "Romualdo Pacheco". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  45. Sobel pp. 109–110
  46. "William Irwin". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  47. "William Irwin". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  48. Sobel pp. 110–111
  49. "George Clement Perkins". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  50. "George Perkins". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  51. Sobel pp. 111–112
  52. "George Stoneman". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  53. "George Stoneman". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  54. Sobel p. 112
  55. "Washington Bartlett". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  56. "Washington Bartlett". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  57. Sobel p. 113
  58. "Robert Whitney Waterman". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  59. "Robert Waterman". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  60. Sobel pp. 113–114
  61. "Henry Harrison Markham". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  62. "Henry Harrison Markham". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  63. Sobel pp. 114–115
  64. "James Herbert Budd". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  65. "James Budd". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  66. Sobel p. 115
  67. "Henry Tifft Gage". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  68. "Henry Gage". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  69. Sobel p. 116
  70. "George Cooper Pardee". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  71. "George Pardee". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  72. Sobel p. 117
  73. "James Norris Gillett". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  74. "James Gillett". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  75. Sobel p. 118
  76. "Hiram Warren Johnson". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  77. "Hiram Johnson". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  78. Sobel p. 119
  79. "William Dennison Stephens". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  80. "William Stephens". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  81. Sobel p. 120
  82. "Friend William Richardson". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  83. "Friend Richardson". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  84. "Richardson Inaugurated As Governor". The Long Beach Telegram and The Long Beach Daily News. 1923-01-09. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  85. "Young Wins Republican Nomination". Mendocino Coast Beacon. 1926-09-11. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  86. Sobel pp. 120–121
  87. "Clement Calhoun Young". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  88. "C. C. Young". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  89. "Rolph Nominated for Governor by Margin of 24,000". The Fresno Bee. 1930-08-28. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  90. Sobel p. 121
  91. "James Rolph". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  92. "James Rolph". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  93. "Rolph Inaugurated Amid Happy Scenes at State Capitol". Visalia Times-Delta. 1931-01-06. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  94. Sobel p. 122
  95. "Frank Finley Merriam". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  96. "Frank Merriam". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  97. Sobel pp. 122–123
  98. "Culbert L. Olson". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  99. "Culbert Olson". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  100. Sobel pp. 123–124
  101. "Earl Warren". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  102. "Earl Warren". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  103. "Warren Resigns as Governor in 32 Words". Evening Vanguard. 1953-10-05. p. 7. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  104. "Biography of Earl Warren". Earl Warren College. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  105. Sobel pp. 124–125
  106. "Goodwin Jess Knight". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  107. "Goodwin Knight". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  108. Sobel pp. 125–126
  109. "Edmund Gerald Brown". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  110. "Edmund G. "Pat" Brown". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  111. Sobel p. 126
  112. "Ronald Wilson Reagan". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  113. "Ronald Reagan". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  114. Sobel p. 127
  115. "Edmund G. Brown Jr". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  116. "Edmond G. "Jerry" Brown". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  117. Rhodda, Richard (1975-01-06). "Brown Inaugurated". The Sacramento Bee. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  118. "George Deukmejian". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  119. "George Deukmejian". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  120. "Pete Wilson". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  121. "Pete Wilson". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  122. "Gray Davis". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  123. "Gray Davis". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  124. "Arnold Schwarzenegger". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  125. "Arnold Schwarzenegger". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  126. "Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  127. Upton Oot, John (January 7, 2011). "Newsom's Dual Role Raises Legal Quandary". The Bay Citizen. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  128. "Gavin Newsom". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  129. "Gavin Newsom". California State Library. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  130. Ronayne, Kathleen; Blood, Michael R. (September 15, 2021). "California Gov. Gavin Newsom beats back GOP-led recall". Associated Press News. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
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