Governor of Massachusetts

Any person seeking to become Governor of Massachusetts must meet the following requirements:[9]

• Be at least eighteen years of age
• Be a registered voter in Massachusetts
• Be a Massachusetts resident for at least seven years when elected
• Receive 10,000 signatures from registered voters on nomination papers

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.

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:

• Governor (Maura Healey)
• Lieutenant governor (Kim Driscoll)
• Secretary of the Commonwealth (William F. Galvin)
• Attorney general (Andrea Campbell)
• Treasurer and receiver-general (Deb Goldberg)
• State auditor (Diana DiZoglio)

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]

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.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts: 1780–present

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.

Governors of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1780–present)

No.	Governor			Term in office[lower-alpha 1]	Party	Election	Lieutenant Governor
Federalist (5)   Democratic-Republican (5)   Anti-Jacksonian (2)   Know Nothing (1)   Whig (6)   Democratic (22)   None (6)   Republican (34)
1			John Hancock (1736–1793)	October 25, 1780 – February 17, 1785 (resigned)[lower-alpha 2]	None	1780		Thomas Cushing (1780–1788)
						1781
						1782
						1783
						1784
A[23]			Thomas Cushing (1725–1788)	February 17, 1785 – May 27, 1785 (lost election)	None	Acted as governor for the remainder of Hancock's term.
2			James Bowdoin (1726–1790)	May 27, 1785 – May 30, 1787 (lost re-election)	None	1785
						1786
3			John Hancock (1737–1893)	May 30, 1787 – October 8, 1793 (died in office)	None	1787
						1788		Benjamin Lincoln
						1789		Samuel Adams (1789–1794)
						1790
						1791
						1792
						1793
A[23]			Samuel Adams (1722–1803)	October 8, 1793 – June 2, 1797 (retired)	None	Acted as governor for the remainder of Hancock's term.>
4						1794		Moses Gill (1794–1800)
						1795
						1796
5			Increase Sumner (1746–1799)	June 2, 1797 – June 7, 1799 (died in office)	Federalist	1797
						1798
						1797
A[23]			Moses Gill (1733–1800)	June 7, 1799 – May 20, 1800 (died in office)	None	Acted as governor for most of the remainder of Hancock's term.
A[23]			Governor's Council	May 20, 1800 – May 30, 1800	None	The council was headed by Thomas Dawes.[lower-alpha 3]
6			Caleb Strong (1745–1819)	May 30, 1800 – May 29, 1807 (lost re-election)	Federalist	1800	Vacant
						1801		Samuel Phillips Jr.
						1802		Edward Robbins
						1803
						1804
						1805
						1806
7			James Sullivan (1744–1808)	May 29, 1807 – December 10, 1808 (died in office)	Democratic-Republican	1807		Levi Lincoln Sr. (1807–1809)
						1808
A[23]			Levi Lincoln Sr. (1749–1820)	December 10, 1808 – May 1, 1809 (lost election)	Democratic-Republican	Acted as governor for the remainder of Sullivan's term.
8			Christopher Gore (1758–1827)	May 1, 1809 – June 10, 1810 (lost re-election)	Federalist	1810		David Cobb
9			Elbridge Gerry (1744–1814)	June 10, 1810 – June 5, 1812 (lost re-election)	Democratic-Republican	1810		William Gray
						1811
10			Caleb Strong (1745–1819)	June 5, 1812 – May 30, 1816 (retired)	Federalist	1812		William Phillips Jr. (1812–1823)
						1813
						1814
						1815
11			John Brooks (1752–1825)	May 30, 1816 – May 31, 1823 (retired)	Federalist	1816
						1817
						1818
						1819
						1820
						1821
						1822
12			William Eustis (1753–1825)	May 31, 1823 – February 6, 1825 (died in office)	Democratic-Republican	1823		Marcus Morton (1823–1825)
						1824
A[23]			Marcus Morton (1754–1864)	February 6, 1825 – May 26, 1825 (retired)	Democratic-Republican	Acted as governor for the remainder of Eustis's term.
13			Levi Lincoln Jr. (1782–1868)	May 26, 1825 – January 9, 1834 (retired)	National Republican	1825		Thomas L. Winthrop
						1826
						1827
						1828
						1829
						1830
						April 1831
						November 1831
						1832
14			John Davis (1787–1854)	January 9, 1834 – March 1, 1835 (resigned)[lower-alpha 4]	National Republican	1833		Samuel Turell Armstrong (1833–1835)
						1834
A[23]			Samuel Turell Armstrong (1784–1850)	March 1, 1835 – January 13, 1836 (lost nomination)	Whig	Acted as governor for the remainder of Davis's term.
15			Edward Everett (1794–1865)	January 13, 1836 – January 18, 1840 (lost re-election)	Whig	1835		George Hull
						1836
						1837
						1838
16			Marcus Morton (1784–1864)	January 18, 1840 – January 7, 1841 (lost re-election)	Democratic	1839
17			John Davis (1787–1854)	January 7, 1841 – January 17, 1843 (lost re-election)	Whig	1840
						1841
18			Marcus Morton (1784–1864)	January 17, 1843 – January 9, 1844 (lost re-election)	Democratic	1842		Henry H. Childs
19			George N. Briggs (1796–1861)	January 9, 1844 – January 11, 1851 (lost re-election)	Whig	1843		Henry W. Cushman
						1844
						1845
						1846
						1847
						1848
						1849
20			George S. Boutwell (1818–1905)	January 11, 1851 – January 14, 1853 (retired)	Democratic	1850		Henry W. Cushman
						1851
21			John H. Clifford (1809–1876)	January 14, 1853 – January 12, 1854 (retired)	Whig	1853		William C. Plunkett
22			Emory Washburn (1800–1877)	January 12, 1854 – January 4, 1855 (lost re-election)	Whig	1853		William C. Plunkett
23			Henry Gardner (1819–1892)	January 4, 1855 – January 7, 1858 (lost re-election)	Know-Nothing	1854		Simon Brown
						1855		Henry W. Benchley
						1856
24			Nathaniel Prentice Banks (1816–1894)	January 7, 1858 – January 3, 1861 (retired)[lower-alpha 5]	Republican	1857		Eliphalet Trask
						1858
						1859
25			John Albion Andrew (1818–1867)	January 3, 1861 – January 4, 1866 (retired)	Republican	1860		John Z. Goodrich
						1861		John Nesmith
						1862		Joel Hayden
						1863
						1864
26			Alexander H. Bullock (1816–1882)	January 4, 1866 – January 7, 1869 (retired)	Republican	1865		William Claflin
						1866
						1867
27			William Claflin (1818–1805)	January 7, 1869 – January 4, 1872 (retired)	Republican	1868		Joseph Tucker
						1869
						1870
28			William B. Washburn (1820–1887)	January 4, 1872 – April 29, 1874 (resigned)[lower-alpha 6]	Republican	1871
						1872		Thomas Talbot (1873–1875)
						1873
A[23]			Thomas Talbot (1818–1895)	April 29, 1874 – January 7, 1875 (lost re-election)	Republican	Acted as governor for the remainder of Washburn's term.
29			William Gaston (1820–1894)	January 7, 1875 – January 6, 1876 (lost re-election)	Democratic	1874		Horatio G. Knight
30			Alexander H. Rice (1818–1895)	January 6, 1876 – January 2, 1879 (retired)	Republican	1875
						1876
						1877
31			Thomas Talbot (1818–1885)	January 8, 1880 – January 4, 1883 (retired)	Republican	1879		John Davis Long
32			John Davis Long (1838–1915)	January 8, 1880 – January 4, 1883 (retired)	Republican	1879		Byron Weston
						1880
						1881
33			Benjamin F. Butler (1818–1893)	January 4, 1883 – January 3, 1884 (lost re-election)	Democratic	1882		Oliver Ames
34			George D. Robinson (1834–1896)	January 3, 1884 – January 6, 1887 (retired)	Republican	1883
						1884
						1885
35			Oliver Ames (1831–1895)	January 6, 1887 – January 7, 1890 (retired)	Republican	1886		John Q. A. Brackett
						1887
						1888
36			John Q. A. Brackett (1842–1918)	January 7, 1890 – January 8, 1891 (lost re-election)	Republican	1889		William H. Haile (1890–1893)
37			William E. Russell (1857–1896)	January 8, 1891 – January 4, 1894 (retired)	Democratic	1890
						1891
						1892		Roger Wolcott (1893–1897)
38			Frederic T. Greenhalge (1842–1896)	January 4, 1894 – March 5, 1896 (died in office)	Republican	1893
						1894
						1895
A[23]			Roger Wolcott (1847–1900)	March 5, 1896 – January 4, 1900 (retired)	Republican	Acted as governor for the remainder of Greenhalge's term.
39						1896		Winthrop Murray Crane
						1897
						1898
40			Winthrop Murray Crane (1853–1920)	January 4, 1900 – January 8, 1903 (retired)	Republican	1899		John L. Bates
						1900
						1901
41			John L. Bates (1859–1946)	January 8, 1903 – January 5, 1905 (retired)	Republican	1902		Curtis Guild Jr.
						1903
42			William L. Douglas (1845–1924)	January 5, 1905 – January 4, 1906 (retired)	Democratic	1904
43			Curtis Guild Jr. (1860–1915)	January 4, 1906 – January 7, 1909 (retired)	Republican	1905		Eben Sumner Draper
						1906
						1907
44			Eben Sumner Draper (1858–1914)	January 7, 1909 – January 6, 1911 (lost re-election)	Republican	1908		Louis A. Frothingham (1909–1912)
						1909
45			Eugene Noble Foss (1858–1939)	January 5, 1911 – January 8, 1914 (lost re-election)	Democratic	1910
						1912		Robert Luce (1912–1913)
						1914		David I. Walsh (1913–1914)
46			David I. Walsh (1872–1947)	January 8, 1914 – January 6, 1916 (lost re-election)	Democratic	1913		Edward P. Barry
						1914		Grafton D. Cushing
47			Samuel W. McCall (1851–1923)	January 6, 1916 – January 2, 1919 (retired)	Republican	1915		Calvin Coolidge
						1916
						1917
48			Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)	January 2, 1919 – January 6, 1921 (retired)[lower-alpha 7]	Republican	1918		Channing H. Cox
						1919
49			Channing H. Cox (1879–1968)	January 6, 1921 – January 8, 1925 (retired)	Republican	1920[lower-alpha 8]		Alvan T. Fuller
						1922
50			Alvan T. Fuller (1878–1958)	January 8, 1925 – January 3, 1929 (retired)	Republican	1924		Frank G. Allen
						1926
51			Frank G. Allen (1874–1950)	January 3, 1929 – January 8, 1931 (lost re-election)	Republican	1928		William S. Youngman (1929–1933)
52			Joseph B. Ely (1881–1956)	January 8, 1931 – January 3, 1935 (retired)	Democratic	1930
						1932		Gaspar G. Bacon
53			James Michael Curley (1874–1958)	January 3, 1935 – January 7, 1937 (retired)[lower-alpha 9]	Democratic	1936		Joseph L. Hurley
54			Charles F. Hurley (1893–1946)	January 7, 1937 – January 5, 1939 (lost renomination)	Democratic	1936		Francis E. Kelly
55			Leverett Saltonstall (1892–1979)	January 5, 1939 – January 4, 1945 (retired)[lower-alpha 10]	Republican	1938		Horace T. Cahill
						1940
						1942
56			Maurice J. Tobin (1901–1953)	January 4, 1945 – January 2, 1947 (lost re-election)	Democratic	1944		Robert F. Bradford
57			Robert F. Bradford (1902–1983)	January 2, 1947 – January 6, 1949 (lost re-election)	Republican	1946		Arthur W. Coolidge
58			Paul A. Dever (1903–1958)	January 6, 1949 – January 8, 1953 (lost re-election)	Democratic	1948		Charles F. Sullivan
						1950
59			Christian A. Herter (1895–1966)	January 8, 1953 – January 3, 1957 (retired)	Republican	1952		Sumner G. Whittier
						1954
60			Foster Furcolo (1911–1995)	January 3, 1957 – January 5, 1961 (retired)[lower-alpha 11]	Democratic	1956		Robert F. Murphy (1957–1960)
						1958
							Vacant (1960–1961)
61			John A. Volpe (1908–1994)	January 5, 1961 – January 3, 1963 (lost re-election)	Republican	1960		Edward F. McLaughlin Jr.
62			Endicott Peabody (1920–1997)	January 3, 1963 – January 7, 1965 (lost renomination)	Democratic	1962		Francis Bellotti
63			John A. Volpe (1908–1994)	January 7, 1965 – January 22, 1969 (resigned)[lower-alpha 12]	Republican	1964		Elliot Richardson
						1966[lower-alpha 13]		Francis Sargent (1967–1971)
A[23]			Francis Sargent (1915–1998)	January 22, 1969 – January 2, 1975 (lost re-election)	Republican	Acted as governor for the remainder of Volpe's term.
64						1970		Donald Dwight
65			Michael Dukakis (b. 1933)	January 2, 1975 – January 4, 1979 (lost renomination)	Democratic	1974		Thomas P. O'Neill III (1975–1983)
66			Edward J. King (1925–2006)	January 4, 1979 – January 6, 1983 (lost renomination)	Democratic	1978
67			Michael Dukakis (b. 1933)	January 6, 1983 – January 3, 1991 (retired)	Democratic	1982		John Kerry (1983–1985)
							Vacant (1985–1987)
						1986		Evelyn Murphy
68			Bill Weld (b. 1945)	January 3, 1991 – July 29, 1997 (resigned)[lower-alpha 14]	Republican	1990		Paul Cellucci (1991–1999)
						1994
A[23]			Paul Cellucci (1948–2013)	July 28, 1997 – April 10, 2001 (resigned)[lower-alpha 15]	Republican	Acted as governor for the remainder of Weld's term.
69						1998		Jane Swift (1999–2003)
A[23]			Jane Swift (b. 1965)	April 10, 2001 – January 2, 2003 (retired)	Republican	Acted as governor for the remainder of Cellucci's term.
70			Mitt Romney (b. 1947)	January 2, 2003 – January 4, 2007 (retired)[lower-alpha 16]	Republican	2002		Kerry Healey
71			Deval Patrick (b. 1956)	January 4, 2007 – January 8, 2015 (retired)	Democratic	2006		Tim Murray (2007–2013)
						2010
							Vacant (2013–2015)
72			Charlie Baker (b. 1956)	January 8, 2015 – January 5, 2023 (retired)	Republican	2014		Karyn Polito
						2018
73			Maura Healey (b. 1971)	January 5, 2023 – Incumbent[lower-alpha 17]	Democratic	2022		Kim Driscoll

• Lincoln, William, ed. (1838). Journals of each Provincial Congress of Massachusetts in 1774 and 1775 and of the Committee of Safety, with an Appendix containing the Proceedings of the County Conventions_Narratives of the Events of the Nineteenth of April, 1775-Paper relating to Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and other documents. Dutton and Wentworth, Printers to the State.
• Hart, Albert Bushnell, ed. (1927). Commonwealth History of Massachusetts. New York: The States History Company. OCLC 1543273. (five volume history of Massachusetts until the early 20th century; volume 3 deals with the provisional period and post-independence history until 1820)
• Morison, Samuel (1917). A History of the Constitution of Massachusetts. Harvard University Library: Wright & Potter Printing Co.
• Truslow Adams, James (1913). The Founding of New England. Stanford University Library: Atlantic Monthly Press.

• Official website
• Office of the Governor, hdl:2452/35301. (Various documents).