List of governors of Iowa (Redirected from Governor of Iowa)

Governor of Iowa
Incumbent
Kim Reynolds
since May 24, 2017
Government of Iowa
StyleThe Honorable
ResidenceTerrace Hill
Term lengthFour years, no term limits
PrecursorGovernor of Iowa Territory
Inaugural holderAnsel Briggs
FormationDecember 3, 1846
(177 years ago)
 (1846-12-03)
Salary$130,000 (2013)
Websitegovernor.iowa.gov

The governor of Iowa is the head of government of the U.S. state of Iowa. The governor is the head of the executive branch of the state government and is charged with enforcing state laws. The officeholder has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Iowa General Assembly, to convene the legislature, as well as to grant pardons, except in cases of treason and impeachment. The governor of Iowa is also the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.

There have been 41 individuals who held the position of Iowa governor, with two of those serving multiple distinct terms, Samuel J. Kirkwood and Terry Branstad. The current governor, Kim Reynolds, is the first woman to hold the position and was sworn in on May 24, 2017. The longest-serving is Terry Branstad, who served from 1983 to 1999 and then again from 2011 to 2017. He is the longest-serving governor in U.S. history, surpassing the previous record of 21 years set by George Clinton of New York. The shortest-serving was Robert D. Fulton, who served 16 days.

List of governors

Territory of Iowa

Iowa Territory was formed on July 4, 1838, from Wisconsin Territory. It had four governors appointed by the president of the United States, though the first resigned days after he was confirmed by the Senate and before ever reaching the territory.

Governors of Iowa Territory
No. Governor Term in office Appointed by
1 Henry Atkinson
(1782–1842)
June 13, 1838

July 7, 1838
(resigned before taking office)
Martin Van Buren
2 Robert Lucas
(1781–1853)
July 7, 1838

June 17, 1841
(successor appointed)
Martin Van Buren
3 John Chambers
(1780–1852)
March 25, 1841

November 18, 1845
(successor appointed)
John Tyler
4 James Clarke
(1812–1850)
November 8, 1845

December 3, 1846
(statehood)
James K. Polk

State of Iowa

The southeast portion of Iowa Territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Iowa on December 28, 1846. The first Constitution of Iowa, adopted in 1846, created the office of governor with a four-year term, with no specific start date. The 1857 constitution reduced this term to two years, but an amendment in 1972 increased this back to four years. The 1857 constitution also set the start of the term to the second Monday in the January following the election, which was moved one day later by a 1988 amendment.

The office of lieutenant governor was created in the 1857 constitution, elected for the same term as the governor. An amendment in 1988 specified that the lieutenant governor would be elected on the same ticket as the governor. If the office becomes vacant, it devolves upon the lieutenant governor for the remainder of the term or vacancy. Prior to 1857, if the office became vacant, the Secretary of State of Iowa would act as governor. There is no term limit on the number of terms a governor may serve.

Governors of the State of Iowa
No. Governor Term in office Party Election Lt. Governor
1   Ansel Briggs
(1806–1881)
December 3, 1846

December 4, 1850
(did not run)
Democratic 1846 Office did not exist
2 Stephen P. Hempstead
(1812–1883)
December 4, 1850

December 9, 1854
(did not run)
Democratic 1850
3 James W. Grimes
(1816–1872)
December 9, 1854

January 14, 1858
(did not run)
Whig 1854
4 Ralph P. Lowe
(1805–1883)
January 14, 1858

January 11, 1860
(did not run)
Republican 1857   Oran Faville
5 Samuel J. Kirkwood
(1813–1894)
January 11, 1860

January 14, 1864
(did not run)
Republican 1859 Nicholas J. Rusch
1861 John R. Needham
6 William M. Stone
(1827–1893)
January 14, 1864

January 16, 1868
(did not run)
Republican 1863 Enoch W. Eastman
1865 Benjamin F. Gue
7 Samuel Merrill
(1822–1899)
January 16, 1868

January 11, 1872
(did not run)
Republican 1867 John Scott
1869 Madison Miner Walden
(resigned 1871)
Vacant
Henry C. Bulis
(appointed September 13, 1871)
8 Cyrus C. Carpenter
(1829–1898)
January 11, 1872

January 13, 1876
(did not run)
Republican 1871
1873 Joseph Dysart
9 Samuel J. Kirkwood
(1813–1894)
January 13, 1876

February 1, 1877
(resigned)
Republican 1875 Joshua G. Newbold
10 Joshua G. Newbold
(1830–1903)
February 1, 1877

January 17, 1878
(did not run)
Republican Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
11 John H. Gear
(1825–1900)
January 17, 1878

January 12, 1882
(did not run)
Republican 1877 Frank T. Campbell
1879
12 Buren R. Sherman
(1836–1904)
January 12, 1882

January 14, 1886
(did not run)
Republican 1881 Orlando H. Manning
1883
13 William Larrabee
(1832–1912)
January 14, 1886

February 27, 1890
(did not run)
Republican 1885 John A. T. Hull
1887
14 Horace Boies
(1827–1923)
February 27, 1890

January 11, 1894
(lost election)
Democratic 1889 Alfred N. Poyneer
1891 Samuel L. Bestow
15 Frank D. Jackson
(1854–1938)
January 11, 1894

January 16, 1896
(did not run)
Republican 1893 Warren S. Dungan
16 Francis M. Drake
(1830–1903)
January 16, 1896

January 13, 1898
(did not run)
Republican 1895 Matt Parrott
17 L. M. Shaw
(1848–1932)
January 13, 1898

January 16, 1902
(did not run)
Republican 1897 James C. Milliman
1899
18 Albert B. Cummins
(1850–1926)
January 16, 1902

November 24, 1908
(resigned)
Republican 1901 John Herriott
1903
1906 Warren Garst
19 Warren Garst
(1850–1924)
November 24, 1908

January 14, 1909
(successor took office)
Republican Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
20 Beryl F. Carroll
(1860–1939)
January 14, 1909

January 16, 1913
(did not run)
Republican 1908 George W. Clarke
1910
21 George W. Clarke
(1852–1936)
January 16, 1913

January 11, 1917
(did not run)
Republican 1912 William L. Harding
1914
22 William L. Harding
(1877–1934)
January 11, 1917

January 13, 1921
(did not run)
Republican 1916 Ernest Robert Moore
1918
23 Nathan E. Kendall
(1868–1936)
January 13, 1921

January 15, 1925
(did not run)
Republican 1920 John Hammill
1922
24 John Hammill
(1875–1936)
January 15, 1925

January 15, 1931
(did not run)
Republican 1924 Clem F. Kimball
(died September 10, 1928)
1926
Vacant
Arch W. McFarlane
(appointed November 15, 1928)
1928
25 Dan W. Turner
(1877–1969)
January 15, 1931

January 12, 1933
(lost election)
Republican 1930
26 Clyde L. Herring
(1879–1945)
January 12, 1933

January 14, 1937
(did not run)
Democratic 1932 Nelson G. Kraschel
1934
27 Nelson G. Kraschel
(1889–1957)
January 14, 1937

January 12, 1939
(lost election)
Democratic 1936 John K. Valentine
28 George A. Wilson
(1884–1953)
January 12, 1939

January 14, 1943
(did not run)
Republican 1938 Bourke B. Hickenlooper
1940
29 Bourke B. Hickenlooper
(1896–1971)
January 14, 1943

January 11, 1945
(did not run)
Republican 1942 Robert D. Blue
30 Robert D. Blue
(1898–1989)
January 11, 1945

January 13, 1949
(did not run)
Republican 1944 Kenneth A. Evans
1946
31 William S. Beardsley
(1901–1954)
January 13, 1949

November 21, 1954
(died in office)
Republican 1948
1950 William H. Nicholas
1952 Leo Elthon
32 Leo Elthon
(1898–1967)
November 21, 1954

January 13, 1955
(successor took office)
Republican Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
33 Leo Hoegh
(1908–2000)
January 13, 1955

January 17, 1957
(lost election)
Republican 1954 Leo Elthon
34 Herschel C. Loveless
(1911–1989)
January 17, 1957

January 12, 1961
(did not run)
Democratic 1956 William H. Nicholas
1958 Edward Joseph McManus
35 Norman A. Erbe
(1919–2000)
January 12, 1961

January 17, 1963
(lost election)
Republican 1960 W. L. Mooty
36 Harold Hughes
(1922–1996)
January 17, 1963

January 1, 1969
(resigned)
Democratic 1962
1964 Robert D. Fulton
1966
37 Robert D. Fulton
(1929–2024)
January 1, 1969

January 16, 1969
(successor took office)
Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
38 Robert D. Ray
(1928–2018)
January 16, 1969

January 14, 1983
(did not run)
Republican 1968 Roger Jepsen
1970
1972 Arthur Neu
1974
1978 Terry Branstad
39 Terry Branstad
(b. 1946)
January 14, 1983

January 15, 1999
(did not run)
Republican 1982 Robert T. Anderson
1986 Jo Ann Zimmerman
1990 Joy Corning
1994
40 Tom Vilsack
(b. 1950)
January 15, 1999

January 12, 2007
(did not run)
Democratic 1998 Sally Pederson
2002
41 Chet Culver
(b. 1966)
January 12, 2007

January 14, 2011
(lost election)
Democratic 2006 Patty Judge
42 Terry Branstad
(b. 1946)
January 14, 2011

May 24, 2017
(resigned)
Republican 2010 Kim Reynolds
2014
43 Kim Reynolds
(b. 1959)
May 24, 2017

Incumbent
Republican Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
Adam Gregg
(appointed May 25, 2017)
2018
2022

See also


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