List of governors of Ohio

Governor of the State of Ohio
Seal of the governor of Ohio
Standard of the governor of Ohio
Incumbent
Mike DeWine
since January 14, 2019
Government of Ohio
StyleThe Honorable
ResidenceOhio Governor's Mansion
Term lengthFour years, renewable once consecutively
Inaugural holderEdward Tiffin
FormationMarch 3, 1803
DeputyLieutenant Governor of Ohio
Salary$148,886 (2015)
Websitegovernor.ohio.gov

The governor of Ohio is the head of government of Ohio and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state's military forces. The officeholder has a duty to enforce state laws, the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Ohio General Assembly, the power to convene the legislature and the power to grant pardons, except in cases of treason and impeachment.

There have been 64 governors of Ohio, serving 70 distinct terms. The longest term was held by Jim Rhodes, who was elected four times and served just under sixteen years in two non-consecutive periods of two terms each (1963–1971 and 1975–1983). The shortest terms were held by John William Brown and Nancy Hollister, who each served for only 11 days after the governors preceding them resigned in order to begin the terms to which they had been elected in the United States Senate; the shortest-serving elected governor was John M. Pattison, who died in office five months into his term. The current governor is Republican Mike DeWine, who took office on January 14, 2019.

Qualifications

The governor's working office is in the Vern Riffe State Office Tower in downtown Columbus

To become governor of Ohio, a candidate must be a qualified elector in the state. This means that any candidate for governor must be at least 18 years old at the time of election, a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days before the election, and a U.S. citizen. Convicted felons and those deemed by the courts as incompetent to vote are not eligible. There is a term limit of two consecutive terms as governor.

Powers

The governor is the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws; the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Ohio State Legislature; the power to convene the legislature; and the power to grant pardons, except in cases of treason and impeachment.

Other duties and privileges of the office include:

  • Executing all laws and requiring written information on any office from the head of that office
  • Making an annual address to the General Assembly, with recommendation for legislation
  • Convening extraordinary sessions of the legislature with limited purposes
  • Adjourning the legislature when the two chambers cannot agree to do so themselves, not to include the privilege of adjourning the legislature past the sine die set for the regular session
  • Keeping and using "The Great Seal of the State of Ohio"
  • Signing and sealing all commissions granted in the name of the state of Ohio
  • Nominating, in the event of a vacancy in the Lieutenant Governor's office, a new officer, subject to a confirmatory vote of both chambers of the legislature
  • Making vacancy appointments for all "key state officers" (the Auditor, the Treasurer, the Secretary of State, and the Attorney General. Such appointments are for the remainder of the term when the next general election is less than 40 days away and until the next general election otherwise
  • Accepting a report from the head of each executive department at least once a year, not later than five days before the regular session of the legislature convenes, and including the substance of those reports in the annual address to the legislature
  • Making all appointments not otherwise provided for, with the advice and consent of the Senate, unless the Senate refuses to act, in which case the Governor's appointee takes offices by default

Succession

Should the office of governor become vacant due to death, resignation, or conviction of impeachment, the lieutenant governor assumes the title of governor. Should the office of lieutenant governor also become vacant, the president of the senate becomes the acting governor. If the vacancy of both offices took place during the first twenty months of the term, a special election is to be held on the next even-numbered year to elect new officers to serve out the current term. Prior to 1851, the speaker of the senate acted as governor for the term. Since 1978, the governor and lieutenant governor have been elected on the same ticket; prior to then, they could be (and often were) members of different parties.

List of governors

Northwest Territory

The Territory Northwest of the Ohio River, commonly known as the Northwest Territory, was organized on July 13, 1787. Many territories and states were split from Northwest Territory over the years, with the last portion being split between Indiana Territory and the newly-admitted state of Ohio on March 1, 1803.

Throughout its 15-year history, Northwest Territory had only one governor appointed by the federal government, Arthur St. Clair. He was removed from office by President Thomas Jefferson on November 22, 1802, and no successor was named; Secretary of the Territory Charles Willing Byrd acted as governor until statehood.

Governor of the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio
Governor Term in office Appointed by
Arthur St. Clair
(1737–1818)
October 5, 1787

November 22, 1802
(removed)
Continental Congress
George Washington
John Adams

State of Ohio

Ohio was admitted to the Union on March 1, 1803. Since then, it has had 64 governors, six of whom (Allen Trimble, Wilson Shannon, Rutherford B. Hayes, James M. Cox, Frank Lausche, and Jim Rhodes) served non-consecutive terms.

The first constitution of 1803 allowed governors to serve for two-year terms, limited to six of any eight years, commencing on the first Monday in the December following an election. The current constitution of 1851 removed the term limit, and shifted the start of the term to the second Monday in January following an election. In 1908, Ohio switched from holding elections in odd-numbered years to even-numbered years, with the preceding governor (from the 1905 election) serving an extra year. A 1957 amendment lengthened the term to four years and allowed governors to only succeed themselves once, having to wait four years after their second term in a row before being allowed to run again. An Ohio Supreme Court ruling in 1973 clarified this to mean governors could theoretically serve unlimited terms, as long as they waited four years after every second term.

Governors of the State of Ohio
No. Governor Term in office Party Election Lt. Governor
1   Edward Tiffin
(1766–1829)
March 3, 1803

March 4, 1807
(resigned)
Democratic-
Republican
1803 Office did not exist
1805
2 Thomas Kirker
(1760–1837)
March 4, 1807

December 12, 1808
(lost election)
Democratic-
Republican
Speaker of
the Senate
acting
1807
3 Samuel Huntington
(1765–1817)
December 12, 1808

December 8, 1810
(did not run)
Democratic-
Republican
1808
4 Return J. Meigs Jr.
(1764–1825)
December 8, 1810

March 25, 1814
(resigned)
Democratic-
Republican
1810
1812
5 Othniel Looker
(1757–1845)
March 25, 1814

December 8, 1814
(lost election)
Democratic-
Republican
Speaker of
the Senate
acting
6 Thomas Worthington
(1773–1827)
December 8, 1814

December 14, 1818
(did not run)
Democratic-
Republican
1814
1816
7 Ethan Allen Brown
(1776–1852)
December 14, 1818

January 4, 1822
(resigned)
Democratic-
Republican
1818
1820
8 Allen Trimble
(1783–1870)
January 4, 1822

December 28, 1822
(lost election)
Democratic-
Republican
Speaker of
the Senate
acting
9 Jeremiah Morrow
(1771–1852)
December 28, 1822

December 19, 1826
(did not run)
Democratic-
Republican
1822
1824
10 Allen Trimble
(1783–1870)
December 19, 1826

December 18, 1830
(did not run)
National
Republican
1826
1828
11 Duncan McArthur
(1772–1839)
December 18, 1830

December 7, 1832
(did not run)
National
Republican
1830
12 Robert Lucas
(1781–1853)
December 7, 1832

December 13, 1836
(did not run)
Democratic 1832
1834
13 Joseph Vance
(1786–1852)
December 13, 1836

December 13, 1838
(lost election)
Whig 1836
14 Wilson Shannon
(1802–1877)
December 13, 1838

December 16, 1840
(lost election)
Democratic 1838
15 Thomas Corwin
(1794–1865)
December 16, 1840

December 14, 1842
(lost election)
Whig 1840
16 Wilson Shannon
(1802–1877)
December 14, 1842

April 15, 1844
(resigned)
Democratic 1842
17 Thomas W. Bartley
(1812–1885)
April 15, 1844

December 3, 1844
(lost nomination)
Democratic Speaker of
the Senate
acting
18 Mordecai Bartley
(1783–1870)
December 3, 1844

December 12, 1846
(did not run)
Whig 1844
19 William Bebb
(1802–1873)
December 12, 1846

January 22, 1849
(did not run)
Whig 1846
20 Seabury Ford
(1801–1855)
January 22, 1849

December 12, 1850
(did not run)
Whig 1848
21 Reuben Wood
(d. 1864)
December 12, 1850

July 13, 1853
(resigned)
Democratic 1850
1851   William Medill
22 William Medill
(1802–1865)
July 13, 1853

January 14, 1856
(lost election)
Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
1853 James Myers
23 Salmon P. Chase
(1808–1873)
January 14, 1856

January 9, 1860
(did not run)
Republican 1855 Thomas H. Ford
1857 Martin Welker
24 William Dennison Jr.
(1815–1882)
January 9, 1860

January 13, 1862
(did not run)
Republican 1859 Robert C. Kirk
25 David Tod
(1805–1868)
January 13, 1862

January 11, 1864
(lost nomination)
Republican 1861 Benjamin Stanton
26 John Brough
(1811–1865)
January 11, 1864

August 29, 1865
(died in office)
Unionist 1863 Charles Anderson
27 Charles Anderson
(1814–1895)
August 29, 1865

January 8, 1866
(did not run)
Republican Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
28 Jacob Dolson Cox
(1828–1900)
January 8, 1866

January 13, 1868
(did not run)
Republican 1865 Andrew McBurney
29 Rutherford B. Hayes
(1822–1893)
January 13, 1868

January 8, 1872
(did not run)
Republican 1867 John C. Lee
1869
30 Edward Follansbee Noyes
(1832–1890)
January 8, 1872

January 12, 1874
(lost election)
Republican 1871 Jacob Mueller
31 William Allen
(1803–1879)
January 12, 1874

January 10, 1876
(lost election)
Democratic 1873 Alphonso Hart
32 Rutherford B. Hayes
(1822–1893)
January 10, 1876

March 2, 1877
(resigned)
Republican 1875 Thomas L. Young
33 Thomas L. Young
(1832–1888)
March 2, 1877

January 14, 1878
(did not run)
Republican Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
H. W. Curtiss
(acting)
34 Richard M. Bishop
(1812–1893)
January 14, 1878

January 12, 1880
(lost nomination)
Democratic 1877 Jabez W. Fitch
35 Charles Foster
(1828–1904)
January 12, 1880

January 14, 1884
(did not run)
Republican 1879 Andrew Hickenlooper
1881 Rees G. Richards
36 George Hoadly
(1826–1902)
January 14, 1884

January 11, 1886
(lost election)
Democratic 1883 John G. Warwick
37 Joseph B. Foraker
(1846–1917)
January 11, 1886

January 13, 1890
(lost election)
Republican 1885 Robert P. Kennedy
(resigned March 3, 1887)
Silas A. Conrad
1887 William C. Lyon
38 James E. Campbell
(1843–1924)
January 13, 1890

January 11, 1892
(lost election)
Democratic 1889 Elbert L. Lampson
(replaced January 31, 1890)
William V. Marquis
39 William McKinley
(1843–1901)
January 11, 1892

January 13, 1896
(did not run)
Republican 1891 Andrew L. Harris
1893
40 Asa S. Bushnell
(1834–1904)
January 13, 1896

January 8, 1900
(did not run)
Republican 1895 Asa W. Jones
1897
41 George K. Nash
(1842–1904)
January 8, 1900

January 11, 1904
(did not run)
Republican 1899 John A. Caldwell
1901 Carl L. Nippert
(resigned May 1, 1902)
Harry L. Gordon
42 Myron T. Herrick
(1854–1929)
January 11, 1904

January 8, 1906
(lost election)
Republican 1903 Warren G. Harding
43 John M. Pattison
(1847–1906)
January 8, 1906

June 18, 1906
(died in office)
Democratic 1905 Andrew L. Harris
44 Andrew L. Harris
(1835–1915)
June 18, 1906

January 11, 1909
(lost election)
Republican Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
45 Judson Harmon
(1846–1927)
January 11, 1909

January 13, 1913
(did not run)
Democratic 1908 Francis W. Treadway
1910 Atlee Pomerene
(resigned March 4, 1911)
Hugh L. Nichols
46 James M. Cox
(1870–1957)
January 13, 1913

January 11, 1915
(lost election)
Democratic 1912 W. A. Greenlund
47 Frank B. Willis
(1871–1928)
January 11, 1915

January 8, 1917
(lost election)
Republican 1914 John H. Arnold
48 James M. Cox
(1870–1957)
January 8, 1917

January 10, 1921
(did not run)
Democratic 1916 Earl D. Bloom
1918 Clarence J. Brown
49 Harry L. Davis
(1878–1950)
January 10, 1921

January 8, 1923
(did not run)
Republican 1920
50 A. Victor Donahey
(1873–1946)
January 8, 1923

January 14, 1929
(did not run)
Democratic 1922 Earl D. Bloom
1924 Charles H. Lewis
1926 Earl D. Bloom
(resigned April 1928)
William G. Pickrel
(term ended November 1928)
George C. Braden
51 Myers Y. Cooper
(1873–1958)
January 14, 1929

January 12, 1931
(lost election)
Republican 1928 John T. Brown
52 George White
(1872–1953)
January 12, 1931

January 14, 1935
(did not run)
Democratic 1930 William G. Pickrel
1932 Charles W. Sawyer
53 Martin L. Davey
(1884–1946)
January 14, 1935

January 9, 1939
(lost nomination)
Democratic 1934 Harold G. Mosier
1936 Paul P. Yoder
54 John W. Bricker
(1893–1986)
January 9, 1939

January 8, 1945
(did not run)
Republican 1938 Paul M. Herbert
1940
1942
55 Frank Lausche
(1895–1990)
January 8, 1945

January 13, 1947
(lost election)
Democratic 1944 George D. Nye
56 Thomas J. Herbert
(1894–1974)
January 13, 1947

January 10, 1949
(lost election)
Republican 1946 Paul M. Herbert
57 Frank Lausche
(1895–1990)
January 10, 1949

January 3, 1957
(resigned)
Democratic 1948 George D. Nye
1950
1952 John William Brown
1954
58 John William Brown
(1913–1993)
January 3, 1957

January 14, 1957
(successor took office)
Republican Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
59 C. William O'Neill
(1916–1978)
January 14, 1957

January 12, 1959
(lost election)
Republican 1956 Paul M. Herbert
60 Michael DiSalle
(1908–1981)
January 12, 1959

January 14, 1963
(lost election)
Democratic 1958 John W. Donahey
61
Jim Rhodes in Bettsville, Ohio October 15, 1981.jpg
Jim Rhodes
(1909–2001)
January 14, 1963

January 11, 1971
(term-limited)
Republican 1962 John William Brown
1966
62 John J. Gilligan
(1921–2013)
January 11, 1971

January 13, 1975
(lost election)
Democratic 1970
63
Jim Rhodes in Bettsville, Ohio October 15, 1981.jpg
Jim Rhodes
(1909–2001)
January 13, 1975

January 10, 1983
(term-limited)
Republican 1974 Dick Celeste
1978 George Voinovich
(resigned November 1979)
Vacant
64 Dick Celeste
(b. 1937)
January 10, 1983

January 14, 1991
(term-limited)
Democratic 1982 Myrl Shoemaker
(died July 30, 1985)
Vacant
1986 Paul Leonard
65 George Voinovich
(1936–2016)
January 14, 1991

December 31, 1998
(resigned)
Republican 1990 Mike DeWine
(resigned November 12, 1994)
Vacant
1994 Nancy Hollister
66 Nancy Hollister
(b. 1949)
December 31, 1998

January 11, 1999
(successor took office)
Republican Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
67 Bob Taft
(b. 1942)
January 11, 1999

January 8, 2007
(term-limited)
Republican 1998 Maureen O'Connor
(resigned December 31, 2002)
Vacant
2002 Jennette Bradley
(resigned January 5, 2005)
Bruce Johnson
(resigned December 8, 2006)
Vacant
68 Ted Strickland
(b. 1941)
January 8, 2007

January 10, 2011
(lost election)
Democratic 2006 Lee Fisher
69 John Kasich
(b. 1952)
January 10, 2011

January 14, 2019
(term-limited)
Republican 2010 Mary Taylor
2014
70 Mike DeWine
(b. 1947)
January 14, 2019

Incumbent
Republican 2018 Jon Husted
2022

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