List of governors of Texas

Governor of Texas
Gubernatorial seal
Gubernatorial standard
Incumbent
Greg Abbott
since January 20, 2015
Style
ResidenceTexas Governor's Mansion
Term lengthFour years, no term limit
Inaugural holderJames Pinckney Henderson
1846
FormationTexas Constitution
Salary$150,000 (2013)
Websitegov.texas.gov

The governor of Texas is the head of government of the U.S. state of Texas. The incumbent, Greg Abbott, is the forty-eighth governor to serve in the office since Texas' statehood in 1845.

When compared to those of other states, the governorship of Texas has been described as one of relative weakness. In some respects, it is the lieutenant governor of Texas, who presides over the Texas Senate, who possesses greater influence to exercise their prerogatives.

Rick Perry is the longest-serving governor, having assumed the governorship in 2000 upon the exit of George W. Bush, who resigned to take office as the 43rd president of the United States. Perry was elected in 2002 and he was re-elected in 2006 and 2010 serving for 14 years before choosing to retire in 2014.

Allan Shivers assumed the governorship upon the death of Beauford Jester in July 1949 and was elected in 1950 and re-elected in 1952 and 1954, serving for 7+12 years, making him the third longest serving governor before choosing to retire in 1956. Price Daniel was elected to the governorship in 1956 and re-elected in 1958 and 1960 before losing his re-election for an unprecedented fourth term in the 1962 Democratic primary, missing the runoff. John Connally was elected in 1962 and re-elected in 1964 and 1966 before choosing to retire in 1968, leaving office on January 21, 1969. Bill Clements served two non-consecutive four-year terms, having been elected in 1978 but lost re-election in 1982 before winning re-election in 1986, choosing to retire in 1990, was the second longest-serving governor: both of Shivers and Clements' records were surpassed by Perry.

Current governor Greg Abbott was elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018 and again in 2022. With his recent re-election, Abbott is on track to becoming the state's second longest-serving governor with 12 years of service by January 19, 2027.

Governors

Texas was annexed by the United States and admitted to the Union on December 29, 1845.

The governor is inaugurated on the third Tuesday of January every four years along with the lieutenant governor, and serves a term of four years. Prior to the present laws, in 1845, the state's first constitution established the office of governor, serving a term of two years, but no more than four years of every six. The 1861 constitution, following secession from the Union, established the first Monday of November following election as the term's start. Following the end of the American Civil War, the 1866 constitution increased term length to four years, limiting overall service to no more than eight years of every twelve, moving the term's start to the first Thursday following organization of the legislature, or "as soon thereafter as practicable." The constitution of 1869, enacted during Reconstruction, removed term limitations, to this day making Texas one of sixteen states, territory or jurisdiction (including the U.S. Territory Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia with no limit on gubernatorial terms. The present constitution of 1876 returned terms to two years, but a 1972 amendment again returned them to four.

In the case of a vacancy in the office, the lieutenant governor becomes governor. Prior to a 1999 amendment, the lieutenant governor only acted as governor until the expiration of the term to which he succeeded.

Governors of the State of Texas
No. Governor Term in office Party Election Lt. Governor
1   J. Pinckney Henderson
(1808–1858)
February 19, 1846

December 21, 1847
(did not run)
Democratic 1845   Albert Clinton Horton
2 George Tyler Wood
(1795–1858)
December 21, 1847

December 21, 1849
(lost election)
Democratic 1847 John Alexander Greer
3 Peter Hansborough Bell
(1810–1898)
December 21, 1849

November 23, 1853
(resigned)
Democratic 1849
1851 James W. Henderson
4 James W. Henderson
(1817–1880)
November 23, 1853

December 21, 1853
(successor took office)
Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
5 Elisha M. Pease
(1812–1883)
December 21, 1853

December 21, 1857
(term-limited)
Democratic 1853 David Catchings Dickson
1855 Hardin Richard Runnels
6 Hardin Richard Runnels
(1820–1873)
December 21, 1857

December 21, 1859
(lost election)
Democratic 1857 Francis Lubbock
7 Sam Houston
(1793–1863)
December 21, 1859

March 16, 1861
(removed)
Independent 1859 Edward Clark
8 Edward Clark
(1815–1880)
March 16, 1861

November 7, 1861
(lost election)
Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
9 Francis Lubbock
(1815–1905)
November 7, 1861

November 5, 1863
(did not run)
Democratic 1861 John McClannahan Crockett
10 Pendleton Murrah
(d. 1865)
November 5, 1863

June 17, 1865
(office vacated)
Democratic 1863 Fletcher Stockdale
11 Andrew Jackson Hamilton
(1815–1875)
June 17, 1865

August 9, 1866
(successor took office)
Military governor
appointed by President
Vacant
12 James W. Throckmorton
(1825–1894)
August 9, 1866

July 30, 1867
(removed)
Democratic 1866 George Washington Jones
13 Elisha M. Pease
(1812–1883)
July 30, 1867

September 30, 1869
(resigned)
Installed by
military occupation
Vacant
Vacant
September 30, 1869

January 8, 1870
Office vacated
after resignation
14 Edmund J. Davis
(1827–1883)
January 8, 1870

January 15, 1874
(lost election)
Republican 1869
15 Richard Coke
(1829–1897)
January 15, 1874

December 1, 1876
(resigned)
Democratic 1873 Richard B. Hubbard
1876
16 Richard B. Hubbard
(1832–1901)
December 1, 1876

January 21, 1879
(did not run)
Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
17 Oran Milo Roberts
(1815–1898)
January 21, 1879

January 16, 1883
(did not run)
Democratic 1878 Joseph D. Sayers
1880 Leonidas J. Storey
18 John Ireland
(1827–1896)
January 16, 1883

January 18, 1887
(did not run)
Democratic 1882 Francis Marion Martin
1884 Barnett Gibbs
19 Lawrence Sullivan Ross
(1838–1898)
January 18, 1887

January 20, 1891
(did not run)
Democratic 1886 Thomas Benton Wheeler
1888
20 Jim Hogg
(1851–1906)
January 20, 1891

January 15, 1895
(did not run)
Democratic 1890 George C. Pendleton
1892 Martin McNulty Crane
21 Charles A. Culberson
(1855–1925)
January 15, 1895

January 17, 1899
(did not run)
Democratic 1894 George Taylor Jester
1896
22 Joseph D. Sayers
(1841–1929)
January 17, 1899

January 20, 1903
(did not run)
Democratic 1898 James Browning
1900
23 S. W. T. Lanham
(1846–1908)
January 20, 1903

January 15, 1907
(did not run)
Democratic 1902 George D. Neal
1904
24 Thomas Mitchell Campbell
(1856–1923)
January 15, 1907

January 17, 1911
(did not run)
Democratic 1906 Asbury Bascom Davidson
1908
25 Oscar Branch Colquitt
(1861–1940)
January 17, 1911

January 19, 1915
(did not run)
Democratic 1910
1912 William Harding Mayes
26 James E. Ferguson
(1871–1944)
January 19, 1915

September 22, 1917
(impeached and removed)
Democratic 1914 William P. Hobby
1916
27 William P. Hobby
(1878–1964)
September 22, 1917

January 18, 1921
(did not run)
Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
1918 Willard Arnold Johnson
28 Pat Morris Neff
(1871–1952)
January 18, 1921

January 20, 1925
(did not run)
Democratic 1920 Lynch Davidson
1922 Thomas Whitfield Davidson
29 Miriam A. Ferguson
(1875–1961)
January 20, 1925

January 18, 1927
(lost nomination)
Democratic 1924 Barry Miller
30 Dan Moody
(1893–1966)
January 18, 1927

January 20, 1931
(did not run)
Democratic 1926
1928
31 Ross S. Sterling
(1875–1949)
January 20, 1931

January 17, 1933
(lost nomination)
Democratic 1930 Edgar E. Witt
32 Miriam A. Ferguson
(1875–1961)
January 17, 1933

January 15, 1935
(did not run)
Democratic 1932
33 James Burr V Allred
(1899–1959)
January 15, 1935

January 17, 1939
(did not run)
Democratic 1934 Walter Frank Woodul
1936
34 W. Lee O'Daniel
(1890–1969)
January 17, 1939

August 4, 1941
(resigned)
Democratic 1938 Coke R. Stevenson
1940
35 Coke R. Stevenson
(1888–1975)
August 4, 1941

January 21, 1947
(did not run)
Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
1942 John Lee Smith
1944
36 Beauford H. Jester
(1893–1949)
January 21, 1947

July 11, 1949
(died in office)
Democratic 1946 Allan Shivers
1948
37 Allan Shivers
(1907–1985)
July 11, 1949

January 15, 1957
(did not run)
Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
1950 Ben Ramsey
1952
1954
38 Price Daniel
(1910–1988)
January 15, 1957

January 15, 1963
(lost nomination)
Democratic 1956
1958
1960
Vacant
39 John Connally
(1917–1993)
January 15, 1963

January 21, 1969
(did not run)
Democratic 1962 Preston Smith
1964
1966
40 Preston Smith
(1912–2003)
January 21, 1969

January 16, 1973
(lost nomination)
Democratic 1968 Ben Barnes
1970
41 Dolph Briscoe
(1923–2010)
January 16, 1973

January 16, 1979
(lost nomination)
Democratic 1972 William P. Hobby Jr.
1974
42 Bill Clements
(1917–2011)
January 16, 1979

January 18, 1983
(lost election)
Republican 1978
43 Mark White
(1940–2017)
January 18, 1983

January 20, 1987
(lost election)
Democratic 1982
44 Bill Clements
(1917–2011)
January 20, 1987

January 15, 1991
(did not run)
Republican 1986
45 Ann Richards
(1933–2006)
January 15, 1991

January 17, 1995
(lost election)
Democratic 1990 Bob Bullock
46 George W. Bush
(b. 1946)
January 17, 1995

December 21, 2000
(resigned)
Republican 1994
1998 Rick Perry
47 Rick Perry
(b. 1950)
December 21, 2000

January 20, 2015
(did not run)
Republican Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Bill Ratliff
2002 David Dewhurst
2006
2010
48 Greg Abbott
(b. 1957)
January 20, 2015

Incumbent
Republican 2014 Dan Patrick
2018
2022

See also


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