List of current United States governors
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The United States has 50 states and 5 territories that each elect a governor to serve as chief executive of the state or territorial government.[1] The sole federal district, the District of Columbia, elects a mayor to oversee its government in a similar manner.[2][3] In the event of a vacancy, the governor is succeeded by the second-highest-ranking state official; in 45 states and 4 territories, the lieutenant governor is the first in the line of succession.[4][5]
As of January 2026[update], there are 26 states with Republican governors and 24 states with Democratic governors.[6] The Democratic Party controls two territorial governorships, the Republican Party controls one, and one is an independent.[citation needed] Jenniffer González-Colón of Puerto Rico is a member of the New Progressive Party, although she is also affiliated with the Republican Party.[7] The federal District of Columbia is governed by a Democratic mayor.[8]
The current gubernatorial term ends and new term begins in January for most states and territories, two months after their election; in Alaska, Hawaii, North Dakota, and Kentucky, the term begins in December.[9][10] Governors serve four-year terms in most states and all territories; New Hampshire and Vermont have two-year terms for their governors. Most states and all but one territory also have term limits that generally allow for two consecutive terms to be served by a candidate. To run for governor, a candidate must generally be a U.S. citizen with prior state residence who meets the minimum age requirement—set at 30 years old in 35 states.[11]
All 55 governors are members of the National Governors Association, a non-partisan organization which represents states and territories in discussions with the federal government.[12] Other organizations for governors include the partisan Democratic Governors Association and Republican Governors Association; and the three regional associations: Midwestern, Northeastern, and Western.[13]
State governors
The longest-serving incumbent U.S. governor is Greg Abbott of Texas, who took office on January 20, 2015. The most recently inaugurated governor is Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, who took office on January 20, 2026.[14] A total of 15 current governors previously served as lieutenant governor, while 13 previously served in the United States House of Representatives.[15] The governor's office has term limits in 37 states and 4 territories; these terms are four years except in New Hampshire and Vermont, where governors serve two-year terms.[11][16]
The average age of governors at the time of their inauguration was about 59 years old. Alabama governor Kay Ivey (born 1944) is the oldest current governor, and Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (born 1982) is the youngest.[6] As of January 2026, there are 14 female state governors serving. Of the 50 state governors, 47 are non-Hispanic white, one is Hispanic (Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico), one is Black (Wes Moore of Maryland), and one is Native American (Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma).[6]
The notation "(term limits)" after the year indicates that the governor is ineligible to seek re-election in that year; the notation "(retiring)" indicates that the governor has announced their intention not to seek re-election at the end of the term nor to run for another office.
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Territory governors
| Territory | Image | Governor[14] | Party[14] | Born | Prior public experience | Term start[14] | Term end[14] | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Samoa (list) |  |
Pula Nikolao Pula | Republican | December 31, 1955 | Director of the Office of Insular Affairs | January 3, 2025 | 2029 | [73][74] | |
| Guam (list) |  |
Lou Leon Guerrero | Democratic | November 8, 1950 | Guam Legislature | January 7, 2019 | 2027 (term limits) | [75][76] | |
| Northern Mariana Islands (list) |  |
David M. Apatang | Independent | July 10, 1948 | Lieutenant Governor Mayor of Saipan Northern Mariana Islands House |
July 23, 2025 | 2027 | [77] | |
| Puerto Rico (list) | .jpg) |
Jenniffer González-Colón | Republican | August 5, 1976 | Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico Speaker of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico |
January 2, 2025 | 2029 | [78] | |
| U.S. Virgin Islands (list) |  |
Albert Bryan Jr. | Democratic | February 21, 1968 | Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Department of Labor | January 7, 2019 | 2027 (term limits) | [79][80] | |
Federal district mayor
The District of Columbia is a federal district that elects a mayor that has similar powers to those of a state or territorial governor.[2] The cities of Washington and Georgetown within the district elected their own mayors until 1871, when their governments were consolidated into a reorganized District of Columbia by a congressional act.[81] The district's chief executive from 1871 to 1874 was a governor appointed by the president of the United States; the office was replaced by a board of commissioners with three members appointed by the president—two residents and a representative from the United States Army Corps of Engineers.[81][82] The Board of Commissioners was originally a temporary body but was made permanent in 1878 with one member selected to serve as the Board President, in effect the city's chief executive.[83] The system was replaced in 1967 by a single mayor–commissioner and home rule in the District of Columbia was fully restored in 1975 under a reorganized government led by an elected mayor.[84]
| Federal district | Image | Mayor | Party | Born | Prior public experience | Term start | Term end | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia (list) | .jpg) |
Muriel Bowser | Democratic[85] | August 2, 1972[85] | D.C. Council Advisory Neighborhood Commission[85] |
January 2, 2015[86] | 2027 (retiring) | |
See also
- Flags of governors of the U.S. states
- List of current United States first spouses
- List of current United States governors by age
- List of current United States lieutenant governors
- List of longest-serving United States governors
- List of female governors in the United States
- List of gubernatorial residences in the United States
- List of minority governors and lieutenant governors in the United States
- List of United States state legislatures
- List of U.S. state governors born outside the United States
- Seals of governors of the U.S. states
Notes
- The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is affiliated with the national Democratic Party.[41]
- In New York, gubernatorial terms begin at midnight on New Year's Day.[52]
