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List of governors of California

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The governor of California is the head of government of California, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced. The governor is also the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The current governor is Gavin Newsom, who has been in office since 2019. 39 people have served as governor, over 40 distinct terms. Many have been influential nationwide in areas far-flung from state politics. Leland Stanford founded Stanford University in 1891. Earl Warren, later chief justice of the United States, won an election with the nominations of the three major parties – the only person to run essentially unopposed for governor of California. Ronald Reagan, who was president of the Screen Actors Guild and later president of the United States, and Arnold Schwarzenegger both came to prominence through acting. Gray Davis, the 37th governor of California, was the second governor in American history to be recalled by voters. The shortest tenure was that of Milton Latham, who served only five days before being elected to fill a vacant United States Senate seat. The longest tenure is that of Jerry Brown, who served as governor from 1975 to 1983 and again from 2011 to 2019, the only governor to serve non-consecutive terms. He is the son of former governor Pat Brown who served from 1959 to 1967.

Gavin Newsom, the 40th and current governor of California

List of governors

For the period before statehood, see list of governors of California before 1850.

California was obtained by the United States in the Mexican Cession following the Mexican–American War. Unlike most other states, it was never organized as a territory and was admitted as the 31st state on September 9, 1850. The original California Constitution of 1849 called for elections every two years, with no set start date for the term. An amendment ratified in 1862 increased the term to four years.[1] The 1879 constitution set the term to begin on the first Monday after January 1, following an election.[a] In 1990, Proposition 140 led to a constitutional amendment[2] implementing a term limit of two terms.[3]

Prior to this limit, only one governor, Earl Warren, served more than two terms. Jerry Brown was elected to a third term in 2010, and then to a fourth and final term in 2014, because his previous terms were before the term limit was enacted. The 1849 constitution created the office of lieutenant governor, who, in cases of vacancy in the office of governor, becomes governor.[4] The governor and the lieutenant governor are not formally elected on the same ticket.

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Governors of the State of California
No. Governor Term in office Party Election Lt. Governor[b]
1   Peter Hardeman Burnett
(1807–1895)
[5][6][7]		 December 20, 1849[8][c]
–
January 9, 1851
(386 days; resigned)[d]		 Nonpartisan[e] 1849   John McDougal
2 John McDougal
(1818–1866)
[10][11][12]		 January 9, 1851[13]
–
January 8, 1852
(365 days; retired)[f]		 Nonpartisan[g] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 David C. Broderick[h]
(acting)
3 John Bigler
(1805–1871)
[15][16][17]		 January 8, 1852[18]
–
January 9, 1856
(1463 days; lost election)		 Democratic[19] 1851 Samuel Purdy
1853
4 J. Neely Johnson
(1825–1872)
[20][21][22]		 January 9, 1856[23]
–
January 8, 1858
(731 days;
lost nomination)[20]		 American[24] 1855 Robert M. Anderson
5 John B. Weller
(1812–1875)
[25][26][27]		 January 8, 1858[28]
–
January 9, 1860
(732 days; retired)		 Democratic[24] 1857 Joseph Walkup
6 Milton S. Latham
(1827–1882)
[29][30][31]		 January 9, 1860[32]
–
January 14, 1860
(6 days; resigned)[i]		 Lecompton
Democratic[24]		 1859 John G. Downey
7 John G. Downey
(1827–1894)
[33][34][35]		 January 14, 1860[36]
–
January 10, 1862
(728 days; retired)		 Lecompton
Democratic[37]		 Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Isaac N. Quinn
(acting)
(term ended January 7, 1861)
Pablo de la Guerra
(acting)
8 Leland Stanford
(1824–1893)
[38][39][40]		 January 10, 1862[41]
–
December 10, 1863
(700 days; retired)[j]		 Republican[37] 1861 John F. Chellis
9 Frederick Low
(1828–1894)
[43][44][45]		 December 10, 1863[46]
–
December 5, 1867
(1457 days; retired)		 Union[37] 1863[k] Tim N. Machin
10 Henry Huntly Haight
(1825–1878)
[47][48][49]		 December 5, 1867[50]
–
December 8, 1871
(1465 days; lost election)		 Democratic[37] 1867 William Holden
11 Newton Booth
(1825–1892)
[51][52][53]		 December 8, 1871[54]
–
February 27, 1875
(1178 days; resigned)[l]		 Republican[37] 1871 Romualdo Pacheco
12 Romualdo Pacheco
(1831–1899)
[55][56][57]		 February 27, 1875[58]
–
December 9, 1875
(286 days; retired)[m]		 Republican[37] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 William Irwin[h]
(acting)
13 William Irwin
(1827–1886)
[60][61][62]		 December 9, 1875[63]
–
January 8, 1880
(1492 days; retired)		 Democratic[37] 1875 James A. Johnson
14 George C. Perkins
(1839–1923)
[64][65][66]		 January 8, 1880[67]
–
January 10, 1883
(1099 days; retired)		 Republican[37] 1879 John Mansfield
15 George Stoneman
(1822–1894)
[68][69][70]		 January 10, 1883[71]
–
January 8, 1887
(1460 days; retired)[72]		 Democratic[37] 1882 John Daggett
16 Washington Bartlett
(1824–1887)
[73][74][75]		 January 8, 1887[76]
–
September 12, 1887
(248 days; died in office)		 Democratic[37] 1886 Robert Waterman[n]
17 Robert Waterman
(1826–1891)
[77][78][79]		 September 12, 1887[80]
–
January 8, 1891
(1215 days; retired)		 Republican[37] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Stephen M. White[h]
(acting)
18 Henry Markham
(1840–1923)
[81][82][83]		 January 8, 1891[84]
–
January 11, 1895
(1465 days; retired)		 Republican[37] 1890 John B. Reddick
19 James Budd
(1851–1908)
[85][86][87]		 January 11, 1895[88]
–
January 4, 1899
(1455 days; retired)[85]		 Democratic[37] 1894 Spencer G. Millard[n]
(died October 24, 1895)
Vacant
William T. Jeter
(appointed October 26, 1895)
20 Henry T. Gage
(1852–1924)
[89][90][91]		 January 4, 1899[92]
–
January 7, 1903
(1464 days;
lost nomination)[89]		 Republican[37] 1898 Jacob H. Neff
21 George Pardee
(1857–1941)
[93][94][95]		 January 7, 1903[96]
–
January 9, 1907
(1464 days;
lost nomination)[93]		 Republican[37] 1902 Alden Anderson
22 James Gillett
(1860–1937)
[97][98][99]		 January 9, 1907[100]
–
January 3, 1911
(1456 days; retired)[97]		 Republican[37] 1906 Warren R. Porter
23 Hiram Johnson
(1866–1945)
[101][102][103]		 January 3, 1911[104]
–
March 15, 1917
(2264 days; resigned)[o]		 Republican[37] 1910 Albert Joseph Wallace
Progressive[37] 1914 John M. Eshleman
(died February 28, 1916)
Vacant
William Stephens[n]
(took office July 22, 1916)
24 William Stephens
(1859–1944)
[105][106][107]		 March 15, 1917[108]
–
January 9, 1923
(2127 days;
lost nomination)[105]		 Republican[37] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Vacant
1918 C. C. Young
25 Friend Richardson
(1865–1943)
[109][110][111]		 January 9, 1923[112]
–
January 4, 1927
(1457 days;
lost nomination)[113]		 Republican[37] 1922
26 C. C. Young
(1869–1947)
[114][115][116]		 January 4, 1927[117]
–
January 6, 1931
(1464 days;
lost nomination)[118]		 Republican[37] 1926 Buron Fitts
(resigned November 30, 1928)
Vacant
Herschel L. Carnahan
(appointed December 4, 1928)
27 James Rolph
(1869–1934)
[119][120][121]		 January 6, 1931[122]
–
June 2, 1934
(1244 days; died in office)		 Republican[37] 1930 Frank Merriam
28 Frank Merriam
(1865–1955)
[123][124][125]		 June 2, 1934[126]
–
January 2, 1939
(1676 days; lost election)		 Republican[37] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Vacant
1934 George J. Hatfield
29 Culbert Olson
(1876–1962)
[127][128][129]		 January 2, 1939[130]
–
January 4, 1943
(1464 days; lost election)		 Democratic[37] 1938 Ellis E. Patterson
30 Earl Warren
(1891–1974)
[131][132][133]		 January 4, 1943[134]
–
October 4, 1953
(3927 days; resigned)[p]		 Republican[q] 1942 Frederick F. Houser
1946 Goodwin Knight
1950
31 Goodwin Knight
(1896–1970)
[137][138][139]		 October 5, 1953[140]
–
January 5, 1959
(1919 days; retired)[r]		 Republican[37] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Harold J. Powers
1954
32 Pat Brown
(1905–1996)
[141][142][143]		 January 5, 1959[144]
–
January 2, 1967
(2920 days; lost election)		 Democratic[37] 1958 Glenn M. Anderson
1962
33 Ronald Reagan
(1911–2004)
[145][146][147]		 January 2, 1967[148]
–
January 6, 1975
(2927 days; retired)[145]		 Republican[37] 1966 Robert Finch
(resigned January 8, 1969)
Edwin Reinecke
(resigned October 2, 1974)
1970
John L. Harmer
34 Jerry Brown
(b. 1938)
[149][150][151]		 January 6, 1975[152]
–
January 3, 1983
(2920 days; retired)		 Democratic[37] 1974 Mervyn M. Dymally
1978 Michael Curb[n]
35 George Deukmejian
(1928–2018)
[153][154]		 January 3, 1983[155]
–
January 7, 1991
(2927 days; retired)		 Republican[154] 1982 Leo T. McCarthy[h]
1986
36 Pete Wilson
(b. 1933)
[156][157]		 January 7, 1991[158]
–
January 4, 1999
(2920 days; term-limited)[s]		 Republican[157] 1990
1994 Gray Davis[h]
37 Gray Davis
(b. 1942)
[160][161]		 January 4, 1999[162]
–
November 17, 2003
(1779 days; recalled)[t]		 Democratic[161] 1998 Cruz Bustamante[h]
2002
38 Arnold Schwarzenegger
(b. 1947)
[164][163]		 November 17, 2003[165]
–
January 3, 2011
(2605 days; term-limited)[s]		 Republican[163] 2003
(recall)[t]
2006 John Garamendi[h]
(resigned November 3, 2009)
Mona Pasquil[h]
(acting)
Abel Maldonado[n][u]
(appointed April 27, 2010)
39 Jerry Brown
(b. 1938)
[150][166]		 January 3, 2011[167]
–
January 7, 2019
(2927 days; term-limited)[s]		 Democratic[166] 2010
Gavin Newsom[u]
(took office January 10, 2011)
2014
40 Gavin Newsom
(b. 1967)
[169][170]		 January 7, 2019[171]
–
Incumbent[v]
(in office 2823 days)		 Democratic[170] 2018 Eleni Kounalakis
2021
(recall)[w]
2022
Close

See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    The rule of the term beginning on the first Monday after January 1 does not seem to have been followed until 1939; all terms between 1880 and 1931, except for 1923, began on the "wrong" day, often just one or two days off. This is well sourced, and it is unknown why the terms did not match the constitution, or why they began to match the constitution in 1939.
  2. [b]
    Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
  3. [c]
    A civilian government was formed in late 1849 prior to official statehood, and operated as the state government for ten months before official statehood was granted.[6]
  4. [d]
    Burnett abruptly resigned after his first annual address was criticized by the legislature.[6]
  5. [e]
    The 1849 election was non-partisan;[5][9] sources say Burnett was an Independent Democrat.[7]
  6. [f]
    Some sources say McDougal later served in the California State Senate;[10] however, they are mixing him up with James A. McDougall.[14]
  7. [g]
    The 1849 election was non-partisan;[5][9] sources say McDougal was an Independent Democrat.[12]
  8. [h]
    Represented the Democratic Party
  9. [i]
    Latham resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.[30]
  10. [j]
    Stanford withdrew after losing the early primaries of the Union/Republican nomination.[42]
  11. [k]
    First term under an 1862 constitutional amendment, which lengthened terms to four years.[1]
  12. [l]
    Booth resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.[52]
  13. [m]
    Pacheco instead ran unsuccessfully for reelection as lieutenant governor.[59]
  14. [n]
    Represented the Republican Party
  15. [o]
    Johnson resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.[102]
  16. [p]
    Warren resigned, having been appointed Chief Justice of the United States.[132] His resignation letter specified he would leave office at "12 o'clock midnight, Sunday, Oct 4, 1953".[135]
  17. [q]
    Warren ran as a Republican for his first and third terms. For his second term, he won the nomination of the Republican, Democratic, and Progressive parties.[136]
  18. [r]
    Knight instead ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate.[137]
  19. [s]
    Under a 1990 amendment to the constitution, governors may not serve more than two terms.[159]
  20. [t]
    Davis was recalled and Schwarzenegger elected to replace him in a special election.[163]
  21. [u]
    Newsom delayed his swearing in as lieutenant governor until January 10, 2011, to remain mayor of San Francisco; Maldonado stayed on as lieutenant governor until then.[168]
  22. [v]
    Newsom's second term began on January 6, 2023,[172] and will expire on January 4, 2027; he will be term-limited.
  23. [w]
    Newsom defeated a recall election.[173]

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