List of governors of Nebraska

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The governor of Nebraska is the head of government of the U.S. state of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Constitution of Nebraska. The officeholder is elected to a four-year term, with elections held two years after presidential elections. The governor may be elected any number of times, but not more than twice in a row. The current officeholder is Jim Pillen, a Republican, who was sworn in on January 5, 2023.

StyleThe Honorable
Term length4 years, renewable once consecutively
Inaugural holderDavid Butler
Quick facts Governor of Nebraska, Style ...
Governor of Nebraska
Seal of Nebraska
Incumbent
Jim Pillen
since January 5, 2023
StyleThe Honorable
ResidenceNebraska Governor's Mansion
Term length4 years, renewable once consecutively
Inaugural holderDavid Butler
FormationConstitution of Nebraska
SuccessionLine of succession
DeputyLieutenant Governor of Nebraska
Salary$105,000 USD (2022)[1]
Websitegovernor.nebraska.gov
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Governors of Nebraska must be at least 30 years old and have been citizens and residents of the state for five years before being elected. Before 1966, the governor was elected to a two-year term. In 1962, a constitutional amendment extended the gubernatorial term to four years, effective with the 1966 election. In 1966, another amendment imposed a term limit of two consecutive terms. The lieutenant governor is subject to the same limitations and runs on a combined ticket with the governor. Charles W. Bryan is the only Governor of Nebraska to serve non-consecutive terms. Dave Heineman holds the record as Nebraska's longest-serving governor with 10 years.

The governor's term, along with all other elected statewide officers, begins on the first Thursday after the first Tuesday in the month of January after an election.[2] If the governor becomes incapacitated or is out of the state, the lieutenant governor acts as governor; if there is a vacancy or permanent incapacitation, the lieutenant governor becomes governor and serves the balance of the term. However, if both offices become vacant, the next person in the line of succession is the Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature, who is then followed by the chairs of various committees in the legislature.

List of governors

Nebraska Territory

Nebraska Territory was organized on May 30, 1854.[3] It had five governors appointed by the president of the United States.

On July 26, 1853, William Walker was elected provisional governor of Nebraska Territory; this spurred the federal government into action to organize the territory.

More information No., Governor ...
Governors of the Territory of Nebraska
No. Governor Term in office[a] Appointed by
1 Francis Burt
(1807–1854)
[4]
August 2, 1854[b]

October 18, 1854
(died in office)[c]
Franklin Pierce
2 Mark W. Izard
(1799–1866)
[9]
December 20, 1854[d]

October 25, 1857
(resigned)[e]
Franklin Pierce
3 William Alexander Richardson
(1811–1875)
[11]
December 10, 1857[f]

December 5, 1858
(resigned)[g]
James Buchanan
4 Samuel W. Black
(1816–1862)
[13]
February 8, 1859[h]

February 24, 1861
(resigned)[i]
James Buchanan
5 Alvin Saunders
(1817–1899)
[17]
March 27, 1861[j]

March 27, 1867
(statehood)
Abraham Lincoln
Andrew Johnson
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State of Nebraska

Nebraska was admitted to the Union on March 1, 1867.[20]

More information No., Governor ...
Governors of the State of Nebraska
No. Governor Term in office Party Election Lt. Governor[k][l]
1   David Butler
(1829–1891)
[21][22]
March 27, 1867[23]

June 2, 1871
(impeached and removed)[m]
Republican[24] 1866 Office did not exist
1868
1870
William H. James
(1831–1920)
[25][26]
June 2, 1871[27]

January 13, 1873
(successor took office)
Republican[24] Secretary
of state
acting
2 Robert Wilkinson Furnas
(1824–1905)
[28][29]
January 13, 1873[30]

January 12, 1875
(did not run)
Republican[24] 1872
3 Silas Garber
(1833–1905)
[31][32]
January 12, 1875[33]

January 9, 1879
(did not run)
Republican[24] 1874
1876   Othman A. Abbott
4 Albinus Nance
(1848–1911)
[34][35]
January 9, 1879[36]

January 4, 1883
(did not run)
Republican[24] 1878 Edmund C. Carns
1880
5 James W. Dawes
(1845–1918)
[37][38]
January 4, 1883[39]

January 6, 1887
(did not run)
Republican[24] 1882 Alfred W. Agee
1884 Hibbard H. Shedd
6 John Milton Thayer
(1820–1906)
[40][41]
January 6, 1887[42]

January 15, 1891
(did not run)[n]
Republican[24] 1886
1888 George de Rue Meiklejohn
Thomas Jefferson Majors[o]
7 James E. Boyd
(1834–1906)
[43][44]
January 15, 1891[45]

May 5, 1891
(removed)[n]
Democratic[24] 1890
6 John Milton Thayer
(1820–1906)
[40][41]
May 5, 1891[46]

February 8, 1892
(removed)[n]
Republican[24]
7 James E. Boyd
(1834–1906)
[43][44]
February 8, 1892[47]

January 13, 1893
(did not run)
Democratic[24]
8 Lorenzo Crounse
(1834–1909)
[48][49]
January 13, 1893[50]

January 3, 1895
(did not run)
Republican[24] 1892
9 Silas A. Holcomb
(1858–1920)
[51][52]
January 3, 1895[53]

January 5, 1899
(did not run)[51]
Fusion[p] 1894 Robert E. Moore[o]
1896 James E. Harris
10 William A. Poynter
(1848–1909)
[54][55]
January 5, 1899[56]

January 3, 1901
(lost election)
Fusion[q] 1898 Edward A. Gilbert
11 Charles Henry Dietrich
(1853–1924)
[57][58]
January 3, 1901[59]

May 1, 1901
(resigned)[r]
Republican[24] 1900 Ezra P. Savage
12 Ezra P. Savage
(1842–1920)
[60][61]
May 1, 1901[62]

January 8, 1903
(did not run)[60]
Republican[24] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Calvin F. Steele
(acting)
13 John H. Mickey
(1845–1910)
[63][64]
January 8, 1903[65]

January 3, 1907
(did not run)
Republican[24] 1902 Edmund G. McGilton
1904
14 George L. Sheldon
(1870–1960)
[66][67]
January 3, 1907[68]

January 7, 1909
(lost election)
Republican[24] 1906 Melville R. Hopewell[o]
(died May 2, 1911)
15 Ashton C. Shallenberger
(1862–1938)
[69][70]
January 7, 1909[71]

January 5, 1911
(lost nomination)[s]
Democratic[24] 1908
16 Chester Hardy Aldrich
(1863–1924)
[72][73]
January 5, 1911[74]

January 9, 1913
(lost election)
Republican[24] 1910
John H. Morehead[t]
(acting)
17 John H. Morehead
(1861–1942)
[75][76]
January 9, 1913[77]

January 4, 1917
(did not run)
Democratic[24] 1912 Samuel Roy McKelvie[o]
1914 James Pearson
18 Keith Neville
(1884–1959)
[78][79]
January 4, 1917[80]

January 9, 1919
(lost election)
Democratic[24] 1916 Edgar Howard
19 Samuel Roy McKelvie
(1881–1956)
[81][82]
January 9, 1919[83]

January 4, 1923
(did not run)[81]
Republican[24] 1918 Pelham A. Barrows
1920
20 Charles W. Bryan
(1867–1945)
[84][85]
January 4, 1923[86]

January 8, 1925
(did not run)[u]
Democratic[24] 1922 Fred Gustus Johnson[o]
21 Adam McMullen
(1872–1959)
[87][88]
January 8, 1925[89]

January 3, 1929
(did not run)
Republican[24] 1924 George A. Williams
1926
22 Arthur J. Weaver
(1873–1945)
[90][91]
January 3, 1929[92]

January 8, 1931
(lost election)
Republican[24] 1928
23 Charles W. Bryan
(1867–1945)
[84][85]
January 8, 1931[93]

January 3, 1935
(did not run)[v]
Democratic[24] 1930 Theodore W. Metcalfe[o]
1932 Walter H. Jurgensen
(removed June 26, 1938)
24 Robert Leroy Cochran
(1886–1963)
[94][95]
January 3, 1935[96]

January 9, 1941
(did not run)[w]
Democratic[24] 1934
1936
Vacant
Nate M. Parsons
(elected November 8, 1938)
1938 William E. Johnson[o]
25 Dwight Griswold
(1893–1954)
[97][98]
January 9, 1941[99]

January 9, 1947
(did not run)
Republican[24] 1940
1942 Roy W. Johnson
1944
26 Val Peterson
(1903–1983)
[100][101]
January 9, 1947[102]

January 8, 1953
(did not run)[x]
Republican[24] 1946 Robert B. Crosby
1948 Charles J. Warner
(died September 24, 1955)
1950
27 Robert B. Crosby
(1911–2000)
[103][104]
January 8, 1953[105]

January 6, 1955
(did not run)[y]
Republican[24] 1952
28 Victor Emanuel Anderson
(1902–1962)
[106][107]
January 6, 1955[108]

January 8, 1959
(lost election)
Republican[24] 1954
Vacant
1956 Dwight W. Burney[o]
29 Ralph G. Brooks
(1898–1960)
[109][110]
January 8, 1959[111]

September 9, 1960
(died in office)
Democratic[24] 1958
30 Dwight W. Burney
(1892–1987)
[112][113]
September 9, 1960[114]

January 5, 1961
(did not run)
Republican[24] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
31 Frank B. Morrison
(1905–2004)
[115][116]
January 5, 1961[117]

January 5, 1967
(did not run)[z]
Democratic[24] 1960 Dwight W. Burney
1962
1964 Philip C. Sorensen
32 Norbert Tiemann
(1924–2012)
[118][119]
January 5, 1967[120]

January 7, 1971
(lost election)
Republican[24] 1966 John E. Everroad
33 J. James Exon
(1921–2005)
[121][122]
January 7, 1971[123]

January 4, 1979
(term-limited)[aa]
Democratic[24] 1970 Frank Marsh[o]
1974 Gerald T. Whelan
34 Charles Thone
(1924–2018)
[125]
January 4, 1979[126]

January 6, 1983
(lost election)
Republican[125] 1978 Roland A. Luedtke
35 Bob Kerrey
(b. 1943)
[127]
January 6, 1983[128]

January 8, 1987
(did not run)
Democratic[127] 1982 Donald McGinley
36 Kay A. Orr
(b. 1939)
[129]
January 8, 1987[130]

January 10, 1991
(lost election)
Republican[129] 1986 William E. Nichol
37 Ben Nelson
(b. 1941)
[131]
January 10, 1991[132]

January 7, 1999
(term-limited)[aa]
Democratic[131] 1990 Maxine Moul
(resigned October 6, 1993)
Kim M. Robak
(appointed October 6, 1993)
1994
38 Mike Johanns
(b. 1950)
[133]
January 7, 1999[134]

January 20, 2005
(resigned)[ab]
Republican[133] 1998 David Maurstad
(resigned October 1, 2001)
Dave Heineman
(appointed October 1, 2001)
2002
39 Dave Heineman
(b. 1948)
[135]
January 20, 2005[136]

January 8, 2015
(term-limited)[aa]
Republican[135] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
Rick Sheehy
(appointed January 24, 2005)
(resigned February 2, 2013)
2006
2010
Vacant
Lavon Heidemann
(appointed February 13, 2013)
(resigned September 9, 2014)
Vacant
John E. Nelson
(appointed September 29, 2014)
40 Pete Ricketts
(b. 1964)
[137]
January 8, 2015[138]

January 5, 2023
(term-limited)[aa]
Republican[137] 2014 Mike Foley
2018
41 Jim Pillen
(b. 1955)
[139]
January 5, 2023[140]

Incumbent[ac]
Republican[139] 2022 Joe Kelly
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Timeline

See also

Notes

  1. The range given is from the date the governor was confirmed by the Senate, or appointed by the President during a Senate recess, to the date the governor left office.
  2. William Orlando Butler was nominated on June 22, 1854,[5] and confirmed by the Senate on June 29,[6] but declined the nomination.[7] Burt was then nominated[7] and confirmed by the Senate on August 2,[8] and was sworn in on October 16.[4]
  3. Burt died two days after being sworn in; Territorial Secretary Thomas B. Cuming acted as governor until Burt's successor arrived in the territory.[4]
  4. Izard was nominated, and confirmed by the Senate, on December 20, 1854,[10] and arrived in the territory on February 20, 1855.[9]
  5. Izard resigned due to political pressure from the president; Territorial Secretary Thomas B. Cuming acted as governor until Izard's successor arrived in the territory.[9]
  6. Richardson was nominated, and confirmed by the Senate, on December 10, 1857,[12] and arrived in the territory on January 12, 1858.[11]
  7. Richardson resigned due to political issues between him and President James Buchanan; Territorial Secretary Julius Sterling Morton acted as governor until Richardson's successor arrived in the territory.[11]
  8. Black was nominated on February 3, 1859,[14] and confirmed by the Senate on February 8;[15] he was already residing in the territory when appointed.[13]
  9. Black resigned, anticipating removal by the newly-elected president Abraham Lincoln;[13] Lincoln's nomination of his successor specifies "vice Samuel L. Black, removed".[16] Territorial Secretary Julius Sterling Morton and later Territorial Secretary Algernon S. Paddock acted as governor until Black's successor arrived in the territory.[13]
  10. Saunders was nominated on March 26, 1861;[16] confirmed by the Senate on March 27;[18] and arrived in the territory on May 18.[17] He was reconfirmed by the Senate on January 9, 1866.[19]
  11. The office of lieutenant governor was created in 1875.
  12. Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
  13. Butler was impeached and removed for misappropriating state funds; the impeachment was expunged six years later.[21]
  14. Thayer was not a candidate in the 1890 election, which Boyd won, and was due to be sworn in on January 8, 1891. However, Thayer challenged Boyd's citizenship, and thus eligibility to be governor, which delayed his inauguration until January 15. The Supreme Court of Nebraska then ruled that Boyd was ineligible, and Thayer took office again on May 5; however, the Supreme Court of the United States later ruled that Boyd was eligible, and he took office on February 8, 1892.[40][43]
  15. Represented the Republican Party
  16. Holcomb represented a fusion of the Democratic and Populist parties.[51]
  17. Poynter represented a fusion of the Democratic, Populist, and Silver Republican parties.[54]
  18. Dietrich resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.[57]
  19. Shallenberger lost the Democratic nomination to James Dahlman.[69]
  20. Represented the Democratic Party
  21. Bryan was renominated for governor, but withdrew to run unsuccessfully for Vice President of the United States.[84]
  22. Bryan instead ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination to the United States Senate.[84]
  23. Peterson instead ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination to the United States Senate.[100]
  24. Crosby instead ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination to the United States Senate.[103]
  25. Morrison instead ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate;[115] it is not known if the new gubernatorial term limit would have applied to him.
  26. Under a 1966 amendment to the constitution, governors are ineligible for four years after the expiration of two consecutive elected terms.[124]
  27. Johanns resigned, having been confirmed as United States Secretary of Agriculture.[133]
  28. Pillen's term will expire on January 7, 2027.

References

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