Governor of Massachusetts

head of state and of government of the U.S. commonwealth of Massachusetts

Just like the other 49 American states, Massachusetts has its own governor. The current governor is Maura Healey. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The first governor of Massachusetts was John Hancock.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts: 1780–present

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This is a complete list of governors of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Acting governors, denoted as "A" instead of numbered, are included when the Governor resigned or died. Acting governors show a vacancy in the lieutenant governorship. They remain as Lieutenant Governors and merely act as governor. Lieutenant governors in Massachusetts do not ascend to the governorship upon death or resignation of their predecessor.

Political party Number of governors
Democratic 20
Democratic-Republican 6
Federalist 3
Know Nothing 1
National Republican 1
No party affiliation 6
Republican 31
Whig 7


# Governor Party Years Lt. governor Electoral history
1  
John Hancock
None October 25, 1780 –
February 17, 1785
Thomas Cushing
(1780–1788)
Resigned due to claimed illness (recurring gout).
A[1]  
Thomas Cushing
None February 17, 1785 –
May 27, 1785
Acted as governor for the remainder of Hancock's term.

Lost election in his own right.
2  
James Bowdoin
None May 27, 1785 –
May 30, 1787
Lost re-election.
3  
John Hancock
None May 30, 1787 –
October 8, 1793
Died.
Benjamin Lincoln
(1788–1789)
Samuel Adams
(1789–1794)
4  
Samuel Adams
None October 8, 1793 –
June 2, 1797
Acted as governor for the remainder of Hancock's term.

Elected and re-elected in his own right until retirement.
Moses Gill
(1794–1800)
5  
Increase Sumner
Federalist June 2, 1797 –
June 7, 1799
Died.
A[1]  
Moses Gill
None June 7, 1799 –
May 20, 1800
Acted as governor for most of the remainder of Sumner's term.

Died ten days before its end.
A[1]  
Governor's Council
None May 20, 1800 –
May 30, 1800
None. The council was headed by Thomas Dawes.
this is the only time both the governorship and the lieutenant governorship were vacant.
6  
Caleb Strong
Federalist May 30, 1800 –
May 29, 1807
Samuel Phillips Jr.
(1801–1802)
Lost re-election.
Edward Robbins
(1802–1806)
7  
James Sullivan
Democratic-
Republican
May 29, 1807 –
December 10, 1808
Levi Lincoln Sr. Died.
A[1]  
Levi Lincoln Sr.
Democratic-
Republican
December 10, 1808 –
May 1, 1809
Acted as governor for the remainder of Sullivan's term.

Lost election in his own right.
8  
Christopher Gore
Federalist May 1, 1809 –
June 10, 1810
David Cobb Lost re-election.
9  
Elbridge Gerry
Democratic-
Republican
June 10, 1810 –
June 5, 1812
William Gray Lost re-election.
10  
Caleb Strong
Federalist June 5, 1812 –
May 30, 1816
William Phillips Jr. Retired.
11  
John Brooks
Federalist May 30, 1816 –
May 31, 1823
Retired.
12  
William Eustis
Democratic-
Republican
May 31, 1823 –
February 6, 1825
Levi Lincoln Jr.
(1823–1824)
Died.
Marcus Morton
(1824–1825)
A[1]  
Marcus Morton
Democratic-
Republican
February 6, 1825 –
May 26, 1825
Acted as governor for the remainder of Eustis's term.

Retired.
13  
Levi Lincoln Jr.
National
Republican
May 26, 1825 –
January 9, 1834
Thomas L. Winthrop
(1826–1833)
Retired.
14  
John Davis
Whig January 9, 1834 –
March 1, 1835
Samuel Turell Armstrong Resigned to become US Senator.
A[1]  
Samuel Turell Armstrong
Whig March 1, 1835 –
January 13, 1836
Acted as governor for the remainder of Davis's term.

Lost nomination.
lost election as independent.
15  
Edward Everett
Whig January 13, 1836 –
January 18, 1840
George Hull Lost re-election
16  
Marcus Morton
Democratic January 18, 1840 –
January 7, 1841
Lost re-election.
17  
John Davis
Whig January 7, 1841 –
January 17, 1843
Lost re-election.
18  
Marcus Morton
Democratic January 17, 1843 –
January 9, 1844
Henry H. Childs Lost re-election.
19
George N. Briggs
Whig January 9, 1844 –
January 11, 1851
John Reed Jr. Lost re-election.
20  
George S. Boutwell
Democratic January 11, 1851 –
January 14, 1853
Henry W. Cushman Retired.
21  
John H. Clifford
Whig January 14, 1853 –
January 12, 1854
Elisha Huntington Retired.
22  
Emory Washburn
Whig January 12, 1854 –
January 4, 1855
William C. Plunkett Lost re-election.
23  
Henry Gardner
Know-Nothing January 4, 1855 –
January 7, 1858
Simon Brown
(1855–1856)
Lost re-election.
Henry W. Benchley
(1856–1858)
24  
Nathaniel Prentice Banks
Republican January 7, 1858 –
January 3, 1861
Eliphalet Trask Retired to run for president.
25  
John Albion Andrew
Republican January 3, 1861 –
January 4, 1866
John Z. Goodrich
(1861)
Retired.
John Nesmith
(1862)
Joel Hayden
(1863–1866)
26  
Alexander H. Bullock
Republican January 4, 1866 –
January 7, 1869
William Claflin Retired.
27  
William Claflin
Republican January 7, 1869 –
January 4, 1872
Joseph Tucker
(1869–1873)
Retired.
28  
William B. Washburn
Republican January 4, 1872 –
April 29, 1874
Resigned to become US Senator.
Thomas Talbot
(1873–1875)
A[1]  
Thomas Talbot
Republican April 29, 1874 –
January 7, 1875
Acted as governor for the remainder of Washburn's term.

Lost election in his own right.
29  
William Gaston
Democratic January 7, 1875 –
January 6, 1876
Horatio G. Knight Lost re-election.
30  
Alexander H. Rice
Republican January 6, 1876 –
January 2, 1879
Retired.
31  
Thomas Talbot
Republican January 2, 1879 –
January 8, 1880
John Davis Long Retired.
32  
John Davis Long
Republican January 8, 1880 –
January 4, 1883
Byron Weston Retired.
33  
Benjamin F. Butler
Democratic January 4, 1883 –
January 3, 1884
Oliver Ames Lost re-election.
34  
George D. Robinson
Republican January 3, 1884 –
January 6, 1887
Retired.
35  
Oliver Ames
Republican January 6, 1887 –
January 7, 1890
John Q. A. Brackett Retired.
36  
John Q. A. Brackett
Republican January 7, 1890 –
January 8, 1891
William H. Haile
(1890–1893)
Lost re-election.
37  
William E. Russell
Democratic January 8, 1891 –
January 4, 1894
Retired.
Roger Wolcott
(1893–1897)
38  
Frederic T. Greenhalge
Republican January 4, 1894 –
March 5, 1896
Died.
39  
Roger Wolcott
Republican March 5, 1896 –
January 4, 1900
Acted as governor for the remainder of Greenhalge's term.

Elected and re-elected in own right until retirement.
Winthrop Murray Crane
(1897–1900)
40  
Winthrop Murray Crane
Republican January 4, 1900 –
January 8, 1903
John L. Bates Retired.
41  
John L. Bates
Republican January 8, 1903 –
January 5, 1905
Curtis Guild Jr. Retired.
42  
William L. Douglas
Democratic January 5, 1905 –
January 4, 1906
Retired.
43  
Curtis Guild Jr.
Republican January 4, 1906 –
January 7, 1909
Eben Sumner Draper Retired.
44  
Eben Sumner Draper
Republican January 7, 1909 –
January 5, 1911
Louis A. Frothingham Lost re-election.
45  
Eugene Noble Foss
Democratic January 5, 1911 –
January 8, 1914
Louis A. Frothingham
(1911–1912)
Did not stand for renomination as Democrat.
defeated as independent in general election.
Robert Luce
(1912–1913)
David I. Walsh
(1913–1914)
46  
David I. Walsh
Democratic January 8, 1914 –
January 6, 1916
Edward P. Barry
(1914–1915)
Lost re-election.
Grafton D. Cushing
(1915–1916)
47  
Samuel W. McCall
Republican January 6, 1916 –
January 2, 1919
Calvin Coolidge Retired.
48  
Calvin Coolidge
Republican January 2, 1919 –
January 6, 1921
Channing H. Cox Retired

Vice President of the United States

1921-1923

President of the United States

1923-1929

49  
Channing H. Cox
Republican January 6, 1921 –
January 8, 1925
Alvan T. Fuller Elected in 1920 (first two-year term).

Re-elected in 1922.

Retired.
50  
Alvan T. Fuller
Republican January 8, 1925 –
January 3, 1929
Frank G. Allen Retired.
51  
Frank G. Allen
Republican January 3, 1929 –
January 8, 1931
William S. Youngman Lost re-election.
52  
Joseph B. Ely
Democratic January 8, 1931 –
January 3, 1935
William S. Youngman
(1929–1933)
Retired.
Gaspar G. Bacon
(1933–1935)
53  
James Michael Curley
Democratic January 3, 1935 –
January 7, 1937
Joseph L. Hurley Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate
54
Charles F. Hurley
Democratic January 7, 1937 –
January 5, 1939
Francis E. Kelly Lost renomination.
55  
Leverett Saltonstall
Republican January 5, 1939 –
January 4, 1945
Horace T. Cahill Retired to run successfully for U.S. Senate
56  
Maurice J. Tobin
Democratic January 4, 1945 –
January 2, 1947
Robert F. Bradford Lost re-election.
57  
Robert F. Bradford
Republican January 2, 1947 –
January 6, 1949
Arthur W. Coolidge Elected in 1946.

Lost re-election.
58  
Paul A. Dever
Democratic January 6, 1949 –
January 8, 1953
Charles F. Sullivan Elected in 1948.

Re-elected in 1950.

Lost re-election.
59  
Christian A. Herter
Republican January 8, 1953 –
January 3, 1957
Sumner G. Whittier Elected in 1952.

Re-elected in 1954.

Retired.
60  
Foster Furcolo
Democratic January 3, 1957 –
January 5, 1961
Robert F. Murphy
(1957–1960)
Elected in 1956.

Re-elected in 1958.

Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
61  
John Volpe
Republican January 5, 1961 –
January 3, 1963
Edward F. McLaughlin Jr. Elected in 1960.

Lost re-election.
62  
Endicott Peabody
Democratic January 3, 1963 –
January 7, 1965
Francis Bellotti Elected in 1962.

Lost renomination.
63  
John Volpe
Republican January 7, 1965 –
January 22, 1969
Elliot Richardson
(1965–1967)
Elected in 1964.

Re-elected in 1966 (first four-year term).

Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
Francis Sargent
(1967–1969)
64  
Francis Sargent
Republican January 22, 1969 –
January 2, 1975
Acted as governor for the remainder of Volpe's term.

Elected in own right in 1970.

Lost re-election.
Donald Dwight
(1971–1975)
65  
Michael Dukakis
Democratic January 2, 1975 –
January 4, 1979
Thomas P. O'Neill III Elected in 1974.

Lost renomination.
66  
Edward J. King
Democratic January 4, 1979 –
January 6, 1983
Elected in 1978.

Lost renomination.
67  
Michael Dukakis
Democratic January 6, 1983 –
January 3, 1991
John Kerry
(1983–1985)
Elected in 1982.

Elected in 1986.

Retired.
Vacant
(1985–1987)
Evelyn Murphy
(1987–1991)
68  
Bill Weld
Republican January 3, 1991 –
July 29, 1997
Paul Cellucci
(1991–1999)
Elected in 1990.

Re-elected in 1994.

Resigned when nominated U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, but was not confirmed to the office.
A[1]
69
 
Paul Cellucci
Republican July 29, 1997 –
April 10, 2001
Acted as governor for the remainder of Weld's term.

Elected in own right in 1998.

Resigned to become U.S. Ambassador to Canada.
Jane Swift (1999–2003)
A[1]  
Jane Swift
Republican April 10, 2001 –
January 2, 2003
Acted as governor for the remainder of Cellucci's term.

Retired.
70  
Mitt Romney
Republican January 2, 2003 –
January 4, 2007
Kerry Healey Elected in 2002.

Retired.
71  
Deval Patrick
Democratic January 4, 2007 –
January 8, 2015
Tim Murray
(2007–2013)
Elected in 2006.

Re-elected in 2010.

Retired.
Vacant
72  
Charlie Baker
Republican January 8, 2015 –
January 5, 2023
Karyn Polito Elected in 2014.

Re-elected in 2018.

Retired.
73  
Maura Healey
Democratic January 5, 2023 –
present.
Kim Driscoll Elected in 2022.

References

change
  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Acting governors are not counted.