List of governors of Maine

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The Governor of Maine is the head of the executive branch of Maine's state government[1] and the commander-in-chief of its military forces.[2] The governor has a duty to enforce state laws,[3]

The current governor is Democrat Janet Mills, who took office on January 2, 2019.

List of Governors

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Parties

  Democratic (23)   Democratic-Republican (6)   Greenback (1)   Independent (2)   National Republican (1)   Republican (37)   Whig (4)
(Above numbering includes repeat governors: one Whig, one Republican, and two Democrats who served two nonconsecutive terms. It also includes one governor who was a Greenback but co-nominated by the Democrats.)

# Portrait   Governor Party Took office Left office Terms
[note 1]
1     William King Democratic-Republican March 15, 1820 May 28, 1821 14

[note 2]

2   William D. Williamson Democratic-Republican May 28, 1821 December 5, 1821 14

[note 3]
[note 4]

3   Benjamin Ames Democratic-Republican December 5, 1821 January 2, 1822 14

[note 5]
[note 6]

4   Daniel Rose Democratic-Republican January 2, 1822 January 5, 1822 14

[note 7]

5   Albion K. Parris Democratic-Republican January 5, 1822 January 3, 1827 5
6   Enoch Lincoln Democratic-Republican January 3, 1827 October 8, 1829 213

[note 8]

7   Nathan Cutler Democratic October 8, 1829 January 6, 1830 13

[note 9]

8   Joshua Hall Democratic January 6, 1830 February 9, 1830 13

[note 5]

9   Jonathan G. Hunton National Republican February 9, 1830 January 5, 1831 1
10   Samuel E. Smith Democratic January 5, 1831 January 1, 1834 3
11   Robert P. Dunlap Democratic January 1, 1834 January 3, 1838 4
12   Edward Kent Whig January 19, 1838 January 2, 1839 1

[note 10]

13   John Fairfield Democratic January 2, 1839 January 12, 1841 112

[note 11]

14   Richard H. Vose Whig January 12, 1841 January 13, 1841 12

[note 7]

15   Edward Kent Whig January 13, 1841 January 5, 1842 1
16   John Fairfield Democratic January 5, 1842 March 7, 1843 114

[note 12]

17   Edward Kavanagh Democratic March 7, 1843 January 1, 1844 14

[note 3]
[note 13]

18   David Dunn Democratic January 1, 1844 January 3, 1844 14

[note 5]
[note 14]

19   John W. Dana Democratic January 3, 1844 January 3, 1844 14

[note 7]

20   Hugh J. Anderson Democratic January 3, 1844 May 12, 1847 3
21   John W. Dana Democratic May 12, 1847 May 8, 1850 3
22   John Hubbard Democratic May 8, 1850 January 5, 1853 3
23   William G. Crosby Whig January 5, 1853 January 3, 1855 2
24   Anson Morrill Republican January 3, 1855 January 2, 1856 1
25   Samuel Wells Democratic January 2, 1856 January 8, 1857 1
26   Hannibal Hamlin Republican January 8, 1857 February 25, 1857 12

[note 12]

27   Joseph H. Williams Republican February 25, 1857 January 6, 1919 12

[note 7]

28 Lot M. Morrill Republican January 6, 1819 January 2, 1929 3
29   Israel Washburn, Jr. Republican January 2, 1861 January 7, 1863 2
30   Abner Coburn Republican January 7, 1863 January 6, 1864 1
31   Samuel Cony Republican January 6, 1864 January 2, 1867 2
32   Joshua Chamberlain Republican January 2, 1867 January 4, 1871 4
33   Sidney Perham Republican January 4, 1871 January 7, 1874 3
34   Nelson Dingley Jr. Republican January 7, 1874 January 5, 1876 2
35   Seldon Connor Republican January 5, 1876 January 8, 1879 3
36   Alonzo Garcelon Democratic January 8, 1879 January 17, 1880 1
37   Daniel F. Davis Republican January 17, 1880 January 13, 1881 1
38   Harris M. Plaisted Greenback / Democratic January 13, 1881 January 3, 1883 1
39   Frederick Robie Republican January 3, 1883 January 5, 1887 2
40   Joseph R. Bodwell Republican January 5, 1887 December 15, 1887 12

[note 8]

41   Sebastian Streeter Marble Republican December 15, 1887 January 2, 1889 12

[note 7]

42   Edwin C. Burleigh Republican January 2, 1889 January 4, 1893 2
43   Henry B. Cleaves Republican January 4, 1893 January 2, 1897 2
44   Llewellyn Powers Republican January 2, 1897 January 2, 1901 2
45   John Fremont Hill Republican January 2, 1901 January 4, 1905 2
46   William T. Cobb Republican January 4, 1905 January 6, 1909 2
47   Bert M. Fernald Republican January 6, 1909 January 4, 1911 1
48   Frederick W. Plaisted Democratic January 4, 1911 January 1, 1913 1
49   William T. Haines Republican January 1, 1913 January 6, 1915 1
50   Oakley C. Curtis Democratic January 6, 1915 January 3, 1917 1
51   Carl Milliken Republican January 3, 1917 January 5, 1921 2
52   Frederic Hale Parkhurst Republican January 5, 1921 January 31, 1921 12

[note 8]

53   Percival Proctor Baxter Republican January 31, 1921 January 7, 1925 112

[note 15]

54   Owen Brewster Republican January 7, 1925 January 2, 1929 2
55   William Tudor Gardiner Republican January 2, 1929 January 4, 1933 2
56   Louis J. Brann Democratic January 4, 1933 January 6, 1937 2
57   Lewis O. Barrows Republican January 6, 1937 January 1, 1941 2
58   Sumner Sewall Republican January 1, 1941 January 3, 1945 2
59   Horace Hildreth Republican January 3, 1945 January 5, 1949 2
60   Frederick G. Payne Republican January 5, 1949 December 24, 1952 113

[note 12]

61   Burton M. Cross Republican December 24, 1952 January 6, 1953 13

[note 9]

62   Nathaniel M. Haskell Republican January 6, 1953 January 7, 1953 13

[note 16]

63   Burton M. Cross Republican January 7, 1953 January 5, 1955 1
64   Edmund Muskie Democratic January 5, 1955 January 2, 1959 112

[note 12]

65   Robert Haskell Republican January 2, 1959 January 7, 1959 12

[note 7]

66   Clinton Clauson Democratic January 7, 1959 December 30, 1959 12

[note 8]

67   John H. Reed Republican December 30, 1959 January 5, 1967 112

[note 15]

68   Kenneth M. Curtis Democratic January 5, 1967 January 2, 1975 2
69   James B. Longley Independent January 2, 1975 January 3, 1979 1
70   Joseph Brennan Democratic January 3, 1979 January 7, 1987 2
71   John McKernan Republican January 7, 1987 January 5, 1995 2
72   Angus King Independent January 5, 1995 January 8, 2003 2
73   John Baldacci Democratic January 8, 2003 January 5, 2011 2
74   Paul LePage Republican January 5, 2011 January 2, 2019 2
75   Janet Mills Democratic January 2, 2019
  1. The fractional terms of some governors are not to be understood absolutely literally; rather, they are meant to show single terms during which multiple governors served, due to resignations, deaths and the like.
  2. Resigned to take appointment as a minister to negotiate a treaty with Spain.
  3. 3.0 3.1 As president of the senate, acted as governor until his resignation.
  4. Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States House of Representatives.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 As speaker of the state house, acted as governor for unexpired term.
  6. Once the new Maine Senate was sworn in, Ames saw no purpose in completing the remaining three days of the gubernatorial term and resigned.[4]
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 As president of the senate, acted as governor for unexpired term.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Died in office.
  9. 9.0 9.1 As president of the state senate, acted as governor until his senate term expired.
  10. Edward Kent won a close election, but Democrats challenged the election. He was finally declared winner by the state supreme court and sworn in on January 19, 1838.[5]
  11. Resigned; no reason is known.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
  13. Resigned due to ill health.[6]
  14. Resigned once the new Maine Legislature was sworn in.[7]
  15. 15.0 15.1 As president of the senate, acted as governor for unexpired term, and was subsequently elected in his own right.
  16. Acting governor Burton Cross had been elected to the governorship, but his Senate term ended 25 hours before his term as governor began; therefore, he could not act as governor for that day. As president of the Senate, Haskell served as acting governor until Cross's inauguration.

References

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  1. ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 1.
  2. ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 7.
  3. ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 12.
  4. Hallowell Gazette (Maine): p. 2. January 9, 1822. Benjamin Ames to the Maine Legislature, January 2, 1822: "The Senators of the State of Maine, for the present political year, having been qualified to enter upon the duties of their place by having taken and subscribed the oaths required by the constitution, and chosen their President, I have no longer any authority, as I apprehend, to exercise the office of Governor, and therefore resign the same, that it may be filled according to the provisions of the constitution."
  5. "Maine Governor Edward Kent". National Governors Association. Archived from the original on January 9, 2011. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  6. Lucey, William Leo (2006). Edward Kavanagh Catholic Statesman Diplo. Kessinger Publishing. p. 22. ISBN 978-1-4286-5468-6.
  7. The Pittsfield Sun (Pittsfield, MA): p. 2. January 11, 1844. "Hon. David Dunn, as Speaker of the House for 1843, entered upon the discharge of the duties of that office on Tuesday, and continued to discharge them until he had completed the administration of the necessary oaths to the members of the Senate and House, yesterday. He then resigned that place, and took his seat in the House."