List of governors of California

head of the executive branch of the state government of the state of California

This is a list of governors of the US state of California.

Governors of the State of California[a]
No. Governor Term in office Party Election Lt. Governor[b]
1     Peter Hardeman Burnett December 20, 1849[c]

January 9, 1851
(resigned)[d]
Democratic 1849   John McDougal
2   John McDougal January 9, 1851

January 8, 1852
(not candidate for election)
Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor
David C. Broderick
(acting)
3   John Bigler January 8, 1852

January 9, 1856
(lost election)
1851 Samuel Purdy
1853
4   J. Neely Johnson January 9, 1856

January 8, 1858
(not candidate for election)
American 1855 Robert M. Anderson
5   John B. Weller January 8, 1858

January 9, 1860
(not candidate for election)
Democratic 1857 Joseph Walkup
6   Milton Latham January 9, 1860

January 14, 1860
(resigned)[e]
1859 John G. Downey
7   John G. Downey January 14, 1860

January 10, 1862
(not candidate for election)
Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor
Isaac N. Quinn
(acting)
(term ended January 7, 1861)
Pablo de la Guerra
(acting)
8   Leland Stanford January 10, 1862

December 10, 1863
(not candidate for election)
Republican 1861 John F. Chellis
9   Frederick Low December 10, 1863

December 5, 1867
(not candidate for election)
1863[f] Tim N. Machin
10   Henry Huntly Haight December 5, 1867

December 8, 1871
(lost election)
Democratic 1867 William Holden
11   Newton Booth December 8, 1871

February 27, 1875
(resigned)[g]
Republican 1871 Romualdo Pacheco
12   Romualdo Pacheco February 27, 1875

December 9, 1875
(not candidate for election)
Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor
William Irwin
(acting)
13   William Irwin December 9, 1875

January 8, 1880
(not candidate for election)
Democratic 1875 James A. Johnson
14   George Clement Perkins January 8, 1880

January 10, 1883
(not candidate for election)
Republican 1879 John Mansfield
15   George Stoneman January 10, 1883

January 8, 1887
(not candidate for election)
Democratic 1882 John Daggett
16   Washington Bartlett January 8, 1887

September 12, 1887
(died in office)
1886 Robert Waterman[h]
17   Robert Waterman September 12, 1887

January 8, 1891
(not candidate for election)
Republican Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor
Stephen M. White[i]
(acting)
18   Henry Markham January 8, 1891

January 11, 1895
(not candidate for election)
1890 John B. Reddick
19   James Budd January 11, 1895

January 4, 1899
(not candidate for election)
Democratic 1894 Spencer G. Millard[h]
(died October 24, 1895)
William T. Jeter
20   Henry Gage January 4, 1899

January 7, 1903
(not candidate for election)
Republican 1898 Jacob H. Neff
21   George Pardee January 7, 1903

January 9, 1907
(not candidate for election)
1902 Alden Anderson
22   James Gillett January 9, 1907

January 3, 1911
(not candidate for election)
1906 Warren R. Porter
23   Hiram Johnson January 3, 1911

March 15, 1917
(resigned)[j]
Republican 1910 Albert Joseph Wallace
Progressive 1914 John M. Eshleman
(died February 28, 1916)
Vacant
William Stephens[h]
(took office July 22, 1916)
24   William Stephens March 15, 1917

January 8, 1923
(not candidate for election)
Republican Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor
Vacant
1918 C. C. Young
25   Friend Richardson January 8, 1923

January 4, 1927
(not candidate for election)
1922
26   C. C. Young January 4, 1927

January 6, 1931
(lost renomination)[k]
1926 Buron Fitts
(resigned November 30, 1928)
Vacant
Herschel L. Carnahan
(appointed December 4, 1928)
27   James Rolph January 6, 1931

June 2, 1934
(died in office)
1930 Frank Merriam
28   Frank Merriam June 2, 1934

January 2, 1939
(lost election)
Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor
Vacant
1934 George J. Hatfield
29   Culbert Olson January 2, 1939

January 4, 1943
(lost election)
Democratic 1938 Ellis E. Patterson
30   Earl Warren January 4, 1943

October 5, 1953
(resigned)[l]
Republican[m] 1942 Frederick F. Houser
1946 Goodwin Knight
1950
31   Goodwin Knight October 5, 1953

January 5, 1959
(not candidate for election)[n]
Republican Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor
Harold J. Powers
1954
32   Pat Brown January 5, 1959

January 2, 1967
(lost election)
Democratic 1958 Glenn M. Anderson
1962
33   Ronald Reagan January 2, 1967

January 6, 1975
(not candidate for election)
Republican 1966 Robert Finch
(resigned January 8, 1969)
Edwin Reinecke
(resigned October 2, 1974)
1970
John L. Harmer
34   Jerry Brown January 6, 1975

January 3, 1983
(not candidate for election)
Democratic 1974 Mervyn M. Dymally
1978 Michael Curb[h]
35   George Deukmejian January 3, 1983

January 7, 1991
(not candidate for election)
Republican 1982 Leo T. McCarthy[i]
1986
36   Pete Wilson January 7, 1991

January 4, 1999
(term limited)
1990
1994 Gray Davis[i]
37   Gray Davis January 4, 1999

November 17, 2003
(recalled)[o]
Democratic 1998 Cruz Bustamante[i]
2002
38   Arnold Schwarzenegger November 17, 2003

January 3, 2011
(term limited)
Republican 2003
(special)[o]
2006 John Garamendi[i]
(resigned November 3, 2009)
Mona Pasquil[i]
(acting)
Abel Maldonado[h][p]
(appointed April 27, 2010)
39   Jerry Brown January 3, 2011

January 7, 2019
(term limited)
Democratic 2010
Gavin Newsom[p]
(took office January 10, 2011)
2014
40   Gavin Newsom January 7, 2019

present[q]
2018 Eleni Kounalakis

References

change
  1. "Peter Hardeman Burnett". National Governors Association. 3 January 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  2. Durham, Walter T. (1997). Volunteer Forty-niners: Tennesseans and the California Gold Rush. Vanderbilt University Press. p. 193. ISBN 0-8265-1298-4. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
  3. "Milton Slocum Latham". National Governors Association. 3 January 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  4. "Newton Booth". National Governors Association. 3 January 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  5. "Hiram Warren Johnson". National Governors Association. 3 January 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  6. "Rolph Victor in California Race". Nashville Banner. Nashville, Tennessee. August 28, 1930. p. 13. Retrieved February 14, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Earl Warren". National Governors Association. 3 January 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  8. "Biography of Earl Warren". Earl Warren College. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  9. "Goodwin Jess Knight". National Governors Association. 3 January 2011. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  10. "Statewide Special Election". California Secretary of State. Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved June 23, 2020. {{cite web}}: More than one of |accessdate= and |access-date= specified (help); More than one of |archiveurl= and |archive-url= specified (help)
  11. Upton Oot, John (January 7, 2011). "Newsom's Dual Role Raises Legal Quandary". The Bay Citizen. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016. Retrieved June 23, 2020. {{cite web}}: More than one of |accessdate= and |access-date= specified (help); More than one of |archiveurl= and |archive-url= specified (help)

Notes

  1. Data is sourced from the National Governors Association, unless supplemental references are required.
  2. Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
  3. 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.[1]
  4. Burnett resigned, citing personal reasons; he was reportedly unhappy with the legislature, and wanted more time to manage his business.[2]
  5. Latham resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[3]
  6. First term under an 1862 constitutional amendment, which lengthened terms to four years.>
  7. Booth resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[4]
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Represented the Republican Party
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Represented the Democratic Party
  10. Johnson resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[5]
  11. Richardson lost the Republican nomination to James Rolph.[6]
  12. Warren resigned to be Chief Justice of the United States.[7]
  13. 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.[8]
  14. Knight instead unsuccessfully ran for United States Senate.[9]
  15. 15.0 15.1 Davis was recalled and Schwarzenegger elected to replace him in a special election.[10]
  16. 16.0 16.1 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.[11]
  17. Newsom's first term expires on January 2, 2023.