List of governors of Washington
Governor of Washington | |
---|---|
Seal of the Governor
|
|
Style |
|
Status | |
Residence | Washington Governor's Mansion |
Term length | Four years, no term limit |
Inaugural holder | Elisha P. Ferry |
Formation | November 11, 1889 |
Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of Washington |
Salary | $182,179 (2019)[1] |
Website | No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata. |
The governor of Washington is the head of government of Washington State and commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.[2][3] The officeholder has a duty to enforce state laws,[4] the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Washington Legislature and line-item veto power to cancel specific provisions in spending bills.[5] The Washington governor may also convene the legislature on "extraordinary occasions".[4]
Washington Territory had 14 territorial governors from its organization in 1853 until the formation of the state of Washington in 1889. Territorial governors were appointed by the president of the United States. Elisha P. Ferry had the longest term of eight years and went on to become the state's first governor. William H. Wallace was appointed governor but never took office due to being elected as the territory's congressional delegate. George Edward Cole was appointed governor and took office, but his appointment was never ratified by the U.S. Senate and he was replaced as governor after four months.
Twenty-two individuals have held the office of Governor of Washington since the state's admission to the Union, with Arthur B. Langlie serving non-consecutive terms. Populist Party candidate John Rankin Rogers is the only non-Democratic or Republican nominee to win office. The most recent governor to be from Eastern Washington was Clarence Martin, elected in 1932.[6] The current governor is Democrat Jay Inslee, who took office on January 16, 2013, and was reelected in 2016 and 2020; his term will expire on January 15, 2025. Washington has had the longest current streak of Democratic governors in the nation, with the last Republican to hold the office being John Spellman in 1985.[7][lower-alpha 1]
With the re-election of Inslee in 2020, Langlie, Daniel J. Evans and Inslee are the only three Washington governors to be elected to three terms.
Contents
Governors
Governors of the Territory of Washington
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Washington Territory was created on March 2, 1853, from the northern half of Oregon Territory. At this point, Washington Territory also included the northern panhandle of modern Idaho and parts of Montana.[8] The southern half of Idaho was assigned to the Washington Territory in 1859 after Oregon was admitted as a state.[9] Idaho Territory was split from Washington Territory in 1863 giving Washington Territory its final borders.[10]
Due to the long distance between Washington, D.C., and Olympia, there was often a lengthy gap between a governor being appointed and his arrival in the territory.
Governors of the State of Washington
Washington was admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889. The term for governor is four years,[2] commencing on the second Monday in the January following the election.[33] If the office of governor is vacant or the governor is unable to discharge their duties, the lieutenant governor assumes the duties of governor, though still officially retains the office of lieutenant governor.[34] If both the offices of governor and lieutenant governor are unable to fulfill their duties, the secretary of state is next in line, and then the treasurer.[35] There is no limit to the number of terms a governor may serve.[36] The office of lieutenant governor is not elected on the same ticket as the governor.
- Parties
Democratic (11) Populist (1) Republican (12)
(above numbering includes one governor twice)[lower-alpha 7]
# | Governor | Took office | Left office | Office Prior to Ascension | Party | Election | Terms[lower-alpha 8] | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Elisha P. Ferry August 9, 1825 – October 14, 1895 (aged 70) |
November 11, 1889 | January 11, 1893 | 10th Governor of the Washington Territory | Republican | 1889 | 1 | ||
2 | John McGraw October 4, 1850 – June 23, 1910 (aged 59) |
January 11, 1893 | January 13, 1897 | King County Sheriff | 1892 | 1 | |||
3 | 75px | John Rankin Rogers September 4, 1838 – December 26, 1901 (aged 63) |
January 13, 1897 | December 26, 1901 | Washington House of Representatives | Populist | 1896 | 1 1⁄2[lower-alpha 9][lower-alpha 10] | |
Democratic | |||||||||
4 | Henry McBride February 7, 1856 – October 7, 1937 (aged 81) |
December 26, 1901 | January 11, 1905 | Lieutenant Governor of Washington | Republican | 1900 | 1⁄2[lower-alpha 11] | ||
5 | Albert E. Mead December 14, 1861 – March 19, 1913 (aged 51) |
January 11, 1905 | January 27, 1909 | Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney | 1904 | 1 | |||
6 | Samuel G. Cosgrove April 10, 1847 – March 28, 1909 (aged 61) |
January 27, 1909 | March 28, 1909 | Mayor of Pomeroy | 1908 | 1⁄2[lower-alpha 10] | |||
7 | Marion E. Hay December 9, 1865 – November 21, 1933 (aged 67) |
March 28, 1909 | January 15, 1913 | Lieutenant Governor of Washington | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
1⁄2[lower-alpha 11] | |||
8 | Ernest Lister June 15, 1870 – June 14, 1919 (aged 48) |
January 15, 1913 | February 13, 1919 | Chairman of the State Board of Control | Democratic | 1912 | 1 1⁄2[lower-alpha 12] | ||
1916 | |||||||||
9 | Louis F. Hart January 4, 1862 – December 4, 1929 (aged 67) |
February 13, 1919 | January 14, 1925 | Lieutenant Governor of Washington | Republican | 1920 | 1 1⁄2[lower-alpha 13] | ||
10 | Roland H. Hartley June 26, 1864 – September 21, 1952 (aged 88) |
January 14, 1925 | January 11, 1933 | Washington House of Representatives | 1924 | 2 | |||
1928 | |||||||||
11 | Clarence D. Martin June 29, 1886 – August 11, 1955 (aged 69) |
January 11, 1933 | January 15, 1941 | Mayor of Cheney | Democratic | 1932 | 2 | ||
1936 | |||||||||
12 | 75px | Arthur B. Langlie July 25, 1900 – July 24, 1966 (aged 65) |
January 15, 1941 | January 10, 1945 | Mayor of Seattle | Republican | 1940 | 1 | |
13 | 75px | Monrad Wallgren April 17, 1891 – September 18, 1961 (aged 70) |
January 10, 1945 | January 12, 1949 | U.S. Senator from Washington | Democratic | 1944 | 1 | |
14 | 75px | Arthur B. Langlie July 25, 1900 – July 24, 1966 (aged 65) |
January 12, 1949 | January 16, 1957 | 12th Governor of Washington | Republican | 1948 | 2 | |
1952 | |||||||||
15 | 75px | Albert Rosellini January 21, 1910 – October 10, 2011 (aged 101) |
January 16, 1957 | January 13, 1965 | Washington State Senate | Democratic | 1956 | 2 | |
1960 | |||||||||
16 | Daniel J. Evans October 16, 1925 |
January 13, 1965 | January 12, 1977 | Washington House of Representatives | Republican | 1964 | 3 | ||
1968 | |||||||||
1972 | |||||||||
17 | 75px | Dixy Lee Ray September 3, 1914 – January 2, 1994 (aged 79) |
January 12, 1977 | January 14, 1981 | Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs | Democratic | 1976 | 1 | |
18 | 75px | John Spellman December 29, 1926 – January 15, 2018 (aged 91) |
January 14, 1981 | January 16, 1985 | King County Executive | Republican | 1980 | 1 | |
19 | Booth Gardner August 21, 1936 – March 15, 2013 (aged 76) |
January 16, 1985 | January 13, 1993 | Pierce County Executive | Democratic | 1984 | 2 | ||
1988 | |||||||||
20 | Mike Lowry March 8, 1939 – May 1, 2017 (aged 78) |
January 13, 1993 | January 15, 1997 | U.S. Representative from WA-7th | 1992 | 1 | |||
21 | Gary Locke January 21, 1950 |
January 15, 1997 | January 12, 2005 | King County Executive | 1996 | 2 | |||
2000 | |||||||||
22 | 75px | Christine Gregoire March 24, 1947 |
January 12, 2005 | January 16, 2013 | Attorney General of Washington | 2004 | 2 | ||
2008 | |||||||||
23 | 75px | Jay Inslee February 9, 1951 |
January 16, 2013 | Incumbent[lower-alpha 14] | U.S. Representative from WA-01 | 2012 | 3 | ||
2016 | |||||||||
2020 |
Succession
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Other high offices held
Six of Washington's territorial governors and four of its state governors have served higher federal or confederate offices, or as governors of other states. Three represented Washington Territory as delegates to the U.S. House, and one additionally represented Idaho Territory in the same fashion, as well as serving as Governor of Idaho Territory. Two territorial governors represented eastern states, one as a representative from, and governor of, New Jersey, and one represented Virginia both in the United States and Confederate Houses. Three governors represented the state in the U.S. Senate, and two represented the state in the House. One governor has served in the United States Cabinet. Two of the territorial governors (marked with *) resigned their office to serve as territorial delegates.
Governor | Gubernatorial term | Other offices held | Source |
---|---|---|---|
Isaac Stevens | 1853–1857 | Delegate from Washington Territory* | [39] |
Fayette McMullen | 1857–1859 | Representative and Confederate Representative from Virginia | [40] |
William H. Wallace | 1861–1861 | Delegate from Washington Territory*, Delegate from Idaho Territory, Governor of Idaho Territory |
[41] |
Alvan Flanders | 1869–1870 | Delegate from Washington Territory | [42] |
William A. Newell | 1880–1884 | Representative from New Jersey, Governor of New Jersey | [43] |
Watson C. Squire | 1884–1887 | Senator from Washington | [44] |
Monrad Wallgren | 1945–1949 | Senator and Representative from Washington | [45] |
Daniel J. Evans | 1965–1977 | Senator from Washington | [46] |
Mike Lowry | 1993–1997 | Representative from Washington | [47] |
Gary Locke | 1997–2005 | Secretary of Commerce, Ambassador to China | [48] |
Jay Inslee | 2013–present | Representative from Washington | [49] |
See also
Notes
- ↑ The District of Columbia has been led by elected Democrats since 1975, but is not a state and does not have governors.
- ↑ Due to the long distance between Washington D.C. and Washington Territory, and the slow speed of communications and travel of the day, weeks or months could go by between the appointment of a governor and the governor actually taking office. The actual dates governors took office are sometimes vague; the ones in this list are cited mostly with contemporary news coverage, but other resources and almanacs give slightly different dates.
- ↑ Received a leave of absence in May 1860 to move his wife from Texas to Kentucky. He never returned to Washington Territory.[16][17]
- ↑ Appointed as governor, but did not take office as he was elected as a delegate from Washington Territory.[19]
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 President Johnson removed Governor Pickering in November 1866. Governor Cole arrived on January 8, 1867, after being appointed governor. Governor Pickering would not relinquish power until the U.S. Senate approved of Governor Cole's nomination on the basis that President Johnson was being impeached. However, the state's legislature looked to Governor Cole as the real governor. The U.S. Senate eventually failed to ratify his nomination.[22]
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Was a resident of Washington Territory at the time of appointment. This could have cut down on the time between appointment and taking office.[29]
- ↑ The official numbering includes ten Democrats, 12 Republicans, and John Rogers, who served as both a Democrat and a Populist. Rogers' term is counted as both Populist and Democratic.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Rogers was elected as a Populist for his first term and a Democrat for his second.[37]
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Died in office.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term.
- ↑ Lister became ill during his second term, relinquished his office to the Lieutenant Governor, and died a few months later.[38]
- ↑ As lieutenant governor, Hart filled the unexpired term after Lister relinquished his office due to ill health.[38]
- ↑ Inslee's third term expires on January 15, 2025.
References
- General
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- Constitution
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- Specific
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 WA Const. art. III, § 2.
- ↑ WA Const. art. III, § 8.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 WA Const. art. III, § 5.
- ↑ WA Const. art. III, § 12.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 McMullin and Walker p. 314
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ McMullin and Walker p. 315
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- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ McMullin and Walker pp. 317–318
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ McMullin and Walker p. 320
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 McMullin and Walker p. 321
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 McMullin and Walker p. 322
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ McMullin and Walker pp. 322–328.
- ↑ McMullin and Walker p. 325
- ↑ McMullin and Walker p. 326
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ WA Const. art. III, § 4
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ WA Const. art. III, § 10
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- ↑ 38.0 38.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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External links
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