List of Governors of Kentucky

Governor of Kentucky
Seal of Kentucky
Incumbent Matt Bevin since December 8, 2015
Style	The Honorable
Residence	Kentucky Governor's Mansion
Term length	Four years, two consecutive with four year pause thereafter
Inaugural holder	Isaac Shelby
Formation	June 4, 1792
Salary	$153,970 (2013)[1]
Website	governor.ky.gov

The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of Kentucky's state government,^[2] and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.^[3] The governor has a duty to enforce state laws;^[4] the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Kentucky Legislature;^[5] the power to convene the legislature;^[6] and the power to grant pardons, except in cases of treason and impeachment.^[7] He or she is also empowered to reorganize the state government or reduce it in size. Historically, the office has been regarded as one of the most powerful executive positions in the United States.^[8]

Fifty-eight individuals have held the office of governor. Prior to a 1992 amendment to the state's constitution, the governor was prohibited from succeeding himself in office, though four men (Isaac Shelby, John L. Helm, James B. McCreary, and A. B. "Happy" Chandler) served multiple non-consecutive terms. Paul E. Patton, the first governor eligible for a second consecutive term under the amendment, won his reelection bid in 1999. James Garrard succeeded himself in 1800, before the constitutional provision existed.

William Goebel, who was elected to the office in the disputed election of 1899, remains the only governor of any U.S. state to die from assassination while in office.^[9] Martha Layne Collins, who held the office from 1983 to 1987, was the first woman to serve as governor and was only the third woman to serve as governor of any U.S. state who was not the wife or widow of a previous governor.^[8]

The 62nd and current governor is Republican Matt Bevin, who took office on December 8, 2015.

Governors

Kentucky was initially Kentucky County in Virginia. It achieved statehood and was admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792; see the list of governors of Virginia for the period before statehood. There have been 57 governors, serving 61 distinct terms.

An unelected group proclaimed Kentucky's secession from the Union on November 20, 1861, and it was annexed by the Confederate States of America on December 10, 1861. The Confederate government elected two governors (listed separately), but it never held much control over the state, and the main line of governors was preserved.

The original 1792 Kentucky Constitution had the governor chosen by an electoral college for a term of four years.^[10] The second constitution in 1799 changed this to a popular vote, and prevented governors from succeeding themselves within seven years of their terms.^[11] The third constitution in 1850 reduced the succession limitation to four years.^[12] A 1992 amendment to the constitution allowed governors to have a second term before being prevented from succeeding themselves for four years.^[13]

Parties

      Democratic (35)       Democratic-Republican (9)       Know Nothing (1)       National Republican (2)       Republican (9)       Whig (6)

#	Image		Governor	Took office	Left office	Party	Lt. Governor [note 1]		Terms [note 2]
1			Isaac Shelby	June 4, 1792	June 7, 1796	Democratic-Republican	None		1
2			James Garrard	June 7, 1796	September 5, 1804	Democratic-Republican	None		2
								Alexander Scott Bullitt
3			Christopher Greenup	September 5, 1804	September 1, 1808	Democratic-Republican		John Caldwell	1
								Thomas Posey
4			Charles Scott	September 1, 1808	August 24, 1812	Democratic-Republican		Gabriel Slaughter	1
5			Isaac Shelby	August 24, 1812	September 5, 1816	Democratic-Republican		Richard Hickman	1
6			George Madison	September 5, 1816	October 14, 1816	Democratic-Republican		Gabriel Slaughter	^1⁄2 [note 3]
7			Gabriel Slaughter	October 14, 1816	August 29, 1820	Democratic-Republican	vacant		^1⁄2 [note 4]
8			John Adair	August 29, 1820	August 24, 1824	Democratic-Republican		William T. Barry	1
9			Joseph Desha	August 24, 1824	August 26, 1828	Democratic-Republican		Robert B. McAfee	1
10			Thomas Metcalfe	August 26, 1828	September 4, 1832	National Republican		John Breathitt	1
11			John Breathitt	September 4, 1832	February 21, 1834	Democratic		James T. Morehead	^1⁄2 [note 3]
12			James T. Morehead	February 21, 1834	August 30, 1836	National Republican, later Whig	vacant		^1⁄2 [note 4]
13			James Clark	August 30, 1836	August 27, 1839	Whig		Charles A. Wickliffe	^1⁄2 [note 3]
14			Charles A. Wickliffe	August 27, 1839	September 2, 1840	Whig	vacant		^1⁄2 [note 4]
15			Robert P. Letcher	September 2, 1840	September 4, 1844	Whig		Manlius V. Thomson	1
16			William Owsley	September 4, 1844	September 6, 1848	Whig		Archibald Dixon	1
17			John J. Crittenden	September 6, 1848	July 31, 1850	Whig		John L. Helm	^1⁄2 [note 5]
18			John L. Helm	July 31, 1850	September 2, 1851	Whig	vacant		^1⁄2 [note 4]
19			Lazarus W. Powell	September 2, 1851	September 4, 1855	Democratic		John B. Thompson	1
20			Charles S. Morehead	September 4, 1855	August 30, 1859	Know Nothing		James G. Hardy	1
21			Beriah Magoffin	August 30, 1859	August 18, 1862	Democratic		Linn Boyd	^1⁄2 [note 6]
							vacant
22			James F. Robinson	August 18, 1862	September 1, 1863	Democratic	vacant		^1⁄2 [note 7]
23			Thomas E. Bramlette	September 1, 1863	September 3, 1867	Democratic		Richard T. Jacob	1
24			John L. Helm	September 3, 1867	September 8, 1867	Democratic		John W. Stevenson	^1⁄2 [note 3]
25			John W. Stevenson	September 8, 1867	February 3, 1871	Democratic	vacant		1 ^1⁄2 [note 8] [note 9]
26			Preston H. Leslie	February 3, 1871	August 31, 1875	Democratic		John G. Carlisle	1 ^1⁄2 [note 10]
27			James B. McCreary	August 31, 1875	September 2, 1879	Democratic		John C. Underwood	1
28			Luke P. Blackburn	September 2, 1879	September 5, 1883	Democratic		James E. Cantrill	1
29			J. Proctor Knott	September 5, 1883	August 30, 1887	Democratic		James R. Hindman	1
30			Simon Bolivar Buckner	August 30, 1887	September 2, 1891	Democratic		James W. Bryan	1
31			John Young Brown	September 2, 1891	December 10, 1895	Democratic		Mitchell C. Alford	1
32			William O. Bradley	December 10, 1895	December 12, 1899	Republican		William J. Worthington	1
33			William S. Taylor	December 12, 1899	January 30, 1900	Republican		John Marshall	^1⁄3 [note 11]
34			William Goebel	January 30, 1900	February 3, 1900	Democratic		J. C. W. Beckham	^1⁄3 [note 11]
35			J. C. W. Beckham	February 3, 1900	December 10, 1907	Democratic	vacant		1 ^1⁄3 [note 12]
								William P. Thorne
36			Augustus E. Willson	December 10, 1907	December 12, 1911	Republican		William Hopkinson Cox	1
37			James B. McCreary	December 12, 1911	December 7, 1915	Democratic		Edward J. McDermott	1
38			Augustus O. Stanley	December 7, 1915	May 19, 1919	Democratic		James D. Black	^1⁄2 [note 9]
39			James D. Black	May 19, 1919	December 9, 1919	Democratic	vacant		^1⁄2 [note 4]
40			Edwin P. Morrow	December 9, 1919	December 11, 1923	Republican		S. Thruston Ballard	1
41			William J. Fields	December 11, 1923	December 13, 1927	Democratic		Henry Denhardt	1
42			Flem D. Sampson	December 13, 1927	December 8, 1931	Republican		James Breathitt, Jr.	1
43			Ruby Laffoon	December 8, 1931	December 10, 1935	Democratic		A. B. "Happy" Chandler	1
44			A. B. "Happy" Chandler	December 10, 1935	October 9, 1939	Democratic		Keen Johnson	^1⁄2 [note 13]
45			Keen Johnson	October 9, 1939	December 7, 1943	Democratic		Rodes K. Myers	1 ^1⁄2 [note 8]
46			Simeon S. Willis	December 7, 1943	December 9, 1947	Republican		Kenneth H. Tuggle	1
47			Earle C. Clements	December 9, 1947	November 27, 1950	Democratic		Lawrence W. Wetherby	^1⁄2 [note 9]
48			Lawrence W. Wetherby	November 27, 1950	December 13, 1955	Democratic	vacant		1 ^1⁄2 [note 8]
								Emerson Beauchamp
49			A. B. "Happy" Chandler	December 13, 1955	December 8, 1959	Democratic		Harry Lee Waterfield	1
50			Bert T. Combs	December 8, 1959	December 10, 1963	Democratic		Wilson Wyatt	1
51			Edward T. Breathitt	December 10, 1963	December 12, 1967	Democratic		Harry Lee Waterfield	1
52			Louie B. Nunn	December 12, 1967	December 7, 1971	Republican		Wendell H. Ford	1
53			Wendell H. Ford	December 7, 1971	December 28, 1974	Democratic		Julian M. Carroll	^1⁄2 [note 9]
54			Julian M. Carroll	December 28, 1974	December 11, 1979	Democratic		Thelma Stovall	1 ^1⁄2 [note 8]
55			John Y. Brown, Jr.	December 11, 1979	December 13, 1983	Democratic		Martha Layne Collins	1
56			Martha Layne Collins	December 13, 1983	December 8, 1987	Democratic		Steve Beshear	1
57			Wallace G. Wilkinson	December 8, 1987	December 10, 1991	Democratic		Brereton Jones	1
58			Brereton C. Jones	December 10, 1991	December 12, 1995	Democratic		Paul E. Patton	1
59			Paul E. Patton	December 12, 1995	December 9, 2003	Democratic		Steve Henry	2
60			Ernie Fletcher	December 9, 2003	December 11, 2007	Republican		Steve Pence	1
61			Steve Beshear	December 11, 2007	December 8, 2015	Democratic		Daniel Mongiardo	2
								Jerry Abramson
								Crit Luallen
62			Matt Bevin	December 8, 2015	Incumbent	Republican		Jenean Hampton	1 [note 14]

Confederate governors

George W. Johnson, 1st Confederate Governor of Kentucky

During the Civil War, a group of secessionists met at the Russellville, Kentucky to form a Confederate government for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. While this government never successfully displaced the government in Frankfort, two men were elected governor of the Confederate government: George W. Johnson, who served from November 20, 1861 to his death on April 8, 1862 at the Battle of Shiloh, and, on Johnson's death, Richard Hawes, who served until the Confederate surrender on April 9, 1865. The Confederate government disbanded shortly after the end of the war in 1865.^[15]

Other high offices held

This is a table of congressional seats, other federal offices, and other governorships held by governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented Kentucky except where noted.

* Denotes those offices for which the governor resigned the governorship.

In addition, one Confederate governor, Richard Hawes, served as a U.S. Representative.^[16]

Governor	Gubernatorial term	U.S. Congress		Other offices held	Source
		House	Senate
Christopher Greenup	1804–1808	H			[17]
John Adair	1820–1824	H	S		[18]
Joseph Desha	1824–1828				[19]
Thomas Metcalfe	1828–1832	H	S		[20]
James T. Morehead	1834–1836		S		[21]
James Clark	1836–1839	H			[22]
Charles A. Wickliffe	1839–1840	H		U.S. Postmaster General	[23]
Robert P. Letcher	1840–1844	H		Ambassador to Mexico	[24]
John J. Crittenden	1848–1850	H	S	U.S. Attorney General* (twice)	[25]
Lazarus W. Powell	1851–1855		S		[26]
Charles S. Morehead	1855–1859	H			[27]
John W. Stevenson	1867–1871	H	S*		[28]
Preston Leslie	1871–1875			Governor of Montana Territory	[29]
James B. McCreary	1875–1879 1911–1915	H	S		[30]
J. Proctor Knott	1883–1887	H			[31]
John Y. Brown	1891–1895	H			[32]
William O. Bradley	1895–1899		S		[33]
J. C. W. Beckham	1900–1907		S		[34]
Augustus O. Stanley	1915–1919	H	S*		[35]
William J. Fields	1923–1927	H			[36]
A. B. "Happy" Chandler	1935–1939 1955–1959		S*		[37]
Earle C. Clements	1947–1950	H	S*		[38]
Bert T. Combs	1959–1963			Sixth Circuit Court Judge	[39]
Wendell H. Ford	1971–1975		S*		[40]
Ernie Fletcher	2003–2007	H			[41]

Living former governors of Kentucky

As of January 2016, there are seven living former governors of Kentucky, the oldest being Julian M. Carroll (served 1974–1979, born 1931). The most recent governor to die was Wendell H. Ford (served 1971–1974, born 1924), on January 22, 2015. The most recently serving governor to die was Wallace G. Wilkinson (served 1987–1991, born 1941), who died on July 5, 2002.

Governor	Gubernatorial term	Date of birth (and age)
Julian M. Carroll	1974–1979	April 16, 1931
John Y. Brown, Jr.	1979–1983	December 28, 1933
Martha Layne Collins	1983–1987	December 7, 1936
Brereton C. Jones	1991–1995	June 27, 1939
Paul E. Patton	1995–2003	May 26, 1937
Ernie Fletcher	2003–2007	November 12, 1952
Steve Beshear	2007–2015	September 21, 1944

See also

• Timeline of Kentucky history

Notes

1. The office of lieutenant governor was created by the second Kentucky Constitution, ratified in 1799.^[14]
2. 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.
3. Died in office.
4. As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term.
5. Resigned to be Attorney General of the United States
6. Resigned due to his disagreement with the state legislature over the American Civil War; he espoused neutrality.
7. As president of the senate, filled unexpired term.
8. As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term, and was later elected in his own right.
9. Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
10. As president of the senate, filled unexpired term, and was subsequently elected in his own right.
11. William S. Taylor was sworn into office, but the legislature challenged the validity of his election win, claiming ballot fraud. William Goebel, his challenger in the election, was shot on January 30, 1900. The next day, the legislature named Goebel governor. However, Goebel died from his wounds three days later. Taylor fled the state and never returned, and was pardoned by Governor Augustus Willson in 1909.
12. As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term until elected to fill it in a special election.
13. Resigned to take an appointed seat in the United States Senate.
14. Governor Bevin's term expires on December 10, 2019. He is not yet term limited.

References

General

• "Kentucky's Governors". Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Archived from the original on July 8, 2010. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
• "Governors of Kentucky". National Governors Association. Archived from the original on 2011-03-16. Retrieved January 18, 2008.
• "Texts of the Constitutions of Kentucky". Kentucky Court of Justice. Archived from the original on 2010-03-18. Retrieved January 18, 2008.

Constitution

• "Kentucky Constitution". Kentucky Legislature. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
• "1792 Kentucky Constitution" (PDF). Commonwealth of Kentucky. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-03-13. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
• "1799 Kentucky Constitution" (PDF). Commonwealth of Kentucky. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-03-13. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
• "1850 Kentucky Constitution" (PDF). Commonwealth of Kentucky. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-03-13. Retrieved July 13, 2010.

Specific

1. "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries". The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
2. Kentucky Constitution article 69
3. Kentucky Constitution article 75
4. Kentucky Constitution article 81
5. Kentucky Constitution article 88
6. Kentucky Constitution article 80
7. Kentucky Constitution article 77
8. Kleber, John E., ed. (1992). "Governor, Office of". The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-1772-0.
9. Kleber, John E., ed. (1992). "Goebel Assassination". The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-1772-0.
10. 1799 Kentucky Constitution article II, § 2–3
11. 1799 Kentucky Constitution article III, § 3–4
12. 1850 Kentucky Constitution article III, § 3
13. Kentucky Constitution article 71
14. 1799 Kentucky Constitution article II, § 15
15. Kleber, John E., ed. (1992). "Confederate Government". The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-1772-0.
16. "Hawes, Richard". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
17. "Greenup, Christopher". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
18. "Adair, John". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
19. "Desha, Joseph". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
20. "Metcalfe, Thomas". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
21. "Morehead, James Turner". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
22. "Clark, James". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
23. "Wickliffe, Charles Anderson". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
24. "Letcher, Robert Perkins". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
25. "Crittenden, John Jordan". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
26. "Powell, Lazarus Whitehead". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
27. "Morehead, Charles Slaughter". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
28. "Stevenson, John White". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
29. "Kentucky Governor Preston Hopkins Leslie". National Governors Association. Archived from the original on 2010-01-21. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
30. "McCreary, James Bennett". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
31. "Knott, James Proctor". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
32. "Brown, John Young". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
33. "Bradley, William O'Connell". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
34. "Beckham, John Crepps Wickliffe". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
35. "Stanley, Augustus Osley". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
36. "Fields, William Craig". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
37. "Chandler, Albert Benjamin (Happy)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
38. "Clements, Earle C.". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
39. "Bertram Thomas Combs (1911–1991)". History of the Sixth Circuit. U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
40. "Ford, Wendell Hampton". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
41. "Fletcher, Ernest L.". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2010.

External links

• Office of the Governor of Kentucky