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List of governors of Indiana

The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Indiana. The governor is the head of the executive branch of Indiana's state government and is charged with enforcing state laws.

Governors

Governors of the Territory of Indiana

Indiana Territory was formed on July 4, 1800, from the Northwest Territory. Despite remaining a territory for nearly 16 years, it had only two governors appointed by the President of the United States before it became a state.

Governors of the Territory of Indiana
No. Governor Term in office Appointed by
1   William Henry Harrison January 10, 1801
–
December 28, 1812 		John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
— John Gibson December 28, 1812
–
March 3, 1813 		acting[a]
2   Thomas Posey March 3, 1813
–
November 7, 1816 		James Madison

Governors of the State of Indiana

Indiana was admitted to the Union on December 11, 1816.

The original 1816 Constitution of Indiana provided for the election of a governor and a lieutenant governor every three years, limited to six years out of any nine-year period.[2] The second and current constitution of 1851 lengthened terms to four years and set the commencement of the governor's term on the second Monday in the January following the election.[3] Governors were allowed to serve for four years in any eight-year period,[3] but a 1972 amendment permitted governors to serve for eight years in any twelve-year period.[4] Should the office of governor become vacant, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.[5] If the office of lieutenant governor is vacant, the president pro tempore of the Indiana Senate becomes governor;[5] this has happened once, when James B. Ray succeeded William Hendricks.[6]

Governors of the State of Indiana
No.[b] Governor Term in office Party Election Lt. Governor[c]
1     Jonathan Jennings November 7, 1816
–
September 12, 1822
(resigned)[d]		 Democratic-
Republican 		1816   Christopher Harrison
(resigned December 18, 1818)[e]
Vacant
1819 Ratliff Boon
2   Ratliff Boon September 12, 1822
–
December 5, 1822
(successor took office) 		Democratic-
Republican 		Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor 		Vacant
3   William Hendricks December 5, 1822
–
February 12, 1825
(resigned)[f]		 Democratic-
Republican 		1822 Ratliff Boon
(resigned January 30, 1824)
Vacant
4   James B. Ray February 12, 1825
–
December 7, 1831
(term limited) 		Independent Succeeded from
President of
the Senate[g]
1825 John H. Thompson
1828 Milton Stapp
5   Noah Noble December 7, 1831
–
December 6, 1837
(term limited) 		Whig 1831 David Wallace
1834
6   David Wallace December 6, 1837
–
December 9, 1840
(term limited) 		Whig 1837 David Hillis
7   Samuel Bigger December 9, 1840
–
December 6, 1843
(lost election) 		Whig 1840 Samuel Hall
8   James Whitcomb December 6, 1843
–
December 27, 1848
(resigned)[h]		 Democratic 1843 Jesse D. Bright
(resigned December 8, 1845)
Vacant
1846 Paris C. Dunning
9   Paris C. Dunning December 27, 1848
–
December 5, 1849
(not candidate for election) 		Democratic Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor 		Vacant
10   Joseph A. Wright December 5, 1849
–
January 12, 1857
(term limited) 		Democratic 1849 James Henry Lane
1852[i] Ashbel P. Willard
11   Ashbel P. Willard January 12, 1857
–
October 4, 1860
(died in office) 		Democratic 1856 Abram A. Hammond
12   Abram A. Hammond October 4, 1860
–
January 14, 1861
(successor took office) 		Democratic Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor 		Vacant
13   Henry Smith Lane January 14, 1861
–
January 16, 1861
(resigned)[j]		 Republican 1860 Oliver P. Morton
14   Oliver P. Morton January 16, 1861
–
January 24, 1867
(resigned)[k]		 Republican Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor 		Vacant
1864 Conrad Baker[l]
15   Conrad Baker January 24, 1867
–
January 13, 1873
(term limited) 		Republican Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor 		Vacant
1868 William Cumback
(resigned January 11, 1871)
Vacant
16   Thomas A. Hendricks January 13, 1873
–
January 8, 1877
(term limited) 		Democratic 1872 Leonidas Sexton
17   James D. Williams January 8, 1877
–
November 20, 1880
(died in office) 		Democratic 1876 Isaac P. Gray
18   Isaac P. Gray November 20, 1880
–
January 10, 1881
(successor took office) 		Democratic Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor 		Vacant
19   Albert G. Porter January 10, 1881
–
January 12, 1885
(term limited) 		Republican 1880 Thomas Hanna
20   Isaac P. Gray January 12, 1885
–
January 14, 1889
(term limited) 		Democratic 1884 Mahlon Dickerson Manson
(resigned July 1886)
Vacant
21   Alvin Peterson Hovey January 14, 1889
–
November 23, 1891
(died in office) 		Republican 1888 Ira Joy Chase
22   Ira Joy Chase November 23, 1891
–
January 9, 1893
(lost election) 		Republican Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor 		Vacant
23   Claude Matthews January 9, 1893
–
January 11, 1897
(term limited) 		Democratic 1892 Mortimer Nye
24   James A. Mount January 11, 1897
–
January 14, 1901
(term limited) 		Republican 1896 William S. Haggard
25   Winfield T. Durbin January 14, 1901
–
January 9, 1905
(term limited) 		Republican 1900 Newton W. Gilbert
26   Frank Hanly January 9, 1905
–
January 11, 1909
(term limited) 		Republican 1904 Hugh Thomas Miller
27   Thomas R. Marshall January 11, 1909
–
January 13, 1913
(term limited) 		Democratic 1908 Frank J. Hall
28   Samuel M. Ralston January 13, 1913
–
January 8, 1917
(term limited) 		Democratic 1912 William P. O'Neill
29   James P. Goodrich January 8, 1917
–
January 10, 1921
(term limited) 		Republican 1916 Edgar D. Bush
30   Warren T. McCray January 10, 1921
–
April 30, 1924
(resigned)[m]		 Republican 1920 Emmett Forest Branch
31 Emmett Forest Branch April 30, 1924
–
January 12, 1925
(not candidate for election) 		Republican Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor 		Vacant
32   Edward L. Jackson January 12, 1925
–
January 14, 1929
(term limited) 		Republican 1924 F. Harold Van Orman
33 Harry G. Leslie January 14, 1929
–
January 9, 1933
(term limited) 		Republican 1928 Edgar D. Bush
34   Paul V. McNutt January 9, 1933
–
January 11, 1937
(term limited) 		Democratic 1932 M. Clifford Townsend
35 M. Clifford Townsend January 11, 1937
–
January 13, 1941
(term limited) 		Democratic 1936 Henry F. Schricker
36 Henry F. Schricker January 13, 1941
–
January 8, 1945
(term limited) 		Democratic 1940 Charles M. Dawson
37 Ralph F. Gates January 8, 1945
–
January 10, 1949
(term limited) 		Republican 1944 Richard T. James
(resigned April 1, 1948)
Vacant
Rue J. Alexander
(appointed April 14, 1948)
(died January 2, 1949)
Vacant
38 Henry F. Schricker January 10, 1949
–
January 12, 1953
(term limited) 		Democratic 1948 John A. Watkins
39 George N. Craig January 12, 1953
–
January 14, 1957
(term limited) 		Republican 1952 Harold W. Handley
40 Harold W. Handley January 14, 1957
–
January 9, 1961
(term limited) 		Republican 1956 Crawford F. Parker
41   Matthew E. Welsh January 9, 1961
–
January 11, 1965
(term limited) 		Democratic 1960 Richard O. Ristine
42 Roger D. Branigin January 11, 1965
–
January 13, 1969
(term limited) 		Democratic 1964 Robert L. Rock
43   Edgar Whitcomb January 13, 1969
–
January 8, 1973
(not candidate for election)[n]		 Republican 1968 Richard E. Folz
44   Otis Bowen January 8, 1973
–
January 12, 1981
(term limited) 		Republican 1972 Robert D. Orr
1976
45   Robert D. Orr January 12, 1981
–
January 9, 1989
(term limited) 		Republican 1980 John Mutz
1984
46   Evan Bayh January 9, 1989
–
January 13, 1997
(term limited) 		Democratic 1988 Frank O'Bannon
1992
47   Frank O'Bannon January 13, 1997
–
September 13, 2003
(died in office) 		Democratic 1996 Joe E. Kernan
2000
48   Joe E. Kernan September 13, 2003
–
January 10, 2005
(lost election) 		Democratic Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor 		Vacant
Kathy Davis
(appointed October 20, 2003)
49   Mitch Daniels January 10, 2005
–
January 14, 2013
(term limited) 		Republican 2004 Becky Skillman
2008
50   Mike Pence January 14, 2013
–
January 9, 2017
(not candidate for election) 		Republican 2012 Sue Ellspermann
(resigned March 2, 2016)
Vacant
Eric Holcomb
(appointed March 3, 2016)
51   Eric Holcomb January 9, 2017
–
present[o]		 Republican 2016 Suzanne Crouch

List Of Governors Of Indiana Media

Notes

  1. ↑ John Gibson is sometimes known as Indiana's second territorial governor. He actually only served as acting governor of the Indiana Territory during the absences of Governor William Henry Harrison.[1]
  2. ↑ The official site labels Eric Holcomb as the 51st governor;[7] based on this, repeat non-consecutive terms are numbered.
  3. ↑ Does not include acting lieutenant governors. All lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor.
  4. ↑ Jennings resigned to take an elected seat in the United States House of Representatives.
  5. ↑ Jennings was appointed a United States commissioner to conclude a treaty with native tribes on April 15, 1818; after this time, Harrison was acting as governor. However, by accepting the post, Harrison believed Jennings had vacated the seat, and thus felt he had succeeded Jennings to the governorship. The state legislature declined to confirm this, and Harrison resigned on December 18, 1818.[8]
  6. ↑ Hendricks resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
  7. ↑ As the office of lieutenant governor was vacant, Ppresident pro tempore of the Senate Ray succeeded Hendricks.
  8. ↑ Whitcomb resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
  9. ↑ First term under the 1851 constitution, which lengthened terms to four years.[3]
  10. ↑ Lane resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
  11. ↑ Morton resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
  12. ↑ Baker acted as governor from October 1865 to March 1866 while Morton sought treatment for a stroke and handed over executive powers.[9]
  13. ↑ McCray resigned following his conviction for mail fraud, and served three years in prison until he was pardoned by President Herbert Hoover.[10]
  14. ↑ It is unknown if the 1972 constitutional amendment allowing for a second term would have impacted Whitcomb; either way, he did not run in the 1972 election.
  15. ↑ Holcomb's first term expires on January 11, 2021.

References

  1. ↑ "John Gibson Letters". Indiana State Library. Archived from the original on December 2, 2008. Retrieved December 6, 2008.
  2. ↑ 1816 Const. art. IV, § 3
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 IN Const. art. V, § 1
  4. ↑ McLauchlan p. 94
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 IN Const. art. V, § 10
  6. ↑ Woollen, p. 56
  7. ↑ "About the Governor". State of Indiana. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  8. ↑ 1919 Year Book, p. 981
  9. ↑ "Indiana Governor Conrad Baker". National Governors Association. Archived from the original on January 4, 2010. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Warren Terry McCray". Indiana Historical Bureau. Archived from the original on November 16, 2008. Retrieved December 6, 2008.
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