Governors
- For the period before independence, see the list of colonial governors of Connecticut.
Connecticut was one of the original Thirteen Colonies and was admitted as a state on January 9, 1788. Before it declared its independence, Connecticut was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain. Like most early states, Connecticut had claims to western areas, but did not cede all of its claims during the formation of the country like the other states. It maintained its Western Reserve until 1800, at which time it was reassigned to the Northwest Territory.
The current Constitution of Connecticut, ratified in 1965, calls for a four-year term for the governor, commencing on the Wednesday after the first Monday in the January following an election. The previous constitution of 1818 originally had only a one-year term for governor; this was increased to two years in 1875, and four years in 1948. The 1875 amendment also set the start date of the term to its current date; before then, it was the first Wednesday in the May following an election. The constitution provides for the election of a lieutenant governor for the same term as the governor. The two offices are elected on the same ticket; this provision was added in 1962. In the event of a vacancy in the office of governor, the lieutenant governor becomes governor. Before the adoption of the 1965 constitution, the lieutenant governor only acted as governor. There is no limit of any kind on the number of terms one may serve.
Connecticut did not create a state constitution for itself until several decades after it became a state; until 1818, the state operated under the provisions of its colonial charter. The charter called for the election of a governor every year, but not more than once every two years, with the term commencing on the second Thursday in May.
A Connecticut Party (1) American (1) Democratic (22) Democratic-Republican (2) Federalist (7) National Republican (1) No party (1) Republican (32) Whig (6)
| # | Governor | Term start | Term end | Party | Lt. Governor | Terms | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Jonathan Trumbull | October 1, 1769 | May 13, 1784 | No party | Matthew Griswold | 14 1⁄2 | ||
| 17 | Matthew Griswold | May 13, 1784 | May 11, 1786 | Federalist | Samuel Huntington | 2 | ||
| 18 | Samuel Huntington | May 11, 1786 | January 5, 1796 | Federalist | Oliver Wolcott | 9 1⁄2 | ||
| 19 | Oliver Wolcott | January 5, 1796 | December 1, 1797 | Federalist | Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. | 1⁄2+1⁄2 | ||
| 20 | Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. | December 1, 1797 | August 7, 1809 | Federalist | John Treadwell | 10 1⁄2+1⁄2 | ||
| 21 | John Treadwell | August 7, 1809 | May 9, 1811 | Federalist | Roger Griswold | 1 1⁄2 | ||
| 22 | Roger Griswold | May 9, 1811 | October 25, 1812 | Federalist | John Cotton Smith | 1⁄2 | ||
| 23 | John Cotton Smith | October 25, 1812 | May 8, 1817 | Federalist | Chauncey Goodrich | 4 1⁄2 | ||
| 24 | Oliver Wolcott, Jr. | May 8, 1817 | May 2, 1827 | Toleration Republican |
Jonathan Ingersoll | 10 | ||
| David Plant | ||||||||
| 25 | Gideon Tomlinson | May 2, 1827 | March 2, 1831 | Democratic- Republican |
John Samuel Peters | 3 1⁄2 | ||
| 26 | John Samuel Peters | March 2, 1831 | May 1, 1833 | National Republican |
Thaddeus Betts | 2 1⁄2 | ||
| 27 | Henry W. Edwards | May 1, 1833 | May 7, 1834 | Democratic | Ebenezer Stoddard | 1 | ||
| 28 | Samuel A. Foot | May 7, 1834 | May 6, 1835 | Whig | Thaddeus Betts | 1 | ||
| 29 | Henry W. Edwards | May 6, 1835 | May 2, 1838 | Democratic | Ebenezer Stoddard | 3 | ||
| 30 | William W. Ellsworth | May 2, 1838 | May 4, 1842 | Whig | Charles Hawley | 4 | ||
| 31 | Chauncey Fitch Cleveland | May 4, 1842 | May 1, 1844 | Democratic | William S. Holabird | 2 | ||
| 32 | Roger Sherman Baldwin | May 1, 1844 | May 6, 1846 | Whig | Reuben Booth | 2 | ||
| 33 | Isaac Toucey | May 6, 1846 | May 5, 1847 | Democratic | Noyes Billings | 1 | ||
| 34 | Clark Bissell | May 5, 1847 | May 2, 1849 | Whig | Charles J. McCurdy | 2 | ||
| 35 | Joseph Trumbull | May 2, 1849 | May 4, 1850 | Whig | Thomas Backus | 1 | ||
| 36 | Thomas H. Seymour | May 4, 1850 | October 13, 1853 | Democratic | Charles H. Pond | 3 1⁄2 | ||
| Green Kendrick | ||||||||
| Charles H. Pond | ||||||||
| 37 | Charles H. Pond | October 13, 1853 | May 3, 1854 | Democratic | Vacant | 1⁄2 | ||
| 38 | Henry Dutton | May 3, 1854 | May 2, 1855 | Whig | Alexander H. Holley | 1 | ||
| 39 | William T. Minor | May 2, 1855 | May 6, 1857 | American | William Field | 2 | ||
| Albert Day | ||||||||
| 40 | Alexander H. Holley | May 6, 1857 | May 5, 1858 | Republican | Alfred A. Burnham | 1 | ||
| 41 | William A. Buckingham | May 5, 1858 | May 2, 1866 | Republican | Julius Catlin | 8 | ||
| Benjamin Douglas | ||||||||
| Roger Averill | ||||||||
| 42 | Joseph R. Hawley | May 2, 1866 | May 1, 1867 | Republican | Oliver Winchester | 1 | ||
| 43 | James E. English | May 1, 1867 | May 5, 1869 | Democratic | Ephraim H. Hyde | 2 | ||
| 44 | Marshall Jewell | May 5, 1869 | May 4, 1870 | Republican | Francis Wayland | 1 | ||
| 45 | James E. English | May 4, 1870 | May 16, 1871 | Democratic | Julius Hotchkiss | 1 | ||
| 46 | Marshall Jewell | May 16, 1871 | May 7, 1873 | Republican | Morris Tyler | 2 | ||
| 47 | Charles R. Ingersoll | May 7, 1873 | January 3, 1877 | Democratic | George G. Sill | 3 | ||
| 48 | Richard D. Hubbard | January 3, 1877 | January 9, 1879 | Democratic | Francis Loomis | 1 | ||
| 49 | Charles B. Andrews | January 9, 1879 | January 5, 1881 | Republican | David Gallup | 1 | ||
| 50 | Hobart B. Bigelow | January 5, 1881 | January 3, 1883 | Republican | William H. Bulkeley | 1 | ||
| 51 | Thomas M. Waller | January 3, 1883 | January 8, 1885 | Democratic | George G. Sumner | 1 | ||
| 52 | Henry B. Harrison | January 8, 1885 | January 7, 1887 | Republican | Lorrin A. Cooke | 1 | ||
| 53 | Phineas C. Lounsbury | January 7, 1887 | January 10, 1889 | Republican | James L. Howard | 1 | ||
| 54 | Morgan G. Bulkeley | January 10, 1889 | January 4, 1893 | Republican | Samuel E. Merwin | 2 | ||
| 55 | Luzon B. Morris | January 4, 1893 | January 9, 1895 | Democratic | Ernest Cady | 1 | ||
| 56 | Owen Vincent Coffin | January 9, 1895 | January 6, 1897 | Republican | Lorrin A. Cooke | 1 | ||
| 57 | Lorrin A. Cooke | January 6, 1897 | January 4, 1899 | Republican | James D. Dewell | 1 | ||
| 58 | George E. Lounsbury | January 4, 1899 | January 9, 1901 | Republican | Lyman A. Mills | 1 | ||
| 59 | George P. McLean | January 9, 1901 | January 7, 1903 | Republican | Edwin O. Keeler | 1 | ||
| 60 | Abiram Chamberlain | January 7, 1903 | January 4, 1905 | Republican | Henry Roberts | 1 | ||
| 61 | Henry Roberts | January 4, 1905 | January 9, 1907 | Republican | Rollin S. Woodruff | 1 | ||
| 62 | Rollin S. Woodruff | January 9, 1907 | January 6, 1909 | Republican | Everett J. Lake | 1 | ||
| 63 | George L. Lilley | January 6, 1909 | April 21, 1909 | Republican | Frank B. Weeks | 1⁄2 | ||
| 64 | Frank B. Weeks | April 21, 1909 | January 4, 1911 | Republican | Vacant | 1⁄2 | ||
| 65 | Simeon E. Baldwin | January 4, 1911 | January 6, 1915 | Democratic | Dennis A. Blakeslee | 2 | ||
| Lyman T. Tingier | ||||||||
| 66 | Marcus H. Holcomb | January 6, 1915 | January 5, 1921 | Republican | Clifford B. Wilson | 3 | ||
| 67 | Everett J. Lake | January 5, 1921 | January 3, 1923 | Republican | Charles A. Templeton | 1 | ||
| 68 | Charles A. Templeton | January 3, 1923 | January 7, 1925 | Republican | Hiram Bingham III | 1 | ||
| 69 | Hiram Bingham III | January 7, 1925 | January 8, 1925 | Republican | John H. Trumbull | 1⁄2 | ||
| 70 | John H. Trumbull | January 8, 1925 | January 7, 1931 | Republican | J. Edwin Brainard | 2 1⁄2 | ||
| Ernest E. Rogers | ||||||||
| 71 | Wilbur Lucius Cross | January 7, 1931 | January 4, 1939 | Democratic | Samuel R. Spencer | 4 | ||
| Roy C. Wilcox | ||||||||
| T. Frank Hayes | ||||||||
| 72 | Raymond E. Baldwin | January 4, 1939 | January 8, 1941 | Republican | James L. McConaughy | 1 | ||
| 73 | Robert A. Hurley | January 8, 1941 | January 6, 1943 | Democratic | Odell Shepard | 1 | ||
| 74 | Raymond E. Baldwin | January 6, 1943 | December 27, 1946 | Republican | William L. Hadden | 1 1⁄2 | ||
| Charles W. Snow | ||||||||
| 75 | Charles W. Snow | December 27, 1946 | January 8, 1947 | Democratic | Vacant | 1⁄2 | ||
| 76 | James L. McConaughy | January 8, 1947 | March 7, 1948 | Republican | James C. Shannon | 1⁄2 | ||
| 77 | James C. Shannon | March 7, 1948 | January 5, 1949 | Republican | Robert E. Parsons | 1⁄2 | ||
| 78 | Chester Bowles | January 5, 1949 | January 3, 1951 | Democratic | William T. Carroll | 1 | ||
| 79 | John Davis Lodge | January 3, 1951 | January 5, 1955 | Republican | Edward N. Allen | 1 | ||
| 80 | Abraham A. Ribicoff | January 5, 1955 | January 21, 1961 | Democratic | Charles W. Jewett | 1 1⁄2 | ||
| John N. Dempsey | ||||||||
| 81 | John N. Dempsey | January 21, 1961 | January 6, 1971 | Democratic | Anthony J. Armentano | 2 1⁄2 | ||
| Samuel J. Tedesco | ||||||||
| Fred J. Doocy | ||||||||
| Attilio R. Frassinelli | ||||||||
| 82 | Thomas J. Meskill | January 6, 1971 | January 8, 1975 | Republican | T. Clark Hull | 1 | ||
| Peter L. Cashman | ||||||||
| 83 | Ella T. Grasso | January 8, 1975 | December 31, 1980 | Democratic | Robert K. Killian | 1 1⁄2 | ||
| William A. O'Neill | ||||||||
| 84 | William A. O'Neill | December 31, 1980 | January 9, 1991 | Democratic | Joseph J. Fauliso | 2 1⁄2 | ||
| 85 | Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. | January 9, 1991 | January 4, 1995 | A Connecticut Party | Eunice Groark | 1 | ||
| 86 | John G. Rowland | January 4, 1995 | July 1, 2004 | Republican | Jodi Rell | 2 1⁄2 | ||
| 87 | Jodi Rell | July 1, 2004 | January 5, 2011 | Republican | Kevin Sullivan | 1 1⁄2 | ||
| Michael Fedele | ||||||||
| 88 | Dannel Malloy | January 5, 2011 | Incumbent | Democratic | Nancy Wyman | 1 | ||
Read more about this topic: List Of Governors Of Connecticut
Famous quotes containing the word governors:
“I do love this people [the French] with all my heart, and think that with a better religion and a better form of government and their present governors their condition and country would be most enviable.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)