List of Governors of Georgia - Governors

Governors

For the period before independence, see the list of colonial governors of Georgia.

Georgia was one of the original Thirteen Colonies and ratified the Constitution of the United States on January 2, 1788. Before it declared its independence, Georgia was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain. Like most early states, Georgia had claims to western areas, but did not cede its claims during the formation of the country like the other states. It sold this area, the Yazoo Lands, to the federal government on April 24, 1802, when it was assigned to Mississippi Territory.

In the Rules and Regulations of 1776, considered by some to be the first constitution, the chief executive was a president chosen by the legislature every six months. This was quickly superseded by the 1777 constitution, which called for a governor to be chosen by the legislature each year, with a term limited to one year out of every three. In the event of a vacancy, the president of the executive council acted as governor. The governor's term was lengthened to two years in the 1789 constitution. The 1798 constitution modified succession so that the president of the senate would act as governor should that office become vacant. An 1818 amendment to that constitution extended the line of succession to the speaker of the house, and an 1824 amendment provided for popular election of the governor.

While the 1861 secessionist constitution kept the office the same, the other constitutions surrounding the American Civil War brought lots of changes. The 1865 constitution, following Georgia's surrender, limited governors to two consecutive terms, allowing them to serve again after a gap of four years. The Reconstruction constitution of 1868 increased the governor's term to four years. The 1877 constitution, after local rule was re-established, returned the office to the provisions of the 1865 constitution. An amendment in 1941 lengthened terms to 4 years, but governors could no longer succeed themselves, having to wait four years to serve again.

The 1945 constitution provided for a lieutenant governor, to serve the same term as governor and to act as governor if that office became vacant. Should it become vacant within 30 days of the next general election, or if the governor's term would have ended within 90 days of the next election, the lieutenant governor acts out the term; otherwise, a successor is chosen in the next general election. This was retained in the 1976 constitution. The current constitution of 1983 allows governors to succeed themselves once before having to wait four years to serve again, and lieutenant governors now become governor in the event of a vacancy. Should the office of lieutenant governor be vacant, the speaker of the house acts as governor, and a special election to fill the office must happen in 90 days.

# Governor Term start Term end Party Lt. Governor Terms
1 William Ewen June 22, 1775 December 11, 1775 None —
2 George Walton December 11, 1775 February 20, 1776 None —
William Ewen February 20, 1776 April 15, 1776 None —
3 Archibald Bulloch April 15, 1776 March 4, 1777 None
4 Button Gwinnett March 4, 1777 May 8, 1777 None
5 John A. Treutlen May 8, 1777 January 8, 1778 None
6 John Houstoun January 8, 1778 January 7, 1779 None
— William Glascock January 7, 1779 July 24, 1779 None
7 Seth John Cuthbert July 24, 1779 August 6, 1779 None
8 John Wereat August 6, 1779 January 4, 1780 None
George Walton November 4, 1779 January 4, 1780 None
9 Richard Howly January 4, 1780 February 16, 1780 None
10 George Wells ? ? None
11 Humphrey Wells? February 16, 1780 February 18, 1780 None
12 Stephen Heard? February 18 or May 24, 1780 August 1780 None
13 Myrick Davies August 1780 August 18, 1781 None
14 Nathan Brownson August 18, 1781 January 3, 1782 American Whig None
15 John Martin January 3, 1782 January 8, 1783 None None
16 Lyman Hall January 8, 1783 January 9, 1784 None None
17 John Houstoun January 9, 1784 January 6, 1785 None None
18 Samuel Elbert January 6, 1785 January 9, 1786 None None
19 Edward Telfair January 9, 1786 January 9, 1787 None None
20 George Mathews January 9, 1787 January 26, 1788 None None
21 George Handley January 26, 1788 January 7, 1789 None None
George Walton January 7, 1789 November 9, 1790 Democratic-Republican None
Edward Telfair November 9, 1790 November 7, 1793 Democratic-Republican None
George Mathews November 7, 1793 January 15, 1796 Democratic-Republican None
22 Jared Irwin January 15, 1796 January 12, 1798 Democratic-Republican None
23 James Jackson January 12, 1798 March 3, 1801 Democratic-Republican, Jackson faction None
24 David Emanuel March 3, 1801 November 7, 1801 Democratic-Republican, Jackson faction None
25 Josiah Tattnall, Sr. November 7, 1801 November 4, 1802 Democratic-Republican, Jackson faction None
26 John Milledge November 4, 1802 September 23, 1806 Democratic-Republican, Jackson faction None
Jared Irwin September 23, 1806 November 10, 1809 Democratic-Republican, Jackson faction None
27 David B. Mitchell November 10, 1809 November 5, 1813 Democratic-Republican, Jackson faction None
28 Peter Early November 5, 1813 November 20, 1815 Democratic-Republican, Jackson faction None
David B. Mitchell November 20, 1815 March 4, 1817 Democratic-Republican, Jackson faction None
29 William Rabun March 4, 1817 October 24, 1819 Democratic-Republican, Troup faction None
30 Matthew Talbot October 24, 1819 November 5, 1819 Democratic-Republican, Clark faction None
31 John Clark November 5, 1819 November 7, 1823 Democratic-Republican, Clark faction None
32 George M. Troup November 7, 1823 November 7, 1827 Democratic-Republican, Troup faction None
33 John Forsyth November 7, 1827 November 4, 1829 Democratic-Republican, Troup faction None
34 George R. Gilmer November 4, 1829 November 9, 1831 Democratic-Republican, Troup faction None
35 Wilson Lumpkin November 9, 1831 November 4, 1835 Union (Democratic) None
36 William Schley November 4, 1835 November 8, 1837 Union (Democratic) None
George R. Gilmer November 8, 1837 November 6, 1839 State Rights (Whig) None
37 Charles J. McDonald November 6, 1839 November 8, 1843 Union (Democratic) None
38 George W. Crawford November 8, 1843 November 3, 1847 Whig None
39 George W. Towns November 3, 1847 November 5, 1851 Democratic None
40 Howell Cobb November 5, 1851 November 9, 1853 Constitutional Union (Democratic) None
41 Herschel V. Johnson November 9, 1853 November 6, 1857 Democratic None
42 Joseph E. Brown November 6, 1857 June 17, 1865 Democratic None 3 1⁄2
43 James Johnson June 17, 1865 December 14, 1865 Democratic None 1⁄2
44 Charles J. Jenkins December 14, 1865 January 13, 1868 Democratic None
45 Thomas H. Ruger January 13, 1868 July 4, 1868 Military None —
46 Rufus B. Bullock July 4, 1868 October 30, 1871 Republican None 1⁄3
47 Benjamin Conley October 30, 1871 January 12, 1872 Republican None 1⁄3
48 James M. Smith January 12, 1872 January 12, 1877 Democratic None 1⁄3+1
49 Alfred H. Colquitt January 12, 1877 November 4, 1882 Democratic None 2
50 Alexander H. Stephens November 4, 1882 March 4, 1883 Democratic None 1⁄3
51 James S. Boynton March 4, 1883 May 10, 1883 Democratic None 1⁄3
52 Henry D. McDaniel May 10, 1883 November 9, 1886 Democratic None 1⁄3+1
53 John B. Gordon November 9, 1886 November 8, 1890 Democratic None 2
54 William J. Northen November 8, 1890 October 27, 1894 Democratic None 2
55 William Y. Atkinson October 27, 1894 October 29, 1898 Democratic None 2
56 Allen D. Candler October 29, 1898 October 25, 1902 Democratic None 2
57 Joseph M. Terrell October 25, 1902 June 29, 1907 Democratic None 2
58 Hoke Smith June 29, 1907 June 26, 1909 Democratic None 1
59 Joseph M. Brown June 26, 1909 July 1, 1911 Democratic None 1
Hoke Smith July 1, 1911 November 16, 1911 Democratic None 1⁄3
60 John M. Slaton November 16, 1911 January 25, 1912 Democratic None 1⁄3
Joseph M. Brown January 25, 1912 June 28, 1913 Democratic None 1⁄3
John M. Slaton June 28, 1913 June 26, 1915 Democratic None 1
61 Nathaniel E. Harris June 26, 1915 June 30, 1917 Democratic None 1
62 Hugh M. Dorsey June 30, 1917 June 25, 1921 Democratic None 2
63 Thomas W. Hardwick June 25, 1921 June 30, 1923 Democratic None 1
64 Clifford Walker June 30, 1923 June 25, 1927 Democratic None 2
65 Lamartine G. Hardman June 25, 1927 June 27, 1931 Democratic None 2
66 Richard Russell, Jr. June 27, 1931 January 10, 1933 Democratic None 1
67 Eugene Talmadge January 10, 1933 January 12, 1937 Democratic None 2
68 Eurith D. Rivers January 12, 1937 January 14, 1941 Democratic None 2
Eugene Talmadge January 14, 1941 January 12, 1943 Democratic None 1
69 Ellis Arnall January 12, 1943 January 14, 1947 Democratic None 1
70 Herman Talmadge January 14, 1947 March 18, 1947 Democratic Melvin E. Thompson 1⁄3
71 Melvin E. Thompson March 18, 1947 November 17, 1948 Democratic Vacant 1⁄3
Herman Talmadge November 17, 1948 January 11, 1955 Democratic Marvin Griffin 1⁄3+1
72 Marvin Griffin January 11, 1955 January 13, 1959 Democratic Ernest Vandiver 1
73 Ernest Vandiver January 13, 1959 January 15, 1963 Democratic Garland T. Byrd 1
74 Carl E. Sanders January 15, 1963 January 11, 1967 Democratic Peter Zack Geer 1
75 Lester Maddox January 11, 1967 January 12, 1971 Democratic George Thornewell Smith 1
76 Jimmy Carter January 12, 1971 January 14, 1975 Democratic Lester Maddox 1
77 George Busbee January 14, 1975 January 11, 1983 Democratic Zell Miller 2
78 Joe Frank Harris January 11, 1983 January 13, 1991 Democratic Zell Miller 2
79 Zell Miller January 13, 1991 January 11, 1999 Democratic Pierre Howard 2
80 Roy Barnes January 11, 1999 January 13, 2003 Democratic Mark Taylor 1
81 George E. "Sonny" Perdue January 13, 2003 January 10, 2011 Republican Mark Taylor 2
Casey Cagle
82 Nathan Deal January 10, 2011 Incumbent Republican Casey Cagle 1

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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.”
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