List of Governors of Kentucky - Governors

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. The second constitution in 1799 changed this to a popular vote, and prevented governors from succeeding themselves within seven years of their terms. The third constitution in 1850 reduced the succession limitation to four years. A 1992 amendment to the constitution allowed governors to have a second term before being prevented from succeeding themselves for four years.

Democratic (35) Democratic-Republican (9) Know Nothing (1) National Republican (2) Republican (8) Whig (6)

# Governor Took office Left office Party Lt. Governor
 Terms
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
7 Gabriel Slaughter October 14, 1816 August 29, 1820 Democratic-
Republican		 vacant 1⁄2
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
12 James T. Morehead February 21, 1834 August 30, 1836 National
Republican		 vacant 1⁄2
13 James Clark August 30, 1836 August 27, 1839 Whig Charles A. Wickliffe 1⁄2
14 Charles A. Wickliffe August 27, 1839 September 2, 1840 Whig vacant 1⁄2
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 13, 1850 Whig John L. Helm 1⁄2
18 John L. Helm July 31, 1850 September 2, 1851 Whig vacant 1⁄2
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
vacant
22 James F. Robinson August 18, 1862 September 1, 1863 Democratic vacant 1⁄2
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
25 John W. Stevenson September 8, 1867 February 3, 1871 Democratic vacant 1 1⁄2
26 Preston H. Leslie February 3, 1871 August 31, 1875 Democratic John G. Carlisle 1 1⁄2
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 B. 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
34 William Goebel January 30, 1900 February 3, 1900 Democratic J. C. W. Beckham 1⁄3
35 J. C. W. Beckham February 3, 1900 December 12, 1907 Democratic vacant 1 1⁄3
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
39 James D. Black May 19, 1919 December 9, 1919 Democratic vacant 1⁄2
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
45 Keen Johnson October 9, 1939 December 7, 1943 Democratic Rodes K. Myers 1 1⁄2
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
48 Lawrence W. Wetherby November 27, 1950 December 13, 1955 Democratic vacant 1 1⁄2
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
54 Julian M. Carroll December 28, 1974 December 11, 1979 Democratic Thelma Stovall 1 1⁄2
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 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 incumbent Democratic Daniel Mongiardo 2
Jerry Abramson

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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.”
    —Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)