List of governors of Illinois

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Governor of Illinois
Seal of Illinois
Incumbent
J. B. Pritzker
since January 14, 2019
ResidenceIllinois Executive Mansion
Term lengthFour years, no term limits
Inaugural holderShadrach Bond
FormationOctober 2, 1818
Websiteillinois.gov/gov/

This is a list of the governors of Illinois. Illinois is a state in America. Illinois became a state in 1818.

It had only one governor appointed by the President of the United States before it became a state. From March to June, 1809, Territorial Secretary Nathaniel Pope was the acting governor. Edwards' arrival in Illinois ended Pope's brief administration.[1]

Picture Governor Took office Left office Appointed by
Ninian Edwards March 1, 1809 October 6, 1818 James Madison

The table below shows who the state governors have been.

List[change | change source]

# Picture Governor Took office Left office Party Lt. Governor Terms[a]
1   Shadrach Bond October 6, 1818 December 5, 1822 Independent   Pierre Menard 1
2   Edward Coles December 5, 1822 December 6, 1826 Independent   Adolphus Hubbard 1
3   Ninian Edwards December 6, 1826 December 6, 1830 Adams-Clay
Republican 		  William Kinney 1
4 John Reynolds December 6, 1830 November 17, 1834 Democratic Zadok Casey[b] ​1⁄2[c]
William Lee D. Ewing
5 William Lee D. Ewing November 17, 1834 December 3, 1834 Democratic Vacant ​1⁄2[d]
6 Joseph Duncan December 3, 1834 December 7, 1838 Whig Alexander Jenkins[e] 1
William H. Davidson[f]
7 Thomas Carlin December 7, 1838 December 8, 1842 Democratic Stinson Anderson 1
8 Thomas Ford December 8, 1842 December 9, 1846 Democratic John Moore 1
9 Augustus C. French December 9, 1846 January 10, 1853 Democratic Joseph Wells 2[g]
William McMurtry
10 Joel Aldrich Matteson January 10, 1853 January 12, 1857 Democratic Gustavus Koerner 1
11 William Henry Bissell January 12, 1857 March 18, 1860 Republican John Wood ​1⁄2[h]
12 John Wood March 18, 1860 January 14, 1861 Republican Thomas Marshall[f] ​1⁄2[i]
13 Richard Yates January 14, 1861 January 16, 1865 Republican Francis Hoffmann 1
14[j] Richard J. Oglesby January 16, 1865 January 11, 1869 Republican William Bross 1
15 John M. Palmer January 11, 1869 January 13, 1873 Republican John Dougherty 1
14 Richard J. Oglesby January 13, 1873 January 23, 1873 Republican John Lourie Beveridge ​1⁄2[k]
16 John Lourie Beveridge January 23, 1873 January 8, 1877 Republican John Early ​1⁄2[i]
Archibald Glenn[f]
17 Shelby Moore Cullom January 8, 1877 February 16, 1883 Republican Andrew Shuman ​1 1⁄2[l][2]
John Marshall Hamilton
18 John Marshall Hamilton February 16, 1883 January 30, 1885 Republican William Campbell ​1⁄2[i]
14 Richard J. Oglesby January 30, 1885 January 14, 1889 Republican John Smith 1
19 Joseph W. Fifer January 14, 1889 January 10, 1893 Republican Lyman Ray 1
20 John Peter Altgeld January 10, 1893 January 11, 1897 Democratic Joseph B. Gill 1
21 John R. Tanner January 11, 1897 January 14, 1901 Republican William Northcott 1
22 Richard Yates, Jr. January 14, 1901 January 9, 1905 Republican William Northcott 1
23 Charles S. Deneen January 9, 1905 February 3, 1913[source?] Republican Lawrence Sherman 2
John G. Oglesby
24 Edward F. Dunne February 3, 1913 January 8, 1917 Democratic Barratt O'Hara 1
25 Frank O. Lowden January 8, 1917 January 10, 1921 Republican John G. Oglesby 1
26 Len Small January 10, 1921 January 14, 1929 Republican Fred Sterling 2
27 Louis L. Emmerson January 14, 1929 January 9, 1933 Republican Fred Sterling 1
28 Henry Horner January 9, 1933 October 6, 1940 Democratic Thomas Donovan ​1 1⁄2[h]
John Henry Stelle
29 John H. Stelle October 6, 1940 January 13, 1941 Democratic Vacant ​1⁄2[i]
30 Dwight H. Green January 13, 1941 January 10, 1949 Republican Hugh W. Cross 2
31 Adlai Stevenson II January 10, 1949 January 12, 1953 Democratic Sherwood Dixon 1
32 William G. Stratton January 12, 1953 January 9, 1961 Republican John William Chapman 2
33 Otto Kerner, Jr. January 9, 1961 May 21, 1968 Democratic Samuel H. Shapiro ​1 1⁄2[m]
34 Samuel H. Shapiro May 21, 1968 January 13, 1969 Democratic Vacant ​1⁄2[i]
35 Richard Buell Ogilvie January 13, 1969 January 8, 1973 Republican Paul Simon[f] 1
36 Daniel Walker January 8, 1973 January 10, 1977 Democratic Neil Hartigan 1
37 James R. Thompson January 10, 1977 January 14, 1991 Republican Dave O'Neal 4[n]
George H. Ryan
38 Jim Edgar January 14, 1991 January 11, 1999 Republican Bob Kustra 2
39 George H. Ryan January 11, 1999 January 13, 2003 Republican Corinne Wood 1
40 Rod Blagojevich January 13, 2003 January 29, 2009 Democratic Pat Quinn ​1 1⁄2[o]
41 Pat Quinn January 29, 2009 January 12, 2015 Democratic Sheila Simon 1 ​1⁄2[p]
42 Bruce Rauner January 12, 2015 January 14, 2019 Republican Evelyn Sanguinetti 1
43 J. B. Pritzker January 14, 2019 Incumbent Democratic Juliana Stratton 1[q]

Living former governors[change | change source]

As of August 2020, five former governors were alive. The most recent death of a former governor was that of James R. Thompson (1977–1991), who died on August 14, 2020.

Governor Term Date of birth
Jim Edgar 1991–1999 (1946-07-22) July 22, 1946 (age 77)
George Ryan 1999–2003 (1934-02-24) February 24, 1934 (age 90)
Rod Blagojevich 2003–2009 (1956-12-10) December 10, 1956 (age 67)
Pat Quinn 2009–2015 (1948-12-16) December 16, 1948 (age 75)
Bruce Rauner 2015–2019 (1957-02-18) February 18, 1957 (age 67)

References[change | change source]

  1. ↑ Robert P. Howard (1988), Mostly Good and Competent Men: Illinois Governors, 1818–1988, Illinois Issues and the Illinois State Historical Society, 39–40.
  2. ↑ Resigned when? NGA says 5th or 16th[source?]
  1. ↑ 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.
  2. ↑ Resigned.[source?]
  3. ↑ Resigned to take elected seat in the United States House of Representatives.
  4. ↑ As acting lieutenant governor, acted as governor for unexpired term.
  5. ↑ Resigned.[source?]
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Represented the Democratic Party.
  7. ↑ French was the first governor elected under the provisions of the 1848 constitution, which shifted the election year, shortening his first term to two years. The constitutional convention called for new elections, and despite falling under the term limit he was allowed to run.[1]
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Died in office.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 As lieutenant governor, acted as governor for unexpired term.
  10. ↑ based on Rod R. Blagojevich, 40th governor Archived 2009-01-17 at the Wayback Machine and Jim Edgar is the 38th Archived 2007-09-21 at the Wayback Machine, Oglesby was the 14th governor all three occasions.
  11. ↑ Resigned so that Lieutenant Governor Beveridge would appoint him to the United States Senate.
  12. ↑ Resigned to take elected seat in the United States Senate.
  13. ↑ Resigned to take seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
  14. ↑ James Thompson's first term was only 2 years because a constitutional amendment had passed moving gubernatorial elections to coincide with Congressional midterms
  15. ↑ Impeached and removed from office on charges of corruption.
  16. ↑ As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term and was subsequently elected in his own right.
  17. ↑ Governor Pritzker's first full term expires on January 9, 2023; he is not term limited.


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