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List of governors of Michigan

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Governor of Michigan
Seal of the Governor
Flag of the Governor
Incumbent
Gretchen Whitmer
since January 1, 2019
StyleHis Excellency[1]
Status
ResidenceMichigan Governor's Mansion
Term lengthFour years, renewable once
PrecursorGovernor of Michigan Territory
Inaugural holderStevens T. Mason
FormationNovember 3, 1835
DeputyLieutenant Governor of Michigan
Websitewww.michigan.gov/gov

The Governor of Michigan is the head of the executive branch of Michigan's state government and is the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.[2]

The governor has a duty to enforce state laws. He or she is also empowered to reorganize the executive branch of the state government.[3]

In 1805, the Michigan Territory was created, and five men were territorial governors, until Michigan was granted statehood in 1837. Forty-eight individuals have held the position of state governor. The first female governor, Jennifer Granholm, was elected in 2003.

Governors of Michigan state (since 1837)

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Parties

  Democratic (19)   Whig (2)   Republican (28)

# Governor Took office Left office Party Lt. Governor Notes
6   Stevens T. Mason November 3, 1835 January 7, 1840 Democratic   Edward Mundy
7   William Woodbridge January 7, 1840 February 23, 1841 Whig   James Wright Gordon [a]
8   James Wright Gordon February 23, 1841 January 3, 1842 Whig   Thomas J. Drake [b]
9   John S. Barry January 3, 1842 January 5, 1846 Democratic   Origen D. Richardson
10   Alpheus Felch January 5, 1846 March 3, 1847 Democratic   William L. Greenly [a]
11   William L. Greenly March 4, 1847 January 3, 1848 Democratic   Charles P. Bush [b]
12   Epaphroditus Ransom January 3, 1848 January 7, 1850 Democratic   William M. Fenton
13   John S. Barry January 7, 1850 January 1, 1852 Democratic   William M. Fenton
14   Robert McClelland[c] January 1, 1852 March 7, 1853 Democratic   Calvin Britain [d]
  Andrew Parsons
15   Andrew Parsons March 8, 1853 January 3, 1855 Democratic   George Griswold [b]
16   Kinsley S. Bingham January 3, 1855 January 5, 1859 Republican   George Coe
17   Moses Wisner January 5, 1859 January 2, 1861 Republican   Edmund B. Fairfield
18   Austin Blair January 2, 1861 January 3, 1865 Republican   James M. Birney
  Joseph R. Williams
  Henry T. Backus
  Charles S. May
19   Henry H. Crapo January 3, 1865 January 6, 1869 Republican   Ebenezer Grosvenor
  Dwight May
20   Henry P. Baldwin January 6, 1869 January 1, 1873 Republican   Morgan Bates
21   John J. Bagley January 1, 1873 January 3, 1877 Republican   Henry H. Holt
22   Charles Croswell January 3, 1877 January 1, 1881 Republican   Alonzo Sessions
23   David Jerome January 1, 1881 January 1, 1883 Republican   Moreau S. Crosby
24   Josiah Begole January 1, 1883 January 1, 1885 Democratic   Moreau S. Crosby (Republican)
25   Russell Alger January 1, 1885 January 1, 1887 Republican   Archibald Buttars
26   Cyrus G. Luce January 1, 1887 January 1, 1891 Republican   James H. MacDonald
  William Ball
27   Edwin B. Winans January 1, 1891 January 1, 1893 Democratic   John Strong
28   John T. Rich January 1, 1893 January 1, 1897 Republican   J. Wight Giddings
  Alfred Milnes
  Joseph R. McLaughlin
29   Hazen S. Pingree January 1, 1897 January 1, 1901 Republican   Thomas B. Dunstan
  Orrin W. Robinson
30   Aaron T. Bliss January 1, 1901 January 1, 1905 Republican   Orrin W. Robinson
  Alexander Maitland
31   Fred M. Warner January 1, 1905 January 2, 1911 Republican   Alexander Maitland
  Patrick H. Kelley
32   Chase Osborn January 2, 1911 January 1, 1913 Republican   John Q. Ross
33   Woodbridge Nathan Ferris January 1, 1913 January 1, 1917 Democratic   John Q. Ross (Republican)
  Luren Dickinson (Republican)
34   Albert Sleeper January 1, 1917 January 1, 1921 Republican   Luren Dickinson
35   Alex Groesbeck January 1, 1921 January 1, 1927 Republican   Thomas Read
  George W. Welsh
36   Fred W. Green January 1, 1927 January 1, 1931 Republican   Luren Dickinson
37   Wilber M. Brucker January 1, 1931 January 1, 1933 Republican   Luren Dickinson
38   William Comstock January 1, 1933 January 1, 1935 Democratic   Allen E. Stebbins
39   Frank Fitzgerald January 1, 1935 January 1, 1937 Republican   Thomas Read
40   Frank Murphy January 1, 1937 January 1, 1939 Democratic   Leo J. Nowicki
41   Frank Fitzgerald January 1, 1939 March 16, 1939 Republican   Luren Dickinson [e]
42   Luren Dickinson March 16, 1939 January 1, 1941 Republican   Matilda Dodge Wilson [b]
43   Murray Van Wagoner January 1, 1941 January 1, 1943 Democratic   Frank Murphy
44   Harry Kelly January 1, 1943 January 1, 1947 Republican   Eugene C. Keyes
  Vernon J. Brown
45   Kim Sigler January 1, 1947 January 1, 1949 Republican   Eugene C. Keyes
46   G. Mennen Williams January 1, 1949 January 1, 1961 Democratic   John W. Connolly
  William C. Vandenberg (Republican)
  Clarence A. Reid (Republican)
  Philip A. Hart
  John B. Swainson
47   John Swainson January 1, 1961 January 1, 1963 Democratic   T. John Lesinski
48   George W. Romney January 1, 1963 January 22, 1969 Republican   T. John Lesinski (Democratic) [f]
  William Milliken
49   William Milliken January 22, 1969 January 1, 1983 Republican   Thomas F. Schweigert [g]
  James H. Brickley
  James Damman
  James H. Brickley
50   James Blanchard January 1, 1983 January 1, 1991 Democratic   Martha Griffiths
51   John Engler January 1, 1991 January 1, 2003 Republican   Connie Binsfeld [h]
  Dick Posthumus
52   Jennifer Granholm January 1, 2003 January 1, 2011 Democratic   John D. Cherry, Jr.
53   Rick Snyder January 1, 2011 January 1, 2019 Republican   Brian Calley
54   Gretchen Whitmer January 1, 2019 Present Democratic   Garlin Gilchrist

Living former U.S. governors of Michigan

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As of January 2026, there are four living former governors of Michigan. The most recent death of a former governor was that of William Milliken on October 18, 2019. The state's living former governors are:

GovernorGubernatorial termDate of birth (and age)
James Blanchard 1983–1991 August 8, 1942 (age 83)
John Engler 1991–2003 October 12, 1948 (age 77)
Jennifer Granholm 2003–2011 February 5, 1959 (age 66)
Rick Snyder 2011–2019 August 19, 1958 (age 67)
  1. 1 2 Resigned to take a seat in the United States Senate.[4]
  2. 1 2 3 4 As lieutenant governor, acted as governor for unexpired term.[4]
  3. ↑ After a new state constitution was drafted in 1850, McClelland was elected to a single one-year term in 1851. He was then re-elected to a full two-year term in 1852.[5]
  4. ↑ Resigned to become United States Secretary of the Interior.[4]
  5. ↑ Died in office.[4]
  6. ↑ Resigned to become United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.[4]
  7. ↑ As lieutenant governor, acted as governor for unexpired term, and was later elected in his own right.[4]
  8. ↑ Binsfeld served during the first two terms; Posthumus served the third term.[6]

References

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  1. ↑ Macomb, Alex (1837). "No. 20: Letter from Major General Macomb, to His Excellency the Governor of Michigan, Accompanying a Copy of Military Tactics". Documents Accompanying the Journal of the Senate. Detroit: John S. Bagg, State Printer. p. 167.
  2. ↑ 1963 Michigan Constitution, Article 5, Section 12
  3. ↑ 1963 Michigan Constitution, Article 5, Section 2
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dunbar, Willis F. & May, George S. (1995). Michigan: A History of the Wolverine State (Third Revised ed.). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. pp. 276–78. ISBN 978-0-8028-7055-1.
  5. ↑ Gardner, Washington (1913). History of Calhoun County, Michigan. Lewis Pub. Co. p. 220.
  6. ↑ "Former Lieutenant Governors". State of Michigan. Archived from the original on April 3, 2013. Retrieved March 25, 2013.


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