List of governors of Wisconsin

Governor of Wisconsin
Governor of Wisconsin
	Gubernatorial seal
	Incumbent; Tony Evers; since January 7, 2019
Residence	Wisconsin Governor's Mansion
Term length	Four years, no term limits
Inaugural holder	Nelson Dewey
Formation	June 7, 1848
Deputy	Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
Salary	$146,597.88
Website	evers.wi.gov

The Governor of Wisconsin is the head of the executive branch of Wisconsin's state government ^[2] and the commander-in-chief of the state's army and air forces.^[3]

List[change | change source]

Parties

Democratic (12) Republican (31) Whig (1) Wisconsin Progressive (2)

#		Took office	Left office	Party	Lt. Governor^[4]^{[note 1]}		Term(s) ^{[note 2]}
1	Nelson Dewey	June 7, 1848	January 5, 1852	Democratic		John E. Holmes	2
1	Nelson Dewey	June 7, 1848	January 5, 1852	Democratic		Samuel W. Beall	2
2	Leonard J. Farwell	January 5, 1852	January 2, 1854	Whig		Timothy Burns ^{[note 3]}	1
3	William A. Barstow	January 2, 1854	March 21, 1856	Democratic		James T. Lewis	1 ¹⁄₃ ^{[note 4]}
3	William A. Barstow	January 2, 1854	March 21, 1856	Democratic		Arthur MacArthur Sr.	1 ¹⁄₃ ^{[note 4]}
4	Arthur MacArthur Sr.	March 21, 1856	March 25, 1856	Democratic	vacant		¹⁄₃
5	Coles Bashford	March 25, 1856	January 4, 1858	Republican		Arthur MacArthur Sr.	¹⁄₃
6	Alexander W. Randall	January 4, 1858	January 6, 1862	Republican		Erasmus D. Campbell	2
6	Alexander W. Randall	January 4, 1858	January 6, 1862	Republican		Butler G. Noble	2
7	Louis P. Harvey	January 6, 1862	April 19, 1862	Republican		Edward Salomon	¹⁄₂ ^{[note 3]}
8	Edward Salomon	April 19, 1862	January 4, 1864	Republican	vacant		¹⁄₂ ^{[note 5]}
9	James T. Lewis	January 4, 1864	January 1, 1866	Republican		Wyman Spooner	1
10	Lucius Fairchild	January 1, 1866	January 1, 1872	Republican		Wyman Spooner	3
10	Lucius Fairchild	January 1, 1866	January 1, 1872	Republican		Thaddeus C. Pound	3
11	Cadwallader C. Washburn	January 1, 1872	January 5, 1874	Republican		Milton H. Pettit ^{[note 3]}	1
12	William Robert Taylor	January 5, 1874	January 3, 1876	Democratic		Charles D. Parker	1
13	Harrison Ludington	January 3, 1876	January 7, 1878	Republican		Charles D. Parker	1
14	William E. Smith	January 7, 1878	January 2, 1882	Republican		James M. Bingham	2
15	Jeremiah McLain Rusk	January 2, 1882	January 7, 1889	Republican		Sam S. Fifield	3 ^{[note 6]}
15	Jeremiah McLain Rusk	January 2, 1882	January 7, 1889	Republican		George W. Ryland	3 ^{[note 6]}
16	William D. Hoard	January 7, 1889	January 5, 1891	Republican		George W. Ryland	1
17	George W. Peck	January 5, 1891	January 7, 1895	Democratic		Charles Jonas	2
18	William H. Upham	January 7, 1895	January 4, 1897	Republican		Emil Baensch	1
19	Edward Scofield	January 4, 1897	January 7, 1901	Republican		Emil Baensch	2
19	Edward Scofield	January 4, 1897	January 7, 1901	Republican		Jesse Stone	2
20	Robert M. La Follette, Sr.	January 7, 1901	January 1, 1906	Republican		Jesse Stone ^{[note 3]}	2 ¹⁄₂ ^{[note 7]}
20	Robert M. La Follette, Sr.	January 7, 1901	January 1, 1906	Republican		James O. Davidson	2 ¹⁄₂ ^{[note 7]}
21	James O. Davidson	January 1, 1906	January 2, 1911	Republican	vacant		2 ¹⁄₂ ^{[note 8]}
						William D. Connor
						John Strange
22	Francis E. McGovern	January 2, 1911	January 4, 1915	Republican		Thomas Morris	2
23	Emanuel L. Philipp	January 4, 1915	January 3, 1921	Republican		Edward F. Dithmar	3
24	John J. Blaine	January 3, 1921	January 3, 1927	Republican		George F. Comings	3
24	John J. Blaine	January 3, 1921	January 3, 1927	Republican		Henry A. Huber	3
25	Fred R. Zimmerman	January 3, 1927	January 7, 1929	Republican		Henry A. Huber	1
26	Walter J. Kohler Sr.	January 7, 1929	January 5, 1931	Republican		Henry A. Huber	1
27	Philip La Follette	January 5, 1931	January 2, 1933	Republican		Henry A. Huber	1
28	Albert G. Schmedeman	January 2, 1933	January 7, 1935	Democratic		Thomas J. O'Malley	1
29	Philip La Follette	January 7, 1935	January 2, 1939	Wisconsin Progressive		Thomas J. O'Malley ^{[note 3]}	2
						Henry A. Gunderson ^{[note 9]}
						Herman L. Ekern
30	Julius P. Heil	January 2, 1939	January 4, 1943	Republican		Walter S. Goodland	2
—	Orland S. Loomis	did not take office		Wisconsin Progressive		Walter S. Goodland	— ^{[note 10]}
31	Walter S. Goodland	January 4, 1943	March 12, 1947	Republican	vacant		2 ¹⁄₂ ^{[note 3]}
31	Walter S. Goodland	January 4, 1943	March 12, 1947	Republican		Oscar Rennebohm	2 ¹⁄₂ ^{[note 3]}
32	Oscar Rennebohm	March 12, 1947	January 1, 1951	Republican	vacant		1 ¹⁄₂ ^{[note 8]}
32	Oscar Rennebohm	March 12, 1947	January 1, 1951	Republican		George M. Smith	1 ¹⁄₂ ^{[note 8]}
33	Walter J. Kohler Jr.	January 1, 1951	January 7, 1957	Republican		George M. Smith	3
33	Walter J. Kohler Jr.	January 1, 1951	January 7, 1957	Republican		Warren P. Knowles	3
34	Vernon W. Thomson	January 7, 1957	January 5, 1959	Republican		Warren P. Knowles	1
35	Gaylord Nelson	January 5, 1959	January 7, 1963	Democratic		Philleo Nash	2
35	Gaylord Nelson	January 5, 1959	January 7, 1963	Democratic		Warren P. Knowles	2
36	John W. Reynolds Jr.	January 7, 1963	January 4, 1965	Democratic		Jack B. Olson	1
37	Warren P. Knowles	January 4, 1965	January 4, 1971	Republican		Patrick J. Lucey	3
37	Warren P. Knowles	January 4, 1965	January 4, 1971	Republican		Jack B. Olson	3
38	Patrick J. Lucey	January 4, 1971	July 6, 1977	Democratic		Martin J. Schreiber	1 ¹⁄₂ ^{[note 11]} ^{[note 12]}
39	Martin J. Schreiber	July 6, 1977	January 3, 1979	Democratic	vacant		¹⁄₂ ^{[note 8]}
40	Lee S. Dreyfus	January 3, 1979 ^{[note 13]}	January 3, 1983	Republican		Russell A. Olson	1
41	Anthony S. Earl	January 3, 1983	January 5, 1987	Democratic		James T. Flynn	1
42	Tommy Thompson	January 5, 1987	February 1, 2001	Republican		Scott McCallum	3 ¹⁄₂ ^{[note 14]}
43	Scott McCallum	February 1, 2001	January 6, 2003	Republican		Margaret A. Farrow	¹⁄₂ ^{[note 8]}
44	Jim Doyle	January 6, 2003	January 3, 2011	Democratic		Barbara Lawton	2
45	Scott Walker	January 3, 2011	January 7, 2019	Republican		Rebecca Kleefisch	2
46	Tony Evers	January 7, 2019	Incumbent	Democratic		Mandela Barnes	1 ^{[note 15]}

Notes[change | change source]

↑ Vacancies in the office of the lieutenant governor are only listed if they lasted for the entire term. For a full list of vacancies, see List of lieutenant governors of Wisconsin.
↑ 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.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 ^3.4 ^3.5 Died in office.
↑ Initially, Barstow was declared the winner of the 1855 election, but soon resigned amid claims that he had won through fraudulent means. MacArthur, as lieutenant governor, acted as governor for five days, until the Wisconsin Supreme Court declared Barstow's opponent, Bashford, the legitimate governor. Bashford completed the term, with MacArthur continuing to serve as lieutenant governor.^[5]
↑ As lieutenant governor, succeeded to the governorship, and served the rest of the unexpired term.
↑ During Rusk's first term, the Wisconsin Constitution was amended to say that all elections of state and county officers would henceforth take place in even-numbered years. By the provisions of the amendment, the terms of all officials who would have left office in 1884, including Rusk, were extended by one year.
↑ Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
↑ ^8.0 ^8.1 ^8.2 ^8.3 As lieutenant governor, served as governor for remainder of unexpired term.
↑ Resigned to take an appointment to the state tax commission.
↑ Loomis was elected in the 1942 election, but died before taking office. Per a ruling of the Wisconsin Supreme Court Goodland, who had been re-elected lieutenant governor in the same election, served as governor for the entire term.
↑ As per a 1967 amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution, Lucey's first term was the first gubernatorial term to last 4 years
↑ Resigned to become Ambassador to Mexico
↑ Contemporary newspaper sources indicate that Dreyfus was sworn in on January 3;^[6] the Wisconsin Blue Book, however, states that he was sworn in on January 1.^[7]
↑ Resigned to become United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
↑ Evers' first term expires in January 2023.

References[change | change source]

↑ "Database: Wisconsin state employee salaries | Politics and Elections". Wisconsin State Journal. May 13, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
↑ Wisconsin Constitution article V, § 1
↑ Wisconsin Constitution article V, § 4
↑ "Wisconsin Constitutional Officers; Lieutenant Governors". State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2005–2006 (PDF). p. 725. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 25, 2007. Retrieved October 9, 2007.
↑ McCann, Dennis (December 10, 1998). "3 governors held office within weeks. Corruption charges helped spark power struggle, office turnover in 1856". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
↑ "Inaugural Caps Dreyfus Miracle". Ironwood Daily Globe. Ironwood, Michigan. January 4, 1979. p. 3.
↑ "Wisconsin Governors since 1848". State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2005–2006 (PDF). p. 724. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 25, 2007. Retrieved October 5, 2007.

[5] Vacancies in the office of the lieutenant governor are only listed if they lasted for the entire term. For a full list of vacancies, see List of lieutenant governors of Wisconsin.

[6] 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.

[died-7] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 ^3.4 ^3.5 Died in office.

[bashford-9] Initially, Barstow was declared the winner of the 1855 election, but soon resigned amid claims that he had won through fraudulent means. MacArthur, as lieutenant governor, acted as governor for five days, until the Wisconsin Supreme Court declared Barstow's opponent, Bashford, the legitimate governor. Bashford completed the term, with MacArthur continuing to serve as lieutenant governor.^[5]

[act-10] As lieutenant governor, succeeded to the governorship, and served the rest of the unexpired term.

[11] During Rusk's first term, the Wisconsin Constitution was amended to say that all elections of state and county officers would henceforth take place in even-numbered years. By the provisions of the amendment, the terms of all officials who would have left office in 1884, including Rusk, were extended by one year.

[12] Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.

[serve-13] 8.0 ^8.1 ^8.2 ^8.3 As lieutenant governor, served as governor for remainder of unexpired term.

[Gunderson-14] Resigned to take an appointment to the state tax commission.

[15] Loomis was elected in the 1942 election, but died before taking office. Per a ruling of the Wisconsin Supreme Court Goodland, who had been re-elected lieutenant governor in the same election, served as governor for the entire term.

[16] As per a 1967 amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution, Lucey's first term was the first gubernatorial term to last 4 years

[17] Resigned to become Ambassador to Mexico

[20] Contemporary newspaper sources indicate that Dreyfus was sworn in on January 3;^[6] the Wisconsin Blue Book, however, states that he was sworn in on January 1.^[7]

[21] Resigned to become United States Secretary of Health and Human Services

[22] Evers' first term expires in January 2023.

[1] "Database: Wisconsin state employee salaries | Politics and Elections". Wisconsin State Journal. May 13, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2016.

[a5-s1-2] Wisconsin Constitution article V, § 1

[a5-s4-3] Wisconsin Constitution article V, § 4

[ltgov-4] "Wisconsin Constitutional Officers; Lieutenant Governors". State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2005–2006 (PDF). p. 725. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 25, 2007. Retrieved October 9, 2007.

[8] McCann, Dennis (December 10, 1998). "3 governors held office within weeks. Corruption charges helped spark power struggle, office turnover in 1856". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

[drefyfus-18] "Inaugural Caps Dreyfus Miracle". Ironwood Daily Globe. Ironwood, Michigan. January 4, 1979. p. 3.

[govlist-19] "Wisconsin Governors since 1848". State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2005–2006 (PDF). p. 724. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 25, 2007. Retrieved October 5, 2007.

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