List of governors of Washington

Governor of Washington
Incumbent
Jay Inslee
since January 16, 2013
StyleThe Honorable
ResidenceWashington Governor's Mansion
Term lengthFour years
Inaugural holderElisha P. Ferry
FormationNovember 11, 1889
DeputyBrad Owen
Salary$166,891 (2010)[1]
Websitewww.governor.wa.gov

The Governor of Washington is the leader of the Executive branch of the State of Washington's government. Jay Inslee is currently serving as governor.

Governors

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Governors of the Territory of Washington

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Governor Took office[a] Left office Appointed by Notes
  Isaac Stevens December 3, 1853[2] August 11, 1857[3] Franklin Pierce
  LaFayette McMullen September 10, 1857[4] July 1858[5] James Buchanan
  Richard D. Gholson July 15, 1859[6] February 14, 1861[7] James Buchanan [b]
  William H. Wallace Appointed April 9, 1861[9] — Abraham Lincoln [c]
  William Pickering June 1862[11] January 8, 1867[12] Abraham Lincoln [d]
  George E. Cole January 8, 1867[12] March 4, 1867[12] Andrew Johnson [d]
  Marshall F. Moore August 26, 1867[14] 1869 Andrew Johnson
  Alvan Flanders April 5, 1869[15] March 14, 1870[16] Ulysses S. Grant
  Edward Selig Salomon Appointed March 4, 1870[17] April 1872[17] Ulysses S. Grant
  Elisha Peyre Ferry Appointed April 26, 1872[18] November 1, 1880[19] Ulysses S. Grant [e]
  William Augustus Newell November 1, 1880[19] 1884 Rutherford B. Hayes
  Watson Carvasso Squire Appointed July 2, 1884[18] April 1887[21] Chester A. Arthur [e]
  Eugene Semple Appointed April 9, 1887[22] 1889 Grover Cleveland [e]
  Miles Conway Moore April 9, 1889[23] November 11, 1889 Benjamin Harrison

Governors of the State of Washington

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Washington became a state on November 11, 1889. The term for governor is four years,.[24] It begins on the second Monday in the January after the election.[25]

Parties

  Democratic (11)   Populist (1)   Republican (12)
(above numbering includes one governor twice)[f]

# Governor Took office Left office Party Lt. Governor Terms[g]
1   Elisha Peyre Ferry
August 9, 1825 – October 14, 1895
(Aged 70) 		November 11, 1889 January 9, 1893 Republican   Charles E. Laughton 1
2 John McGraw
October 4, 1850 – June 23, 1910
(Aged 59) 		January 9, 1893 January 11, 1897 Republican F. H. Luce 1
3 John Rankin Rogers
September 4, 1838 – December 26, 1901
(Aged 63) 		January 11, 1897 December 26, 1901 Populist Thurston Daniels ​1 1⁄2[h][i]
Democratic Henry McBride
4 Henry McBride
February 7, 1856- October 7, 1937
(Aged 81) 		December 26, 1901 January 9, 1905 Republican Vacant ​1⁄2[j]
5 Albert Edward Mead
December 14, 1861 – March 19, 1913
(Aged 51) 		January 9, 1905 January 27, 1909 Republican Charles E. Coon 1
6 Samuel G. Cosgrove
April 10, 1847 – March 28, 1909
(Aged 61) 		January 27, 1909 March 28, 1909 Republican Marion E. Hay ​1⁄2[i]
7 Marion E. Hay
December 9, 1865 – November 21, 1933
(Aged 67) 		March 28, 1909 January 11, 1913 Republican Vacant ​1⁄2[j]
8 Ernest Lister
June 15, 1870 – June 14, 1919
(Aged 48) 		January 11, 1913 February 13, 1919 Democratic Louis Folwell Hart[k] ​1 1⁄2[l]
9 Louis Folwell Hart
January 4, 1862 – December 4, 1929
(Aged 67) 		February 13, 1919 January 12, 1925 Republican Vacant ​1 1⁄2[m]
William J. Coyle
10 Roland H. Hartley
June 26, 1864 – September 21, 1952
(Aged 88) 		January 12, 1925 January 9, 1933 Republican W. Lon Johnson 2
John Arthur Gellatly
11 Clarence D. Martin
June 29, 1886 – August 11, 1955
(Aged 69) 		January 9, 1933 January 13, 1941 Democratic Victor A. Meyers 2
12 Arthur B. Langlie
July 25, 1900 – July 24, 1966
(Aged 65) 		January 13, 1941 January 8, 1945 Republican Victor A. Meyers[n] 1
13 Monrad C. Wallgren
April 17, 1891 – September 18, 1961
(Aged 70) 		January 8, 1945 January 12, 1949 Democratic Victor A. Meyers 1
14 Arthur B. Langlie
July 25, 1900 – July 24, 1966
(Aged 65) 		January 12, 1949 January 14, 1957 Republican Victor A. Meyers[n] 2
Emmett T. Anderson
15 Albert Rosellini
January 21, 1910 – October 10, 2011
(Aged 101) 		January 14, 1957 January 11, 1965 Democratic John A. Cherberg 2
16 Daniel J. Evans
(1925-10-16) October 16, 1925 (age 99) 		January 11, 1965 January 12, 1977 Republican John A. Cherberg[n] 3
17 Dixy Lee Ray
September 3, 1914 – January 2, 1994
(Aged 79) 		January 12, 1977 January 14, 1981 Democratic John A. Cherberg 1
18 John Spellman
December 29, 1926 – January 15, 2018
(Aged 91) 		January 14, 1981 January 16, 1985 Republican John A. Cherberg[n] 1
19 Booth Gardner
August 21, 1936 – March 15, 2013
(Aged 76) 		January 16, 1985 January 13, 1993 Democratic John A. Cherberg 2
Joel Pritchard[k]
20 Mike Lowry
March 8, 1939 – May 1, 2017
(Aged 78) 		January 13, 1993 January 15, 1997 Democratic Joel Pritchard[k] 1
21 Gary Locke
(1950-01-21) January 21, 1950 (age 74) 		January 15, 1997 January 12, 2005 Democratic Brad Owen 2
22   Christine Gregoire
(1947-03-24) March 24, 1947 (age 77) 		January 12, 2005 January 16, 2013 Democratic Brad Owen 2
23 Jay Inslee
(1951-02-09) February 9, 1951 (age 73) 		January 16, 2013 Incumbent Democratic Brad Owen 2[o]
Cyrus Habib

Notes

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  1. ↑ Due to the long distance between Washington D.C. and Washington Territory, and the slow speed of communications and travel of the day, weeks or months could go by between the appointment of a governor and the governor actually taking office. The actual dates governors took office are sometimes vague; the ones in this list are cited mostly with contemporary news coverage, but other resources and almanacs give slightly different dates.
  2. ↑ Received a leave of absence in May 1860 to move his wife from Texas to Kentucky. He never returned to Washington Territory.[7][8]
  3. ↑ Appointed as governor, but did not take office as he was elected as a delegate from Washington Territory.[10]
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 President Johnson removed Governor Pickering in November 1866. Governor Cole arrived on January 8, 1867 after being appointed governor. Governor Pickering would not relinquish power until the U.S. Senate approved of Governor Cole's nomination on the basis that President Johnson was being impeached. However, the state's legislature looked to Governor Cole as the real governor. The U.S. Senate eventually failed to ratify his nomination.[13]
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Was a resident of Washington Territory at the time of appointment. This could have cut down on the time between appointment and taking office.[20]
  6. ↑ The official numbering includes ten Democrats, 12 Republicans, and John Rogers, who served as both a Democrat and a Populist. Rogers' term is counted as both Populist and Democratic.
  7. ↑ 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.
  8. ↑ Rogers was elected as a Populist for his first term and a Democrat for his second.[26]
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Died in office.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Represented the Republican Party.
  12. ↑ Lister became ill during his second term, relinquished his office to the Lieutenant Governor, and died a few months later.[27]
  13. ↑ As lieutenant governor, Hart filled the unexpired term after Lister relinquished his office due to ill health.[27]
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Represented the Democratic Party.
  15. ↑ Inslee's second term expires in January 2021.

References

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  1. ↑ "2009-10 Salary Schedule, Adopted May 19, 2009" (PDF). Washington Citizens’ Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 17, 2010. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Glorious News for Washington! Arrival of Governor Stevens" (PDF). Washington Pioneer. Olympia. December 3, 1853. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Letter from Gov. Stevens" (PDF). Pioneer and Democrat. Olympia. August 14, 1857. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Arrival of Governor McMullen" (PDF). Pioneer and Democrat. Olympia. September 11, 1857. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  5. ↑ Bancroft, Hubert Howe (1890). History of Washington, Idaho, and Montana: 1845–1889, Volume 31. Washington State Library. p. 209. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Sworn In" (PDF). Pioneer and Democrat. Olympia. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 McMullin and Walker p. 314
  8. ↑ "Granted Leave of Absence" (PDF). Pioneer and Democrat. Olympia. May 18, 1860. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  9. ↑ McMullin and Walker p. 315
  10. ↑ "Wallace, William". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Our New Governor" (PDF). Puget Sound Herald. June 12, 1862. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "Gubernatorial War!" (PDF). Puget Sound Weekly. January 14, 1867. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  13. ↑ McMullin and Walker pp. 317–318
  14. ↑ "Arrival of General Moore" (PDF). The Vancouver Register. August 31, 1867. Retrieved January 21, 2010.
  15. ↑ "Flanders, Alvan". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  16. ↑ McMullin and Walker p. 320
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 McMullin and Walker p. 321
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 McMullin and Walker p. 322
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Governor Ferry's Retirement" (PDF). Puget Sound Mail. October 31, 1880. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  20. ↑ McMullin and Walker pp. 322–328.
  21. ↑ McMullin and Walker p. 325
  22. ↑ McMullin and Walker p. 326
  23. ↑ Snowden, Clinton (1911). History of Washington: the rise and progress of an American state. New York: Century History Company. p. 153. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
  24. ↑ WA Const. art. III, § 2
  25. ↑ WA Const. art. III, § 4
  26. ↑ "John Rankin Rogers". Washington State University Libraries. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2010.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "Change of Governor in Washington". The Christian Science Monitor. February 14, 1919. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
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