forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws; the power to either approve or
passed by the Kentucky Legislature; the power to convene the legislature; and the power to grant
. He or she is also empowered to reorganize the state government or reduce it in size. Historically, the office has been regarded as one of the most powerful executive positions in the United States.
Fifty-seven individuals have held the office of governor of Kentucky. Prior to a 1992 amendment to the
, the governor of Kentucky was prohibited from succeeding himself in office, though four men (
) served multiple non-consecutive terms.
, the first governor eligible for a second consecutive term under the amendment, won his reelection bid in 1999.
, remains the only governor of any U.S. state to die from assassination while in office.
, who held the office from 1983 to 1987, was the first woman to serve as governor of Kentucky and was only the third woman to serve as governor of any U.S. state who was not the wife or widow of a previous governor.
is the 61st and current governor, having served since December 11, 2007. He defeated incumbent Governor
. It achieved statehood and was admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792; see the list of governors of
for the period before statehood. There have been 57 governors, serving 61 distinct terms.
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.
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.
| # |
Governor |
Took office |
Left office |
Party |
Lt. Governor The office of lieutenant governor of Kentucky has existed under the last three of Kentucky's four constitutions, beginning in 1797. The lieutenant governor serves as governor of Kentucky under circumstances similar to the Vice President of the United States assuming the powers of the presidency...
|
|
| 1 |
|
Isaac ShelbyIsaac Shelby was the first and fifth Governor of the U.S. state of Kentucky and served in the state legislatures of Virginia and North Carolina. He was also a soldier in Lord Dunmore's War, the Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812...
|
June 4, 1792 |
June 7, 1796 |
Democratic-
Republican |
None |
1 |
| 2 |
|
James GarrardJames Garrard was an American soldier who served as the second Governor of Kentucky from 1796 to 1804. He was also a Baptist minister, but his secretary of state, Unitarian minister Henry Toulmin, influenced him to adopt Socinianism...
|
June 7, 1796 |
September 5, 1804 |
Democratic-
Republican |
None |
2 |
| |
Alexander Scott Bullitt Alexander Scott Bullitt was an American pioneer and statesman who was an early settler in Kentucky. He was a political leader in the early days of Kentucky statehood....
|
| 3 |
|
Christopher GreenupChristopher Greenup was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative and the third Governor of Kentucky...
|
September 5, 1804 |
September 1, 1808 |
Democratic-
Republican |
|
John Caldwell John Caldwell was a Kentucky Politician, State Senator, and the second Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky.He was elected to the Kentucky State Senate in 1792, and was later elected the 2nd Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, elected in 1804, and died while presiding over the State Senate in his first...
|
1 |
| |
Thomas PoseyThomas Posey was an officer in the American Revolution, a general during peacetime, the third Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, Governor of the Indiana Territory, and a Louisiana Senator.-Family and background:...
|
| 4 |
|
Charles ScottCharles Scott was an American soldier and politician who served as the fourth Governor of Kentucky from 1808 to 1812. Orphaned at an early age, Scott served under Edward Braddock and George Washington in the French and Indian War...
|
September 1, 1808 |
August 24, 1812 |
Democratic-
Republican |
|
Gabriel SlaughterGabriel Slaughter was the seventh Governor of Kentucky and was the first person to ascend to that office upon the death of the sitting governor. His family moved to Kentucky from Virginia when he was very young. He became a member of the Kentucky militia, serving throughout his political career...
|
1 |
| 5 |
|
Isaac ShelbyIsaac Shelby was the first and fifth Governor of the U.S. state of Kentucky and served in the state legislatures of Virginia and North Carolina. He was also a soldier in Lord Dunmore's War, the Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812...
|
August 24, 1812 |
September 5, 1816 |
Democratic-
Republican |
|
Richard Hickman Richard Hickman was the fifth Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, serving in that capacity from 1812 to 1816 under Isaac Shelby during Shelby's second term as governor....
|
1 |
| 6 |
|
George MadisonGeorge Madison was the sixth Governor of Kentucky. He was the first governor of Kentucky to die in office, serving only a few weeks in 1816. Little is known of Madison's early life. He was a member of the influential Madison family of Virginia, and was a second cousin to President James Madison...
|
September 5, 1816 |
October 14, 1816 |
Democratic-
Republican |
|
Gabriel SlaughterGabriel Slaughter was the seventh Governor of Kentucky and was the first person to ascend to that office upon the death of the sitting governor. His family moved to Kentucky from Virginia when he was very young. He became a member of the Kentucky militia, serving throughout his political career...
|
[Died in office.] |
| 7 |
|
Gabriel SlaughterGabriel Slaughter was the seventh Governor of Kentucky and was the first person to ascend to that office upon the death of the sitting governor. His family moved to Kentucky from Virginia when he was very young. He became a member of the Kentucky militia, serving throughout his political career...
|
October 14, 1816 |
August 29, 1820 |
Democratic-
Republican |
vacant |
[As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term.] |
| 8 |
|
John AdairJohn Adair was an American pioneer, soldier and statesman. He was the eighth Governor of Kentucky and represented the state in both the U.S. House and Senate. Adair enlisted in the state militia and served in the Revolutionary War, where he was held captive by the British for a period of time...
|
August 29, 1820 |
August 24, 1824 |
Democratic-
Republican |
|
William T. BarryWilliam Taylor Barry was an American statesman and jurist.-History:Born near Lunenburg, Virginia, he moved to Fayette County, Kentucky, in 1796 with his parents John Barry, an American Revolutionary War veteran, and Susannah Barry...
|
1 |
| 9 |
|
Joseph DeshaJoseph Desha was a U.S. Representative and the ninth Governor of Kentucky. Desha was the first Kentucky governor not to have served in the Revolutionary War. He did, however, serve under William Henry Harrison and "Mad" Anthony Wayne in the Northwest Indian War, and lost two brothers in battle...
|
August 24, 1824 |
August 26, 1828 |
Democratic-
Republican |
|
Robert B. McAfee Robert Breckinridge McAfee was a Kentucky politician, and was the eighth Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky serving from 1824 to 1828....
|
1 |
| 10 |
|
Thomas Metcalfe Thomas Metcalfe , also known as Thomas Metcalf or as "Stonehammer", was a U.S. Representative, Senator, and the tenth Governor of Kentucky. He was the first gubernatorial candidate in the state's history to be chosen by a nominating convention rather than a caucus...
|
August 26, 1828 |
September 4, 1832 |
National
RepublicanThe National Republicans were a political party in the United States. During the administration of John Quincy Adams , the president's supporters were referred to as Adams Men or Anti-Jackson. When Andrew Jackson was elected President of the United States in 1828, this group went into opposition...
|
|
John BreathittJohn Breathitt was the 11th Governor of Kentucky. He was the first Democrat to hold this office and was the second Kentucky governor to die in office. Shortly after his death, Breathitt County, Kentucky was created and named in his honor.Early in life, Breathitt was appointed a deputy surveyor in...
|
1 |
| 11 |
|
John BreathittJohn Breathitt was the 11th Governor of Kentucky. He was the first Democrat to hold this office and was the second Kentucky governor to die in office. Shortly after his death, Breathitt County, Kentucky was created and named in his honor.Early in life, Breathitt was appointed a deputy surveyor in...
|
September 4, 1832 |
February 21, 1834 |
Democratic The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
|
|
James T. MoreheadJames Turner Morehead was a United States Senator and the 12th Governor of Kentucky. He was the first native-born Kentuckian to hold the governorship of the state...
|
|
| 12 |
|
James T. MoreheadJames Turner Morehead was a United States Senator and the 12th Governor of Kentucky. He was the first native-born Kentuckian to hold the governorship of the state...
|
February 21, 1834 |
August 30, 1836 |
National
Republican |
vacant |
|
| 13 |
|
James ClarkJames Clark was a 19th-century American politician who served in all three branches of Kentucky's government and in the U.S. House of Representatives. His political career began in the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1807...
|
August 30, 1836 |
August 27, 1839 |
WhigThe Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
|
|
Charles A. WickliffeCharles Anderson Wickliffe was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky. He also served as Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives, the 14th Governor of Kentucky, and was appointed Postmaster General by President John Tyler...
|
|
| 14 |
|
Charles A. WickliffeCharles Anderson Wickliffe was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky. He also served as Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives, the 14th Governor of Kentucky, and was appointed Postmaster General by President John Tyler...
|
August 27, 1839 |
September 2, 1840 |
Whig |
vacant |
|
| 15 |
|
Robert P. LetcherRobert Perkins Letcher was a politician and lawyer from the US state of Kentucky. He served as a U.S. Representative, Minister to Mexico, and the 15th Governor of Kentucky. He also served in the Kentucky General Assembly where he was Speaker of the House in 1837 and 1838. A strong supporter of the...
|
September 2, 1840 |
September 4, 1844 |
Whig |
|
Manlius V. Thomson Manlius Valerius Thomson was a lawyer and politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. From 1840 to 1844, he served as Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky....
|
1 |
| 16 |
|
William OwsleyWilliam Owsley was an associate justice on the Kentucky Court of Appeals and the 16th Governor of Kentucky. He also served in both houses of the Kentucky General Assembly and was Kentucky Secretary of State under Governor James Turner Morehead.Owsley studied law under John Boyle...
|
September 4, 1844 |
September 6, 1848 |
Whig |
|
Archibald Dixon Archibald Dixon was a U.S. Senator from Kentucky. He represented the Whig Party in both houses of the Kentucky General Assembly, and was elected the 12th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky in 1844, serving under Governor William Owsley. In 1851, the Whigs nominated him for governor, but he lost to...
|
1 |
| 17 |
|
John J. CrittendenJohn Jordan Crittenden was a politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He represented the state in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and twice served as United States Attorney General in the administrations of William Henry Harrison and Millard Fillmore...
|
September 6, 1848 |
July 13, 1850 |
Whig |
|
John L. HelmJohn LaRue Helm was the 18th and 24th governor of the U.S. state of Kentucky, although his service in that office totaled less than fourteen months. He also represented Hardin County in both houses of the Kentucky General Assembly and was chosen to be the Speaker of the Kentucky House of...
|
[Resigned to be Attorney General of the United States] |
| 18 |
|
John L. HelmJohn LaRue Helm was the 18th and 24th governor of the U.S. state of Kentucky, although his service in that office totaled less than fourteen months. He also represented Hardin County in both houses of the Kentucky General Assembly and was chosen to be the Speaker of the Kentucky House of...
|
July 31, 1850 |
September 2, 1851 |
Whig |
vacant |
|
| 19 |
|
Lazarus W. PowellLazarus Whitehead Powell was the 19th Governor of Kentucky, serving from 1851 to 1855. He was later elected to represent Kentucky in the U.S. Senate from 1859 to 1865....
|
September 2, 1851 |
September 4, 1855 |
Democratic |
|
John B. ThompsonJohn Burton Thompson was a United States Representative and Senator from Kentucky.Born near Harrodsburg, Kentucky, Thompson completed preparatory studies and studied law. He was admitted to the bar and practiced in Harrodsburg, becoming the Commonwealth's Attorney...
|
1 |
| 20 |
|
Charles S. MoreheadCharles Slaughter Morehead was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky, and served as the 20th Governor of Kentucky...
|
September 4, 1855 |
August 30, 1859 |
Know NothingThe Know Nothing was a movement by the nativist American political faction of the 1840s and 1850s. It was empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by German and Irish Catholic immigrants, who were often regarded as hostile to Anglo-Saxon Protestant values and controlled by...
|
|
James G. Hardy James Greene Hardy was a politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky who belonged to the American or Know-Nothing Party. Prior to being elected Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, he was a prominent surveyor and teacher for many years.-Early life and family:Hardy was born in Lunenburg County, Virginia...
|
1 |
| 21 |
|
Beriah MagoffinBeriah Magoffin was the 21st Governor of Kentucky, serving during the early part of the Civil War. Personally, Magoffin adhered to a states' rights position, including the right of a state to secede from the Union, and he sympathized with the Confederate cause...
|
August 30, 1859 |
August 18, 1862 |
Democratic |
|
Linn BoydLinn Boyd was a prominent U.S. politician of the 1840s and 1850s, and served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1851 to 1855. Boyd was elected to the House as a Democrat from Kentucky from 1835 to 1837 and again from 1839 to 1855, serving seven terms in the House...
|
[Resigned due to his disagreement with the state legislature over the American Civil War]The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
; he espoused neutrality. |
| vacant |
| 22 |
|
James F. RobinsonJames Fisher Robinson was the 22nd Governor of Kentucky, serving the remainder of the unfinished term of Governor Beriah Magoffin. Magoffin, a Confederate sympathizer, became increasingly ineffective after the elections of 1861 yielded a supermajority to pro-Union forces in both houses of the...
|
August 18, 1862 |
September 1, 1863 |
Democratic |
vacant |
[As president of the senate, filled unexpired term.] |
| 23 |
|
Thomas E. BramletteThomas Elliott Bramlette was the 23rd Governor of Kentucky. He was elected in 1863 and guided the state through the latter part of the Civil War and the beginning of Reconstruction. At the outbreak of the war, Bramlette put his promising political career on hold and enlisted in the Union Army,...
|
September 1, 1863 |
September 3, 1867 |
Democratic |
|
Richard T. Jacob Richard Taylor Jacob was 17th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky .-Background and Early Life:Richard Taylor Jacob was born in Oldham County, Kentucky into a locally influential family...
|
1 |
| 24 |
|
John L. HelmJohn LaRue Helm was the 18th and 24th governor of the U.S. state of Kentucky, although his service in that office totaled less than fourteen months. He also represented Hardin County in both houses of the Kentucky General Assembly and was chosen to be the Speaker of the Kentucky House of...
|
September 3, 1867 |
September 8, 1867 |
Democratic |
|
John W. StevensonJohn White Stevenson was a U.S. Representative, the 18th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, the 25th Governor of Kentucky and U.S. Senator. His father, Andrew Stevenson, had served as Speaker of the House and minister to Great Britain...
|
|
| 25 |
|
John W. StevensonJohn White Stevenson was a U.S. Representative, the 18th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, the 25th Governor of Kentucky and U.S. Senator. His father, Andrew Stevenson, had served as Speaker of the House and minister to Great Britain...
|
September 8, 1867 |
February 3, 1871 |
Democratic |
vacant |
[As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term, and was later elected in his own right.]
[Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate]The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. |
| 26 |
|
Preston H. Leslie |
February 3, 1871 |
August 31, 1875 |
Democratic |
|
John G. Carlisle |
[As president of the senate, filled unexpired term, and was subsequently elected in his own right.] |
| 27 |
|
James B. McCrearyJames Bennett McCreary was a lawyer and politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in both houses of the U.S. Congress and served as its 27th and 37th governor...
|
August 31, 1875 |
September 2, 1879 |
Democratic |
|
John C. Underwood John Cox Underwood was the 20th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky serving in that capacity from 1875 to 1879....
|
1 |
| 28 |
|
Luke P. Blackburn Luke Pryor Blackburn was a physician, philanthropist, and politician from the US state of Kentucky. He was elected the 28th governor of Kentucky, serving from 1879 to 1883. Until the election of Ernie Fletcher in 2003, Blackburn was the only physician to serve as governor of Kentucky...
|
September 2, 1879 |
September 5, 1883 |
Democratic |
|
James E. CantrillJames Edwards Cantrill was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky. He served as a Captain in the Confederate States Army Cavalry as a portion of Morgan's Men...
|
1 |
| 29 |
|
J. Proctor Knott James Proctor Knott was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky and served as the 29th Governor of Kentucky from 1883 to 1887. Born in Kentucky, he moved to Missouri in 1850 and began his political career there...
|
September 5, 1883 |
August 30, 1887 |
Democratic |
|
James R. Hindman James Robert Hindman was Lieutenant Governor of KentuckyHe was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky in 1839. In 1883, he ran for, and was elected Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, serving a full four year term under Governor J...
|
1 |
| 30 |
|
Simon B. BucknerSimon Bolivar Buckner fought in the United States Army in the Mexican–American War and in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He later served as the 30th Governor of Kentucky....
|
August 30, 1887 |
September 2, 1891 |
Democratic |
|
James W. Bryan James William Bryan was Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky.He was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky in 1853. In 1887, he ran for, and was elected Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, serving a full four year term under Governor Simon B. Buckner....
|
1 |
| 31 |
|
John Young BrownJohn Young Brown was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in the United States House of Representatives and served as its 31st governor. Brown was elected to the House of Representatives for three non-consecutive terms, each of which was marred by controversy...
|
September 2, 1891 |
December 10, 1895 |
Democratic |
|
Mitchell C. Alford Mitchell Cary Alford was Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky.-Early life:Mitchell Alford was born in Fayette County, Kentucky on July 10, 1856. He enrolled at Kentucky University , and graduated in 1877. He began studying law the following year, and earned a law degree with honors at Kentucky...
|
1 |
| 32 |
|
William O. Bradley |
December 10, 1895 |
December 12, 1899 |
Republican |
|
William J. Worthington William Jackson Worthington served as Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky under Governor William O. Bradley from 1895-1899. He was born in Pennsylvania and died in Boyd County, Kentucky.-References:...
|
1 |
| 33 |
|
William S. Taylor William Sylvester Taylor was the 33rd Governor of Kentucky. He was initially declared the winner of the disputed gubernatorial election of 1899, but the Kentucky General Assembly reversed the election results, giving the victory to his opponent, William Goebel...
|
December 12, 1899 |
January 30, 1900 |
Republican |
|
John Marshall John Marshall served as Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky under Governor William S. Taylor from 1899–1900. Both Governor Taylor and Lieutenant Governor Marshall were removed from office by a Supreme Court decision that ruled that William Goebel had rightly been elected governor in the...
|
[William S. Taylor was sworn in to office, but the legislature challenged the validity of his election win, claiming ballot fraud. William Goebel, his challenger in the election, was shot on January 30, 1900. The next day, the legislature named Goebel governor. However, Goebel died from his wounds three days later. Taylor fled the state and never returned, and was pardoned by Governor Augustus Willson in 1909.] |
| 34 |
|
William GoebelWilliam Justus Goebel was an American politician who served as the 34th Governor of Kentucky for a few days in 1900 after having been mortally wounded by an assassin the day before he was sworn in...
|
January 30, 1900 |
February 3, 1900 |
Democratic |
|
J. C. W. Beckham John Crepps Wickliffe Beckham was the 35th Governor of Kentucky and a United States Senator from Kentucky...
|
|
| 35 |
|
J. C. W. Beckham John Crepps Wickliffe Beckham was the 35th Governor of Kentucky and a United States Senator from Kentucky...
|
February 3, 1900 |
December 12, 1907 |
Democratic |
vacant |
[As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term until elected to fill it in a special election.] |
| |
William P. Thorne William Pryor Thorne served as Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky under Governor J. C. W. Beckham from 1903–1907. He was born in Shelby County, Kentucky and died in 1928.-References:...
|
| 36 |
|
Augustus E. Willson Augustus Everett Willson was the 36th Governor of Kentucky. Orphaned at the age of twelve, Willson went to live with relatives in New England...
|
December 10, 1907 |
December 12, 1911 |
Republican |
|
William Hopkinson Cox |
1 |
| 37 |
|
James B. McCrearyJames Bennett McCreary was a lawyer and politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in both houses of the U.S. Congress and served as its 27th and 37th governor...
|
December 12, 1911 |
December 7, 1915 |
Democratic |
|
Edward J. McDermott Edward John McDermott was an American politician, who served as the Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky from 1911 to 1915, under Governor James B. McCreary....
|
1 |
| 38 |
|
Augustus O. StanleyAugustus Owsley Stanley I was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. A Democrat, he served as the 38th Governor of Kentucky and also represented the state in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate...
|
December 7, 1915 |
May 19, 1919 |
Democratic |
|
James D. BlackJames Dixon Black was the 39th Governor of Kentucky, serving for seven months in 1919. He ascended to the office when Governor Augustus O. Stanley was elected to the U.S. Senate....
|
|
| 39 |
|
James D. BlackJames Dixon Black was the 39th Governor of Kentucky, serving for seven months in 1919. He ascended to the office when Governor Augustus O. Stanley was elected to the U.S. Senate....
|
May 19, 1919 |
December 9, 1919 |
Democratic |
vacant |
|
| 40 |
|
Edwin P. MorrowEdwin Porch Morrow was an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Kentucky from 1919 to 1923. He was the only Republican elected to this office between 1907 and 1927. He championed the typical Republican causes of his day, namely equal rights for African-Americans and the use of...
|
December 9, 1919 |
December 11, 1923 |
Republican |
|
S. Thruston Ballard Samuel Thruston Ballard was an American politician, who served as the Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky from 1919 to 1923, under Governor Edwin P. Morrow.-External links:...
|
1 |
| 41 |
|
William J. FieldsWilliam Jason Fields was a politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. Known as "Honest Bill from Olive Hill", he represented Kentucky's Ninth District in the U.S...
|
December 11, 1923 |
December 13, 1927 |
Democratic |
|
Henry Denhardt Henry H. Denhardt was a Democratic American politician, who served as the Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky from 1923 to 1927, under Governor William J. Fields....
|
1 |
| 42 |
|
Flem D. Sampson Flemon Davis "Flem" Sampson was the 42nd Governor of Kentucky, serving from 1927 to 1931. He graduated from Valparaiso University in 1894, and opened a law practice in Barbourville, Kentucky. He formed a political alliance with future congressmen Caleb Powers and John Robsion, both prominent...
|
December 13, 1927 |
December 8, 1931 |
Republican |
|
James Breathitt, Jr. James Breathitt, Jr. was an American politician from Kentucky.Breathitt was born on December 14, 1890 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.Breathitt was educated at Centre College....
|
1 |
| 43 |
|
Ruby Laffoon Ruby Laffoon was a politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He was the state's 43rd governor, serving from 1931 to 1935. At age 17, Laffoon moved to Washington, D.C. to live with his uncle, U.S. Representative Polk Laffoon...
|
December 8, 1931 |
December 10, 1935 |
Democratic |
|
A. B. "Happy" ChandlerAlbert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler, Sr. was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in the U.S. Senate and served as its 44th and 49th governor. Aside from his political positions, he also served as the second Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1945 to 1951 and...
|
1 |
| 44 |
|
A. B. "Happy" ChandlerAlbert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler, Sr. was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in the U.S. Senate and served as its 44th and 49th governor. Aside from his political positions, he also served as the second Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1945 to 1951 and...
|
December 10, 1935 |
October 9, 1939 |
Democratic |
|
Keen Johnson Keen Johnson was the 45th Governor of Kentucky, serving from 1939 to 1943. He remains the only journalist to have served in that capacity. After serving in World War I, Johnson purchased and edited the Elizabethtown Mirror...
|
[Resigned to take an appointed seat in the United States Senate]The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. |
| 45 |
|
Keen Johnson Keen Johnson was the 45th Governor of Kentucky, serving from 1939 to 1943. He remains the only journalist to have served in that capacity. After serving in World War I, Johnson purchased and edited the Elizabethtown Mirror...
|
October 9, 1939 |
December 7, 1943 |
Democratic |
|
Rodes K. Myers Rodes Kirby Myers was an active Kentucky Democrat and served as Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky 1939-1943.Myers' hometown was Bowling Green, Kentucky. Myers was a Kentucky delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1936, 1940, 1944, 1948 and 1956.In 1939 Myers ran for Lieutenant Governor...
|
|
| 46 |
|
Simeon S. Willis Simeon Slavens Willis was the 46th Governor of Kentucky, United States, serving from 1943 to 1947. He was the only Republican elected governor of Kentucky between 1927 and 1967....
|
December 7, 1943 |
December 9, 1947 |
Republican |
|
Kenneth H. Tuggle Kenneth H. Tuggle , a Republican, served as Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, 1943-1947. It was 53 years before another Republican was elected Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky....
|
1 |
| 47 |
|
Earle C. Clements Earle Chester Clements was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and was its 47th Governor, serving from 1947 to 1950...
|
December 9, 1947 |
November 27, 1950 |
Democratic |
|
Lawrence W. Wetherby |
|
| 48 |
|
Lawrence W. Wetherby |
November 27, 1950 |
December 13, 1955 |
Democratic |
vacant |
|
| |
Emerson Beauchamp Emerson "Doc" Beauchamp served as Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky under Governor Lawrence Wetherby."Doc" Beauchamp was from Logan County, Kentucky. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I and World War II. He served in the Kentucky Senate from 1944 through 1946. He was elected Lieutenant...
|
| 49 |
|
A. B. "Happy" ChandlerAlbert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler, Sr. was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in the U.S. Senate and served as its 44th and 49th governor. Aside from his political positions, he also served as the second Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1945 to 1951 and...
|
December 13, 1955 |
December 8, 1959 |
Democratic |
|
Harry Lee Waterfield Harry Lee Waterfield , a Democrat, served twice as Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky and unsuccessfully sought election as Governor of Kentucky....
|
1 |
| 50 |
|
Bert T. CombsBertram Thomas Combs was a jurist and politician from the US state of Kentucky. After serving on the Kentucky Court of Appeals, he was elected the 50th Governor of Kentucky in 1959 on his second run for the office. Following his gubernatorial term, he was appointed to the Sixth Circuit Court of...
|
December 8, 1959 |
December 10, 1963 |
Democratic |
|
Wilson Wyatt |
1 |
| 51 |
|
Edward T. Breathitt Edward Thompson "Ned" Breathitt, Jr. was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. A member of one of the state's political families, he was the 51st Governor of Kentucky, serving from 1963 to 1967...
|
December 10, 1963 |
December 12, 1967 |
Democratic |
|
Harry Lee Waterfield Harry Lee Waterfield , a Democrat, served twice as Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky and unsuccessfully sought election as Governor of Kentucky....
|
1 |
| 52 |
|
Louie B. NunnLouie Broady Nunn was the 52nd governor of Kentucky. Elected in 1967, he was the first Republican elected to that office since Simeon Willis in 1943 and the last to hold it until the election of Ernie Fletcher in 2003....
|
December 12, 1967 |
December 7, 1971 |
Republican |
|
Wendell H. FordWendell Hampton Ford is a retired politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He served for twenty-four years in the U.S. Senate and was the 53rd Governor of Kentucky. He was the first person to be successively elected lieutenant governor, governor, and U.S. senator in Kentucky history...
|
1 |
| 53 |
|
Wendell H. FordWendell Hampton Ford is a retired politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He served for twenty-four years in the U.S. Senate and was the 53rd Governor of Kentucky. He was the first person to be successively elected lieutenant governor, governor, and U.S. senator in Kentucky history...
|
December 7, 1971 |
December 28, 1974 |
Democratic |
|
Julian M. Carroll |
|
| 54 |
|
Julian M. Carroll Julian Morton Carroll is a politician from the US state of Kentucky. A Democrat, he is presently a member of the Kentucky Senate, representing Anderson, Franklin, Woodford, and part of Fayette counties. From 1974 to 1979, he served as the 54th Governor of Kentucky, succeeding Wendell H. Ford, who...
|
December 28, 1974 |
December 11, 1979 |
Democratic |
|
Thelma StovallThelma Hawkins Stovall was a pioneering female Southern politician who won several statewide elective offices in Kentucky, capping her career as Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky under the administration of her fellow Democrat, Governor Julian Carroll.Stovall was born in Munfordville, Kentucky. She...
|
|
| 55 |
|
John Y. Brown, Jr. This article is about one of four John Young Browns, from Kentucky, that have served political office. For others see: John Young Brown ...
|
December 11, 1979 |
December 13, 1983 |
Democratic |
|
Martha Layne CollinsMartha Layne Collins is a politician from the US state of Kentucky. From 1983 to 1987 she was the 56th Governor of Kentucky, having served the previous four years as lieutenant governor. She was Kentucky's first and only female governor to date...
|
1 |
| 56 |
|
Martha Layne CollinsMartha Layne Collins is a politician from the US state of Kentucky. From 1983 to 1987 she was the 56th Governor of Kentucky, having served the previous four years as lieutenant governor. She was Kentucky's first and only female governor to date...
|
December 13, 1983 |
December 8, 1987 |
Democratic |
|
Steve BeshearSteven Lynn "Steve" Beshear is an American politician who is the 61st Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A Democrat, Beshear previously served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974 to 1979, was the state's Attorney General from 1980 to 1983, and was Lieutenant Governor from...
|
1 |
| 57 |
|
Wallace G. Wilkinson Wallace Glenn Wilkinson was an American businessman and politician from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. From 1987 to 1991, he served as the state's fifty-seventh governor. Wilkinson dropped out of college at the University of Kentucky in 1962 to attend to a book retail business he started...
|
December 8, 1987 |
December 10, 1991 |
Democratic |
|
Brereton Jones Brereton Chandler Jones is a horse breeder and politician from the US state of Kentucky. From 1987 to 1991, he served as lieutenant governor of Kentucky and from 1991 to 1995, he was the state's 58th governor...
|
1 |
| 58 |
|
Brereton Jones Brereton Chandler Jones is a horse breeder and politician from the US state of Kentucky. From 1987 to 1991, he served as lieutenant governor of Kentucky and from 1991 to 1995, he was the state's 58th governor...
|
December 10, 1991 |
December 12, 1995 |
Democratic |
|
Paul E. Patton Paul Edward Patton was the 59th governor of Kentucky, serving from 1995 to 2003. Because of a 1992 amendment to the Kentucky Constitution, he was the first governor eligible to succeed himself in office since James Garrard in 1800...
|
1 |
| 59 |
|
Paul E. Patton Paul Edward Patton was the 59th governor of Kentucky, serving from 1995 to 2003. Because of a 1992 amendment to the Kentucky Constitution, he was the first governor eligible to succeed himself in office since James Garrard in 1800...
|
December 12, 1995 |
December 9, 2003 |
Democratic |
|
Steve Henry |
2 |
| 60 |
|
Ernie FletcherErnest Lee "Ernie" Fletcher is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. In 1999, he was elected to the first of three consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives; he resigned in 2003 after being elected the 60th governor of Kentucky and served in that office...
|
December 9, 2003 |
December 11, 2007 |
Republican |
|
Steve Pence Stephen B. Pence was the Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He took office with fellow Republican Ernie Fletcher in December 2003.-Education:...
|
1 |
| 61 |
|
Steve BeshearSteven Lynn "Steve" Beshear is an American politician who is the 61st Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A Democrat, Beshear previously served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974 to 1979, was the state's Attorney General from 1980 to 1983, and was Lieutenant Governor from...
|
December 11, 2007 |
incumbent |
Democratic |
|
Daniel MongiardoFrank Daniel Mongiardo is an American physician and politician from Kentucky. Mongiardo is a Democrat and has been Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky since 2007. He was a member of the Kentucky State Senate from 2001 to 2007. He also ran for the U.S...
|
1
[Governor Beshear's first term expires]The 2011 Kentucky gubernatorial election took place to elect the governor of Kentucky on November 8, 2011. Incumbent Democrat Steve Beshear won re-election, defeating Republican challenger David L...
December 13, 2011 when he will be inagurated for a second term; at which point, he will be term-limited for four years. |
for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. While this government never successfully displaced the government in
, who served until the Confederate surrender on April 9, 1865. The Confederate government disbanded shortly after the end of the war in 1865.
This is a table of congressional seats, other federal offices, and other governorships held by governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented Kentucky except where noted.
, served as a U.S. Representative.
| Name |
Gubernatorial term |
U.S. CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
|
Other offices held |
Source |
HouseThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
|
SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
|
Christopher GreenupChristopher Greenup was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative and the third Governor of Kentucky...
|
1804–1808 |
H |
|
|
|
John AdairJohn Adair was an American pioneer, soldier and statesman. He was the eighth Governor of Kentucky and represented the state in both the U.S. House and Senate. Adair enlisted in the state militia and served in the Revolutionary War, where he was held captive by the British for a period of time...
|
1820–1824 |
H |
S |
|
|
Joseph DeshaJoseph Desha was a U.S. Representative and the ninth Governor of Kentucky. Desha was the first Kentucky governor not to have served in the Revolutionary War. He did, however, serve under William Henry Harrison and "Mad" Anthony Wayne in the Northwest Indian War, and lost two brothers in battle...
|
1824–1828 |
|
|
|
|
| Thomas Metcalfe Thomas Metcalfe , also known as Thomas Metcalf or as "Stonehammer", was a U.S. Representative, Senator, and the tenth Governor of Kentucky. He was the first gubernatorial candidate in the state's history to be chosen by a nominating convention rather than a caucus...
|
1828–1832 |
H |
S |
|
|
James T. MoreheadJames Turner Morehead was a United States Senator and the 12th Governor of Kentucky. He was the first native-born Kentuckian to hold the governorship of the state...
|
1834–1836 |
|
S |
|
|
James ClarkJames Clark was a 19th-century American politician who served in all three branches of Kentucky's government and in the U.S. House of Representatives. His political career began in the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1807...
|
1836–1839 |
H |
|
|
|
Charles A. WickliffeCharles Anderson Wickliffe was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky. He also served as Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives, the 14th Governor of Kentucky, and was appointed Postmaster General by President John Tyler...
|
1839–1840 |
H |
|
U.S. Postmaster GeneralThe United States Postmaster General is the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Postal Service. The office, in one form or another, is older than both the United States Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence...
|
|
Robert P. LetcherRobert Perkins Letcher was a politician and lawyer from the US state of Kentucky. He served as a U.S. Representative, Minister to Mexico, and the 15th Governor of Kentucky. He also served in the Kentucky General Assembly where he was Speaker of the House in 1837 and 1838. A strong supporter of the...
|
1840–1844 |
H |
|
Ambassador to Mexico The United States has maintained diplomatic relations with Mexico since 1823, when Andrew Jackson was appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to that country. Jackson declined the appointment, however, and Joel R. Poinsett became the first U.S. envoy to Mexico in 1825. The rank...
|
|
John J. CrittendenJohn Jordan Crittenden was a politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He represented the state in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and twice served as United States Attorney General in the administrations of William Henry Harrison and Millard Fillmore...
|
1848–1850 |
H |
S |
U.S. Attorney GeneralThe United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
* (twice) |
|
Lazarus W. PowellLazarus Whitehead Powell was the 19th Governor of Kentucky, serving from 1851 to 1855. He was later elected to represent Kentucky in the U.S. Senate from 1859 to 1865....
|
1851–1855 |
|
S |
|
|
Charles S. MoreheadCharles Slaughter Morehead was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky, and served as the 20th Governor of Kentucky...
|
1855–1859 |
H |
|
|
|
John W. StevensonJohn White Stevenson was a U.S. Representative, the 18th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, the 25th Governor of Kentucky and U.S. Senator. His father, Andrew Stevenson, had served as Speaker of the House and minister to Great Britain...
|
1867–1871 |
H |
S* |
|
|
Preston LesliePreston Hopkins Leslie was the 26th Governor of Kentucky from 1871 to 1875 and territorial governor of Montana from 1887 to 1889. He ascended to the office of governor by three different means. First, he succeeded Kentucky governor John W. Stevenson upon the latter's resignation to accept a seat...
|
1871–1875 |
|
|
Governor of Montana Territory |
|
James B. McCrearyJames Bennett McCreary was a lawyer and politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in both houses of the U.S. Congress and served as its 27th and 37th governor...
|
1875–1879
1911–1915 |
H |
S |
|
|
| J. Proctor Knott James Proctor Knott was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky and served as the 29th Governor of Kentucky from 1883 to 1887. Born in Kentucky, he moved to Missouri in 1850 and began his political career there...
|
1883–1887 |
H |
|
|
|
John Y. BrownJohn Young Brown was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in the United States House of Representatives and served as its 31st governor. Brown was elected to the House of Representatives for three non-consecutive terms, each of which was marred by controversy...
|
1891–1895 |
H |
|
|
|
| William O. Bradley |
1895–1899 |
|
S |
|
|
| J. C. W. Beckham John Crepps Wickliffe Beckham was the 35th Governor of Kentucky and a United States Senator from Kentucky...
|
1900–1907 |
|
S |
|
|
Augustus O. StanleyAugustus Owsley Stanley I was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. A Democrat, he served as the 38th Governor of Kentucky and also represented the state in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate...
|
1915–1919 |
H |
S* |
|
|
William J. FieldsWilliam Jason Fields was a politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. Known as "Honest Bill from Olive Hill", he represented Kentucky's Ninth District in the U.S...
|
1923–1927 |
H |
|
|
|
A. B. "Happy" ChandlerAlbert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler, Sr. was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in the U.S. Senate and served as its 44th and 49th governor. Aside from his political positions, he also served as the second Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1945 to 1951 and...
|
1935–1939
1955–1959 |
|
S* |
|
|
| Earle C. Clements Earle Chester Clements was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and was its 47th Governor, serving from 1947 to 1950...
|
1947–1950 |
H |
S* |
|
|
Bert T. CombsBertram Thomas Combs was a jurist and politician from the US state of Kentucky. After serving on the Kentucky Court of Appeals, he was elected the 50th Governor of Kentucky in 1959 on his second run for the office. Following his gubernatorial term, he was appointed to the Sixth Circuit Court of...
|
1959–1963 |
|
|
Sixth Circuit Court Judge The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Kentucky* Western District of Kentucky...
|
|
Wendell H. FordWendell Hampton Ford is a retired politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He served for twenty-four years in the U.S. Senate and was the 53rd Governor of Kentucky. He was the first person to be successively elected lieutenant governor, governor, and U.S. senator in Kentucky history...
|
1971–1975 |
|
S* |
|
|
Ernie FletcherErnest Lee "Ernie" Fletcher is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. In 1999, he was elected to the first of three consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives; he resigned in 2003 after being elected the 60th governor of Kentucky and served in that office...
|
2003–2007 |
H |
|
|
|
(1971–1975, born 1924). The most recent governor to die was