List of Governors of North Carolina

The following is a list of governors or chief executives

Governor of North Carolina

The Governor of North Carolina is the chief executive of the State of North Carolina, one of the U.S. states. The current governor is Bev Perdue, North Carolina's first female governor.-Powers:...

 for the U.S. state of North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

. See also History of North Carolina

History of North Carolina

The history of North Carolina from prehistory to the present covers the experiences of the people who have lived in the territory that now comprises the U.S. state of North Carolina....

.

Provincial Council (American Revolution

American Revolution

The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...

)

The 13-member Provincial Council, renamed the Council of Safety in April 1776, was essentially the executive authority during the second year of the Revolution, and was appointed by the Provincial Congress

North Carolina Provincial Congress

The North Carolina Provincial Congresses were extra-legal unicameral legislative bodies formed in 1774 through 1776 by the people of the Province of North Carolina, independent of the British colonial government.-First Provincial Congress:...

. The Presidency of the Council and the Presidency of the Congress could each be considered the highest offices in the state during this time, but the council was supreme when the congress was not in session.

• Presidents of the Council:
  • Cornelius Harnett
    Cornelius Harnett
    Cornelius Harnett was an American merchant, farmer, and statesman from Wilmington, North Carolina. He was a leading American Revolutionary in the Cape Fear region, and a delegate for North Carolina in the Continental Congress from 1777 to 1779.Harnett was born to Cornelius and Elizabeth Harnett in...
    
     (18 Oct. 1775 - 5 March 1776; 5 June 1776 - 21 August 1776)
  • Samuel Ashe
    Samuel Ashe (1725-1813)
    Samuel Ashe was the ninth Governor of the U.S. State of North Carolina from 1795 to 1798.Ashe was born in Beaufort, North Carolina. His father, John Baptista Ashe, and brother, John Ashe, both served as Speaker of the North Carolina Colonial Assembly, or House of Burgesses. Ashe became an orphan...
    
     (21 August 1776 - 27 September 1776)
  • Willie Jones
    Willie Jones (statesman)
    Willie Jones was an American planter and statesman from Halifax County, North Carolina. He represented North Carolina as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1780...
    
     (27 September 1776 - 25 Oct. 1776; some sources indicate that Jones was president through Nov. 12, when the Fifth Provincial Congress convened.)

State of North Carolina, 1776-present

After the current state constitution was ratified in 1971, governors are limited to two consecutive terms in office; they had previously been limited to one term.

Name	Took office	Left office	Party	Notes
Richard Caswell Richard Caswell Richard Caswell was the first and fifth governor of the U.S. State of North Carolina, serving from 1776 to 1780 and from 1784 to 1787....	November 12, 1776	April 20, 1780	No party
Abner Nash Abner Nash Abner Nash was the second Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina between 1781 and 1782, and represented North Carolina in the Continental Congress from 1782 to 1786....	April 20, 1780	26 June 1781	No party
Thomas Burke Thomas Burke (governor) Thomas Burke was an American physician, lawyer, and statesman from Hillsborough, North Carolina. He represented North Carolina as a delegate to the Continental Congress and was the third Governor of the state....	26 June 1781	April 22, 1782	No party
Alexander Martin Alexander Martin Alexander Martin was the fourth and seventh Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1782 to 1784 and from 1789 to 1792.-Biography:...	April 22, 1782	May 13, 1785	No party
Richard Caswell Richard Caswell Richard Caswell was the first and fifth governor of the U.S. State of North Carolina, serving from 1776 to 1780 and from 1784 to 1787....	May 13, 1785	December 20, 1787	No party
Samuel Johnston Samuel Johnston Samuel Johnston was an American planter, lawyer, and statesman from Chowan County, North Carolina. He represented North Carolina in both the Continental Congress and the United States Senate, and was the sixth Governor of North Carolina.-Early Life and Revolutionary Politics:Johnston was born in...	December 20, 1787	December 17, 1789	Federalist Federalist Party (United States) The Federalist Party was the first American political party, from the early 1790s to 1816, the era of the First Party System, with remnants lasting into the 1820s. The Federalists controlled the federal government until 1801...
Alexander Martin Alexander Martin Alexander Martin was the fourth and seventh Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1782 to 1784 and from 1789 to 1792.-Biography:...	December 17, 1789	December 14, 1792	Anti-Federalist Anti-Administration Party (United States) Anti-Administration "Party" was the informal faction comprising the opponents of the policies of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton in the first term of President George Washington. This was not an organized political party but an unorganized faction...
Richard Dobbs Spaight Richard Dobbs Spaight Richard Dobbs Spaight was the eighth Governor of the American State of North Carolina from 1792 to 1795.-Early life:Spaight was born in New Bern, North Carolina, the son of the Secretary of the Crown in the colony...	December 14, 1792	November 19, 1795	Federalist
Samuel Ashe Samuel Ashe (1725-1813) Samuel Ashe was the ninth Governor of the U.S. State of North Carolina from 1795 to 1798.Ashe was born in Beaufort, North Carolina. His father, John Baptista Ashe, and brother, John Ashe, both served as Speaker of the North Carolina Colonial Assembly, or House of Burgesses. Ashe became an orphan...	November 19, 1795	December 7, 1798	Anti-Federalist
William Richardson Davie William Richardson Davie William Richardson Davie was a military officer and the tenth Governor of North Carolina from 1798 to 1799, as well as one of the most important men involved in the founding of the University of North Carolina...	December 7, 1798	November 23, 1799	Federalist
Benjamin Williams Benjamin Williams Benjamin Williams was the 11th and 14th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina, from 1799 to 1802 and from 1807 to 1808. He was the first of two North Carolina Governors since the American Revolution to serve nonconsecutive terms.Williams was born in Johnston County, North Carolina in 1751...	November 23, 1799	December 6, 1802	Federalist
James Turner James Turner James Turner was the 12th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1802 to 1805. He later served as a U.S. senator between 1805 and 1816....	December 6, 1802	December 10, 1805	Democratic-Republican
Nathaniel Alexander Nathaniel Alexander Nathaniel Alexander was the 13th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1805 to 1807.-Biography:Alexander was born near Concord, North Carolina , the son of a local sheriff...	December 10, 1805	December 1, 1807	Democratic-Republican
Benjamin Williams Benjamin Williams Benjamin Williams was the 11th and 14th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina, from 1799 to 1802 and from 1807 to 1808. He was the first of two North Carolina Governors since the American Revolution to serve nonconsecutive terms.Williams was born in Johnston County, North Carolina in 1751...	December 1, 1807	December 12, 1808	Federalist
David Stone David Stone David Stone was the 15th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1808 to 1810. Both before and after his term as governor, he served as a U.S. senator, between 1801 and 1807 and between 1813 and 1814.-Biography:...	December 12, 1808	December 1, 1810	Democratic-Republican
Benjamin Smith	December 1, 1810	December 11, 1811	Democratic-Republican
William Hawkins	December 11, 1811	November 29, 1814	Democratic-Republican
William Miller William Miller (North Carolina) William Miller was the 18th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1814 to 1817.Born in Warren County, North Carolina, William Miller was orphaned at the age of 22 and inherited a substantial plantation. He briefly attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1802, but...	November 29, 1814	December 6, 1817	Democratic-Republican
John Branch John Branch John Branch, Jr. served as U.S. Senator, Secretary of the Navy, the 19th Governor of the state of North Carolina, and was the sixth and last territorial governor of Florida....	December 6, 1817	December 7, 1820	Democratic-Republican
Jesse Franklin Jesse Franklin Jesse Franklin was the Democratic-Republican U.S. senator from the U.S. state of North Carolina between 1799 and 1805 and between 1807 and 1813. He later served as the 20th Governor of North Carolina from 1820 to 1821....	December 7, 1820	December 7, 1821	Democratic-Republican
Gabriel Holmes Gabriel Holmes Gabriel Holmes was the 21st Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1821 to 1824. He was not affiliated with any party; a Representative from North Carolina; born near Clinton, Sampson County, N.C., in 1769; attended Zion Parnassus Academy in Rowan County and Harvard University; studied...	December 7, 1821	December 7, 1824	Democratic-Republican
Hutchins Gordon Burton Hutchins Gordon Burton Hutchins Gordon Burton was the 22nd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1824 to 1827. Some sources indicate that he was not affiliated with any party at the time, although he was associated, according to other sources, with the Federalist Party and later with the National Republican...	December 7, 1824	December 8, 1827	No party
James Iredell, Jr. James Iredell, Jr. James Iredell, Jr. was the 23rd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina between 1827 and 1828.-Early life:...	December 8, 1827	December 12, 1828	Democratic-Republican
John Owen	December 12, 1828	December 18, 1830	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) 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...
Montfort Stokes Montfort Stokes Montfort Stokes was an American Democratic politician who served as U.S. Senator from 1816 to 1823, and the 25th Governor of North Carolina from 1830 to 1832....	December 18, 1830	December 6, 1832	Democratic
David Lowry Swain David Lowry Swain David Lowry Swain was the 26th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1832 to 1835.-Biography:Swain was born in Buncombe County, North Carolina; his father, George Swain, was a farmer and a member of the North Carolina General Assembly...	December 6, 1832	December 10, 1835	National Republican National Republican Party (United States) The 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...
Richard Dobbs Spaight, Jr. Richard Dobbs Spaight, Jr. Richard Dobbs Spaight, Jr. was the 27th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1835 to 1836.Born in New Bern, North Carolina, Spaight was the son of North Carolina Governor Richard Dobbs Spaight...	December 10, 1835	December 31, 1836	Democratic
Edward Bishop Dudley Edward Bishop Dudley Edward Bishop Dudley was the 28th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1836 to 1841. He served in the United States House of Representatives as a Jacksonian from 1829 to 1831.-Early life:...	December 31, 1836	January 1, 1841	Whig Whig Party (United States) The 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...
John Motley Morehead John Motley Morehead John Motley Morehead was the 29th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1841 to 1845. He is known as "the Father of Modern North Carolina."...	January 1, 1841	January 1, 1845	Whig
William Alexander Graham William Alexander Graham William Alexander Graham was a United States Senator from North Carolina from 1840 to 1843, the 30th Governor of North Carolina from 1845 to 1849 and United States Secretary of the Navy from 1850 to 1852. He was also a candidate for the vice-presidency in 1852.-Education:Graham was born near...	January 1, 1845	January 1, 1849	Whig
Charles Manly Charles Manly Charles Manly was the 31st Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1849 to 1851, and the last member of his party to hold the office. After one two-year term, Manly was defeated in the 1850 election by David S. Reid, whom Manly had defeated in 1848.He was the brother of Matthias Evans...	January 1, 1849	January 1, 1851	Whig
David Settle Reid David Settle Reid David Settle Reid was the 32nd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1851 to 1854 and a U.S. Senator from December 1854 to March 1859. His uncle was Congressman Thomas Settle, and his brother was Hugh Kearns Reid....	January 1, 1851	December 6, 1854	Democratic
Warren Winslow Warren Winslow Warren Winslow was the 33rd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1854 to 1855. Winslow graduated from the University of North Carolina....	December 6, 1854	January 1, 1855	Democratic
Thomas Bragg Thomas Bragg Thomas Bragg was a politician and lawyer who served as the 34th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1855 through 1859. During the Civil War, he served in the Confederate States Cabinet. He was the older brother of General Braxton Bragg...	January 1, 1855	January 1, 1859	Democratic
John Willis Ellis John Willis Ellis John Willis Ellis was the 35th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1859 to 1861.Ellis attended the University of North Carolina, studied law under Richmond Mumford Pearson, practiced law, and was elected to the North Carolina General Assembly from Rowan County. He served as a state...	January 1, 1859	July 7, 1861	Democratic
Henry Toole Clark Henry Toole Clark Henry Toole Clark was the 36th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1861 to 1862 during the American Civil War....	July 7, 1861	September 8, 1862	Democratic
Zebulon Baird Vance Zebulon Baird Vance Zebulon Baird Vance was a Confederate military officer in the American Civil War, the 37th and 43rd Governor of North Carolina, and U.S. Senator...	September 8, 1862	May 29, 1865	Conservative Party
William Woods Holden William Woods Holden William Woods Holden was the 38th and 40th Governor of North Carolina in 1865 and from 1868 to 1871. He was the leader of the state's Republican Party during Reconstruction. Holden was the second governor in American history to be impeached, and the first to be removed from office...	May 29, 1865	December 15, 1865	National Union National Union Party (United States) The National Union Party was the name used by the Republican Party for the national ticket in the 1864 presidential election, held during the Civil War. State Republican parties did not usually change their name....
Jonathan Worth Jonathan Worth Jonathan Worth was the 39th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1865 to 1868, during the early years of Reconstruction.-Early life:...	December 15, 1865	July 1, 1868	Conservative Party
William Woods Holden William Woods Holden William Woods Holden was the 38th and 40th Governor of North Carolina in 1865 and from 1868 to 1871. He was the leader of the state's Republican Party during Reconstruction. Holden was the second governor in American history to be impeached, and the first to be removed from office...	July 1, 1868	December 15, 1870	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Tod Robinson Caldwell Tod Robinson Caldwell Tod Robinson Caldwell was a lawyer and the 41st Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1871 to 1874.He was born in Morganton, North Carolina...	December 15, 1870	July 11, 1874	Republican
Curtis Hooks Brogden Curtis Hooks Brogden Curtis Hooks Brogden was the 42nd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1874 to 1877.He was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina, the son of a local farmer. Brogden joined the North Carolina state militia at the age of 18 and rose to the rank of major general...	July 11, 1874	January 1, 1877	Republican
Zebulon Baird Vance Zebulon Baird Vance Zebulon Baird Vance was a Confederate military officer in the American Civil War, the 37th and 43rd Governor of North Carolina, and U.S. Senator...	January 1, 1877	February 5, 1879	Democratic
Thomas Jordan Jarvis Thomas Jordan Jarvis Thomas Jordan Jarvis was the 44th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1879 to 1885. Jarvis later served as a U.S. Senator from 1894 to 1895....	February 5, 1879	January 21, 1885	Democratic
Alfred Moore Scales Alfred Moore Scales Alfred Moore Scales was a North Carolina state legislature, Confederate general in the American Civil War and the 45th Governor of the US state of North Carolina from 1885 to 1889, and Congressman.-Early life:...	January 21, 1885	January 17, 1889	Democratic
Daniel Gould Fowle Daniel Gould Fowle Daniel Gould Fowle was the 46th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1889 until his death in 1891. He had served as a state superior court judge from 1865 to 1867....	January 17, 1889	April 7, 1891	Democratic
Thomas Michael Holt Thomas Michael Holt Col. Thomas Michael Holt was a prominent North Carolina industrialist who served as the 47th Governor of North Carolina from 1891 to 1893...	April 7, 1891	January 18, 1893	Democratic
Elias Carr Elias Carr Elias Carr was the 48th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1893 to 1897. A building on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill is named after him....	January 18, 1893	January 12, 1897	Democratic
Daniel Lindsay Russell Daniel Lindsay Russell Daniel Lindsay Russell, Jr. was the 49th Governor of North Carolina from 1897 to 1901, an attorney and judge, and a politician. Although he fought with the Confederacy during the Civil War, he and his father were both Unionists...	January 12, 1897	January 15, 1901	Republican
Charles Brantley Aycock Charles Brantley Aycock Charles Brantley Aycock was the 50th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1901 to 1905. During his tenure as governor, he was an advocate for the improvement of the state's public school systems, and following his term in office, he traveled the country promoting educational...	January 15, 1901	January 11, 1905	Democratic
Robert Broadnax Glenn Robert Broadnax Glenn Robert Broadnax Glenn was the 51st Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1905 to 1909.-Early years and career:A native of Rockingham County, North Carolina, Glenn was born to C. L. Glenn and Annie S. Dodge...	January 11, 1905	January 12, 1909	Democratic
William Walton Kitchin William Walton Kitchin William Walton Kitchin was the 52nd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1909 to 1913.-Early Life and Family:...	January 12, 1909	January 15, 1913	Democratic
Locke Craig	January 15, 1913	January 11, 1917	Democratic
Thomas Walter Bickett Thomas Walter Bickett Thomas Walter Bickett was the 54th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1917 to 1921.Bickett was a graduate of Wake Forest College...	January 11, 1917	January 12, 1921	Democratic
Cameron Morrison	January 12, 1921	January 14, 1925	Democratic
Angus Wilton McLean Angus Wilton McLean Angus Wilton McLean was a lawyer and banker who was the 56th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1925 to 1929...	January 14, 1925	January 11, 1929	Democratic
Oliver Max Gardner Oliver Max Gardner Oliver Max Gardner was the 57th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1929 to 1933.-Early years and education:...	January 11, 1929	January 5, 1933	Democratic
John C.B. Ehringhaus John C.B. Ehringhaus John Christoph Blucher Ehringhaus was the Governor of North Carolina from 1933 to 1937.-Biography:He was born on February 5, 1882....	January 5, 1933	January 7, 1937	Democratic
Clyde R. Hoey Clyde R. Hoey Clyde Roark Hoey was a Democratic politician from North Carolina. He served in both houses of the state legislature and served briefly in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1919 to 1921. He was North Carolina's governor from 1937 to 1941. He entered the U.S...	January 7, 1937	January 9, 1941	Democratic
J. Melville Broughton J. Melville Broughton Joseph Melville Broughton was the 60th Governor of North Carolina from 1941 to 1945.-Biography:He was born on November 17, 1888 in Raleigh, North Carolina. He attended Harvard Law School then worked as a school principal and journalist before actively entering the legal profession...	January 9, 1941	January 4, 1945	Democratic
R. Gregg Cherry R. Gregg Cherry Robert Gregg Cherry was the 61st Governor of the state of North Carolina from 1945 to 1949.-Biography:Born in South Carolina, Cherry grew up in Gastonia, North Carolina with relatives after the death of his parents. He earned bachelor's and law degrees at Trinity College...	January 4, 1945	January 6, 1949	Democratic
W. Kerr Scott W. Kerr Scott William Kerr Scott was a Democratic Party politician from North Carolina. He was the 62nd Governor of North Carolina from 1949 until 1953 and a United States Senator from 1954 until 1958.-Biography:...	January 6, 1949	January 8, 1953	Democratic
William B. Umstead William B. Umstead William Bradley Umstead was an American Senator and the 63rd Governor of the state of North Carolina from 1953 to 1954.-Biography:Umstead was born in the northern Durham County town of Bahama in 1895...	January 8, 1953	November 7, 1954	Democratic
Luther H. Hodges Luther H. Hodges Luther Hartwell Hodges, Sr. was an American politician, who served as the 64th Governor of the state of North Carolina from 1954 to 1961 and as United States Secretary of Commerce from 1961 to 1965.-Biography:...	November 7, 1954	January 8, 1961	Democratic
Terry Sanford Terry Sanford James Terry Sanford was a United States politician and educator from North Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party, Sanford was the 65th Governor of North Carolina , a two-time U.S. Presidential candidate in the 1970s and a U.S. Senator...	January 5, 1961	January 8, 1965	Democratic
Dan K. Moore Dan K. Moore Daniel Killian Moore was the 66th Governor of the state of North Carolina from 1965 to 1969. Born in Asheville, North Carolina, Moore earned undergraduate and law degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was a member of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity...	January 8, 1965	January 3, 1969	Democratic
Robert W. Scott Robert W. Scott Robert Walter "Bob" Scott was the 67th Governor of the state of North Carolina from 1969 to 1973. He was born in Haw River, North Carolina.The son of North Carolina Governor W...	January 3, 1969	January 5, 1973	Democratic
James E. Holshouser, Jr.	January 5, 1973	January 8, 1977	Republican
James B. Hunt, Jr. Jim Hunt James Baxter Hunt Jr. is an American politician who was the 69th and 71st Governor of the state of North Carolina . He is the longest-serving governor in the state's history.-Early life:...	January 8, 1977	January 5, 1985	Democratic
James G. Martin James G. Martin James Grubbs "Jim" Martin is the 70th Governor of the state of North Carolina. He served from 1985 to 1993. He was the second Republican elected to the office after Reconstruction, and the fifth overall. He is also the only Republican to serve two full terms as governor.-Early Life &...	January 5, 1985	January 9, 1993	Republican
James B. Hunt, Jr. Jim Hunt James Baxter Hunt Jr. is an American politician who was the 69th and 71st Governor of the state of North Carolina . He is the longest-serving governor in the state's history.-Early life:...	January 9, 1993	January 6, 2001	Democratic
Mike Easley Mike Easley Michael Francis "Mike" Easley is an American politician who served as the 72nd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina, from 2001 to 2009. He is member of the North Carolina Democratic Party and became the first North Carolina governor to admit to a felony in a deal that halted a lengthy...	January 6, 2001	January 10, 2009	Democratic
Beverly Perdue	January 10, 2009	incumbent	Democratic

Other high offices held

This is a table of congressional seats, other federal offices, and other governorships held by governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented North Carolina except where noted. * denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take.

Name	Gubernatorial term	U.S. Congress United States Congress The 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
		House United States House of Representatives The 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...	Senate 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...
Alexander Martin Alexander Martin Alexander Martin was the fourth and seventh Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1782 to 1784 and from 1789 to 1792.-Biography:...	1782–1784; 1789–1792		S
Samuel Johnston Samuel Johnston Samuel Johnston was an American planter, lawyer, and statesman from Chowan County, North Carolina. He represented North Carolina in both the Continental Congress and the United States Senate, and was the sixth Governor of North Carolina.-Early Life and Revolutionary Politics:Johnston was born in...	1787–1789		S*
Richard Dobbs Spaight Richard Dobbs Spaight Richard Dobbs Spaight was the eighth Governor of the American State of North Carolina from 1792 to 1795.-Early life:Spaight was born in New Bern, North Carolina, the son of the Secretary of the Crown in the colony...	1792–1795	H		Delegate to Philadelphia Convention Philadelphia Convention The Constitutional Convention took place from May 14 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to address problems in governing the United States of America, which had been operating under the Articles of Confederation following independence from...  and signer of the United States Constitution United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
William Richardson Davie William Richardson Davie William Richardson Davie was a military officer and the tenth Governor of North Carolina from 1798 to 1799, as well as one of the most important men involved in the founding of the University of North Carolina...	1798–1799			Delegate to Philadelphia Convention Philadelphia Convention The Constitutional Convention took place from May 14 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to address problems in governing the United States of America, which had been operating under the Articles of Confederation following independence from...
Benjamin Williams Benjamin Williams Benjamin Williams was the 11th and 14th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina, from 1799 to 1802 and from 1807 to 1808. He was the first of two North Carolina Governors since the American Revolution to serve nonconsecutive terms.Williams was born in Johnston County, North Carolina in 1751...	1799–1802; 1807–1808	H
James Turner James Turner James Turner was the 12th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1802 to 1805. He later served as a U.S. senator between 1805 and 1816....	1802–1805		S
Nathaniel Alexander Nathaniel Alexander Nathaniel Alexander was the 13th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1805 to 1807.-Biography:Alexander was born near Concord, North Carolina , the son of a local sheriff...	1805–1807	H
David Stone David Stone David Stone was the 15th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1808 to 1810. Both before and after his term as governor, he served as a U.S. senator, between 1801 and 1807 and between 1813 and 1814.-Biography:...	1808–1810	H	S
John Branch John Branch John Branch, Jr. served as U.S. Senator, Secretary of the Navy, the 19th Governor of the state of North Carolina, and was the sixth and last territorial governor of Florida....	1817–1820		S	United States Secretary of the Navy United States Secretary of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense... ; Governor of Florida Territory
Jesse Franklin Jesse Franklin Jesse Franklin was the Democratic-Republican U.S. senator from the U.S. state of North Carolina between 1799 and 1805 and between 1807 and 1813. He later served as the 20th Governor of North Carolina from 1820 to 1821....	1820–1821	H	S
Gabriel Holmes Gabriel Holmes Gabriel Holmes was the 21st Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1821 to 1824. He was not affiliated with any party; a Representative from North Carolina; born near Clinton, Sampson County, N.C., in 1769; attended Zion Parnassus Academy in Rowan County and Harvard University; studied...	1821–1824	H
Hutchins Gordon Burton Hutchins Gordon Burton Hutchins Gordon Burton was the 22nd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1824 to 1827. Some sources indicate that he was not affiliated with any party at the time, although he was associated, according to other sources, with the Federalist Party and later with the National Republican...	1824–1827	H
James Iredell, Jr. James Iredell, Jr. James Iredell, Jr. was the 23rd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina between 1827 and 1828.-Early life:...	1830–1832		S*
Montfort Stokes Montfort Stokes Montfort Stokes was an American Democratic politician who served as U.S. Senator from 1816 to 1823, and the 25th Governor of North Carolina from 1830 to 1832....	1830–1832		S
Richard Dobbs Spaight, Jr. Richard Dobbs Spaight, Jr. Richard Dobbs Spaight, Jr. was the 27th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1835 to 1836.Born in New Bern, North Carolina, Spaight was the son of North Carolina Governor Richard Dobbs Spaight...	1835–1836	H
Edward Bishop Dudley Edward Bishop Dudley Edward Bishop Dudley was the 28th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1836 to 1841. He served in the United States House of Representatives as a Jacksonian from 1829 to 1831.-Early life:...	1836–1841	H
William Alexander Graham William Alexander Graham William Alexander Graham was a United States Senator from North Carolina from 1840 to 1843, the 30th Governor of North Carolina from 1845 to 1849 and United States Secretary of the Navy from 1850 to 1852. He was also a candidate for the vice-presidency in 1852.-Education:Graham was born near...	1845–1849		S	United States Secretary of the Navy United States Secretary of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense... ; Confederate Senator
David Settle Reid David Settle Reid David Settle Reid was the 32nd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1851 to 1854 and a U.S. Senator from December 1854 to March 1859. His uncle was Congressman Thomas Settle, and his brother was Hugh Kearns Reid....	1851–1854	H	S*
Warren Winslow Warren Winslow Warren Winslow was the 33rd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1854 to 1855. Winslow graduated from the University of North Carolina....	1854–1855	H
Thomas Bragg Thomas Bragg Thomas Bragg was a politician and lawyer who served as the 34th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1855 through 1859. During the Civil War, he served in the Confederate States Cabinet. He was the older brother of General Braxton Bragg...	1855–1859		S	Confederate States Attorney General Confederate States Attorney General The Attorney General of the Confederate States of America was a member of the Confederate cabinet. His duties were exactly the same as the duties of the United States Attorney General.-List:# Judah P. Benjamin # Wade Keyes...
Zebulon Baird Vance Zebulon Baird Vance Zebulon Baird Vance was a Confederate military officer in the American Civil War, the 37th and 43rd Governor of North Carolina, and U.S. Senator...	1862–1865; 1877–79		S*
Curtis Hooks Brogden Curtis Hooks Brogden Curtis Hooks Brogden was the 42nd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1874 to 1877.He was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina, the son of a local farmer. Brogden joined the North Carolina state militia at the age of 18 and rose to the rank of major general...	1874–1877	H
Thomas Jordan Jarvis Thomas Jordan Jarvis Thomas Jordan Jarvis was the 44th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1879 to 1885. Jarvis later served as a U.S. Senator from 1894 to 1895....	1879–1885		S	United States Minister to Brazil United States Ambassador to Brazil The following is a list of Ambassadors of the United States, or other chiefs of mission, to Brazil. The title given by the United States State Department to this position is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.-See also:...
Alfred Moore Scales Alfred Moore Scales Alfred Moore Scales was a North Carolina state legislature, Confederate general in the American Civil War and the 45th Governor of the US state of North Carolina from 1885 to 1889, and Congressman.-Early life:...	1885–1889	H
Daniel Lindsay Russell Daniel Lindsay Russell Daniel Lindsay Russell, Jr. was the 49th Governor of North Carolina from 1897 to 1901, an attorney and judge, and a politician. Although he fought with the Confederacy during the Civil War, he and his father were both Unionists...	1897–1901	H
William Walton Kitchin William Walton Kitchin William Walton Kitchin was the 52nd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1909 to 1913.-Early Life and Family:...	1909–1913	H
Cameron Morrison Cameron A. Morrison Cameron A. Morrison was the 55th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1921 to 1925.He was born in 1869 in Richmond County, North Carolina. With the backing of Sen. Furnifold Simmons and the help of race-baiting tactics employed by A. D. Watts, Morrison defeated O. Max Gardner in the...	1921–1925	H	S
Oliver Max Gardner Oliver Max Gardner Oliver Max Gardner was the 57th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1929 to 1933.-Early years and education:...	1929–1933			U.S. Under Secretary of the Treasury United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury The Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, in the United States government, advises and assists the Secretary of the Treasury in the supervision and direction of the Department of the Treasury and its activities, and succeeds the Secretary in his absence, sickness, or unavailability...
Clyde R. Hoey Clyde R. Hoey Clyde Roark Hoey was a Democratic politician from North Carolina. He served in both houses of the state legislature and served briefly in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1919 to 1921. He was North Carolina's governor from 1937 to 1941. He entered the U.S...	1937–1941	H	S
J. Melville Broughton J. Melville Broughton Joseph Melville Broughton was the 60th Governor of North Carolina from 1941 to 1945.-Biography:He was born on November 17, 1888 in Raleigh, North Carolina. He attended Harvard Law School then worked as a school principal and journalist before actively entering the legal profession...	1941–1945		S
W. Kerr Scott W. Kerr Scott William Kerr Scott was a Democratic Party politician from North Carolina. He was the 62nd Governor of North Carolina from 1949 until 1953 and a United States Senator from 1954 until 1958.-Biography:...	1949–1953		S
William B. Umstead William B. Umstead William Bradley Umstead was an American Senator and the 63rd Governor of the state of North Carolina from 1953 to 1954.-Biography:Umstead was born in the northern Durham County town of Bahama in 1895...	1953–1954	H	S
Luther H. Hodges Luther H. Hodges Luther Hartwell Hodges, Sr. was an American politician, who served as the 64th Governor of the state of North Carolina from 1954 to 1961 and as United States Secretary of Commerce from 1961 to 1965.-Biography:...	1954–1961			United States Secretary of Commerce United States Secretary of Commerce The United States Secretary of Commerce is the head of the United States Department of Commerce concerned with business and industry; the Department states its mission to be "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce"...
Terry Sanford Terry Sanford James Terry Sanford was a United States politician and educator from North Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party, Sanford was the 65th Governor of North Carolina , a two-time U.S. Presidential candidate in the 1970s and a U.S. Senator...	1961–1965		S
Jim Martin James G. Martin James Grubbs "Jim" Martin is the 70th Governor of the state of North Carolina. He served from 1985 to 1993. He was the second Republican elected to the office after Reconstruction, and the fifth overall. He is also the only Republican to serve two full terms as governor.-Early Life &...	1985–1993	H

Living former governors

As of January 2009, four former governors were alive, the oldest being James E. Holshouser, Jr. (1973–1977, born 1934). The most recent governor to die, and the most recently-serving governor to die, was Robert W. Scott

Robert W. Scott

Robert Walter "Bob" Scott was the 67th Governor of the state of North Carolina from 1969 to 1973. He was born in Haw River, North Carolina.The son of North Carolina Governor W...

 (1969–1973), on January 23, 2009.

Name	Gubernatorial term	Date of birth
James E. Holshouser, Jr.	1973–1977	October 08, 1934 (age 77)
James G. Martin James G. Martin James Grubbs "Jim" Martin is the 70th Governor of the state of North Carolina. He served from 1985 to 1993. He was the second Republican elected to the office after Reconstruction, and the fifth overall. He is also the only Republican to serve two full terms as governor.-Early Life &...	1985–1993	December 11, 1935 (age 76)
James B. Hunt, Jr. Jim Hunt James Baxter Hunt Jr. is an American politician who was the 69th and 71st Governor of the state of North Carolina . He is the longest-serving governor in the state's history.-Early life:...	1977–1985, 1993–2001	May 16, 1937 (age 74)
Mike Easley Mike Easley Michael Francis "Mike" Easley is an American politician who served as the 72nd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina, from 2001 to 2009. He is member of the North Carolina Democratic Party and became the first North Carolina governor to admit to a felony in a deal that halted a lengthy...	2001–2009	March 23, 1950 (age 61)

External links

• Governors of North Carolina (Official state site)
• History of NC Gubernatorial Races at OurCampaigns.com