List of governors of Oregon

The governor of Oregon is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oregon.

List of governors

The Oregon Country was obtained by the United States on January 30, 1819,^[1] as a shared region with the United Kingdom. The Oregon Treaty ended the sharing and formally established the borders on June 15, 1846.^[2]

The Champoeg Meetings, including a constitutional committee, held from February 1841 until May 1843, served as a de facto government before the government was officially established. While early attempts at establishing a government had been unsuccessful because of discontent between English American and French Canadian settlers over the question of whom they should choose as governor, several other officers were elected at these meetings, including Ira Babcock as Supreme Judge. For lack of a government, the Supreme Judge also received executive and legislative duties.^[3][4]

The meetings at Champoeg led up to the first constitution of the Oregon Country and several petitions for U.S. territorial status. The resulting acts created a provisional government on July 5, 1843. The first leaders of this government were an elected three-person Executive Committee. Later, George Abernethy was elected governor, and served from June 3, 1845, to March 3, 1849, though this government was never recognized by the federal government.

Oregon Territory

The region was organized as Oregon Territory on August 14, 1848.^[5] During its history it had five governors appointed by the president of the United States.

Governors of the Territory of Oregon

No.	Governor		Term in office[a]	Appointing President
1		Joseph Lane (1801–1881) [6]	August 18, 1848[b] – June 18, 1850 (successor appointed)[c]	James K. Polk
2		John P. Gaines (1795–1857) [11]	October 2, 1849[d] – May 16, 1853 (successor appointed)	Millard Fillmore
3		Joseph Lane (1801–1881) [6]	May 16, 1853[e] – May 18, 1853 (resigned)[f]	Franklin Pierce
4		John Wesley Davis (1799–1859) [22]	September 6, 1853[g] – August 1, 1854 (resigned)[h]	Franklin Pierce
5		George Law Curry (1820–1878) [21]	November 1, 1854[i] – July 8, 1858 (statehood)	Franklin Pierce

State of Oregon

The state of Oregon was admitted to the Union on February 14, 1859.^[26]

The 1857 Constitution of Oregon provided for the election of a governor every four years, to serve no more than eight out of any twelve years.^[27] This length and limit have never been changed. It is one of the few states without a lieutenant governor. The office would devolve upon the secretary of state upon vacancy^[28] until a 1920 amendment put the president of the Senate first in the line of succession,^[29] and a 1972 amendment returned the secretary of state to the front.^[30]

Governors of the State of Oregon

No.	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election
1			John Whiteaker (1820–1902) [31][32]	July 8, 1858[j] – September 10, 1862 (did not run)	Democratic[33]	1858
2			A. C. Gibbs (1825–1886) [34][35]	September 10, 1862[36] – September 12, 1866 (did not run)	Republican[33]	1862
3			George Lemuel Woods (1832–1890) [37][38]	September 12, 1866[39] – September 14, 1870 (did not run)	Republican[33]	1866
4			La Fayette Grover (1823–1911) [40][41]	September 14, 1870[42] – February 1, 1877 (resigned)[k]	Democratic[33]	1870
						1874
5			Stephen F. Chadwick (1825–1895) [43][44]	February 1, 1877[45] – September 11, 1878 (did not run)[43]	Democratic[33]	Succeeded from secretary of state
6			W. W. Thayer (1827–1899) [46][47]	September 11, 1878[48] – September 13, 1882 (did not run)[46]	Democratic[33]	1878
7			Zenas Ferry Moody (1832–1917) [49][50]	September 13, 1882[51] – January 12, 1887 (did not run)[49]	Republican[33]	1882
8			Sylvester Pennoyer (1831–1902) [52][53]	January 12, 1887[54] – January 16, 1895 (term-limited)[l]	Democratic[m]	1886
						1890
9			William Paine Lord (1838–1911) [56][57]	January 16, 1895[58] – January 10, 1899 (lost nomination)[56]	Republican[33]	1894
10			Theodore Thurston Geer (1851–1924) [59][60]	January 10, 1899[61] – January 14, 1903 (did not run)	Republican[33]	1898
11			George Earle Chamberlain (1854–1928) [62][63]	January 14, 1903[64] – March 1, 1909 (resigned)[n]	Democratic[33]	1902
						1906
12			Frank W. Benson (1858–1911) [65][66]	March 1, 1909[67] – June 16, 1910 (resigned)[o]	Republican[33]	Succeeded from secretary of state
13			Jay Bowerman (1876–1957) [68][69]	June 16, 1910[70] – January 10, 1911 (lost election)	Republican[33]	Succeeded from president of the Senate
14			Oswald West (1873–1960) [71][72]	January 10, 1911[73] – January 12, 1915 (did not run)[71]	Democratic[33]	1910
15			James Withycombe (1854–1919) [74][75]	January 12, 1915[76] – March 3, 1919 (died in office)	Republican[33]	1914
						1918
16			Ben W. Olcott (1872–1952) [77][78]	March 3, 1919[79] – January 8, 1923 (lost election)	Republican[33]	Succeeded from secretary of state
17			Walter M. Pierce (1861–1954) [80][81]	January 8, 1923[82] – January 10, 1927 (lost election)	Democratic[33]	1922
18			I. L. Patterson (1859–1929) [83][84]	January 10, 1927[85] – December 21, 1929 (died in office)	Republican[33]	1926
19			Albin Walter Norblad Sr. (1881–1960) [86][87]	December 21, 1929[88] – January 12, 1931 (lost nomination)[p]	Republican[33]	Succeeded from President of the Senate
20			Julius Meier (1874–1937) [89][90]	January 12, 1931[91] – January 14, 1935 (did not run)[89]	Independent[33]	1930
21			Charles Martin (1863–1946) [92][93]	January 14, 1935[94] – January 9, 1939 (lost nomination)[q]	Democratic[33]	1934
22			Charles A. Sprague (1887–1969) [95][96]	January 9, 1939[97] – January 13, 1943 (lost nomination)[95]	Republican[33]	1938
23			Earl Snell (1895–1947) [98][99]	January 13, 1943[100] – October 28, 1947 (died in office)	Republican[33]	1942
						1946
24			John Hubert Hall (1899–1970) [101][102]	October 28, 1947[r] – January 10, 1949 (lost nomination)[101]	Republican[33]	Succeeded from speaker of the House[s]
25			Douglas McKay (1893–1959) [104][105]	January 10, 1949[106] – December 17, 1952 (resigned)[t]	Republican[33]	1948 (special)
						1950
26			Paul L. Patterson (1900–1956) [107][108]	December 17, 1952[109] – January 31, 1956 (died in office)	Republican[33]	Succeeded from president of the Senate
						1954
27			Elmo Smith (1909–1968) [110][111]	January 31, 1956[u] – January 14, 1957 (lost election)	Republican[33]	Succeeded from president of the Senate
28			Robert D. Holmes (1909–1976) [113][114]	January 14, 1957[115] – January 12, 1959 (lost election)	Democratic[33]	1956 (special)
29			Mark Hatfield (1922–2011) [116][117]	January 12, 1959[118] – January 9, 1967 (term-limited)[l]	Republican[33]	1958
						1962
30			Tom McCall (1913–1983) [119][120]	January 9, 1967[121] – January 13, 1975 (term-limited)[l]	Republican[33]	1966
						1970
31			Robert W. Straub (1920–2002) [122][123]	January 13, 1975[124] – January 8, 1979 (lost election)	Democratic[33]	1974
32			Victor Atiyeh (1923–2014) [125]	January 8, 1979[126] – January 12, 1987 (term-limited)[l]	Republican[125]	1978
						1982
33			Neil Goldschmidt (1940–2024) [127]	January 12, 1987[128] – January 14, 1991 (did not run)	Democratic[127]	1986
34			Barbara Roberts (b. 1936) [129]	January 14, 1991[130] – January 9, 1995 (did not run)	Democratic[129]	1990
35			John Kitzhaber (b. 1947) [131]	January 9, 1995[132] – January 13, 2003 (term-limited)[l]	Democratic[131]	1994
						1998
36			Ted Kulongoski (b. 1940) [133]	January 13, 2003[134] – January 10, 2011 (term-limited)[l]	Democratic[133]	2002
						2006
37			John Kitzhaber (b. 1947) [131]	January 10, 2011[135] – February 18, 2015 (resigned)[v]	Democratic[131]	2010
						2014
38			Kate Brown (b. 1960) [137]	February 18, 2015[138] – January 9, 2023 (term-limited)[l]	Democratic[137]	Succeeded from secretary of state
						2016 (special)
						2018
39			Tina Kotek (b. 1966) [139]	January 9, 2023[140] – Incumbent[w]	Democratic[139]	2022

See also

• List of Oregon Legislative Assemblies

Notes

1. The range given is from the date the governor was confirmed by the Senate, or appointed by the President during a Senate recess, to the date the governor's successor was confirmed, unless noted.
2. James Shields was nominated and confirmed by the Senate on August 14, 1848;^[7] however, he declined the post.^[8] Lane was then appointed on August 18, 1848, during a Senate recess;^[6] nominated on December 12;^[8] and confirmed by the Senate on December 20.^[9] He took the oath of office in the territory on March 3, 1849.^[6]
3. Lane's successor Gaines was confirmed by the Senate on October 2, 1849. However, it took him nine months to reach the territory; Lane had received no official notice of his replacement, and continued serving as governor until he resigned on June 18, 1850.^[10] Territorial Secretary Kintzing Prichette acted as governor until Gaines arrived.^[6]
4. Joseph G. Marshall was appointed on August 9, 1849, during a Senate recess,^[12][13] but declined the post.^[12][14] Some sources say that Abraham Lincoln was then appointed but declined,^[15][11] but the Territorial Papers have no record of a formal appointment.^[12] Gaines was appointed on October 2, 1849, during a Senate recess;^[12] nominated on December 21, 1849;^[16] and confirmed by the Senate on September 9, 1850.^[17] He arrived in the territory in August 1850.^[11]
5. Lane was nominated on March 15, 1853,^[18] and confirmed by the Senate on March 16.^[19]
6. Lane resigned three days after taking office, his goal of replacing the current unpopular governor complete, to return to his seat in the United States House of Representatives.^[20][6] Territorial Secretary George Law Curry acted as governor until his successor arrived.^[21]
7. Davis was appointed on September 6, 1853, during a Senate recess,^[12] and nominated and confirmed by the Senate on February 4, 1854.^[23]
8. McMullin says Davis resigned, but no further details are given.^[22] Territorial Secretary George Law Curry acted as governor until he was appointed successor.^[21]
9. Curry was appointed on November 1, 1854, during a Senate recess;^[21] nominated on July 7, 1856,^[24] but was not confirmed before the Senate session expired; and nominated and confirmed by the Senate on August 22, 1856.^[25] The territorial papers also note an appointment or confirmation on March 5, 1855, but no other information has been found on this date.^[12]
10. Whiteaker was sworn in on July 8, 1858, eight months before Oregon formally became a state.^[31]
11. Grover resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.^[40]
12. Governors are ineligible to serve more than eight years in any period of twelve years.^[55]
13. Pennoyer was nominated by the Democratic party in 1886, by the Democrats and Union Party in 1890, and he joined the Populist Party in 1892.^[52]
14. Chamberlain resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.^[62]
15. Benson resigned due to ill health.^[65]
16. Norblad lost the Republican nomination to George W. Joseph; however, Joseph died a month later, and Norblad, who had come in second to Joseph, refused to be considered.^[86]
17. Martin lost the Democratic nomination to Henry L. Hess.^[92]
18. Hall technically became governor upon the death of Governor Snell on October 28, though he took a formal oath of office on October 30 after Snell's body was identified.^[103]
19. Governor Snell, President of the Senate Marshall Cornett, and Secretary of State Robert S. Farrell Jr. died in a plane crash on October 28, 1947; the next in the line of succession was Speaker of the House Hall.^[98]
20. McKay resigned, in anticipation of being nominated for United States Secretary of the Interior.^[104]
21. Patterson died late on January 31, and Smith took the oath of office the morning of February 1.^[112]
22. Kitzhaber resigned due to an ethics scandal.^[136]
23. Kotek's term will expire on January 11, 2027.