List of governors of Iowa

The governor of Iowa is the head of government of the U.S. state of Iowa. The governor is the head of the executive branch of the state government^[2] and is charged with enforcing state laws.^[3] The officeholder has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Iowa General Assembly,^[4] to convene the legislature,^[5] as well as to grant pardons, except in cases of treason and impeachment.^[6] The governor of Iowa is also the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.^[7] The governor has the ability to sign executive orders, these have range from topics including the establishment of councils, committees and task forces, and appropriation reductions to prevent a state budget deficit.

Governor of Iowa
State seal
Incumbent Kim Reynolds since May 24, 2017
Government of Iowa
Style	The Honorable
Residence	Terrace Hill
Term length	Four years, no term limits
Precursor	Governor of Iowa Territory
Inaugural holder	Ansel Briggs
Formation	December 3, 1846 (178 years ago) (1846-12-03)
Succession	Line of succession
Deputy	Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
Salary	$130,000 (2022)[1]
Website	governor.iowa.gov

There have been 41 individuals who held the position of Iowa governor, with two of those serving multiple distinct terms, Samuel J. Kirkwood and Terry Branstad. The current governor, Kim Reynolds, is the first woman to hold the position and was sworn in on May 24, 2017. The longest-serving is Terry Branstad, who served from 1983 to 1999 and then again from 2011 to 2017. He is the longest-serving governor in U.S. history, surpassing the previous record of 21 years set by George Clinton of New York. The shortest-serving was Robert D. Fulton, who served 16 days.

List of governors

Territory of Iowa

Iowa Territory was formed on July 4, 1838, from Wisconsin Territory. It had four governors appointed by the president of the United States, though the first resigned days after he was confirmed by the Senate and before ever reaching the territory.

Governors of Iowa Territory

No.	Governor		Term in office[a]	Appointed by
1		Henry Atkinson (1782–1842)	June 13, 1838 – July 7, 1838 (resigned before taking office)[b]	Martin Van Buren
2		Robert Lucas[c] (1781–1853) [10]	July 7, 1838[d] – June 17, 1841 (successor appointed)[e]	Martin Van Buren
3		John Chambers (1780–1852) [15]	March 25, 1841[f] – November 18, 1845 (successor appointed)	William Henry Harrison
4		James Clarke (1812–1850) [20]	November 8, 1845[g] – December 3, 1846 (statehood)	James K. Polk

State of Iowa

The southeast portion of Iowa Territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Iowa on December 28, 1846. The first Constitution of Iowa, adopted in 1846, created the office of governor with a four-year term,^[24] with no specific start date. The 1857 constitution reduced this term to two years,^[25] but an amendment in 1972 increased this back to four years.^[26] The 1857 constitution also set the start of the term to the second Monday in the January following the election,^[27] which was moved one day later by a 1988 amendment.^[28]

The office of lieutenant governor was created in the 1857 constitution, elected for the same term as the governor.^[29] An amendment in 1988 specified that the lieutenant governor would be elected on the same ticket as the governor.^[30] If the office becomes vacant, it devolves upon the lieutenant governor for the remainder of the term or vacancy.^[31] Prior to 1857, if the office became vacant, the Secretary of State of Iowa would act as governor.^[32] There is no term limit on the number of terms a governor may serve.

Governors of the State of Iowa

No.[h]	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor[i][j]
1			Ansel Briggs (1806–1881) [34][35]	December 3, 1846[36] – December 4, 1850 (did not run)	Democratic[37]	1846	Office did not exist
2			Stephen P. Hempstead (1812–1883) [38][39]	December 4, 1850[40] – December 9, 1854 (did not run)	Democratic[37]	1850
3			James W. Grimes (1816–1872) [41][42]	December 9, 1854[43] – January 14, 1858 (did not run)	Whig[44]	1854[k]
4			Ralph P. Lowe (1805–1883) [45][46]	January 14, 1858[47] – January 11, 1860 (did not run)[l]	Republican[44]	1857[m]		Oran Faville
5			Samuel J. Kirkwood (1813–1894) [48][49]	January 11, 1860[50] – January 14, 1864 (did not run)[48]	Republican[51]	1859		Nicholas J. Rusch
						1861		John R. Needham
6			William M. Stone (1827–1893) [52][53]	January 14, 1864[54] – January 16, 1868 (did not run)	Republican[51]	1863		Enoch W. Eastman
						1865		Benjamin F. Gue
7			Samuel Merrill (1822–1899) [55][56]	January 16, 1868[57] – January 11, 1872 (did not run)	Republican[51]	1867		John Scott
						1869		Madison Miner Walden (resigned 1871)[n]
							Vacant
								Henry C. Bulis (appointed September 13, 1871)
8			Cyrus C. Carpenter (1829–1898) [59][60]	January 11, 1872[61] – January 13, 1876 (did not run)	Republican[51]	1871
						1873		Joseph Dysart
9			Samuel J. Kirkwood (1813–1894) [48][49]	January 13, 1876[62] – February 1, 1877 (resigned)[o]	Republican[51]	1875		Joshua G. Newbold
10			Joshua G. Newbold (1830–1903) [63][64]	February 1, 1877[65] – January 17, 1878 (did not run)	Republican[51]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
11			John H. Gear (1825–1900) [66][67]	January 17, 1878[68] – January 12, 1882 (did not run)	Republican[51]	1877		Frank T. Campbell
						1879
12			Buren R. Sherman (1836–1904) [69][70]	January 12, 1882[71] – January 14, 1886 (did not run)	Republican[51]	1881		Orlando H. Manning
						1883
13			William Larrabee (1832–1912) [72][73]	January 14, 1886[74] – February 27, 1890[p] (did not run)	Republican[51]	1885		John A. T. Hull
						1887
14			Horace Boies (1827–1923) [75][76]	February 27, 1890[p] – January 11, 1894 (lost election)	Democratic[51]	1889		Alfred N. Poyneer[q]
						1891		Samuel L. Bestow
15			Frank D. Jackson (1854–1938) [78][79]	January 11, 1894[80] – January 16, 1896 (did not run)[78]	Republican[51]	1893		Warren S. Dungan
16			Francis M. Drake (1830–1903) [81][82]	January 16, 1896[83] – January 13, 1898 (did not run)[81]	Republican[51]	1895		Matt Parrott
17			L. M. Shaw (1848–1932) [84][85]	January 13, 1898[86] – January 16, 1902 (did not run)	Republican[51]	1897		James C. Milliman
						1899
18			Albert B. Cummins (1850–1926) [87][88]	January 16, 1902[89] – November 24, 1908 (resigned)[r]	Republican[51]	1901		John Herriott
						1903[s]
						1906		Warren Garst
19			Warren Garst (1850–1924) [90]	November 24, 1908[91] – January 14, 1909 (successor took office)	Republican[51]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
20			Beryl F. Carroll (1860–1939) [92][93]	January 14, 1909[94] – January 16, 1913 (did not run)	Republican[51]	1908		George W. Clarke
						1910
21			George W. Clarke (1852–1936) [95][96]	January 16, 1913[97] – January 11, 1917 (did not run)	Republican[51]	1912		William L. Harding
						1914
22			William L. Harding (1877–1934) [98][99]	January 11, 1917[100] – January 13, 1921 (did not run)	Republican[51]	1916		Ernest Robert Moore
						1918
23			Nathan E. Kendall (1868–1936) [101][102]	January 13, 1921[103] – January 15, 1925 (did not run)[101]	Republican[51]	1920		John Hammill
						1922
24			John Hammill (1875–1936) [104][105]	January 15, 1925[106] – January 15, 1931 (did not run)[t]	Republican[51]	1924		Clem F. Kimball (died September 10, 1928)
						1926
							Vacant
								Arch W. McFarlane (appointed November 15, 1928)
						1928
25			Dan W. Turner (1877–1969) [107][108]	January 15, 1931[109] – January 12, 1933 (lost election)	Republican[51]	1930
26			Clyde L. Herring (1879–1945) [110][111]	January 12, 1933[112] – January 14, 1937 (did not run)[u]	Democratic[51]	1932		Nelson G. Kraschel
						1934
27			Nelson G. Kraschel (1889–1957) [113][114]	January 14, 1937[115] – January 12, 1939 (lost election)	Democratic[51]	1936		John K. Valentine
28			George A. Wilson (1884–1953) [116][117]	January 12, 1939[118] – January 14, 1943 (did not run)[v]	Republican[51]	1938		Bourke B. Hickenlooper
						1940
29			Bourke B. Hickenlooper (1896–1971) [119][120]	January 14, 1943[121] – January 11, 1945 (did not run)[w]	Republican[51]	1942		Robert D. Blue
30			Robert D. Blue (1898–1989) [122][123]	January 11, 1945[124] – January 13, 1949 (lost nomination)[125]	Republican[51]	1944		Kenneth A. Evans
						1946
31			William S. Beardsley (1901–1954) [126][127]	January 13, 1949[128] – November 21, 1954 (died in office)	Republican[51]	1948
						1950		William H. Nicholas
						1952		Leo Elthon
32			Leo Elthon (1898–1967) [129][130]	November 21, 1954[131] – January 13, 1955 (successor took office)	Republican[51]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
33			Leo Hoegh (1908–2000) [132][133]	January 13, 1955[134] – January 17, 1957 (lost election)	Republican[51]	1954		Leo Elthon
34			Herschel C. Loveless (1911–1989) [135][136]	January 17, 1957[137] – January 12, 1961 (did not run)	Democratic[51]	1956		William H. Nicholas[q]
						1958		Edward Joseph McManus
35			Norman A. Erbe (1919–2000) [138][139]	January 12, 1961[140] – January 17, 1963 (lost election)	Republican[51]	1960		W. L. Mooty[x]
36			Harold Hughes (1922–1996) [141][142]	January 17, 1963[143] – January 1, 1969 (resigned)[y]	Democratic[51]	1962
						1964		Robert D. Fulton
						1966
37			Robert D. Fulton (1929–2024) [144][145]	January 1, 1969[146] – January 16, 1969 (successor took office)	Democratic[51]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
38			Robert D. Ray (1928–2018) [147][148]	January 16, 1969[149] – January 14, 1983 (did not run)	Republican[51]	1968		Roger Jepsen
						1970
						1972		Arthur Neu
						1974[z]
						1978		Terry Branstad
39			Terry Branstad (b. 1946) [150]	January 14, 1983[151] – January 15, 1999 (did not run)	Republican[150]	1982		Robert T. Anderson[x]
						1986		Jo Ann Zimmerman[x]
						1990		Joy Corning
						1994
40			Tom Vilsack (b. 1950) [152]	January 15, 1999[153] – January 12, 2007 (did not run)	Democratic[152]	1998		Sally Pederson
						2002
41			Chet Culver (b. 1966) [154]	January 12, 2007[155] – January 14, 2011 (lost election)	Democratic[154]	2006		Patty Judge
42			Terry Branstad (b. 1946) [150]	January 14, 2011[156] – May 24, 2017 (resigned)[aa]	Republican[150]	2010		Kim Reynolds
						2014
43			Kim Reynolds (b. 1959) [158]	May 24, 2017[159] – Incumbent[ab]	Republican[158]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
								Adam Gregg (appointed May 25, 2017) (resigned September 3, 2024)
						2018
						2022
							Vacant
								Chris Cournoyer (appointed December 16, 2024)

Timeline

Timeline of Iowa governors

See also

• Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Iowa

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 left office.
2. Atkinson was nominated on June 12, 1838,^[8] and confirmed by the Senate on June 13.^[9] However, he declined the post;^[10] no source gives a date for when this happened, so his term is marked as having ended when his successor was confirmed.
3. Lucas did not arrive for six weeks after the territory had been created; in the interim, territorial secretary William B. Conway acted as governor.^[11]
4. Lucas was nominated,^[12] and confirmed by the Senate,^[13] on July 7, 1838. He took office on August 15.^[10]
5. Lucas was out of the capital when Chambers arrived, and did not formally resign his commission until June 17, per a letter written to U.S. Secretary of State Daniel Webster.^[14]
6. Chambers was appointed on March 25, 1841,^[15] during a Senate recess; nominated on June 17;^[16] and confirmed by the Senate on July 15.^[17] He took office on May 13.^[15] He was reappointed on July 2, 1844, during a Senate recess,^[18] and reconfirmed by the Senate on December 23.^[19]
7. Clarke was appointed during a Senate recess; McMullin says it was on November 8, 1845,^[20] but some sources say November 18.^[21] He was formally nominated on December 23, 1845,^[22] and confirmed by the Senate on February 3, 1846.^[23]
8. There is no official numbering, and different governors have interpreted it differently, depending on if they give a new number when a governor has multiple distinct terms in office.^[33] This article includes numbering for every distinct term in office.
9. The office of lieutenant governor was created in 1857.^[29]
10. Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
11. The election schedule changed with this term, switching to odd-numbered years and shortening the term by nearly a year.
12. Lowe was instead elected to the Iowa Supreme Court.^[45]
13. First term under the 1857 constitution, which shortened terms to two years.^[25]
14. No source appears to know which date Walden resigned, just that it was after being elected to the United States House of Representatives for a term beginning March 4.^[58]
15. Kirkwood resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.^[49]
16. Boies' inauguration was delayed for six weeks;^[77] the legislature was deadlocked in organizaing itself, so Larrabee remained in office until Boies was certified.^[51]
17. Represented the Republican Party
18. Cummins resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.^[88]
19. The election schedule changed with this term, switching to odd-numbered years and lengthening the term by nearly a year.
20. Hamill instead ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate.^[104]
21. Herring was instead elected to the United States Senate.^[110]
22. Wilson was instead elected to the United States Senate.^[116]
23. Hickenlooper was instead elected to the United States Senate.^[119]
24. Represented the Democratic Party
25. Hughes resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.^[142]
26. First term under a 1972 constitutional amendment which lengthened terms to four years.^[26]
27. Branstad resigned, having been confirmed as United States Ambassador to China.^[157]
28. Reynold's second full term began on January 13, 2023,^[160] and will expire on January 15, 2027; she is not running for re-election.^[161]