List of governors of Missouri

This is a list of governors of Missouri since its territory became part of the United States.

Thirty-eight of the governors have been Democratic. Fifteen have been Republican. One has been Liberal Republican.

Governors of Missouri

Parties

  Democratic-Republican (3)   Democratic (38)   Republican (15)   Liberal Republican (1)

Governors of the State of Missouri

No.	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor[a]
1			Alexander McNair (1775–1826) [1][2]	September 18, 1820[3] – November 17, 1824 (term-limited)[b]	Democratic- Republican[5]	1820		William Henry Ashley
2			Frederick Bates (1777–1825) [6][7]	November 17, 1824[c] – August 4, 1825 (died in office)	Democratic- Republican[5]	1824		Benjamin Harrison Reeves (resigned July 1825)
							Vacant
3			Abraham J. Williams (1781–1839) [9][10]	August 4, 1825[11] – January 20, 1826 (successor took office)	Democratic- Republican[5]	President of the Senate acting
4			John Miller (1781–1846) [12][13]	January 20, 1826[14] – November 21, 1832 (term-limited)[b]	Democratic[5]	1825 (special)[d]
						1828		Daniel Dunklin
5			Daniel Dunklin (1790–1844) [15][16]	November 21, 1832[17] – September 30, 1836 (resigned)[e]	Democratic[f]	1832		Lilburn Boggs
6			Lilburn Boggs (1796–1860) [20][21]	September 30, 1836[22] – November 18, 1840 (term-limited)[b]	Democratic[5]	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
						1836		Franklin Cannon
7			Thomas Reynolds (1796–1844) [23][24]	November 18, 1840[25] – February 9, 1844 (died in office)	Democratic[5]	1840		Meredith Miles Marmaduke
8			Meredith Miles Marmaduke (1791–1864) [26][27]	February 9, 1844[28] – November 20, 1844 (successor took office)	Democratic[5]	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
9			John Cummins Edwards (1804–1888) [29][30]	November 20, 1844[31] – December 27, 1848 (term-limited)[b]	Democratic[5]	1844		James Young
10			Austin Augustus King (1802–1870) [32][33]	December 27, 1848[34] – January 3, 1853 (term-limited)[b]	Democratic[5]	1848		Thomas Lawson Price
11			Sterling Price (1809–1867) [35][36]	January 3, 1853[37] – January 5, 1857 (term-limited)[b]	Democratic[5]	1852		Wilson Brown (died August 27, 1855)
							Vacant
12			Trusten Polk (1811–1876) [38][39]	January 5, 1857[40] – February 27, 1857 (resigned)[g]	Democratic[5]	1856		Hancock Lee Jackson
13			Hancock Lee Jackson (1796–1876) [41][42]	February 27, 1857[43] – October 22, 1857 (successor took office)	Democratic[5]	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
14			Robert Marcellus Stewart (1815–1871) [44][45]	October 22, 1857[46] – January 3, 1861 (term-limited)[b]	Democratic[5]	1857 (special)[h]		Hancock Lee Jackson
15			Claiborne Fox Jackson (1806–1862) [47][48]	January 3, 1861[49] – July 31, 1861 (office declared vacant)[i]	Democratic[5]	1860		Thomas Caute Reynolds
16			Hamilton Rowan Gamble (1798–1864) [51][52]	July 31, 1861[50] – January 31, 1864 (died in office)	Union[5]	Provisional governor elected by convention		Willard Preble Hall
17			Willard Preble Hall (1820–1882) [53][54]	January 31, 1864[55] – January 2, 1865 (successor took office)	Union[5]	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
18			Thomas Clement Fletcher (1827–1899) [56][57]	January 2, 1865[58] – January 12, 1869 (term-limited)[j]	Republican[5]	1864		George Smith
19			Joseph W. McClurg (1818–1900) [60][61]	January 12, 1869[62] – January 9, 1871 (lost election)	Republican[5]	1868		Edwin O. Stanard
20			Benjamin Gratz Brown (1826–1885) [63][64]	January 9, 1871[65] – January 8, 1873 (did not run)[k]	Liberal Republican[5]	1870		Joseph J. Gravely (died April 28, 1872)
							Vacant
21			Silas Woodson (1819–1896) [66][67]	January 8, 1873[68] – January 12, 1875 (did not run)	Democratic[l]	1872		Charles Phillip Johnson
22			Charles Henry Hardin (1820–1892) [69][70]	January 12, 1875[71] – January 8, 1877 (did not run)[69]	Democratic[m]	1874		Norman Jay Colman
23			John S. Phelps (1814–1886) [72][73]	January 8, 1877[74] – January 10, 1881 (term-limited)[n]	Democratic[5]	1876		Henry Clay Brockmeyer
24			Thomas Theodore Crittenden (1832–1909) [76][77]	January 10, 1881[78] – January 12, 1885 (term-limited)[n]	Democratic[5]	1880		Robert Alexander Campbell
25			John S. Marmaduke (1833–1887) [79][80]	January 12, 1885[81] – December 28, 1887 (died in office)	Democratic[5]	1884		Albert P. Morehouse
26			Albert P. Morehouse (1835–1891) [82][83]	December 28, 1887[84] – January 14, 1889 (lost nomination)[85]	Democratic[5]	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
27			David R. Francis (1850–1927) [86][87]	January 14, 1889[88] – January 9, 1893 (term-limited)[n]	Democratic[5]	1888		Stephen Hugh Claycomb
28			William J. Stone (1848–1918) [89][90]	January 9, 1893[91] – January 11, 1897 (term-limited)[n]	Democratic[5]	1892		John Baptiste O'Meara
29			Lawrence Vest Stephens (1858–1923) [92][93]	January 11, 1897[94] – January 14, 1901 (term-limited)[n]	Democratic[5]	1896		August Henry Bolte
30			Alexander Monroe Dockery (1845–1926) [95][96]	January 14, 1901[97] – January 9, 1905 (term-limited)[n]	Democratic[5]	1900		John Adams Lee (resigned April 25, 1903)
								Thomas L. Rubey (appointed April 25, 1903)
31			Joseph W. Folk (1869–1923) [98][99]	January 9, 1905[100] – January 11, 1909 (term-limited)[n]	Democratic[5]	1904		John C. McKinley
32			Herbert S. Hadley (1872–1927) [101][102]	January 11, 1909[103] – January 13, 1913 (term-limited)[n]	Republican[5]	1908		Jacob F. Gmelich
33			Elliott Woolfolk Major (1864–1949) [104][105]	January 13, 1913[106] – January 8, 1917 (term-limited)[n]	Democratic[5]	1912		William Rock Painter
34			Frederick D. Gardner (1869–1933) [107][108]	January 8, 1917[109] – January 10, 1921 (term-limited)[n]	Democratic[5]	1916		Wallace Crossley
35			Arthur M. Hyde (1877–1947) [110][111]	January 10, 1921[112] – January 12, 1925 (term-limited)[n]	Republican[5]	1920		Hiram Lloyd
36			Sam Aaron Baker (1874–1933) [113][114]	January 12, 1925[115] – January 14, 1929 (term-limited)[n]	Republican[5]	1924		Philip Allen Bennett
37			Henry S. Caulfield (1873–1966) [116][117]	January 14, 1929[118] – January 9, 1933 (term-limited)[n]	Republican[5]	1928		Edward Henry Winter
38			Guy Brasfield Park (1872–1946) [119][120]	January 9, 1933[121] – January 11, 1937 (term-limited)[n]	Democratic[5]	1932		Frank Gaines Harris (died December 30, 1944)
39			Lloyd C. Stark (1886–1972) [122][123]	January 11, 1937[124] – February 26, 1941 (term-limited)[n]	Democratic[5]	1936
40			Forrest C. Donnell (1884–1980) [125][126]	February 26, 1941[o] – January 8, 1945 (term-limited)[n]	Republican[5]	1940
							Vacant
41			Phil M. Donnelly (1891–1961) [128][129]	January 8, 1945[130] – January 10, 1949 (term-limited)[p]	Democratic[5]	1944		Walter Naylor Davis
42			Forrest Smith (1886–1962) [132][133]	January 10, 1949[134] – January 12, 1953 (term-limited)[p]	Democratic[5]	1948		James T. Blair Jr.
43			Phil M. Donnelly (1891–1961) [128][129]	January 12, 1953[135] – January 14, 1957 (term-limited)[p]	Democratic[5]	1952
44			James T. Blair Jr. (1902–1962) [136][137]	January 14, 1957[138] – January 9, 1961 (term-limited)[p]	Democratic[5]	1956		Edward V. Long (resigned September 23, 1960)
							Vacant
45			John M. Dalton (1900–1972) [139][140]	January 9, 1961[141] – January 11, 1965 (term-limited)[p]	Democratic[5]	1960		Hilary A. Bush
46			Warren E. Hearnes (1923–2009) [142][143]	January 11, 1965[144] – January 8, 1973 (term-limited)[q]	Democratic[5]	1964		Thomas Eagleton (resigned December 27, 1968)
							Vacant
						1968		William S. Morris
47			Kit Bond (b. 1939) [146][147]	January 8, 1973[148] – January 10, 1977 (lost election)	Republican[5]	1972		Bill Phelps
48			Joseph P. Teasdale (1936–2014) [146][149]	January 10, 1977[150] – January 12, 1981 (lost election)	Democratic[149]	1976
49			Kit Bond (b. 1939) [146][147]	January 12, 1981[151] – January 14, 1985 (did not run)	Republican[147]	1980		Ken Rothman
50			John Ashcroft (b. 1942) [152]	January 14, 1985[153] – January 11, 1993 (term-limited)[q]	Republican[152]	1984		Harriett Woods
						1988		Mel Carnahan
51			Mel Carnahan (1934–2000) [154]	January 11, 1993[155] – October 16, 2000 (died in office)[r]	Democratic[154]	1992		Roger B. Wilson
						1996
52			Roger B. Wilson (b. 1948) [156]	October 16, 2000[s] – January 8, 2001 (did not run)	Democratic[156]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
								Joe Maxwell (appointed November 15, 2000)
53			Bob Holden (b. 1949) [158]	January 8, 2001[159] – January 10, 2005 (lost nomination)[t]	Democratic[158]	2000
54			Matt Blunt (b. 1970) [160]	January 10, 2005[161] – January 12, 2009 (did not run)	Republican[160]	2004		Peter Kinder
55			Jay Nixon (b. 1956) [162]	January 12, 2009[163] – January 9, 2017 (term-limited)[q]	Democratic[162]	2008
						2012
56			Eric Greitens (b. 1974) [164]	January 9, 2017[165] – June 1, 2018 (resigned)[u]	Republican[164]	2016		Mike Parson
57			Mike Parson (b. 1955) [167]	June 1, 2018[168] – January 13, 2025 (term-limited)[q]	Republican[167]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
								Mike Kehoe (appointed June 18, 2018)
						2020
58			Mike Kehoe (b. 1962)	January 13, 2025 – Incumbent[v]	Republican	2024		David Wasinger

The most recent Governor to die was Joseph P. Teasdale (1936–2014). The most recently serving United States Governor of Missouri to die was Mel Carnahan (1934–2000).^[169] The oldest living Governor or former Governor of Missouri is Kit Bond (born 1939).

Notes

1. Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
2. Under the 1820 constitution, governors were ineligible for four years after the end of their term.^[4]
3. Modern sources tend to say Bates took office on November 15; however, while this was the date McNair delivered his farewell address, Bates was not sworn in until November 17.^[8]
4. Special election to fill the remainder of Frederick Bates' term.
5. Dunklin resigned to be Surveyor General for Missouri and Illinois.^[15]
6. Most sources label Dunklin a Democrat,^[18][5][15] but Glashan labels him a Democratic-Republican.^[19]
7. Polk resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.^[38]
8. Special election to fill the remainder of Trusten Polk's term.
9. Jackson was pro-Confederate, and fled Jefferson City on June 17, 1861, after the Battle of Boonville in which Union forces gained control of the capital. The pro-Union constitutional convention declared his office vacant, and elected a new provisional governor, on July 31.^[50] Jackson would soon establish a Confederate-aligned government in Neosho, Missouri.
10. Under the 1865 constitution, governors were ineligible to serve more than four years in six.^[59]
11. Brown instead ran unsuccessfully for Vice President of the United States.^[63]
12. Woodson also represented the Liberal Republican Party.^[19]
13. Hardin also represented the Liberal Republican Party.^[19]
14. Under the 1875 constitution, governors were ineligible to be re-elected as their own successor.^[75]
15. The election was very close, and the House of Representatives refused to certify Donnell's election until February 26, 1941, after being ordered to do so by the Missouri Supreme Court.^[125][127]
16. Under the 1945 constitution, governors were ineligible to be re-elected as their own successor.^[131]
17. Under a 1965 amendment to the constitution, governors are ineligible to be elected more than twice.^[145]
18. Carnahan died in a plane crash while campaigning for a seat in the United States Senate.^[154]
19. The plane crash that killed Carnahan occurred on October 16; his body was not identified until October 18, and shortly thereafter Wilson was sworn in.^[157]
20. Holden lost the Democratic nomination to Claire McCaskill.
21. Greitens resigned due to allegations of sexual assault and campaign finance impropriety.^[166]
22. Kehoe's current term expires on January 8, 2029.