Governor of Michigan | |
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![]() Seal of the Governor | |
![]() Flag of the Governor | |
Style | His Excellency[1] |
Status | |
Residence | Michigan Governor's Mansion |
Term length | Four years, renewable once |
Precursor | Governor of Michigan Territory |
Inaugural holder | Stevens T. Mason |
Formation | November 3, 1835 |
Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of Michigan |
Website | www |
The Governor of Michigan is the head of the executive branch of Michigan's state government and is the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.[2]
The governor has a duty to enforce state laws. He or she is also empowered to reorganize the executive branch of the state government.[3]
In 1805, the Michigan Territory was created, and five men were territorial governors, until Michigan was granted statehood in 1837. Forty-eight individuals have held the position of state governor. The first female governor, Jennifer Granholm, was elected in 2003.
Democratic (19) Whig (2) Republican (28)
# | Governor | Took office | Left office | Party | Lt. Governor | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
Stevens T. Mason | November 3, 1835 | January 7, 1840 | Democratic | Edward Mundy | |||
2 | ![]() |
William Woodbridge | January 7, 1840 | February 23, 1841 | Whig | James Wright Gordon | [a] | ||
3 | James Wright Gordon | February 23, 1841 | January 3, 1842 | Whig | Thomas J. Drake | [b] | |||
4 | ![]() |
John S. Barry | January 3, 1842 | January 5, 1846 | Democratic | Origen D. Richardson | |||
5 | ![]() |
Alpheus Felch | January 5, 1846 | March 3, 1847 | Democratic | William L. Greenly | [a] | ||
6 | ![]() |
William L. Greenly | March 4, 1847 | January 3, 1848 | Democratic | Charles P. Bush | [b] | ||
7 | ![]() |
Epaphroditus Ransom | January 3, 1848 | January 7, 1850 | Democratic | William M. Fenton | |||
8 | ![]() |
John S. Barry | January 7, 1850 | January 1, 1852 | Democratic | William M. Fenton | |||
9 | ![]() |
Robert McClelland[c] | January 1, 1852 | March 7, 1853 | Democratic | Calvin Britain | [d] | ||
Andrew Parsons | |||||||||
10 | ![]() |
Andrew Parsons | March 8, 1853 | January 3, 1855 | Democratic | George Griswold | [b] | ||
11 | ![]() |
Kinsley S. Bingham | January 3, 1855 | January 5, 1859 | Republican | George Coe | |||
12 | ![]() |
Moses Wisner | January 5, 1859 | January 2, 1861 | Republican | Edmund B. Fairfield | |||
13 | ![]() |
Austin Blair | January 2, 1861 | January 3, 1865 | Republican | James M. Birney | |||
Joseph R. Williams | |||||||||
Henry T. Backus | |||||||||
Charles S. May | |||||||||
14 | ![]() |
Henry H. Crapo | January 3, 1865 | January 6, 1869 | Republican | Ebenezer Grosvenor | |||
Dwight May | |||||||||
15 | ![]() |
Henry P. Baldwin | January 6, 1869 | January 1, 1873 | Republican | Morgan Bates | |||
16 | ![]() |
John J. Bagley | January 1, 1873 | January 3, 1877 | Republican | Henry H. Holt | |||
17 | ![]() |
Charles Croswell | January 3, 1877 | January 1, 1881 | Republican | Alonzo Sessions | |||
18 | ![]() |
David Jerome | January 1, 1881 | January 1, 1883 | Republican | Moreau S. Crosby | |||
19 | ![]() |
Josiah Begole | January 1, 1883 | January 1, 1885 | Democratic | Moreau S. Crosby (Republican) | |||
20 | ![]() |
Russell Alger | January 1, 1885 | January 1, 1887 | Republican | Archibald Buttars | |||
21 | ![]() |
Cyrus G. Luce | January 1, 1887 | January 1, 1891 | Republican | James H. MacDonald | |||
William Ball | |||||||||
22 | ![]() |
Edwin B. Winans | January 1, 1891 | January 1, 1893 | Democratic | John Strong | |||
23 | John T. Rich | January 1, 1893 | January 1, 1897 | Republican | J. Wight Giddings | ||||
Alfred Milnes | |||||||||
Joseph R. McLaughlin | |||||||||
24 | ![]() |
Hazen S. Pingree | January 1, 1897 | January 1, 1901 | Republican | Thomas B. Dunstan | |||
Orrin W. Robinson | |||||||||
25 | ![]() |
Aaron T. Bliss | January 1, 1901 | January 1, 1905 | Republican | Orrin W. Robinson | |||
Alexander Maitland | |||||||||
26 | ![]() |
Fred M. Warner | January 1, 1905 | January 2, 1911 | Republican | Alexander Maitland | |||
Patrick H. Kelley | |||||||||
27 | ![]() |
Chase Osborn | January 2, 1911 | January 1, 1913 | Republican | John Q. Ross | |||
28 | ![]() |
Woodbridge Nathan Ferris | January 1, 1913 | January 1, 1917 | Democratic | John Q. Ross (Republican) | |||
Luren Dickinson (Republican) | |||||||||
29 | ![]() |
Albert Sleeper | January 1, 1917 | January 1, 1921 | Republican | Luren Dickinson | |||
30 | ![]() |
Alex Groesbeck | January 1, 1921 | January 1, 1927 | Republican | Thomas Read | |||
George W. Welsh | |||||||||
31 | ![]() |
Fred W. Green | January 1, 1927 | January 1, 1931 | Republican | Luren Dickinson | |||
32 | ![]() |
Wilber M. Brucker | January 1, 1931 | January 1, 1933 | Republican | Luren Dickinson | |||
33 | ![]() |
William Comstock | January 1, 1933 | January 1, 1935 | Democratic | Allen E. Stebbins | |||
34 | ![]() |
Frank Fitzgerald | January 1, 1935 | January 1, 1937 | Republican | Thomas Read | |||
35 | ![]() |
Frank Murphy | January 1, 1937 | January 1, 1939 | Democratic | Leo J. Nowicki | |||
36 | ![]() |
Frank Fitzgerald | January 1, 1939 | March 16, 1939 | Republican | Luren Dickinson | [e] | ||
37 | ![]() |
Luren Dickinson | March 16, 1939 | January 1, 1941 | Republican | Matilda Dodge Wilson | [b] | ||
38 | ![]() |
Murray Van Wagoner | January 1, 1941 | January 1, 1943 | Democratic | Frank Murphy | |||
39 | ![]() |
Harry Kelly | January 1, 1943 | January 1, 1947 | Republican | Eugene C. Keyes | |||
Vernon J. Brown | |||||||||
40 | ![]() |
Kim Sigler | January 1, 1947 | January 1, 1949 | Republican | Eugene C. Keyes | |||
41 | ![]() |
G. Mennen Williams | January 1, 1949 | January 1, 1961 | Democratic | John W. Connolly | |||
William C. Vandenberg (Republican) | |||||||||
Clarence A. Reid (Republican) | |||||||||
Philip A. Hart | |||||||||
John B. Swainson | |||||||||
42 | ![]() |
John Swainson | January 1, 1961 | January 1, 1963 | Democratic | T. John Lesinski | |||
43 | ![]() |
George W. Romney | January 1, 1963 | January 22, 1969 | Republican | T. John Lesinski (Democratic) | [f] | ||
William Milliken | |||||||||
44 | ![]() |
William Milliken | January 22, 1969 | January 1, 1983 | Republican | Thomas F. Schweigert | [g] | ||
James H. Brickley | |||||||||
James Damman | |||||||||
James H. Brickley | |||||||||
45 | ![]() |
James Blanchard | January 1, 1983 | January 1, 1991 | Democratic | Martha Griffiths | |||
46 | ![]() |
John Engler | January 1, 1991 | January 1, 2003 | Republican | Connie Binsfeld | [h] | ||
Dick Posthumus | |||||||||
47 | ![]() |
Jennifer Granholm | January 1, 2003 | January 1, 2011 | Democratic | John D. Cherry, Jr. | |||
48 | ![]() |
Rick Snyder | January 1, 2011 | January 1, 2019 | Republican | Brian Calley | |||
49 | ![]() |
Gretchen Whitmer | January 1, 2019 | Present | Democratic | Garlin Gilchrist |
As of May 2024, there are four living former governors of Michigan. The most recent death of a former governor was that of William Milliken on October 18, 2019. The state's living former governors are:
Governor | Gubernatorial term | Date of birth (and age) |
---|---|---|
James Blanchard | 1983–1991 | August 8, 1942 |
John Engler | 1991–2003 | October 12, 1948 |
Jennifer Granholm | 2003–2011 | February 5, 1959 |
Rick Snyder | 2011–2019 | August 19, 1958 |