Texas has had chief executives with the titles of governors and presidents since 1691. These were under the flags of:
From 1691 through 1821, the Kingdom of Texas (El Reino de Texas, in modern Spanish, Tejas) was a part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain (El Virreinato de Nueva España).
From 1691 to 1722 Texas and Coahuila had the same government, even though they were different provinces. The official seat of government was in Monclova, Coahuila.[1]
| Governor | Took office | Left office | Notes |
| Domingo Terán de los Ríos | January 23, 1691 | March 5, 1692 | Official governor; Also served as governor of Sonora y Sinaloa (1681–1686), New Spain. |
| Gregorio de Salinas Varona | 1692 | 1697 (Texas) / 1698 (Coahuila) | Official governor; He also governed Nuevo León (1705–1707) and Honduras (1705–1709) |
| Francisco Cuervo y Valdés | 1698 | 1702 (Texas) / 1703 (Coahuila) | Official governor; He also governed Nuevo León (1687–1688) and Santa Fe de Nuevo Mexico (1705–1707) |
| Matías de Aguirre | 1703 | 1705 | |
| Martín de Alarcón | 1705 | 1708 | Official governor; Founder of San Antonio. |
| Simón Padilla y Córdova | 1708 | 1712 | |
| Pedro Fermin de Echevers y Subisa | 1712 | 1714 | |
| Juan Valdez | 1714 | 1716 | Official governor |
| José Antonio de Eca y Múzquiz | 1716 | 1717 | Official governor |
| Martín de Alarcón | 1717 | 1719 | Official governor |
| José de Azlor y Virto de Vera | 1719 | 1722 | Official governor |
From 1722 to 1823 Texas had its own governors. From 1722 to 1768 the seat of government of Texas was in Los Adaes and this was the official capital of the province from 1729 to 1772. In 1768 the seat of government was established in San Antonio, which was the capital of Texas from 1772 to 1823.
| Governor | Took office | Left office | Notes |
| Fernando Pérez de Almazán | 1722 | 1727 | Official governor |
| Melchor de Mediavilla y Azcona | 1727 | 1730 | Acting and Interim governor |
| Juan Antonio Bustillo y Ceballos | 1730 | 1734 | Official governor; He was also governor of Coahuila (1754–1756) |
| Manuel de Sandoval | 1734 | 1736 | Official governor; He also served as governor of Coahuila (1729–1733) |
| Carlos Benites Franquis de Lugo | 1736 | 1737 | Official governor |
| Prudencio de Orobio y Basterra | 1737 | 1741 | Interim governor; He and Winthuisen were the only civilians that served as governors of Spanish Texas |
| Tomás Felipe de Winthuisen | 1741 | 1743 | Official governor |
| Justo Boneo y Morales | 1743 | 1744 | Official governor |
| Francisco García Larios | 1744 | 1748 | Interim governor |
| Pedro del Barrio Junco y Espriella | 1748 | 1751 | Acting governor; He also governed Nuevo León, in modern-day Mexico |
| Jacinto de Barrios y Jáuregui | 1751 | 1759 | Official governor; Also was governor of Coahuila (1759–1762; 1765–1768) |
| Ángel de Martos y Navarrete | 1759 | 1766 | Official governor |
| Hugo Oconór | 1767 | 1770 | Official governor |
| Juan María Vicencio | 1770 | 1778 | Official governor; He also governed Honduras |
| Domingo Cabello y Robles | 1778 | 1786 | Interim governor; He also governed Nicaragua and Cuba |
| Bernardo Bonavía y Zapata | 1786 | 1786 | Official governor; He was appointed governor but don't serve in office. |
| Rafael Martínez Pacheco | 1786 | 1790 | Official governor |
| Manuel Muñoz | 1790 | 1798 | Official governor |
| José Irigoyen | 1798 | 1800 | Interim governor; Although he was appointed as governor, he not served in office. |
| Juan Bautista Elguézabal | 1800 | 1805 | Interim governor; He promoted the founding of the first elementary schools in Texas |
| Manuel Antonio Cordero y Bustamante | 1805 | 1808 | Acting governor; Also governed Coahuila and Sonora |
| Manuel María de Salcedo | 1808 | 1811 (officially until 1813) | Official governor; Temporarily deposed by de las Casas |
| Juan Bautista de las Casas | 1811 | 1811 | Led a coup against Salcedo and became governor for 39 days before being arrested. |
| Simón de Herrera | 1811 | 1811 | Ad interim governor July to December[2] |
| Manuel María de Salcedo (2nd term) | 1811 | 1813 | Official governor; Continuation of your government after the temporary administration by De Casas and Herrera; dead in office |
| Cristóbal Domínguez | 1814 | 1814 | Official governor; dead in office |
| Benito Armiñán | 1814 | 1815 | Interim governor (October 1814 – July 1815). He left the charge for health reasons |
| Mariano Valera | 1815 | 1816 | Interim governor (July 20, 1815 – July 27, 1816). He left the charge for health reasons |
| Juan Ignacio Pérez | 1816 | 1817 | Interim governor (July 27, 1816 – March 20, 1817) |
| Manuel Pardo | 1817 | 1817 | Interim governor (March 20, 1817 – May 27, 1817); Also was governor of Coahuila (1819–20) |
| Antonio María Martínez | 1817 | 1821 | Official governor |
Following the Mexican War of Independence, recognised by the Treaty of Córdoba, the territory of Texas became part of the First Mexican Empire.
| Governor | Took office | Left office | Notes |
| José Félix Trespalacios | August 1822 | April 1823 | |
| Luciano García | June 16, 1823 | October 12, 1823 | He founded, toponymically, San Felipe de Austin. |
After the dissolution of the first Mexican empire, the Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1824 came into force, by which Texas joined Coahuila, forming the state of Coahuila and Texas, part of the United Mexican States. From 1823 to 1833 the capital and official seat of government was in Saltillo, Coahuila, while that from March 1833 until 1836, when Texas gained its independence from Mexico, the capital of the state was in Monclova, Coahuila.
| Governor | Took office | Left office | Notes |
| Rafael Gonzales | 1824-02-03 | 1826-03-15 | |
| José Ignacio de Arizpe (1st term) | 1826-03-15 | 1826-05-30 | |
| Víctor Blanco de Rivera | 1826-05-30 | 1827-01-29 | |
| José Ignacio de Arizpe (2nd term) | 1827-01-29 | 1827-08-01 | |
| José María Viesca (1st) | 1827-08-01 | 1827-08-17 | |
| Víctor Blanco (1st term) | 1827-08-17 | 1827-09-14 | |
| José María Viesca (2nd) | 1827-09-14 | 1830-10-01 | |
| José Rafael Eça y Múzquiz (1st term) | 1830-10-01 | 1831-01-05 | |
| José María Viesca (3rd) | 1831-01-05 | 1831-04-04 | |
| José María de Letona (1st term) | 1831-04-05 | 1831-04-28 | |
| José Rafael Eça y Múzquiz (2nd term) | 1831-04-28 | 1831-05-10 | |
| José María de Letona (2nd term) | 1831-05-10 | 1832-09-28 | |
| José Rafael Eça y Múzquiz (3rd) | 1832-09-29 | 1832-12-23 | |
| Juan Martín de Veramendi | 1832-12-24 | 1833-09-07 | |
| N/A | 1833-09-08 | 1834-01-07 | |
| Francisco Vidaurri y Villaseñor | 1834-01-08 | 1834-07-23 | |
| Juan José Elguézabal | 1834-07-23 | 1835-03-12 | |
| José María Cantú | 1835-03-12 | 1835-03-24 | |
| José Rafael Eça y Múzquiz (4th term) | 1835-03-25 | 1835-03-26 | |
| Marciél Borrego | 1835-03-27 | 1835-04-15 | |
| Agustín Viesca | 1835-04-15 | 1835-06-05 | |
| Ramón Músquiz | 1835-06-06 | 1835-07-17 | Never took office and resigned in July of that year. |
| José Miguel Falcón | 1835-07-18 | 1835-08-13 | |
| Bartolomé de Cárdenas | 1835-08-13 | 1835-08-15 | |
| José Rafael Eça y Múzquiz (5th term) | 1835-08-15 | 1835-10-2 (Texas Revolution) | After the Texas' independence, Músquiz continued to govern Coahuila until 1837 |
During the Texas Revolution, the Consultation declared independence from Mexico. An interim government was formed pending elections. The capital of the American colony of Texas was established in San Felipe de Austin.
| President | Took office | Left office | Notes |
| Henry Smith | 1835 | January 1836 | Impeached. |
| James W. Robinson | January 1836 | March 2, 1836 |
| President | Took office | Left office | Notes |
| David G. Burnet | 1836 | 1836 | Burnet County; (acting) Vice-president of Texas under Lamar, U.S. Senator-Elect 1866. |
| Sam Houston | 1836 | 1838 | Houston; Houston County; also served as Governor and U.S. Senator, and formerly in Tennessee as Governor and U.S. Representative. Referred to as the first President of the Republic of Texas. |
| Mirabeau B. Lamar | 1838 | 1841 | Lamar County; Minister to Nicaragua. |
| Sam Houston | 1841 | 1844 | Houston; Houston County; also served as U.S. Representative and Governor for Tennessee, and as Governor and U.S. Senator for Texas. |
| Anson Jones | 1844 | 1846 | Jones County. |
