The Governor of Massachusetts is the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is supported by a number of subordinate officers. He, like most other state officers, senators, and representatives, was originally elected annually.
Colonial Governors
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- See Also : Colonial Governors of Massachusetts
The colonial history of Massachusetts begins with the founding first of the Plymouth Colony in 1620, and then the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1628.
Commonwealth Governors (1780-Present)
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In the table below, acting governors are denoted in the leftmost column by the letter "A", and are not counted as actual governors. The longest-serving governor was Michael Dukakis, who served twelve years in office, although they were not all consecutive. The longest period of uninterrupted service by any governor was nine years, by Levi Lincoln Jr. The shortest service period by an elected governor was one year, achieved by several 19th century governors. Increase Sumner, elected by a landslide to a third consecutive term in 1799, was on his deathbed and died not long after taking the oath of office; this represents the shortest part of an individual term served by a governor. Sumner was one of four governors to die in office; seven governors resigned, most of them to assume another office.
Political party | Number of governors |
---|---|
Democratic | 19 |
Democratic-Republican | 6 |
Federalist | 3 |
Know Nothing | 1 |
National Republican | 1 |
No party affiliation | 6 |
Republican | 31 |
Whig | 7 |
# | Governor | Party | Years | Lt. governor | Electoral history |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | None | October 25, 1780 – February 17, 1785 | Thomas Cushing (1780–1788) | Resigned due to claimed illness (recurring gout). |
A[1] | ![]() | February 17, 1785 – May 27, 1785 | Acted as governor for the remainder of Hancock's term; Lost election in his own right | ||
2 | ![]() | May 27, 1785 – May 30, 1787 | Lost re-election | ||
3 | ![]() | May 30, 1787 – October 8, 1793 | Died | ||
Benjamin Lincoln (1788–1789) | |||||
Samuel Adams (1789–1794) | |||||
4 | ![]() | October 8, 1793 – June 2, 1797 | Acted as governor for the remainder of Hancock's term; Elected and re-elected in his own right until retirement | ||
Moses Gill (1794–1800) | |||||
5 | ![]() | Federalist | June 2, 1797 – June 7, 1799 | Died | |
A[1] | ![]() | None | June 7, 1799 – May 20, 1800 | Acted as governor for most of the remainder of Sumner's term; Died ten days before its end | |
A[1] | ![]() | May 20, 1800 – May 30, 1800 | None | The council was headed by Thomas Dawes; this is the only time both gubernatorial offices were vacant. | |
6 | ![]() | Federalist | May 30, 1800 – May 29, 1807 | Samuel Phillips Jr. (1801–1802) | Lost re-election |
Edward Robbins (1802–1806) | |||||
7 | ![]() | Democratic- Republican | May 29, 1807 – December 10, 1808 | Levi Lincoln Sr. | Died |
A[1] | ![]() | Democratic- Republican | December 10, 1808 – May 1, 1809 | Acted as governor for the remainder of Sullivan's term; Lost election in his own right | |
8 | ![]() | Federalist | May 1, 1809 – June 10, 1810 | David Cobb | Lost re-election |
9 | ![]() | Democratic- Republican | June 10, 1810 – March 4, 1812 | William Gray | Lost re-election |
10 | ![]() | Federalist | March 4, 1812 – May 30, 1816 | William Phillips Jr. | Retired |
11 | ![]() | Federalist | May 30, 1816 – May 31, 1823 | Retired | |
12 | ![]() | Democratic- Republican | May 31, 1823 – February 6, 1825 | Levi Lincoln Jr. (1823–1824) | Died |
Marcus Morton (1824–1825) | |||||
A[1] | ![]() | Democratic- Republican | February 6, 1825 – May 26, 1825 | Acted as governor for the remainder of Eustis's term; Retired | |
13 | ![]() | National Republican | May 26, 1825 – January 9, 1834 | Thomas L. Winthrop (1826–1833) | Retired |
14 | ![]() | Whig | January 9, 1834 – March 1, 1835 | Samuel Turell Armstrong | Resigned to become US Senator |
A[1] | ![]() | Whig | March 1, 1835 – January 13, 1836 | Acted as governor for the remainder of Davis's term; Lost nomination; lost election as independent | |
15 | ![]() | Whig | January 13, 1836 – January 18, 1840 | George Hull | Lost re-election |
16 | ![]() | Democratic | January 18, 1840 – January 7, 1841 | Lost re-election | |
17 | ![]() | Whig | January 7, 1841 – January 17, 1843 | Lost re-election | |
18 | ![]() | Democratic | January 17, 1843 – January 9, 1844 | Henry H. Childs | Lost re-election |
19 | 100px George N. Briggs | Whig | January 9, 1844 – January 11, 1851 | John Reed Jr. | Lost re-election |
20 | ![]() | Democratic | January 11, 1851 – January 14, 1853 | Henry W. Cushman | Retired |
21 | ![]() | Whig | January 14, 1853 – January 12, 1854 | Elisha Huntington | Retired |
22 | ![]() | Whig | January 12, 1854 – January 4, 1855 | William C. Plunkett | Lost re-election |
23 | ![]() | Know-Nothing | January 4, 1855 – January 7, 1858 | Simon Brown (1855–1856) | Lost re-election |
Henry W. Benchley (1856–1858) | |||||
24 | ![]() | Republican | January 7, 1858 – January 3, 1861 | Eliphalet Trask | Retired to run for president |
25 | ![]() | Republican | January 3, 1861 – January 4, 1866 | John Z. Goodrich (1861) | Retired |
John Nesmith (1862) | |||||
Joel Hayden (1863–1866) | |||||
26 | ![]() | Republican | January 4, 1866 – January 7, 1869 | William Claflin | Retired |
27 | ![]() | Republican | January 7, 1869 – January 4, 1872 | Joseph Tucker (1869–1873) | Retired |
28 | ![]() | Republican | January 4, 1872 – April 29, 1874 | Resigned to become US Senator | |
Thomas Talbot (1873–1875) | |||||
A[1] | ![]() | Republican | April 29, 1874 – January 7, 1875 | Acted as governor for the remainder of Washburn's term; Lost election in his own right | |
29 | ![]() | Democratic | January 7, 1875 – January 6, 1876 | Horatio G. Knight | Lost re-election |
30 | ![]() | Republican | January 6, 1876 – January 2, 1879 | Retired | |
31 | ![]() | Republican | January 2, 1879 – January 8, 1880 | John Davis Long | Retired |
32 | ![]() | Republican | January 8, 1880 – January 4, 1883 | Byron Weston | Retired |
33 | ![]() | Democratic | January 4, 1883 – January 3, 1884 | Oliver Ames | Lost re-election |
34 | ![]() | Republican | January 3, 1884 – January 6, 1887 | Retired | |
35 | ![]() | Republican | January 6, 1887 – January 7, 1890 | John Q. A. Brackett | Retired |
36 | ![]() | Republican | January 7, 1890 – January 8, 1891 | William H. Haile (1890–1893) | Lost re-election |
37 | ![]() | Democratic | January 8, 1891 – January 4, 1894 | Retired | |
Roger Wolcott (1893–1897) | |||||
38 | ![]() | Republican | January 4, 1894 – March 5, 1896 | Died | |
39 | ![]() | Republican | March 5, 1896 – January 4, 1900 | Acted as governor for the remainder of Greenhalge's term; Elected and re-elected in own right until retirement | |
Winthrop Murray Crane (1897–1900) | |||||
40 | ![]() | Republican | January 4, 1900 – January 8, 1903 | John L. Bates | Retired |
41 | ![]() | Republican | January 8, 1903 – January 5, 1905 | Curtis Guild Jr. | Retired |
42 | ![]() | Democratic | January 5, 1905 – January 4, 1906 | Retired | |
43 | ![]() | Republican | January 4, 1906 – January 7, 1909 | Eben Sumner Draper | Retired |
44 | ![]() | Republican | January 7, 1909 – January 5, 1911 | Louis A. Frothingham | Lost re-election |
45 | ![]() | Democratic | January 5, 1911 – January 8, 1914 | Louis A. Frothingham (1911–1912) | Did not stand for renomination as Democrat; defeated as independent in general election |
Robert Luce (1912–1913) | |||||
David I. Walsh (1913–1914) | |||||
46 | ![]() | Democratic | January 8, 1914 – January 6, 1916 | Edward P. Barry (1914–1915) | Lost re-election |
Grafton D. Cushing (1915–1916) | |||||
47 | ![]() | Republican | January 6, 1916 – January 2, 1919 | Calvin Coolidge | Retired |
48 | ![]() | Republican | January 2, 1919 – January 6, 1921 | Channing H. Cox | Retired to run successfully for U.S. Vice President |
49 | ![]() | Republican | January 6, 1921 – January 8, 1925 | Alvan T. Fuller | Elected in 1920 (first two-year term); Re-elected in 1922; Retired |
50 | ![]() | Republican | January 8, 1925 – January 3, 1929 | Frank G. Allen | Retired |
51 | ![]() | Republican | January 3, 1929 – January 8, 1931 | William S. Youngman | Lost re-election |
52 | ![]() | Democratic | January 8, 1931 – January 3, 1935 | William S. Youngman (1929–1933) | Retired |
Gaspar G. Bacon (1933–1935) | |||||
53 | ![]() | Democratic | January 3, 1935 – January 7, 1937 | Joseph L. Hurley | Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate |
54 | ![]() | Democratic | January 7, 1937 – January 5, 1939 | Francis E. Kelly | Lost renomination |
55 | ![]() | Republican | January 5, 1939 – January 3, 1945 | Horace T. Cahill | Retired to run successfully for U.S. Senate |
56 | ![]() | Democratic | January 3, 1945 – January 2, 1947 | Robert F. Bradford | Lost re-election |
57 | ![]() | Republican | January 2, 1947 – January 6, 1949 | Arthur W. Coolidge | Elected in 1946; Lost re-election |
58 | ![]() | Democratic | January 6, 1949 – January 8, 1953 | Charles F. Sullivan | Elected in 1948; Re-elected in 1950; Lost re-election |
59 | ![]() | Republican | January 8, 1953 – January 3, 1957 | Sumner G. Whittier | Elected in 1952; Re-elected in 1954; Retired |
60 | ![]() | Democratic | January 3, 1957 – January 5, 1961 | Robert F. Murphy (1957–1960) | Elected in 1956; Re-elected in 1958; Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate |
61 | ![]() | Republican | January 5, 1961 – January 3, 1963 | Edward F. McLaughlin Jr. | Elected in 1960; Lost re-election |
62 | ![]() | Democratic | January 3, 1963 – January 7, 1965 | Francis X. Bellotti | Elected in 1962; Lost renomination |
63 | ![]() | Republican | January 7, 1965 – January 22, 1969 | Elliot Richardson (1965–1967) | Elected in 1964; Re-elected in 1966 (first four-year term); Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Transportation |
Francis W. Sargent (1967–1969) | |||||
64 | ![]() | Republican | January 22, 1969 – January 2, 1975 | Acted as governor for the remainder of Volpe's term; elected in own right in 1970; Lost re-election | |
Donald R. Dwight (1971–1975) | |||||
65 | ![]() | Democratic | January 2, 1975 – January 4, 1979 | Thomas P. O'Neill III | Elected in 1974; Lost renomination |
66 | ![]() | Democratic | January 4, 1979 – January 6, 1983 | Elected in 1978; Lost renomination | |
67 | ![]() | Democratic | January 6, 1983 – January 3, 1991 | John Kerry (1983–1985) | Elected in 1982; Elected in 1986; Retired |
Vacant (1985–1987) | |||||
Evelyn Murphy (1987–1991) | |||||
68 | ![]() | Republican | January 3, 1991 – July 29, 1997 | Paul Cellucci (1991–1999) | Elected in 1990; Re-elected in 1994; Resigned when nominated U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, but was not confirmed to the office. |
A[1] 69 | ![]() | Republican | July 29, 1997 – April 10, 2001 | Acted as governor for the remainder of Weld's term; elected in own right in 1998; Resigned to become U.S. Ambassador to Canada | |
Jane Swift | |||||
A[1] | ![]() | Republican | April 10, 2001 – January 2, 2003 | Acted as governor for the remainder of Cellucci's term; Retired | |
70 | ![]() | Republican | January 2, 2003 – January 4, 2007 | Kerry Healey | Elected in 2002; Retired |
71 | ![]() | Democratic | January 4, 2007 – January 8, 2015 | Tim Murray (2007–2013) | Elected in 2006; Re-elected in 2010; Retired |
Vacant | |||||
72 | ![]() | Republican | January 8, 2015 – present | Karyn Polito | Elected in 2014 |
See also
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- List of colonial governors of Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Governor's Council
- Government of Massachusetts