Governor of Massachusetts

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

• 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)

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	John Hancock	None	October 25, 1780 – February 17, 1785	Thomas Cushing (1780–1788)	Resigned due to claimed illness (recurring gout).
A	Thomas Cushing		February 17, 1785 – May 27, 1785		Acted as governor for the remainder of Hancock's term; Lost election in his own right
2	James Bowdoin		May 27, 1785 – May 30, 1787		Lost re-election
3	John Hancock		May 30, 1787 – October 8, 1793		Died
				Benjamin Lincoln (1788–1789)
				Samuel Adams (1789–1794)
4	Samuel Adams		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	Increase Sumner	Federalist	June 2, 1797 – June 7, 1799		Died
A	Moses Gill	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	Governor's Council		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	Caleb Strong	Federalist	May 30, 1800 – May 29, 1807	Samuel Phillips Jr. (1801–1802)	Lost re-election
				Edward Robbins (1802–1806)
7	James Sullivan	Democratic- Republican	May 29, 1807 – December 10, 1808	Levi Lincoln Sr.	Died
A	Levi Lincoln Sr.	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	Christopher Gore	Federalist	May 1, 1809 – June 10, 1810	David Cobb	Lost re-election
9	Elbridge Gerry	Democratic- Republican	June 10, 1810 – March 4, 1812	William Gray	Lost re-election
10	Caleb Strong	Federalist	March 4, 1812 – May 30, 1816	William Phillips Jr.	Retired
11	John Brooks (1752-1825)	Federalist	May 30, 1816 – May 31, 1823		Retired
12	William Eustis	Democratic- Republican	May 31, 1823 – February 6, 1825	Levi Lincoln Jr. (1823–1824)	Died
				Marcus Morton (1824–1825)
A	Marcus Morton	Democratic- Republican	February 6, 1825 – May 26, 1825		Acted as governor for the remainder of Eustis's term; Retired
13	Levi Lincoln Jr.	National Republican	May 26, 1825 – January 9, 1834	Thomas L. Winthrop (1826–1833)	Retired
14	John Davis	Whig	January 9, 1834 – March 1, 1835	Samuel Turell Armstrong	Resigned to become US Senator
A	Samuel Turell Armstrong	Whig	March 1, 1835 – January 13, 1836		Acted as governor for the remainder of Davis's term; Lost nomination; lost election as independent
15	Edward Everett	Whig	January 13, 1836 – January 18, 1840	George Hull	Lost re-election
16	Marcus Morton	Democratic	January 18, 1840 – January 7, 1841		Lost re-election
17	John Davis	Whig	January 7, 1841 – January 17, 1843		Lost re-election
18	Marcus Morton	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	George S. Boutwell	Democratic	January 11, 1851 – January 14, 1853	Henry W. Cushman	Retired
21	John H. Clifford	Whig	January 14, 1853 – January 12, 1854	Elisha Huntington	Retired
22	Emory Washburn	Whig	January 12, 1854 – January 4, 1855	William C. Plunkett	Lost re-election
23	Henry Gardner	Know-Nothing	January 4, 1855 – January 7, 1858	Simon Brown (1855–1856)	Lost re-election
				Henry W. Benchley (1856–1858)
24	Nathaniel Prentice Banks	Republican	January 7, 1858 – January 3, 1861	Eliphalet Trask	Retired to run for president
25	John Albion Andrew	Republican	January 3, 1861 – January 4, 1866	John Z. Goodrich (1861)	Retired
				John Nesmith (1862)
				Joel Hayden (1863–1866)
26	Alexander H. Bullock	Republican	January 4, 1866 – January 7, 1869	William Claflin	Retired
27	William Claflin	Republican	January 7, 1869 – January 4, 1872	Joseph Tucker (1869–1873)	Retired
28	William B. Washburn	Republican	January 4, 1872 – April 29, 1874		Resigned to become US Senator
				Thomas Talbot (1873–1875)
A	Thomas Talbot	Republican	April 29, 1874 – January 7, 1875		Acted as governor for the remainder of Washburn's term; Lost election in his own right
29	William Gaston	Democratic	January 7, 1875 – January 6, 1876	Horatio G. Knight	Lost re-election
30	Alexander H. Rice	Republican	January 6, 1876 – January 2, 1879		Retired
31	Thomas Talbot	Republican	January 2, 1879 – January 8, 1880	John Davis Long	Retired
32	John Davis Long	Republican	January 8, 1880 – January 4, 1883	Byron Weston	Retired
33	Benjamin F. Butler	Democratic	January 4, 1883 – January 3, 1884	Oliver Ames	Lost re-election
34	George D. Robinson	Republican	January 3, 1884 – January 6, 1887		Retired
35	Oliver Ames	Republican	January 6, 1887 – January 7, 1890	John Q. A. Brackett	Retired
36	John Q. A. Brackett	Republican	January 7, 1890 – January 8, 1891	William H. Haile (1890–1893)	Lost re-election
37	William E. Russell	Democratic	January 8, 1891 – January 4, 1894		Retired
				Roger Wolcott (1893–1897)
38	Frederic T. Greenhalge	Republican	January 4, 1894 – March 5, 1896		Died
39	Roger Wolcott	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	Winthrop Murray Crane	Republican	January 4, 1900 – January 8, 1903	John L. Bates	Retired
41	John L. Bates	Republican	January 8, 1903 – January 5, 1905	Curtis Guild Jr.	Retired
42	William L. Douglas	Democratic	January 5, 1905 – January 4, 1906		Retired
43	Curtis Guild Jr.	Republican	January 4, 1906 – January 7, 1909	Eben Sumner Draper	Retired
44	Eben Sumner Draper	Republican	January 7, 1909 – January 5, 1911	Louis A. Frothingham	Lost re-election
45	Eugene Noble Foss	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	David I. Walsh	Democratic	January 8, 1914 – January 6, 1916	Edward P. Barry (1914–1915)	Lost re-election
				Grafton D. Cushing (1915–1916)
47	Samuel W. McCall	Republican	January 6, 1916 – January 2, 1919	Calvin Coolidge	Retired
48	Calvin Coolidge	Republican	January 2, 1919 – January 6, 1921	Channing H. Cox	Retired to run successfully for U.S. Vice President
49	Channing H. Cox	Republican	January 6, 1921 – January 8, 1925	Alvan T. Fuller	Elected in 1920 (first two-year term); Re-elected in 1922; Retired
50	Alvan T. Fuller	Republican	January 8, 1925 – January 3, 1929	Frank G. Allen	Retired
51	Frank G. Allen	Republican	January 3, 1929 – January 8, 1931	William S. Youngman	Lost re-election
52	Joseph B. Ely	Democratic	January 8, 1931 – January 3, 1935	William S. Youngman (1929–1933)	Retired
				Gaspar G. Bacon (1933–1935)
53	James Michael Curley	Democratic	January 3, 1935 – January 7, 1937	Joseph L. Hurley	Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate
54	Charles F. Hurley	Democratic	January 7, 1937 – January 5, 1939	Francis E. Kelly	Lost renomination
55	Leverett Saltonstall	Republican	January 5, 1939 – January 3, 1945	Horace T. Cahill	Retired to run successfully for U.S. Senate
56	Maurice J. Tobin	Democratic	January 3, 1945 – January 2, 1947	Robert F. Bradford	Lost re-election
57	Robert F. Bradford	Republican	January 2, 1947 – January 6, 1949	Arthur W. Coolidge	Elected in 1946; Lost re-election
58	Paul A. Dever	Democratic	January 6, 1949 – January 8, 1953	Charles F. Sullivan	Elected in 1948; Re-elected in 1950; Lost re-election
59	Christian A. Herter	Republican	January 8, 1953 – January 3, 1957	Sumner G. Whittier	Elected in 1952; Re-elected in 1954; Retired
60	Foster Furcolo	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	John A. Volpe	Republican	January 5, 1961 – January 3, 1963	Edward F. McLaughlin Jr.	Elected in 1960; Lost re-election
62	Endicott Peabody	Democratic	January 3, 1963 – January 7, 1965	Francis X. Bellotti	Elected in 1962; Lost renomination
63	John A. Volpe	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	Francis W. Sargent	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	Michael Dukakis	Democratic	January 2, 1975 – January 4, 1979	Thomas P. O'Neill III	Elected in 1974; Lost renomination
66	Edward J. King	Democratic	January 4, 1979 – January 6, 1983		Elected in 1978; Lost renomination
67	Michael Dukakis	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	William F. Weld	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 69	Paul Cellucci	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	Jane Swift	Republican	April 10, 2001 – January 2, 2003		Acted as governor for the remainder of Cellucci's term; Retired
70	Mitt Romney	Republican	January 2, 2003 – January 4, 2007	Kerry Healey	Elected in 2002; Retired
71	Deval Patrick	Democratic	January 4, 2007 – January 8, 2015	Tim Murray (2007–2013)	Elected in 2006; Re-elected in 2010; Retired
				Vacant
72	Charlie Baker	Republican	January 8, 2015 – present	Karyn Polito	Elected in 2014

See also

• List of colonial governors of Massachusetts
• Massachusetts Governor's Council
• Government of Massachusetts