List of governors of Michigan
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.
Governors of Michigan state (since 1837)
Parties
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 December 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
(1942-08-08 ) August 8, 1942 (age 82)
John Engler
1991–2003
(1948-10-12 ) October 12, 1948 (age 76)
Jennifer Granholm
2003–2011
(1959-02-05 ) February 5, 1959 (age 65)
Rick Snyder
2011–2019
(1958-08-19 ) August 19, 1958 (age 66)
Notes
References
↑ Macomb, Alex (1837). "No. 20: Letter from Major General Macomb, to His Excellency the Governor of Michigan, Accompanying a Copy of Military Tactics" . Documents Accompanying the Journal of the Senate . Detroit: John S. Bagg, State Printer. p. 167.
↑ 1963 Michigan Constitution, Article 5, Section 12
↑ 1963 Michigan Constitution, Article 5, Section 2
↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Dunbar, Willis F. & May, George S. (1995). Michigan: A History of the Wolverine State (Third Revised ed.). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. pp. 276 –78. ISBN 978-0-8028-7055-1 .
↑ Gardner, Washington (1913). History of Calhoun County, Michigan . Lewis Pub. Co. p. 220.
↑ "Former Lieutenant Governors" . State of Michigan. Archived from the original on April 3, 2013. Retrieved March 25, 2013 .