The
Governor of Maine is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Maine
and the
commander-in-chief of its military
forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws,
and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the
Maine Legislature, to convene the
legislature at any time, and, except in cases of impeachment, to
grant pardons.
The governor has a four-year term, commencing on the first
Wednesday after the first Tuesday of January following election.
The original Maine constitution had a one-year gubernatorial term;
constitutional amendments expanded this to two years in 1879 and to
four years in 1957. To be elected governor, a person must be at
least 30 years old, and must have been a citizen of the United
States for at least 15 years and of Maine for at least
5 years, at the time of election. The constitution of Maine
does not establish an office of
lieutenant governor; a
vacancy in the office of governor is filled by the president of the
Maine Senate.
There have been 73 governors of Maine since statehood. The
longest-serving governor was
Joseph
E. Brennan, who served two
terms from 1979 to 1987. The shortest-serving governor was
Nathaniel M. Haskell, who served only 25 hours
in 1953 when his predecessor resigned. The current governor is
Democrat
John Baldacci, who took
office on January 8, 2003 and is serving his second term.
Before
Maine became a state, it was part of Massachusetts
; see List of Governors of
Massachusetts for this period.
Governors
| # |
Name |
Party |
Took office |
Left office |
Term |
Notes |
| 1 |
|
William King |
Democratic-Republican |
March 15, 1820 |
May 28, 1821 |
1 |
|
| 2 |
|
William D. Williamson |
Democratic-Republican |
May 28, 1821 |
December 5, 1821 |
|
| 3 |
|
Benjamin Ames |
Democratic-Republican |
December 5, 1821 |
January 2, 1822 |
|
| 4 |
|
Daniel Rose |
Democratic-Republican |
January 2, 1822 |
January 5, 1822 |
|
| 5 |
|
Albion K. Parris |
Democratic-Republican |
January 5, 1822 |
January 3, 1827 |
2 |
|
| 3 |
| 4 |
| 5 |
| 6 |
| 6 |
|
Enoch Lincoln |
Democratic-Republican |
January 3, 1827 |
October 8, 1829 |
7 |
|
| 8 |
| 9 |
| 7 |
|
Nathan Cutler |
Democratic |
October 8, 1829 |
January 6, 1830 |
|
| 8 |
|
Joshua Hall |
Democratic |
January 6, 1830 |
February 9, 1830 |
|
| 9 |
|
Jonathan Hunton |
National
Republican |
February 9, 1830 |
January 5, 1831 |
10 |
|
| 10 |
|
Samuel E. Smith |
Democratic |
January 5, 1831 |
January 1, 1834 |
11 |
|
| 12 |
| 13 |
| 11 |
|
Robert Dunlap |
Democratic |
January 1, 1834 |
January 3, 1838 |
14 |
|
| 15 |
| 16 |
| 17 |
| 12 |
|
Edward Kent |
Whig |
January 19, 1838 |
January 2, 1839 |
18 |
|
| 13 |
|
John Fairfield |
Democratic |
January 2, 1839 |
January 12, 1841 |
19 |
|
| 20 |
| 14 |
|
Richard H. Vose |
Whig |
January 12, 1841 |
January 13, 1841 |
|
| 15 |
|
Edward Kent |
Whig |
January 13, 1841 |
January 5, 1842 |
21 |
|
| 16 |
|
John Fairfield |
Democratic |
January 5, 1842 |
March 7, 1843 |
22 |
|
| 23 |
| 17 |
|
Edward Kavanaugh |
Democratic |
March 7, 1843 |
January 1, 1844 |
|
| 18 |
|
David Dunn |
Democratic |
January 1, 1844 |
January 3, 1844 |
|
| 19 |
|
John W. Dana |
Democratic |
January 3, 1844 |
January 3, 1844 |
|
| 20 |
|
Hugh J. Anderson |
Democratic |
January 3, 1844 |
May 12, 1847 |
24 |
|
| 25 |
| 26 |
| 21 |
|
John W. Dana |
Democratic |
May 12, 1847 |
May 8, 1850 |
27 |
|
| 28 |
| 29 |
| 22 |
|
John
Hubbard |
Democratic |
May 8, 1850 |
January 5, 1853 |
30 |
|
| 31 |
| 32 |
| 23 |
|
William G.
Crosby |
Whig |
January 5, 1853 |
January 3, 1855 |
33 |
|
| 34 |
| 24 |
|
Anson P. Morrill |
Republican |
January 3, 1855 |
January 2, 1856 |
35 |
|
| 25 |
|
Samuel Wells |
Democratic |
January 2, 1856 |
January 8, 1857 |
36 |
|
| 26 |
|
Hannibal Hamlin |
Republican |
January 8, 1857 |
February 25, 1857 |
37 |
|
| 27 |
|
Joseph H. Williams |
Republican |
February 25, 1857 |
January 6, 1858 |
|
| 28 |
|
Lot M. Morrill |
Republican |
January 6, 1858 |
January 2, 1861 |
38 |
|
| 39 |
| 40 |
| 29 |
|
Israel Washburn
Jr. |
Republican |
January 2, 1861 |
January 7, 1863 |
41 |
|
| 42 |
| 30 |
|
Abner Coburn |
Republican |
January 7, 1863 |
January 6, 1864 |
42 |
|
| 31 |
|
Samuel Cony |
Republican |
January 6, 1864 |
January 2, 1867 |
43 |
|
| 44 |
| 45 |
| 32 |
|
Joshua L.
Chamberlain |
Republican |
January 2, 1867 |
January 4, 1871 |
46 |
|
| 47 |
| 48 |
| 49 |
| 33 |
|
Sidney Perham |
Republican |
January 4, 1871 |
January 7, 1874 |
50 |
|
| 51 |
| 52 |
| 34 |
|
Nelson Dingley,
Jr. |
Republican |
January 7, 1874 |
January 5, 1876 |
53 |
|
| 54 |
| 35 |
|
Selden Connor |
Republican |
January 5, 1876 |
January 8, 1879 |
55 |
|
| 56 |
| 57 |
| 36 |
|
Alonzo Garcelon |
Democratic |
January 8, 1879 |
January 17, 1880 |
58 |
|
| 37 |
|
Daniel F. Davis |
Republican |
January 17, 1880 |
January 13, 1881 |
59 |
|
| 38 |
|
Harris M. Plaisted |
Democratic |
January 13, 1881 |
January 3, 1883 |
60 |
|
| 39 |
|
Frederick Robie |
Republican |
January 3, 1883 |
January 5, 1887 |
61 |
|
| 62 |
| 40 |
|
Joseph R. Bodwell |
Republican |
January 5, 1887 |
December 15, 1887 |
63 |
|
| 41 |
|
Sebastian Streeter
Marble |
Republican |
December 15, 1887 |
January 2, 1889 |
|
| 42 |
|
Edwin C. Burleigh |
Republican |
January 2, 1889 |
January 4, 1893 |
64 |
|
| 65 |
| 42 |
|
Henry B. Cleaves |
Republican |
January 4, 1893 |
January 2, 1897 |
66 |
|
| 67 |
| 44 |
|
Llewellyn
Powers |
Republican |
January 2, 1897 |
January 2, 1901 |
68 |
|
| 69 |
| 45 |
|
John Fremont
Hill |
Republican |
January 2, 1901 |
January 4, 1905 |
70 |
|
| 71 |
| 46 |
|
William T. Cobb |
Republican |
January 4, 1905 |
January 6, 1909 |
72 |
|
| 73 |
| 47 |
|
Bert M. Fernald |
Republican |
January 6, 1909 |
January 4, 1911 |
74 |
|
| 48 |
|
Frederick W. Plaisted |
Democratic |
January 4, 1911 |
January 1, 1913 |
75 |
|
| 49 |
|
William T. Haines |
Republican |
January 1, 1913 |
January 6, 1915 |
76 |
|
| 50 |
|
Oakley C. Curtis |
Democratic |
January 6, 1915 |
January 3, 1917 |
77 |
|
| 51 |
|
Carl E. Milliken |
Republican |
January 3, 1917 |
January 5, 1921 |
78 |
|
| 79 |
| 52 |
|
Frederic H. Parkhurst |
Republican |
January 5, 1921 |
January 31, 1921 |
79 |
|
| 53 |
|
Percival P.
Baxter |
Republican |
January 31, 1921 |
January 7, 1925 |
|
| 80 |
| 54 |
|
Ralph Owen
Brewster |
Republican |
January 7, 1925 |
January 2, 1929 |
81 |
|
| 82 |
| 55 |
|
William Tudor
Gardiner |
Republican |
January 2, 1929 |
January 4, 1933 |
83 |
|
| 84 |
| 56 |
|
Louis J. Brann |
Democratic |
January 4, 1933 |
January 6, 1937 |
85 |
|
| 86 |
| 57 |
|
Lewis O. Barrows |
Republican |
January 6, 1937 |
January 1, 1941 |
87 |
|
| 88 |
| 58 |
|
Sumner Sewall |
Republican |
January 1, 1941 |
January 3, 1945 |
89 |
|
| 90 |
| 59 |
|
Horace A.
Hildreth |
Republican |
January 3, 1945 |
January 5, 1949 |
91 |
|
| 92 |
| 60 |
|
Frederick G.
Payne |
Republican |
January 5, 1949 |
December 24, 1952 |
93 |
|
| 94 |
| 61 |
|
Burton M. Cross |
Republican |
December 24, 1952 |
January 6, 1953 |
|
| 62 |
|
Nathaniel M. Haskell |
Republican |
January 6, 1953 |
January 7, 1953 |
95 |
|
| 63 |
|
Burton M. Cross |
Republican |
January 7, 1953 |
January 5, 1955 |
|
| 64 |
|
Edmund Muskie |
Democratic |
January 5, 1955 |
January 2, 1959 |
96 |
|
| 97 |
| 65 |
|
Robert Haskell |
Republican |
January 2, 1959 |
January 7, 1959 |
|
| 66 |
|
Clinton Clauson |
Democratic |
January 7, 1959 |
December 30, 1959 |
98 |
|
| 67 |
|
John H. Reed |
Republican |
December 30, 1959 |
January 5, 1967 |
|
| 99 |
| 100 |
| 68 |
|
Kenneth M.
Curtis |
Democratic |
January 5, 1967 |
January 2, 1975 |
101 |
|
| 102 |
| 69 |
|
James B. Longley |
Independent |
January 2, 1975 |
January 3, 1979 |
103 |
|
| 70 |
|
Joseph E. Brennan |
Democratic |
January 3, 1979 |
January 7, 1987 |
104 |
|
| 105 |
| 71 |
|
John R.
McKernan, Jr. |
Republican |
January 7, 1987 |
January 5, 1995 |
106 |
|
| 107 |
| 72 |
|
Angus King |
Independent |
January 5, 1995 |
January 8, 2003 |
108 |
|
| 109 |
| 73 |
|
John Baldacci |
Democratic |
January 8, 2003 |
Incumbent |
110 |
|
| 111 |
Other high offices held
This is a table of congressional and other federal offices held by
governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented
Maine except where noted. * denotes those offices which the
governor resigned to take.
Living former governors
, five former governors are alive, the oldest being John H. Reed (1959–1967, born 1921). The most recent governor to die was Burton M. Cross (1952–1953, 1953–1955), on October 22, 1998. The most recently-serving governor to die was James B. Longley (1975–1979), on August 16, 1980.
Notes
- ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 1.
- ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 7.
- ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 12.
- ME Const. art. IV (Pt. III), § 3.
- ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 13.
- ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 11.
- ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 2.
- ME Const. Amend. 23.
- ME Const. Amend. 87.
- ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 4.
- ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 14.
- Resigned to take appointment as a minister to negotiate a
treaty with Spain.
- As president of the state senate, filled unexpired term.
- Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States House of
Representatives.
- As speaker of the state house, filled unexpired term.
- Resigned.
- Elected to the United States Senate; completed
term.
- Died in office.
- As president of the state senate, filled unexpired term until
his senate term expired.
- Edward Kent won a close election, but Democrats challenged the
election. He was finally declared winner by the state supreme court
and sworn in on January 19, 1838.
- Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States
Senate.
- As president of the senate, filled unexpired term, and was
later elected in his own right.
- Burton Cross had been elected to the governorship, but his
senate term ended 25 hours before his term as governor began;
therefore, he could not act as governor for that day.
- Governor Baldacci's term expires in 2011; he is term limited.
References
- General
- Constitutions
- Specific
- ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 1.
- ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 7.
- ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 12.
- ME Const. art. IV (Pt. III), § 3.
- ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 13.
- ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 11.
- ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 2.
- ME Const. Amend. 23.
- ME Const. Amend. 87.
- ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 4.
- ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 14.
- Resigned to take appointment as a minister to negotiate a
treaty with Spain.
- As president of the state senate, filled unexpired term.
- Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States House of
Representatives.
- As speaker of the state house, filled unexpired term.
- Resigned.
- Elected to the United States Senate; completed
term.
- Died in office.
- As president of the state senate, filled unexpired term until
his senate term expired.
- Edward Kent won a close election, but Democrats challenged the
election. He was finally declared winner by the state supreme court
and sworn in on January 19, 1838.
- Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States
Senate.
- As president of the senate, filled unexpired term, and was
later elected in his own right.
- Burton Cross had been elected to the governorship, but his
senate term ended 25 hours before his term as governor began;
therefore, he could not act as governor for that day.
- Governor Baldacci's term expires in 2011; he is term limited.