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List of governors of Pennsylvania

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Governor of Pennsylvania
Flag of the Governor
Seal of the Governor
Photo Tom Corbett
Incumbent
Josh Shapiro
since January 17, 2023
ResidenceGovernor's Residence
Term lengthFour years, can succeed self once
Inaugural holderThomas Mifflin
FormationDecember 21, 1790
DeputyJim Cawley
Salary$174,914 (2010)[1]
Websitegovernor.state.pa.us

The Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the head of the executive branch of Pennsylvania's government[2] and the commander-in-chief of the state's military.[3]

The job of the governor is to enforce state laws and to approve or veto bills passed by the Pennsylvania Legislature.[4] The governor may grant pardons except in cases of impeachment.[5]

There have been seven presidents and 46 governors of Pennsylvania. Two governors serving non-consecutive terms. There have been a total of 55 terms in both offices. The longest term was that of the first governor, Thomas Mifflin. He served three full terms as governor and two years as president. The shortest term belonged to John Bell. He served only 19 days as acting governor after Edward Martin resigned. The current governor is Josh Shapiro. His term began on January 17, 2023.

Governors

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Pennsylvania was one of the first thirteen colonies. It became a state on December 12, 1787.

The Presidents of the Supreme Executive Council

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Benjamin Franklin, sixth President of Pennsylvania, and first U.S. Postmaster General

The first constitution in 1776 created the Supreme Executive Council as the executive branch. The President was the leader of the Council.[6] The president was picked each year by the council.[7]

The 1776 constitution created the position of "vice-president" but it did not say what should happen if the president left office. This happened four times. Sources from that time still listed the chief executive as the vice president when that person acted as the president. One acting president, George Bryan, has since been recognized as a governor. This is because he acted as president for over six months.

# President Took office Left office Vice President
1 Thomas Wharton Jr. March 5, 1777 May 23, 1778
[note 1] 		George Bryan
2 George Bryan May 23, 1778 December 1, 1778 acting as president
[note 2]
3 Joseph Reed December 1, 1778 November 15, 1781 George Bryan
[note 3]
Matthew Smith
[note 3]
William Moore
4 William Moore November 15, 1781 November 7, 1782 James Potter
5 John Dickinson November 7, 1782 October 18, 1785 James Ewing
James Irvine
[note 3]
Charles Biddle
6 Benjamin Franklin October 18, 1785 November 5, 1788 Charles Biddle
Peter Muhlenberg
[note 3]
David Redick
7 Thomas Mifflin November 5, 1788 December 21, 1790 George Ross

Governors of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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Thomas Mifflin, last President and first Governor of Pennsylvania
Thomas McKean, second Governor of Pennsylvania, President of Delaware, and President of the Continental Congress
Andrew Gregg Curtin, 15th Governor of Pennsylvania, and United States Ambassador to Russia
John W. Geary, 16th Governor of Pennsylvania, and first mayor of San Francisco, California
Dick Thornburgh, 41st Governor of Pennsylvania, and U.S. Attorney General
Tom Ridge, 43rd Governor of Pennsylvania, and first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security

The 1790 constitution ended the council. It replaced the president with a governor,[8] and created a three-year term for governor. This term started on the third Tuesday of the December after the election. A governors could not serve more than nine out of any twelve years.[9] The 1838 constitution moved the start of the term to the third Tuesday of the January after the election. It allowed governors to only serve six out of any nine years.[10] The 1874 constitution lengthened the term to four years. It said that governors could not succeed themselves (be elected to another term while still in office).[11] The current constitution of 1968 changed this to allow governors to serve two consecutive terms.[12] There are no limits on the number of terms a governor may serve in total as long as there is a four year break after a second term.

If the governor dies, resigns or is impeached, the lieutenant governor becomes governor for the rest of the term. If the governor becomes unable to act as governor because of disability, the lieutenant governor only acts out the duties of governor.[13] Should both offices be vacant, the president pro tempore of the state senate becomes governor.[14] The position of lieutenant governor was created in the 1874 constitution. Before this, the speaker of the senate would act as governor in cases of vacancy. At first, the lieutenant governor could only act as governor. It was not until the 1968 constitution that the lieutenant governor could actually become governor. The office of governor has been vacant for an extended period of time once. There was a 17-day time period in 1848 between the death of Francis R. Shunk and the swearing in of William F. Johnston. Governors and lieutenant governors are elected on the same ticket.[15]

  Anti-Masonic (1)   Democratic (13)   Democratic-Republican (6)    None (1)   Republican (26)   Whig (2)

# Governor Took office Left office Party Lt. Governor
[note 4] 		Terms
[note 5]
1   Thomas Mifflin December 21, 1790 December 17, 1799 None
[note 6] 		None 3
[note 7]
2   Thomas McKean December 17, 1799 December 20, 1808 Democratic-
Republican 		3
3   Simon Snyder December 20, 1808 December 16, 1817 Democratic-
Republican 		3
4   William Findlay December 16, 1817 December 19, 1820 Democratic-
Republican 		1
5   Joseph Hiester December 19, 1820 December 16, 1823 Democratic-
Republican 		1
6   John Andrew Shulze December 16, 1823 December 15, 1829 Democratic-
Republican 		2
7   George Wolf December 15, 1829 December 15, 1835 Democratic-
Republican 		2
8   Joseph Ritner December 15, 1835 January 15, 1839 Anti-Masonic 1
[note 8]
9   David R. Porter January 15, 1839 January 21, 1845 Democratic 2
[note 9]
10   Francis R. Shunk January 21, 1845 July 9, 1848 Democratic ​1 1⁄2
[note 10]
—   Office vacant July 9, 1848 July 26, 1848 — —
[note 11]
11   William F. Johnston July 26, 1848 January 20, 1852 Whig ​1 1⁄2
[note 12]
12   William Bigler January 20, 1852 January 16, 1855 Democratic 1
13   James Pollock January 16, 1855 January 19, 1858 Whig 1
14   William F. Packer January 19, 1858 January 15, 1861 Democratic 1
15   Andrew Gregg Curtin January 15, 1861 January 15, 1867 Republican 2
16   John W. Geary January 15, 1867 January 21, 1873 Republican 2
17   John F. Hartranft January 21, 1873 January 21, 1879 Republican   None 2
[note 13]
  John Latta
18   Henry M. Hoyt January 21, 1879 January 16, 1883 Republican   Charles Warren Stone 1
19   Robert E. Pattison January 16, 1883 January 18, 1887 Democratic   Chauncey Forward Black 1
20   James A. Beaver January 18, 1887 January 20, 1891 Republican   William T. Davies 1
19   Robert E. Pattison January 20, 1891 January 15, 1895 Democratic   Louis Arthur Watres 1
21   Daniel H. Hastings January 15, 1895 January 17, 1899 Republican   Walter Lyon 1
22   William A. Stone January 17, 1899 January 20, 1903 Republican   John P. S. Gobin 1
23   Samuel W. Pennypacker January 20, 1903 January 15, 1907 Republican   William M. Brown 1
24   Edwin Sydney Stuart January 15, 1907 January 17, 1911 Republican   Robert S. Murphy 1
25   John K. Tener January 17, 1911 January 19, 1915 Republican   John Merriman Reynolds 1
26   Martin Grove Brumbaugh January 19, 1915 January 21, 1919 Republican   Frank B. McClain 1
27   William Cameron Sproul January 21, 1919 January 16, 1923 Republican   Edward E. Beidleman 1
28   Gifford Pinchot January 16, 1923 January 18, 1927 Republican   David J. Davis 1
29   John Stuchell Fisher January 18, 1927 January 20, 1931 Republican   Arthur James 1
28   Gifford Pinchot January 20, 1931 January 15, 1935 Republican   Edward C. Shannon 1
30   George Howard Earle III January 15, 1935 January 17, 1939 Democratic   Thomas Kennedy 1
31   Arthur James January 17, 1939 January 19, 1943 Republican   Samuel S. Lewis 1
32   Edward Martin January 19, 1943 January 2, 1947 Republican   John C. Bell, Jr. ​1⁄2
[note 14]
33   John C. Bell, Jr. January 2, 1947 January 21, 1947 Republican   vacant ​1⁄2
[note 15]
34   James H. Duff January 21, 1947 January 16, 1951 Republican   Daniel B. Strickler 1
35   John S. Fine January 16, 1951 January 18, 1955 Republican   Lloyd H. Wood 1
36   George M. Leader January 18, 1955 January 20, 1959 Democratic   Roy E. Furman 1
37   David L. Lawrence January 20, 1959 January 15, 1963 Democratic   John Morgan Davis 1
38   William Scranton January 15, 1963 January 17, 1967 Republican   Raymond P. Shafer 1
39   Raymond P. Shafer January 17, 1967 January 19, 1971 Republican   Raymond J. Broderick 1
40   Milton Shapp January 19, 1971 January 16, 1979 Democratic   Ernest P. Kline 2
[note 16]
41   Dick Thornburgh January 16, 1979 January 20, 1987 Republican   William Scranton, III 2
42   Robert P. Casey January 20, 1987 January 17, 1995 Democratic   Mark Singel 2
[note 17]
43   Tom Ridge January 17, 1995 October 5, 2001 Republican   Mark S. Schweiker ​1 1⁄2
[note 18]
44   Mark S. Schweiker October 5, 2001 January 21, 2003 Republican   Robert Jubelirer ​1⁄2
[note 19]
45   Ed Rendell January 21, 2003 January 18, 2011 Democratic   Catherine Baker Knoll[note 20] 2
  Joe Scarnati[note 21]
46   Tom Corbett January 18, 2011 January 20, 2015 Republican   Jim Cawley 1
47   Tom Wolf January 20, 2015 January 17, 2023 Democratic   Michael J. Stack III 2
John Fetterman
48   Josh Shapiro January 17, 2023 Incumbent Democratic   Austin Davis 1

Living former governors

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As of 17 January 2023, five former governors are alive. The most recent death of a former governor was that of Dick Thornburgh (1979–1987), on December 31, 2020.

Name Gubernatorial term Date of birth
Tom Ridge 1995–2001 (1945-08-26) August 26, 1945 (age 79)
Mark Schweiker 2001–2003 (1953-01-31) January 31, 1953 (age 71)
Ed Rendell 2003–2011 (1944-01-05) January 5, 1944 (age 80)
Tom Corbett 2011−2015 (1949-06-17) June 17, 1949 (age 75)
Tom Wolf 2015−2023 (1948-11-17) November 17, 1948 (age 75)

Notes

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  1. ↑ Died in office.
  2. ↑ As Vice President of the Supreme Executive Council, acted as president. Four vice presidents acted as president. Bryan's long term has caused his term to since be seen as being equal to president.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Resigned; no reason was recorded by the Supreme Executive Council.
  4. ↑ The office of lieutenant governor was not created until the 1873 Constitution, first being filled in 1875.
  5. ↑ The fractional terms of some governors are not to be understood absolutely literally; rather, they are meant to show single terms during which multiple governors served, due to resignations, deaths and the like.
  6. ↑ The Federalist Party nominated Mifflin, but he himself carried no party label.
  7. ↑ Mifflin was elected governor three times under the 1790 Constitution, having previously been elected once as President of the Supreme Executive Council.
  8. ↑ Ritner was the last to serve before the 1838 constitution limited governors to serving six years out of any nine years; that constitution also changed the term to commence the next January from the election, extending Ritner's term by a month.
  9. ↑ First governor to serve under the 1838 constitution.
  10. ↑ Resigned due to illness; he died of tuberculosis only 11 days later.
  11. ↑ Following Francis R. Shunk's resignation, an interregnum of 17 days occurred before the speaker of the state senate, William F. Johnston, was sworn in.
  12. ↑ As speaker of the state senate, filled unexpired term, and was subsequently elected governor in his own right.
  13. ↑ First governor under the 1874 constitution, which prevented governors from succeeding themselves and lengthened terms to four years. Since Hartranft was originally elected under the previous constitution, he was allowed to succeed himself. Hartranft's first term was shortened from three to two years to fit the electoral schedule of the new constitution.
  14. ↑ Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate. While official sources state Martin resigned on January 3, most contemporary sources reported his resignation as occurring on January 2.[16][17]
  15. ↑ As lieutenant governor, acted as governor for unexpired term.
  16. ↑ First governor under the 1968 constitution, and thus eligible to succeed himself.
  17. ↑ On June 14, 1993, Casey transferred executive authority to Lieutenant Governor Singel, and later that day underwent a heart-liver transplant operation. Singel acted as governor until Casey resumed the powers and duties of the office six months later on December 13, 1993. Because Casey never officially resigned, Singel was only an acting governor.
  18. ↑ Resigned to be Director of the Office of Homeland Security.
  19. ↑ As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term.
  20. ↑ Died in office.
  21. ↑ As president pro tempore of the state senate, acted as lieutenant governor.

References

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General
  • "Governors Database: Pennsylvania". National Governors Association. National Governors Association. 2008. Archived from the original on March 16, 2011. Retrieved April 1, 2008.
Constitutions
Specific
  1. ↑ "Statutory Cost of Living Increases for Salaries of State Officials and the Heads of Departments, Boards and Commissions". State of Pennsylvania. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
  2. ↑ PA Constitution article IV, § 2
  3. ↑ PA Constitution article IV, § 7
  4. ↑ PA Constitution article IV, § 15
  5. ↑ PA Constitution article IV, § 9
  6. ↑ 1776 Constitution § 3
  7. ↑ 1776 Constitution § 19
  8. ↑ 1790 Constitution article II, § 1
  9. ↑ 1790 Constitution article IV, § 3
  10. ↑ 1838 Constitution article II, § 3
  11. ↑ 1874 Constitution article IV, § 3
  12. ↑ PA Constitution article IV, § 3
  13. ↑ PA Constitution article IV, § 13
  14. ↑ PA Constitution article IV, § 14
  15. ↑ "Executive Branch of the Several States". The Green Papers. Retrieved April 30, 2008.
  16. ↑ "Martin Quits Today as Penna. Governor; Bell to Take Over". Gettysburg Times. January 2, 1947. Retrieved April 30, 2008.
  17. ↑ Stevens, Sylvester Kirby (1964). Pennsylvania: Birthplace of a Nation. New York: Random House. pp. 375.

Other websites

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Governors of Pennsylvania.
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