The governor of Tennessee is the head of government of the U.S. state of Tennessee.
Tennessee has had 50 governors, including the incumbent, Bill Lee. Seven governors (John Sevier, William Carroll, Andrew Johnson, Robert Love Taylor, Gordon Browning, Frank G. Clement, and Buford Ellington) have served non-consecutive terms. This tally does not include William Blount (the territorial governor) or Robert L. Caruthers (who never took office), though the Blue Book includes them in its list of governors. All governors are counted only once, regardless of number of terms served (e.g., John Sevier is considered the 1st governor, rather than the 1st and 3rd governor). The Blue Book does not include Edward H. East in its list of governors.
The Territory South of the Ohio River, commonly known as the Southwest Territory, was organized on May 26, 1790.
Throughout its 6-year history, Southwest Territory had only one governor appointed by the federal government, William Blount.
| Governor | Term in office | Appointed by | |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Blount (1749–1800) |
June 8, 1790 – March 28, 1796 (2121 days; statehood) |
George Washington | |
Southwest Territory was admitted to the Union as Tennessee on June 1, 1796.
The first constitution of Tennessee, enacted in 1796, set a term of two years for the governor and provided that no person could serve as governor for more than 6 years in any 8-year period. The term of office was lengthened to four years, without the possibility of consecutive terms, by constitutional amendments adopted in 1953. Under the current provisions of the state constitution, as amended in 1978, the governor is elected to a four-year term and may serve no more than two terms consecutively.
| No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Sevier (1745–1815) |
March 30, 1796 – September 23, 1801 (2003 days; term-limited) |
Democratic- Republican |
1796 | Office did not exist | |||
| 1797 | ||||||||
| 1799 | ||||||||
| 2 | Archibald Roane (d. 1819) |
September 23, 1801 – September 23, 1803 (731 days; lost election) |
Democratic- Republican |
1801 | ||||
| 1 | John Sevier (1745–1815) |
September 23, 1803 – September 20, 1809 (2190 days; term-limited) |
Democratic- Republican |
1803 | ||||
| 1805 | ||||||||
| 1807 | ||||||||
| 3 | Willie Blount (1768–1835) |
September 20, 1809 – September 27, 1815 (2199 days; term-limited) |
Democratic- Republican |
1809 | ||||
| 1811 | ||||||||
| 1813 | ||||||||
| 4 | Joseph McMinn (1758–1824) |
September 27, 1815 – October 1, 1821 (2197 days; term-limited) |
Democratic- Republican |
1815 | ||||
| 1817 | ||||||||
| 1819 | ||||||||
| 5 | William Carroll (1788–1844) |
October 1, 1821 – October 1, 1827 (2192 days; term-limited) |
Democratic- Republican |
1821 | ||||
| 1823 | ||||||||
| 1825 | ||||||||
| 6 | Sam Houston (1793–1863) |
October 1, 1827 – April 16, 1829 (564 days; resigned) |
Democratic | 1827 | ||||
| 7 | William Hall (1775–1856) |
April 16, 1829 – October 1, 1829 (169 days; retired) |
Democratic | Succeeded from speaker of the Senate | ||||
| 5 | William Carroll (1788–1844) |
October 1, 1829 – October 12, 1835 (2203 days; term-limited) |
Democratic | 1829 | ||||
| 1831 | ||||||||
| 1833 | ||||||||
| 8 | Newton Cannon (1781–1841) |
October 12, 1835 – October 14, 1839 (1464 days; lost election) |
Whig | 1835 | ||||
| 1837 | ||||||||
| 9 | James K. Polk (1795–1849) |
October 14, 1839 – October 14, 1841 (732 days; lost election) |
Democratic | 1839 | ||||
| 10 | James C. Jones (1809–1859) |
October 14, 1841 – October 15, 1845 (1463 days; retired) |
Whig | 1841 | ||||
| 1843 | ||||||||
| 11 | Aaron V. Brown (1795–1859) |
October 15, 1845 – October 17, 1847 (733 days; lost election) |
Democratic | 1845 | ||||
| 12 | Neill S. Brown (1810–1886) |
October 17, 1847 – October 16, 1849 (731 days; lost election) |
Whig | 1847 | ||||
| 13 | William Trousdale (1790–1872) |
October 16, 1849 – October 16, 1851 (731 days; lost election) |
Democratic | 1849 | ||||
| 14 | William B. Campbell (1807–1867) |
October 16, 1851 – October 17, 1853 (733 days; retired) |
Whig | 1851 | ||||
| 15 | Andrew Johnson (1808–1875) |
October 17, 1853 – November 3, 1857 (1479 days; retired) |
Democratic | 1853 | ||||
| 1855 | ||||||||
| 16 | Isham G. Harris (1818–1897) |
November 3, 1857 – March 12, 1862 (1591 days; deposed) |
Democratic | 1857 | ||||
| 1859 | ||||||||
| 1861 | ||||||||
| 15 | Andrew Johnson (1808–1875) |
March 12, 1862 – March 4, 1865 (1089 days; resigned) |
Military governor appointed by President | |||||
| — | Edward H. East (1830–1904) |
March 4, 1865 – April 5, 1865 (33 days; retired) |
Secretary of state acting | |||||
| 17 | Parson Brownlow (1805–1877) |
April 5, 1865 – February 25, 1869 (1423 days; resigned) |
Republican | 1865 | ||||
| 1867 | ||||||||
| 18 | Dewitt Clinton Senter (1830–1898) |
February 25, 1869 – October 10, 1871 (958 days; retired) |
Republican | Succeeded from speaker of the Senate | ||||
| 1869 | ||||||||
| 19 | John C. Brown (1827–1889) |
October 10, 1871 – January 18, 1875 (1197 days; retired) |
Democratic | 1870 | ||||
| 1872 | ||||||||
| 20 | James D. Porter (1828–1912) |
January 18, 1875 – February 16, 1879 (1491 days; retired) |
Democratic | 1874 | ||||
| 1876 | ||||||||
| 21 | Albert S. Marks (1836–1891) |
February 16, 1879 – January 17, 1881 (702 days; retired) |
Democratic | 1878 | ||||
| 22 | Alvin Hawkins (1821–1905) |
January 17, 1881 – January 15, 1883 (729 days; lost election) |
Republican | 1880 | ||||
| 23 | William B. Bate (1826–1905) |
January 15, 1883 – January 17, 1887 (1464 days; retired) |
Democratic | 1882 | ||||
| 1884 | ||||||||
| 24 | Robert Love Taylor (1850–1912) |
January 17, 1887 – January 19, 1891 (1464 days; retired) |
Democratic | 1886 | ||||
| 1888 | ||||||||
| 25 | John P. Buchanan (1847–1930) |
January 19, 1891 – January 16, 1893 (729 days; lost election) |
Democratic | 1890 | ||||
| 26 | Peter Turney (1827–1903) |
January 16, 1893 – January 21, 1897 (1467 days; retired) |
Democratic | 1892 | ||||
| 1894 | ||||||||
| 24 | Robert Love Taylor (1850–1912) |
January 21, 1897 – January 16, 1899 (726 days; retired) |
Democratic | 1896 | ||||
| 27 | Benton McMillin (1845–1933) |
January 16, 1899 – January 20, 1903 (1465 days; retired) |
Democratic | 1898 | ||||
| 1900 | ||||||||
| 28 | James B. Frazier (1856–1937) |
January 20, 1903 – March 27, 1905 (798 days; resigned) |
Democratic | 1902 | ||||
| 1904 | ||||||||
| 29 | John I. Cox (1855–1946) |
March 27, 1905 – January 17, 1907 (662 days; lost nomination) |
Democratic | Succeeded from speaker of the Senate | ||||
| 30 | Malcolm R. Patterson (1861–1935) |
January 17, 1907 – January 25, 1911 (1470 days; withdrew) |
Democratic | 1906 | ||||
| 1908 | ||||||||
| 31 | Ben W. Hooper (1870–1957) |
January 25, 1911 – January 15, 1915 (1452 days; lost election) |
Republican | 1910 | ||||
| 1912 | ||||||||
| 32 | Thomas Clarke Rye (1863–1953) |
January 15, 1915 – January 15, 1919 (1462 days; retired) |
Democratic | 1914 | ||||
| 1916 | ||||||||
| 33 | Albert H. Roberts (1868–1946) |
January 15, 1919 – January 15, 1921 (732 days; lost election) |
Democratic | 1918 | ||||
| 34 | Alfred A. Taylor (1848–1931) |
January 15, 1921 – January 16, 1923 (732 days; lost election) |
Republican | 1920 | ||||
| 35 | Austin Peay (1876–1927) |
January 16, 1923 – October 2, 1927 (1721 days; died in office) |
Democratic | 1922 | ||||
| 1924 | ||||||||
| 1926 | ||||||||
| 36 | Henry Hollis Horton (1866–1934) |
October 2, 1927 – January 17, 1933 (1935 days; retired) |
Democratic | Succeeded from speaker of the Senate | ||||
| 1928 | ||||||||
| 1930 | ||||||||
| 37 | Hill McAlister (1875–1959) |
January 17, 1933 – January 15, 1937 (1460 days; retired) |
Democratic | 1932 | ||||
| 1934 | ||||||||
| 38 | Gordon Browning (1889–1976) |
January 15, 1937 – January 16, 1939 (732 days; lost nomination) |
Democratic | 1936 | ||||
| 39 | Prentice Cooper (1895–1969) |
January 16, 1939 – January 16, 1945 (2193 days; term-limited) |
Democratic | 1938 | ||||
| 1940 | ||||||||
| 1942 | ||||||||
| 40 | Jim Nance McCord (1879–1968) |
January 16, 1945 – January 17, 1949 (1463 days; lost nomination) |
Democratic | 1944 | ||||
| 1946 | ||||||||
| 38 | Gordon Browning (1889–1976) |
January 17, 1949 – January 15, 1953 (1460 days; lost nomination) |
Democratic | 1948 | ||||
| 1950 | Walter M. Haynes | |||||||
| 41 | Frank G. Clement (1920–1969) |
January 15, 1953 – January 19, 1959 (2196 days; term-limited) |
Democratic | 1952 | Jared Maddux | |||
| 1954 | ||||||||
| 42 | Buford Ellington (1907–1972) |
January 19, 1959 – January 15, 1963 (1458 days; term-limited) |
Democratic | 1958 | William D. Baird | |||
| 41 | Frank G. Clement (1920–1969) |
January 15, 1963 – January 16, 1967 (1463 days; term-limited) |
Democratic | 1962 | James L. Bomar Jr. | |||
| Jared Maddux | ||||||||
| 42 | Buford Ellington (1907–1972) |
January 16, 1967 – January 16, 1971 (1462 days; term-limited) |
Democratic | 1966 | Frank Gorrell | |||
| 43 | Winfield Dunn (1927–2024) |
January 16, 1971 – January 18, 1975 (1464 days; term-limited) |
Republican | 1970 | John Shelton Wilder | |||
| 44 | Ray Blanton (1930–1996) |
January 18, 1975 – January 17, 1979 (1461 days; retired) |
Democratic | 1974 | ||||
| 45 | Lamar Alexander (b. 1940) |
January 17, 1979 – January 17, 1987 (2923 days; term-limited) |
Republican | 1978 | ||||
| 1982 | ||||||||
| 46 | Ned McWherter (1930–2011) |
January 17, 1987 – January 21, 1995 (2927 days; term-limited) |
Democratic | 1986 | ||||
| 1990 | ||||||||
| 47 | Don Sundquist (1936–2023) |
January 21, 1995 – January 18, 2003 (2920 days; term-limited) |
Republican | 1994 | ||||
| 1998 | ||||||||
| 48 | Phil Bredesen (b. 1943) |
January 18, 2003 – January 15, 2011 (2920 days; term-limited) |
Democratic | 2002 | ||||
| 2006 | Ron Ramsey | |||||||
| 49 | Bill Haslam (b. 1958) |
January 15, 2011 – January 19, 2019 (2927 days; term-limited) |
Republican | 2010 | ||||
| 2014 | ||||||||
| Randy McNally | ||||||||
| 50 | Bill Lee (b. 1959) |
January 19, 2019 – Incumbent (in office 2849 days) |
Republican | 2018 | ||||
| 2022 | ||||||||
| 51 | Marsha Blackburn (b. 1952) |
Governor-elect takes office January 16, 2027 |
Republican | 2026 | to be determined | |||
Governor Houston having resigned the office of Governor of the state, the duties for the remainder of the term devolve upon Gen. Wm. Hall, Speaker of the Senate...