List of governors of Iowa

Governor of Iowa
State seal
Incumbent
Kim Reynolds
since May 24, 2017
StyleThe Honorable
ResidenceTerrace Hill
Term lengthFour years, no term limits
PrecursorGovernor of Iowa Territory
Inaugural holderAnsel Briggs
FormationDecember 3, 1846
(179 years ago) (1846-12-03)
Salary$130,000 (2013)
WebsiteOfficial website

The Governor of Iowa is the head of Executive Branch for the Government of Iowa, and commander in chief of military forces in the state. The governor has a term of four years. For being elected, one must be at least 30, and have been a citizen of Iowa for two years. There are no term limits on how long a governor may serve. The current governor is Kim Reynolds since May 24, 2017.

The longest serving governor is Terry Branstad. He served four terms, 1983-99, and was elected again in 2010. He left office in 2017 to become an ambassador. The governors between the terms of Branstad were Tom Vilsack, who served 1999-2007, and Chet Culver.

Governors

These are the Governors who have served Iowa:

#NameTook OfficeLeft OfficeParty#Lt. GovernorNotes
1 Ansel Briggs December 3, 1846 December 4, 1850 Democratic vacant
2 Stephen P. Hempstead December 4, 1850 December 9, 1854 Democratic vacant
3 James W. Grimes December 9, 1854 January 13, 1858 Whig vacant
4 Ralph P. Lowe January 13, 1858 January 11, 1860 Republican 1 Oran Faville
5 Samuel J. Kirkwood January 11, 1860 January 14, 1864 Republican 2 Nicholas J. Rusch
3 John R. Needham
6 William M. Stone January 14, 1864 January 16, 1868 Republican 4 Enoch W. Eastman
5 Benjamin F. Gue
7 Samuel Merrill January 16, 1868 January 11, 1872 Republican 6 John Scott
7 Madison Miner Walden
8 Henry C. Bulis
8 Cyrus C. Carpenter January 11, 1872 January 13, 1876 Republican Henry C. Bulis
9 Joseph Dysart
9 Samuel J. Kirkwood January 13, 1876 February 1, 1877 Republican 10 Joshua G. Newbold
10 Joshua G. Newbold February 1, 1877 January 17, 1878 Republican vacant
11 John H. Gear January 17, 1878 January 12, 1882 Republican 11 Frank T. Campbell
12 Buren R. Sherman January 12, 1882 January 14, 1886 Republican 12 Orlando H. Manning
13 William Larrabee January 14, 1886 February 27, 1890 Republican 13 John A.T. Hull
14 Horace Boies February 27, 1890 January 11, 1894 Democratic 14 Alfred N. Poyneer
15 Samuel L. Bestow
15 Frank D. Jackson January 11, 1894 January 16, 1896 Republican 16 Warren S. Dungan
16 Francis M. Drake January 16, 1896 January 13, 1898 Republican 17 Matt Parrott
17 Leslie M. Shaw January 13, 1898 January 16, 1902 Republican 18 James C. Milliman
18 Albert B. Cummins January 16, 1902 November 24, 1908 Republican 19 John Herriott
20 Warren Garst
19 Warren Garst November 24, 1908 January 14, 1909 Republican vacant
20 Beryl F. Carroll January 14, 1909 January 16, 1913 Republican 21 George W. Clarke
21 George W. Clarke January 16, 1913 January 11, 1917 Republican 22 William L. Harding
22 William L. Harding January 11, 1917 January 13, 1921 Republican 23 Ernest Robert Moore
23 Nathan E. Kendall January 13, 1921 January 15, 1925 Republican 24 John Hammill
24 John Hammill January 15, 1925 January 15, 1931 Republican 25 Clem F. Kimball
26 Arch W. McFarlane
25 Daniel Webster Turner January 15, 1931 January 12, 1933 Republican Arch W. McFarlane
26 Clyde L. Herring January 12, 1933 January 14, 1937 Democratic 27 Nelson G. Kraschel
27 Nelson G. Kraschel January 14, 1937 January 12, 1939 Democratic 28 John K. Valentine
28 George A. Wilson January 12, 1939 January 14, 1943 Republican 29 Bourke B. Hickenlooper
29 Bourke B. Hickenlooper January 14, 1943 January 11, 1945 Republican 30 Robert D. Blue
30 Robert D. Blue January 11, 1945 January 13, 1949 Republican 31 Kenneth A. Evans
31 William S. Beardsley January 13, 1949 November 21, 1954 Republican Kenneth A. Evans
32 William H. Nicholas
33 Leo Elthon
32 Leo Elthon November 22, 1954 January 13, 1955 Republican vacant
33 Leo A. Hoegh January 13, 1955 January 17, 1957 Republican 34 Leo Elthon
34 Herschel C. Loveless January 17, 1957 January 12, 1961 Democratic 35 William H. Nicholas
36 Edward J. McManus
35 Norman A. Erbe January 12, 1961 January 17, 1963 Republican 37 W. L. Mooty
36 Harold E. Hughes January 17, 1963 January 1, 1969 Democratic W. L. Mooty
38 Robert D. Fulton
37 Robert D. Fulton January 1, 1969 January 16, 1969 Democratic vacant
38 Robert D. Ray January 16, 1969 January 14, 1983 Republican 39 Roger Jepsen
40 Arthur A. Neu
41 Terry E. Branstad
39 Terry E. Branstad January 14, 1983 January 15, 1999 Republican 42 Robert T. Anderson
43 Jo Ann Zimmerman
44 Joy Corning
40 Tom Vilsack January 15, 1999 January 12, 2007 Democratic 45 Sally Pederson
41 Chet Culver January 12, 2007 January 14, 2011 Democratic 46 Patty Judge
42 Terry E. Branstad January 14, 2011 May 24, 2017 Republican 47 Kim Reynolds
43 Kim Reynolds May 24, 2017 Incumbent Republican 48 Vacant

References

  1. ↑ "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries". The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Archived from the original on October 22, 2014. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  1. 1 2 3 Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
  2. 1 2 3 4 As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term.
  3. ↑ Amendment 11 to the Iowa constitution, passed in 1904, shifted the state's election cycle forward one year, such that terms would begin on odd years. This lengthened Cummins' second term to three years (1904–1907).
  4. ↑ Died in office.
  5. ↑ Governor Reynolds' term expires on January 13, 2023.