List of female governors in the United States

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File:United States Governor gender map.svg
Map of current governors by gender
File:Female governors.svg
States and territories that have had female governors
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As of April 2017, forty-one women have served or are serving as the governor of a U.S. state (including one from the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, two Mayors of the District of Columbia and two acting governors due to vacancies). Currently, five women are serving as governors of U.S. states, along with Mayor of the District of Columbia Muriel Bowser.

History

The first woman to act as governor was Carolyn B. Shelton, who served as "acting governor" of Oregon for one weekend – 9 a.m. Saturday, February 27, through 10 a.m. Monday, March 1, 1909. The outgoing governor, George Earle Chamberlain, had been elected to the Senate and had to leave for Washington, D.C., before his term was over, and the incoming governor, Frank W. Benson, had gotten sick and couldn't assume office early. Chamberlain left Shelton, his "Chief of Staff," in charge for the weekend.[1] Ironically enough, it would be another three and a half years before women would be allowed to vote in Oregon.[2] (As a side note, Chamberlain and Shelton married each other 17 years later.[3])

The first acting governor to be entrusted with substantial duties while in office was Soledad Chávez de Chacón, who held the powers and duties of Governor of New Mexico for 2 weeks in 1924 while Governor James F. Hinkle attended the Democratic Convention in New York. Lieutenant Governor Jose A. Baca had died unexpectedly in May, so Chacón, the Secretary of State, filled the position. Chacón said she believed that her 1924 elevation was the first time in the U.S. that a woman had been called on to assume the responsibilities of governor.[4]

The first woman to assume office as governor pursuant to an special election was Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming (widow of late Governor William B. Ross, served January 1923 to October 1924), who was elected on November 4, 1924, and sworn in on January 5, 1925.[5] Wyoming was the first state to provide women's suffrage[6] after New Jersey had abolished it in 1807. Elected on the November 3, 1924 general election, and sworn in on January 20, 1925, was Miriam A. Ferguson of Texas, whose husband, Governor James Edward Ferguson, had previously held the office but been impeached and removed from office in 1917.[7] The first female governor elected without being the wife or widow of a past state governor was Ella T. Grasso of Connecticut, elected in 1974 and sworn in on January 8, 1975.[8]

Demographics

Connecticut and Arizona are the only two states to have elected female governors from both major parties. New Hampshire and Alabama have also both had female governors from both parties. In New Hampshire, Republican Vesta M. Roy only served in the acting capacity for a short time. Arizona was the first state where a woman followed another woman as governor (they were from different parties). Arizona also has had the most female governors with a total of four, and is the first state to have three women in a row serve as governor.

On two different occasions, a record nine out of 50 state governorships were held by women: first, between December 4, 2006, when Sarah Palin was inaugurated as the first female governor of Alaska, and January 14, 2008, when Kathleen Blanco left office as governor of Louisiana, and second, between January 10, 2009, when Beverly Perdue was inaugurated as governor of North Carolina, and January 20, 2009, when Ruth Ann Minner retired as governor of Delaware.

The U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, though not states, have also had female chief executives: Governor Sila María Calderón and Mayors Sharon Pratt Kelly and Muriel Bowser, respectively.

As of 2014, a total of 23 states have never had a female governor. Those states are: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. 9 of these states' major parties - Georgia, Idaho, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Utah - have never nominated a female candidate for gubernatorial elections, even though Minnesota has elected 7 consecutive female lieutenant governors to office since 1982 to the present day.[9]

List of female state governors

Picture Name State Term start Term end Party Notes Departure Ref
Nellie Tayloe Ross.jpg Nellie Ross Wyoming January 5, 1925 January 3, 1927 Democratic Widow of Governor William B. Ross.
First (and only to date) woman Governor of Wyoming.
First woman elected in a special election.		 Lost reelection [10]
Miriam A. Ferguson.jpg Miriam A. Ferguson Texas January 20, 1925 January 17, 1927 Democratic Wife of Governor James E. Ferguson.
First woman Governor of Texas.
First woman elected in a general election.		 Retired [11]
January 17, 1933 January 15, 1935 Retired
75px Lurleen Wallace Alabama January 16, 1967 May 7, 1968 Democratic Wife of Governor George Wallace.
First woman Governor of Alabama.
First (and only to date) woman governor to die in office.		 Died in office
Ella Grasso.jpg Ella T. Grasso Connecticut January 8, 1975 December 31, 1980 Democratic First woman governor not a wife or widow of a previous governor.
First woman Governor of Connecticut
First woman governor to resign, due to terminal ovarian cancer.		 Resigned [12]
75px Dixy Lee Ray Washington January 12, 1977 January 14, 1981 Democratic First woman Governor of Washington. Lost renomination [13]
No image.svg Vesta M. Roy New Hampshire December 29, 1982 January 6, 1983 Republican First woman Acting Governor of New Hampshire.
 Term ended [14]
Martha Layne Collins, governor of Kentucky, Nov 8, 1986.jpg Martha Collins Kentucky December 13, 1983 December 8, 1987 Democratic First (and only to date) woman Governor of Kentucky. Retired [15]
Mmk.jpg Madeleine Kunin Vermont January 10, 1985 January 10, 1991 Democratic First (and only to date) woman Governor of Vermont. Retired [16]
75px Kay A. Orr Nebraska January 9, 1987 January 9, 1991 Republican First Republican woman elected governor.
First woman elected governor over another female major party nominee
First (and only to date) woman Governor of Nebraska.		 Lost reelection [17]
75px Rose Mofford Arizona April 4, 1988 March 6, 1991 Democratic First woman Governor of Arizona.
Elevated from Secretary of State when Evan Mecham was impeached.		 Retired [18]
No image.svg Joan Finney Kansas January 14, 1991 January 9, 1995 Democratic First woman Governor of Kansas.
First woman to defeat an incumbent governor in a general election.		 Retired [19]
Governor Barbara Roberts.jpg Barbara Roberts Oregon January 14, 1991 January 9, 1995 Democratic First woman Governor of Oregon. Retired
Ann Richards.jpg Ann Richards Texas January 15, 1991 January 17, 1995 Democratic Lost reelection
WhitmanChristineTodd.jpg Christine Todd Whitman New Jersey January 18, 1994 January 31, 2001 Republican First (and only to date) woman Governor of New Jersey.
First Republican woman to defeat an incumbent governor in a general election.
 Resigned to become Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Jeanne Shaheen, official Senate photo portrait, 2009.jpg Jeanne Shaheen New Hampshire January 9, 1997 January 9, 2003 Democratic First woman elected Governor of New Hampshire. Retired
Jane Dee Hull 2001 cropped.jpg Jane Dee Hull Arizona September 5, 1997 January 6, 2003 Republican First Republican woman Governor of Arizona.
Elevated from Secretary of State when Fife Symington resigned.
Later elected in her own right.		 Term limited
No image.svg Nancy Hollister Ohio December 31, 1998 January 11, 1999 Republican First (and only to date) woman Governor of Ohio.
Elevated from Lieutenant Governor when George Voinovich became U.S. Senator from Ohio.		 Term ended
75px Judy Martz Montana January 1, 2001 January 3, 2005 Republican First (and only to date) woman Governor of Montana. Retired
75px Ruth Ann Minner Delaware January 3, 2001 January 20, 2009 Democratic First (and only to date) woman Governor of Delaware. Term limited
Jane Swift 2001.jpeg Jane Swift Massachusetts April 10, 2001 January 2, 2003 Republican First woman Acting Governor of Massachusetts.
First governor to give birth while in office (to twins).
Youngest woman governor to date at age 36.[20]		 Retired
Linda Lingle in March 2010.jpg Linda Lingle Hawaii December 2, 2002 December 6, 2010 Republican First (and only to date) woman Governor of Hawaii. Term limited
Jennifer Granholm.jpg Jennifer Granholm Michigan January 1, 2003 January 1, 2011 Democratic First (and only to date) woman Governor of Michigan. Term limited
Janet Napolitano official portrait.jpg Janet Napolitano Arizona January 6, 2003 January 21, 2009 Democratic First woman to be elected to two terms as Governor of Arizona. Resigned to become Secretary of Homeland Security
Kathleen Sebelius official portrait.jpg Kathleen Sebelius Kansas January 13, 2003 April 28, 2009 Democratic Resigned to become Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Olene Walker.JPG Olene Walker Utah November 5, 2003 January 3, 2005 Republican First (and only to date) woman Governor of Utah.
Elevated from Lieutenant Governor of Utah when Mike Leavitt became Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.		 Lost nomination for full term
KBlancoChalmetteIce.jpg Kathleen Blanco Louisiana January 12, 2004 January 14, 2008 Democratic First (and only to date) woman Governor of Louisiana Retired
FEMA - 29383 - Photograph by Debra Young taken on 04-19-2007 in Connecticut.jpg Jodi Rell Connecticut July 1, 2004 January 5, 2011 Republican Elevated from Lieutenant Governor when John G. Rowland resigned.
Later elected in her own right.		 Retired
ChristineGregoireOfficial.jpg Christine Gregoire Washington January 12, 2005 January 16, 2013 Democratic Retired
Sarah Palin by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg Sarah Palin Alaska December 4, 2006 July 26, 2009 Republican First (and only to date) woman Governor of Alaska (also its youngest governor).
First woman governor to appear on a major party presidential ticket, as the 2008 Republican nominee for Vice President of the United States.
First elected governor to give birth while in office.		 Resigned
Beverly Perdue official photo.jpg Bev Perdue North Carolina January 10, 2009 January 5, 2013 Democratic First woman (and only to date) Governor of North Carolina. Retired
Jan Brewer by Gage Skidmore 3.jpg Jan Brewer Arizona January 21, 2009 January 5, 2015 Republican Elevated from Secretary of State when Janet Napolitano became Secretary of Homeland Security.
Later elected in her own right.		 Term limited
Governor NewMexico.jpg Susana Martinez New Mexico January 1, 2011 Incumbent Republican First (and only to date) woman Governor of New Mexico Serving
Governor Mary Fallin May 2015.jpg Mary Fallin Oklahoma January 10, 2011 Incumbent Republican First (and only to date) woman Governor of Oklahoma. Serving
Official Photo of SC Governor Nikki Haley.jpg Nikki Haley South Carolina January 12, 2011 January 24, 2017 Republican First (and only to date) woman Governor of South Carolina

First Asian-American woman governor in U.S. history

 Resigned to become United States Ambassador to the United Nations
Maggie Hassan, official portrait, 115th Congress.jpg Maggie Hassan New Hampshire January 3, 2013 January 2, 2017 Democratic Resigned to become U.S. Senator from New Hampshire.
75px Gina Raimondo Rhode Island January 6, 2015 Incumbent Democratic First (and only to date) woman Governor of Rhode Island. Serving
75px Kate Brown Oregon February 18, 2015 Incumbent Democratic First (and only to date) LGBT governor. Elevated from Secretary of State when John Kitzhaber resigned.
Later elected in her own right.		 Serving
75px Kay Ivey Alabama April 10, 2017 Incumbent Republican Elevated from Lieutenant Governor when Robert Bentley resigned. Serving [21]

Territories and the District of Columbia

Picture Name Jurisdiction Term start Term end Party Notes Departure
75px Sharon Pratt District of Columbia January 2, 1991 January 2, 1995 Democratic First African American woman mayor of a major city.
First woman Mayor of the District of Columbia.		 Lost renomination
Puerto Rican Governor Sila Calderon at the Pentagon, Feb 27, 2001.jpg Sila Calderón Puerto Rico January 2, 2001 January 2, 2005 Popular Democratic/
Democratic		 First woman Governor of Puerto Rico. Retired
75px Muriel Bowser District of Columbia January 2, 2015 Incumbent Democratic Second woman and African-American woman Mayor of the District of Columbia. Serving

Timeline of female U.S. Governors

See also

References

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  4. ↑ Albuquerque Journal, October 24, 2010, reporting on an article from Albuquerque Morning Journal, June 21, 1924.
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  6. ↑ http://www.nellietayloeross.com/Virginia%20Scharff%20Article.pdf
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External links

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