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List of governors of Wisconsin

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Governor of Wisconsin
Gubernatorial seal
Incumbent
Tony Evers

since January 7, 2019
ResidenceWisconsin Governor's Mansion
Term lengthFour years, no term limits
Inaugural holderNelson Dewey
FormationJune 7, 1848 (1848-06-07)
DeputyLieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
Salary$146,597.88[1]
Websiteevers.wi.gov

The Governor of Wisconsin is the head of the executive branch of Wisconsin's state government [2] and the commander-in-chief of the state's army and air forces.[3]

Parties

  Democratic (12)   Republican (31)   Whig (1)   Wisconsin Progressive (2)

# Governor Took office Left office Party Lt. Governor[4][note 1] Term(s)
[note 2]
1   Nelson Dewey June 7, 1848 January 5, 1852 Democratic   John E. Holmes 2
  Samuel W. Beall
2   Leonard J. Farwell January 5, 1852 January 2, 1854 Whig   Timothy Burns
[note 3]
1
3   William A. Barstow January 2, 1854 March 21, 1856 Democratic   James T. Lewis 1 13
[note 4]
  Arthur MacArthur Sr.
4   Arthur MacArthur Sr. March 21, 1856 March 25, 1856 Democratic vacant 13
5   Coles Bashford March 25, 1856 January 4, 1858 Republican   Arthur MacArthur Sr. 13
6   Alexander W. Randall January 4, 1858 January 6, 1862 Republican   Erasmus D. Campbell 2
  Butler G. Noble
7   Louis P. Harvey January 6, 1862 April 19, 1862 Republican   Edward Salomon 12
[note 3]
8   Edward Salomon April 19, 1862 January 4, 1864 Republican vacant 12
[note 5]
9   James T. Lewis January 4, 1864 January 1, 1866 Republican   Wyman Spooner 1
10   Lucius Fairchild January 1, 1866 January 1, 1872 Republican   Wyman Spooner 3
  Thaddeus C. Pound
11   Cadwallader C. Washburn January 1, 1872 January 5, 1874 Republican   Milton H. Pettit
[note 3]
1
12   William Robert Taylor January 5, 1874 January 3, 1876 Democratic   Charles D. Parker 1
13   Harrison Ludington January 3, 1876 January 7, 1878 Republican   Charles D. Parker 1
14   William E. Smith January 7, 1878 January 2, 1882 Republican   James M. Bingham 2
15   Jeremiah McLain Rusk January 2, 1882 January 7, 1889 Republican   Sam S. Fifield 3
[note 6]
  George W. Ryland
16   William D. Hoard January 7, 1889 January 5, 1891 Republican   George W. Ryland 1
17   George W. Peck January 5, 1891 January 7, 1895 Democratic   Charles Jonas 2
18   William H. Upham January 7, 1895 January 4, 1897 Republican   Emil Baensch 1
19   Edward Scofield January 4, 1897 January 7, 1901 Republican   Emil Baensch 2
  Jesse Stone
20   Robert M. La Follette, Sr. January 7, 1901 January 1, 1906 Republican   Jesse Stone
[note 3]
2 12
[note 7]
  James O. Davidson
21   James O. Davidson January 1, 1906 January 2, 1911 Republican vacant 2 12
[note 8]
  William D. Connor
  John Strange
22   Francis E. McGovern January 2, 1911 January 4, 1915 Republican   Thomas Morris 2
23   Emanuel L. Philipp January 4, 1915 January 3, 1921 Republican   Edward F. Dithmar 3
24   John J. Blaine January 3, 1921 January 3, 1927 Republican   George F. Comings 3
  Henry A. Huber
25   Fred R. Zimmerman January 3, 1927 January 7, 1929 Republican   Henry A. Huber 1
26   Walter J. Kohler Sr. January 7, 1929 January 5, 1931 Republican   Henry A. Huber 1
27   Philip La Follette January 5, 1931 January 2, 1933 Republican   Henry A. Huber 1
28   Albert G. Schmedeman January 2, 1933 January 7, 1935 Democratic   Thomas J. O'Malley 1
29   Philip La Follette January 7, 1935 January 2, 1939 Wisconsin
Progressive
  Thomas J. O'Malley
[note 3]
2
  Henry A. Gunderson
[note 9]
  Herman L. Ekern
30   Julius P. Heil January 2, 1939 January 4, 1943 Republican   Walter S. Goodland 2
  Orland S. Loomis did not take office Wisconsin
Progressive
  Walter S. Goodland
[note 10]
31   Walter S. Goodland January 4, 1943 March 12, 1947 Republican vacant 2 12
[note 3]
  Oscar Rennebohm
32   Oscar Rennebohm March 12, 1947 January 1, 1951 Republican vacant 1 12
[note 8]
  George M. Smith
33
Walter Jodok Kohler, Jr. (4728499663).jpg
  Walter J. Kohler Jr. January 1, 1951 January 7, 1957 Republican   George M. Smith 3
  Warren P. Knowles
34   Vernon W. Thomson January 7, 1957 January 5, 1959 Republican   Warren P. Knowles 1
35   Gaylord Nelson January 5, 1959 January 7, 1963 Democratic   Philleo Nash 2
  Warren P. Knowles
36   John W. Reynolds Jr. January 7, 1963 January 4, 1965 Democratic   Jack B. Olson 1
37   Warren P. Knowles January 4, 1965 January 4, 1971 Republican   Patrick J. Lucey 3
  Jack B. Olson
38   Patrick J. Lucey January 4, 1971 July 6, 1977 Democratic   Martin J. Schreiber 1 12
[note 11]
[note 12]
39   Martin J. Schreiber July 6, 1977 January 3, 1979 Democratic vacant 12
[note 8]
40   Lee S. Dreyfus January 3, 1979
[note 13]
January 3, 1983 Republican   Russell A. Olson 1
41   Anthony S. Earl January 3, 1983 January 5, 1987 Democratic   James T. Flynn 1
42   Tommy Thompson January 5, 1987 February 1, 2001 Republican   Scott McCallum 3 12
[note 14]
43   Scott McCallum February 1, 2001 January 6, 2003 Republican   Margaret A. Farrow 12
[note 8]
44   Jim Doyle January 6, 2003 January 3, 2011 Democratic   Barbara Lawton 2
45   Scott Walker January 3, 2011 January 7, 2019 Republican   Rebecca Kleefisch 2
46   Tony Evers January 7, 2019 Incumbent Democratic   Mandela Barnes 1
[note 15]
  1. Vacancies in the office of the lieutenant governor are only listed if they lasted for the entire term. For a full list of vacancies, see List of lieutenant governors of Wisconsin.
  2. 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.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Died in office.
  4. Initially, Barstow was declared the winner of the 1855 election, but soon resigned amid claims that he had won through fraudulent means. MacArthur, as lieutenant governor, acted as governor for five days, until the Wisconsin Supreme Court declared Barstow's opponent, Bashford, the legitimate governor. Bashford completed the term, with MacArthur continuing to serve as lieutenant governor.[5]
  5. As lieutenant governor, succeeded to the governorship, and served the rest of the unexpired term.
  6. During Rusk's first term, the Wisconsin Constitution was amended to say that all elections of state and county officers would henceforth take place in even-numbered years. By the provisions of the amendment, the terms of all officials who would have left office in 1884, including Rusk, were extended by one year.
  7. Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 As lieutenant governor, served as governor for remainder of unexpired term.
  9. Resigned to take an appointment to the state tax commission.
  10. Loomis was elected in the 1942 election, but died before taking office. Per a ruling of the Wisconsin Supreme Court Goodland, who had been re-elected lieutenant governor in the same election, served as governor for the entire term.
  11. As per a 1967 amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution, Lucey's first term was the first gubernatorial term to last 4 years
  12. Resigned to become Ambassador to Mexico
  13. Contemporary newspaper sources indicate that Dreyfus was sworn in on January 3;[6] the Wisconsin Blue Book, however, states that he was sworn in on January 1.[7]
  14. Resigned to become United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
  15. Evers' first term expires in January 2023.

References

[change | change source]
  1. "Database: Wisconsin state employee salaries | Politics and Elections". Wisconsin State Journal. May 13, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  2. Wisconsin Constitution article V, § 1
  3. Wisconsin Constitution article V, § 4
  4. "Wisconsin Constitutional Officers; Lieutenant Governors". State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2005–2006 (PDF). p. 725. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 25, 2007. Retrieved October 9, 2007.
  5. McCann, Dennis (December 10, 1998). "3 governors held office within weeks. Corruption charges helped spark power struggle, office turnover in 1856". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
  6. "Inaugural Caps Dreyfus Miracle". Ironwood Daily Globe. Ironwood, Michigan. January 4, 1979. p. 3.
  7. "Wisconsin Governors since 1848". State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2005–2006 (PDF). p. 724. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 25, 2007. Retrieved October 5, 2007.