Party | Governors |
---|---|
Republican | 29 |
Democratic | 23 |
Democratic-Republican | 8 |
Whig | 5 |
Federalist | 2 |
National Republican | 1 |
The following is a list of Governors of the State of Ohio and the Northwest Territory which preceded it. The governor is the head of the executive branch of Ohio's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws; the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Ohio Legislature; the power to convene the legislature; and the power to grant pardons, except in cases of treason and impeachment.
The first constitution of 1802 allowed governors to serve for two years, limited to six of any eight years, commencing on the first Monday in the December following an election.[C] A 1957 amendment[C] lengthened the term to four years and allowed governors to only succeed themselves once, having to wait four years after their second term in a row before being allowed to run again. An Ohio Supreme Court ruling in 1973 clarified this to mean governors could theoretically serve unlimited terms, as long as they waited four years after every second term.[C]
The current constitution of 1851 removed the term limit, and shifted the start of the term to the second Monday in January following an election.Should the office of governor become vacant due to death, resignation, or conviction of impeachment, the lieutenant governor assumes the title of governor. Should the office of lieutenant governor also become vacant, the president of the senate becomes the acting governor.
If the vacancy of both offices took place during the first twenty months of the term, a special election is to be held on the next even-numbered year to elect new officers to serve out the current term. Prior to 1851, the speaker of the senate acted as governor for the term. Since 1974, the governor and lieutenant governor have been elected on the same ticket; prior to then, they could be (and often were) members of different parties.There have been 62 governors of Ohio, serving 68 distinct terms. The longest term was held by Frank J. Lausche, who was elected five times and served just under ten years. The shortest terms were held by John William Brown and Nancy Hollister, who each served 11 days after the preceding governor them resigned; the shortest-serving elected governor was John M. Pattison, who died in office five months into his term. The current governor is Ted Strickland, who took office on January 8, 2007.
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Initially after the American Revolution, parts of the area now known as Ohio were claimed by New York, Virginia, and Connecticut; however, New York ceded its claim in 1782, Virginia in 1784, and Connecticut in 1786, though it maintained its Western Reserve in the area until 1800. On July 13, 1787, the Northwest Territory was formed. As territories were split from it, it eventually came to represent just present-day Ohio.
Throughout its 15-year history, Northwest Territory had only one governor. There was no Ohio Territory; Ohio is considered the successor state to the Northwest Territory.
# | Picture | Governor | Appointed | Left office | Party | Appointed by |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
Arthur St. Clair | October 5, 1787 | November 22, 1802 | None | Continental Congress[2] |
Ohio was admitted to the Union on March 1, 1803. Since then, it has had 62 governors, six of whom served non-consecutive terms.
Democratic-Republican Federalist National Republican Democratic Whig Republican
# | Name | Took office | Left office | Party | Lt. Governor[3] | Terms[4] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Edward Tiffin | March 3, 1803 | March 4, 1807 | Democratic-Republican | None | 1½[5] |
2 | Thomas Kirker | March 4, 1807 | December 12, 1808 | Democratic-Republican | None | ½[6] |
3 | Samuel H. Huntington | December 12, 1808 | December 8, 1810 | Democratic-Republican | None | 1[7] |
4 | Return J. Meigs, Jr. | December 8, 1810 | March 24, 1814 | Democratic-Republican | None | 1½[8] |
5 | Othniel Looker | March 24, 1814 | December 8, 1814 | Democratic-Republican | None | ½[6] |
6 | Thomas Worthington | December 8, 1814 | December 14, 1818 | Democratic-Republican | None | 2 |
7 | Ethan Allen Brown | December 14, 1818 | January 4, 1822 | Democratic-Republican | None | 1½[5] |
8 | Allen Trimble | January 4, 1822 | December 28, 1822 | Federalist | None | ½[6] |
9 | Jeremiah Morrow | December 28, 1822 | December 19, 1826 | Democratic-Republican | None | 2 |
10 | Allen Trimble | December 19, 1826 | December 18, 1830 | Federalist | None | 2 |
11 | Duncan McArthur | December 18, 1830 | December 7, 1832 | National Republican | None | 1 |
12 | Robert Lucas | December 7, 1832 | December 12, 1836 | Democratic | None | 2 |
13 | Joseph Vance | December 12, 1836 | December 13, 1838 | Whig | None | 1 |
14 | Wilson Shannon | December 13, 1838 | December 16, 1840 | Democratic | None | 1 |
15 | Thomas Corwin | December 16, 1840 | December 14, 1842 | Whig | None | 1 |
16 | Wilson Shannon | December 14, 1842 | April 15, 1844 | Democratic | None | ½[9] |
17 | Thomas W. Bartley | April 15, 1844 | December 3, 1844 | Democratic | None | ½[6] |
18 | Mordecai Bartley | December 3, 1844 | December 12, 1846 | Whig | None | 1 |
19 | William Bebb | December 12, 1846 | January 22, 1849 | Whig | None | 1[10] |
20 | Seabury Ford | January 22, 1849 | December 12, 1850 | Whig | None | 1[10] |
21 | Reuben Wood | December 12, 1850 | July 13, 1853 | Democratic | None | 1½[11][12] |
William Medill | ||||||
22 | William Medill | July 13, 1853 | January 14, 1856 | Democratic | James Myers | 1½[13] |
23 | Salmon P. Chase | January 14, 1856 | January 9, 1860 | Republican | Thomas H. Ford | 2 |
Martin Welker | ||||||
24 | William Dennison | January 9, 1860 | January 13, 1862 | Republican | Robert C. Kirk | 1 |
25 | David Tod | January 4, 1862 | January 11, 1864 | Republican | Benjamin Stanton | 1 |
26 | John Brough | January 11, 1864 | August 29, 1865 | Republican | Charles Anderson | ½[14] |
27 | Charles Anderson | August 29, 1865 | January 8, 1866 | Republican | vacant | ½[15] |
28 | Jacob Dolson Cox | January 8, 1866 | January 13, 1868 | Republican | Andrew McBurney | 1 |
29 | Rutherford B. Hayes | January 13, 1868 | January 8, 1872 | Republican | John C. Lee | 2 |
30 | Edward F. Noyes | January 8, 1872 | January 12, 1874 | Republican | Jacob Mueller | 1 |
31 | William Allen | January 12, 1874 | January 10, 1876 | Democratic | Alphonso Hart | 1 |
32 | Rutherford B. Hayes | January 10, 1876 | March 2, 1877 | Republican | Thomas L. Young | ½[16] |
33 | Thomas L. Young | March 2, 1877 | January 14, 1878 | Republican | H. W. Curtiss (acting) | ½[15] |
34 | Richard M. Bishop | January 14, 1878 | January 12, 1880 | Democratic | Jabez W. Fitch | 1 |
35 | Charles Foster | January 12, 1880 | January 14, 1884 | Republican | Andrew Hickenlooper | 2 |
Reese G. Richards | ||||||
36 | George Hoadly | January 14, 1884 | January 11, 1886 | Democratic | John George Warwick | 1 |
37 | Joseph B. Foraker | January 11, 1886 | January 13, 1890 | Republican | Robert P. Kennedy | 2 |
Silas A. Conrad | ||||||
William C. Lyon | ||||||
38 | James E. Campbell | January 13, 1890 | January 11, 1892 | Democratic | Elbert L. Lampson | 1 |
William V. Marquis | ||||||
39 | William McKinley | January 11, 1892 | January 13, 1896 | Republican | Andrew L. Harris | 2 |
40 | Asa S. Bushnell | January 13, 1896 | January 8, 1900 | Republican | Asa W. Jones | 2 |
41 | George K. Nash | January 8, 1900 | January 11, 1904 | Republican | John A. Caldwell | 2 |
Carl L. Nippert | ||||||
Harry L. Gordon | ||||||
42 | Myron T. Herrick | January 11, 1904 | January 8, 1906 | Republican | Warren G. Harding | 1 |
43 | John M. Pattison | January 8, 1906 | June 18, 1906 | Democratic | Andrew L. Harris | ½[14][17] |
44 | Andrew L. Harris | June 18, 1906 | January 11, 1909 | Republican | vacant | ½[15][17] |
45 | Judson Harmon | January 11, 1909 | January 13, 1913 | Democratic | Francis W. Treadway | 2 |
Atlee Pomerene | ||||||
Hugh L. Nichols | ||||||
46 | James M. Cox | January 13, 1913 | January 11, 1915 | Democratic | W. A. Greenlund | 1 |
47 | Frank B. Willis | January 11, 1915 | January 8, 1917 | Republican | John H. Arnold | 1 |
48 | James M. Cox | January 8, 1917 | January 10, 1921 | Democratic | Earl D. Bloom | 2 |
Clarence J. Brown | ||||||
49 | Harry L. Davis | January 10, 1921 | January 8, 1923 | Republican | Clarence J. Brown | 1 |
50 | A. Victor Donahey | January 8, 1923 | January 14, 1929 | Democratic | Earl D. Bloom | 3 |
Charles H. Lewis | ||||||
Earl D. Bloom | ||||||
William G. Pickrel | ||||||
George C. Braden | ||||||
51 | Myers Y. Cooper | January 14, 1929 | January 12, 1931 | Republican | John T. Brown | 1 |
52 | George White | January 12, 1931 | January 14, 1935 | Democratic | William G. Pickrel | 2 |
Charles W. Sawyer | ||||||
53 | Martin L. Davey | January 14, 1935 | January 9, 1939 | Democratic | Harold G. Mosier | 2 |
Paul P. Yoder | ||||||
54 | John W. Bricker | January 9, 1939 | January 8, 1945 | Republican | Paul M. Herbert | 3 |
55 | Frank J. Lausche | January 8, 1945 | January 13, 1947 | Democratic | George D. Nye | 1 |
56 | Thomas J. Herbert | January 13, 1947 | January 10, 1949 | Republican | Paul M. Herbert | 1 |
57 | Frank J. Lausche | January 10, 1949 | January 3, 1957 | Democratic | George D. Nye | 3½[5] |
John William Brown | ||||||
58 | John William Brown | January 3, 1957 | January 14, 1957 | Republican | vacant | ½[15] |
59 | C. William O'Neill | January 14, 1957 | January 12, 1959 | Republican | Paul M. Herbert | 1 |
60 | Michael DiSalle | January 12, 1959 | January 14, 1963 | Democratic | John W. Donahey | 1 |
61 | Jim Rhodes | January 14, 1963 | January 11, 1971 | Republican | John William Brown | 2 |
62 | John J. Gilligan | January 11, 1971 | January 13, 1975 | Democratic | John William Brown | 1 |
63 | Jim Rhodes | January 13, 1975 | January 10, 1983 | Republican | Donald Zoller | 2 |
64 | Dick Celeste | January 10, 1983 | January 14, 1991 | Democratic | Myrl Shoemaker | 2 |
vacant | ||||||
Paul Leonard | ||||||
65 | George Voinovich | January 14, 1991 | December 31, 1998 | Republican | Mike DeWine | 1½[5] |
vacant | ||||||
Nancy Hollister | ||||||
66 | Nancy Hollister | December 31, 1998 | January 11, 1999 | Republican | vacant | ½[15] |
67 | Bob Taft | January 11, 1999 | January 8, 2007 | Republican | Maureen O'Connor | 2 |
Jennette Bradley | ||||||
Bruce Edward Johnson | ||||||
vacant | ||||||
68 | Ted Strickland | January 8, 2007 | incumbent | Democratic | Lee Fisher | 1[18] |
This is a table of other governorships, congressional and other federal offices, and ranking diplomatic positions in foreign countries held by Ohio governors.
All representatives and senators mentioned represented Ohio. * denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take. † denotes those offices from which the governor resigned to take the governorship.Name | Gubernatorial term | U.S. Congress | Other offices held | |
---|---|---|---|---|
House | Senate | |||
Arthur St. Clair (territorial governor) |
1789–1802 | President of the United States in Congress Assembled | ||
Edward Tiffin | 1803–1807 | S* | ||
Return J. Meigs, Jr. | 1810–1814 | S† | District Judge for Michigan Territory | |
Thomas Worthington | 1814–1818 | S† | ||
Ethan Allen Brown | 1818–1822 | S* | ||
Jeremiah Morrow | 1822–1826 | H | S | |
Duncan McArthur | 1830–1832 | H | ||
Robert Lucas | 1832–1836 | Governor of Iowa Territory | ||
Joseph Vance | 1836–1838 | H | ||
Wilson Shannon | 1838–1840 1842–1844 |
H | Minister to Mexico*, Governor of Kansas Territory | |
Thomas Corwin | 1840–1842 | H | S | Minister to Mexico, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury |
Mordecai Bartley | 1844–1846 | H | ||
William Medill | 1853–1856 | H | ||
Salmon P. Chase | 1856–1860 | S | U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Chief Justice of the United States | |
William Dennison | 1860–1862 | U.S. Postmaster General | ||
David Tod | 1862–1864 | Minister to Brazil | ||
Jacob Dolson Cox | 1866–1868 | H | U.S. Secretary of the Interior | |
Rutherford B. Hayes | 1868–1872 1876–1877 |
H | President of the United States* | |
Edward F. Noyes | 1872–1874 | Minister to France | ||
William Allen | 1874–1876 | H | S | |
Thomas L. Young | 1877–1878 | H | ||
Charles Foster | 1880–1884 | H | U.S. Secretary of the Treasury | |
Joseph B. Foraker | 1886–1890 | S | ||
James E. Campbell | 1890–1892 | H | ||
William McKinley | 1892–1896 | H | President of the United States | |
Myron T. Herrick | 1904–1906 | Ambassador to France | ||
John M. Pattison | 1906 | H | ||
Judson Harmon | 1909–1913 | U.S. Attorney General | ||
James M. Cox | 1913–1915 1917–1921 |
H† | ||
Frank B. Willis | 1915–1917 | H† | S | |
A. Victor Donahey | 1923–1929 | S | ||
George White | 1931–1935 | H | ||
Martin L. Davey | 1935–1939 | H | ||
John W. Bricker | 1939–1945 | S | ||
Frank J. Lausche | 1945–1947 1949–1957 |
S* | ||
John J. Gilligan | 1971–1975 | H | ||
Dick Celeste | 1983–1991 | Ambassador to India | ||
George Voinovich | 1991–1998 | S* | ||
Ted Strickland | 2007–present | H |
As of June 2008, five former governors were alive, the oldest being John J. Gilligan (1971–1975, born 1921). The most recent governor to die was Jim Rhodes (1963–1971 and 1975–1983), on March 4, 2001.
Name | Gubernatorial term | Date of birth |
---|---|---|
John J. Gilligan | 1971–1975 | March 22, 1921 |
Dick Celeste | 1983–1991 | November 11, 1937 |
George Voinovich | 1991–1998 | July 15, 1936 |
Nancy Hollister | 1998–1999 | May 22, 1949 |
Bob Taft | 1999–2007 | January 8, 1942 |
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