List of Governors of Rhode Island

This article is a list of the governors of the state of Rhode Island. For a list of colonial governors of Rhode Island, see List of colonial governors of Rhode Island.
Governor of Rhode Island

Flag of the Governor
Incumbent
Lincoln Chafee
since January 04, 2011
Style The Honorable or His Excellency
Term length Four years, renewable once[1]
Inaugural holder Nicholas Cooke; 1775
Formation Constitution of Rhode Island
Succession Every four years, unless re-elected.

Contents

Party affiliation

Number of Governors of Rhode Island by party affiliation[2]
Party Governors
Republican 32
Democratic 21
Democratic-Republican 4
Whig 4
Country 3
No Affiliation 3
Law and Order 2
Dorr Rebellion 1
Federalist 1
Know Nothing 1
Rhode Island Party 1
Independent 1

Colonial Rhode Island 1640-1775

Further information: List of colonial governors of Rhode Island

List of Rhode Island Governors 1775-present

# Name Picture Party Took office Left office Notes
1 Nicholas Cooke None November 7, 1775 May 4, 1778
2 William Greene None May 4, 1778 May 3, 1786
3 John Collins None May 3, 1786 May 5, 1790
4 Arthur Fenner Country Party May 5, 1790 October 15, 1805
5 Henry Smith Country October 15, 1805 May 7, 1806
6 Isaac Wilbour Country May 7, 1806 May 6, 1807
7 James Fenner Democratic-Republican May 6, 1807 May 1, 1811
8 William Jones Federalist May 1, 1811 May 7, 1817
9 Nehemiah R. Knight Democratic-Republican May 7, 1817 May 2, 1821
10 William C. Gibbs Democratic-Republican May 2, 1821 May 5, 1824
11 James Fenner Democratic-Republican May 5, 1824 May 4, 1831
12 Lemuel H. Arnold Whig May 4, 1831 May 1, 1833
13 John B. Francis Democratic May 1, 1833 May 2, 1838
14 William Sprague III Democratic May 2, 1838 May 2, 1839
15 Samuel Ward King Rhode Island Party May 2, 1839 May 2, 1843
16 Thomas Dorr extralegal, Dorr Rebellion May 19, 1842 January 23, 1843
17 James Fenner Law and Order May 2, 1843 May 6, 1845
18 Charles Jackson Know Nothing May 6, 1845 May 6, 1846
19 Byron Diman Law and Order May 6, 1846 May 4, 1847
20 Elisha Harris Whig May 4, 1847 May 1, 1849
21 Henry B. Anthony Whig May 1, 1849 May 6, 1851
22 Philip Allen Democratic May 6, 1851 July 20, 1853
23 Francis M. Dimond Democratic July 20, 1853 May 2, 1854
24 William W. Hoppin Whig May 2, 1854 May 26, 1857
25 Elisha Dyer Republican May 26, 1857 May 31, 1859
26 Thomas G. Turner Republican May 31, 1859 May 29, 1860
27 William Sprague IV Republican May 29, 1860 March 3, 1863
28 William C. Cozzens Democratic March 3, 1863 May 26, 1863
29 James Y. Smith Republican May 26, 1863 May 29, 1866
30 Ambrose Everett Burnside Republican May 29, 1866 May 25, 1869
31 Seth Padelford Republican May 25, 1869 May 27, 1873
32 Henry Howard Republican May 27, 1873 May 25, 1875
33 Henry Lippitt Republican May 25, 1875 May 29, 1877
34 Charles C. Van Zandt Republican May 29, 1877 May 25, 1880
35 Alfred H. Littlefield Republican May 25, 1880 May 29, 1883
36 Augustus O. Bourn Republican May 29, 1883 May 26, 1885
37 George P. Wetmore Republican May 26, 1885 May 29, 1887
38 John W. Davis Democratic May 29, 1887 May 29, 1888
39 Royal C. Taft Republican May 29, 1888 May 28, 1889
40 Herbert W. Ladd Republican May 28, 1889 May 27, 1890
41 John W. Davis Democratic May 27, 1890 May 26, 1891
42 Herbert W. Ladd Republican May 26, 1891 May 31, 1892
43 D. Russell Brown Republican May 31, 1892 May 29, 1895
44 Charles W. Lippitt Republican May 29, 1895 May 25, 1897
45 Elisha Dyer, Jr. Republican May 25, 1897 May 29, 1900
46 William Gregory Republican May 29, 1900 December 16, 1901
47 Charles D. Kimball Republican December 16, 1901 January 3, 1903
48 Lucius F. C. Garvin Democratic January 3, 1903 January 3, 1905
49 George H. Utter Republican January 3, 1905 January 1, 1907
50 James H. Higgins Democratic January 1, 1907 January 5, 1909
51 Aram J. Pothier Republican January 5, 1909 January 5, 1915
52 R. Livingston Beeckman Republican January 5, 1915 January 4, 1921
53 Emery J. San Souci Republican January 4, 1921 January 2, 1923
54 William S. Flynn Democratic January 2, 1923 January 6, 1925
55 Aram J. Pothier Republican January 6, 1925 February 4, 1928
56 Norman S. Case Republican February 4, 1928 January 3, 1933
57 Theodore Francis Green Democratic January 3, 1933 January 5, 1937
58 Robert E. Quinn Democratic January 5, 1937 January 3, 1939
59 William Henry Vanderbilt III Republican January 3, 1939 January 7, 1941
60 J. Howard McGrath Democratic January 7, 1941 October 6, 1945
61 John Orlando Pastore Democratic October 6, 1945 December 19, 1950
62 John S. McKiernan Democratic December 19, 1950 January 2, 1951
63 Dennis J. Roberts Democratic January 2, 1951 January 6, 1959
64 Christopher Del Sesto Republican January 6, 1959 January 3, 1961
65 John A. Notte, Jr. Democratic January 3, 1961 January 1, 1963
66 John Hubbard Chafee Republican January 1, 1963 January 7, 1969
67 Frank Licht Democratic January 7, 1969 January 2, 1973
68 Philip W. Noel Democratic January 2, 1973 January 4, 1977
69 J. Joseph Garrahy Democratic January 4, 1977 January 1, 1985
70 Edward D. DiPrete Republican January 1, 1985 January 1, 1991
71 Bruce Sundlun Democratic January 1, 1991 January 3, 1995
72 Lincoln C. Almond Republican January 3, 1995 January 7, 2003
73 Donald Carcieri Republican January 7, 2003 January 4, 2011
74 Lincoln Chafee Independent January 4, 2011 Incumbent [3]

Other high offices held

This is a table of congressional seats, other federal offices, and other governorships held by governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented Rhode Island except where noted. * denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take.

Name Gubernatorial term U.S. Congress Other offices held
House Senate
Isaac Wilbour 1806–1807 H
James Fenner 1807–1811; 1824–1831; 1843–1845 S
Nehemiah R. Knight 1817–1821 S
Lemuel H. Arnold 1831–1833 H
John Brown Francis 1833–1838 S
William Sprague III 1838–1839 H S
Henry B. Anthony 1849–1851 S
Philip Allen 1851–1853 S*
William Sprague IV 1860–1863 S
Ambrose Burnside 1866–1869 S
George P. Wetmore 1885–1887 S
George H. Utter 1905–1907 H
Theodore F. Green 1933–1937 S
J. Howard McGrath 1941–1945 S United States Solicitor General*; United States Attorney General
John O. Pastore 1945–1950 S*
John Chafee 1963–1969 S United States Secretary of the Navy
Lincoln Chafee 2011–present S

Living former governors

As of July 2011, five former governors were alive, the oldest being J. Joseph Garrahy (1977–1985, born 1930). The most recent governor to die was Bruce Sundlun (1991–1995), on July 21, 2011.

Name Gubernatorial term Date of birth
Philip W. Noel 1973–1977 June 5, 1931 (1931-06-05) (age 80)
J. Joseph Garrahy 1977–1985 November 26, 1930 (1930-11-26) (age 81)
Edward D. DiPrete 1985–1991 July 8, 1934 (1934-07-08) (age 77)
Lincoln C. Almond 1995–2003 June 16, 1936 (1936-06-16) (age 75)
Donald Carcieri 2003–2011 December 16, 1942 (1942-12-16) (age 69)

See also

References

  1. ^ Governors of Rhode Island served two-year terms prior to 1994.
  2. ^ Table does not include governors from the colonial period, when there were no organized parties in Rhode Island, and governors were generally appointed rather than elected. It also does not include acting governors.
  3. ^ Governor Chafee's first term expires on January 6, 2015; he is not yet term limited.
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