List of Governors of Nebraska

The following is a list of the governors of the U.S. Territory and later State of Nebraska.

Governor of Nebraska

Seal of Nebraska
Incumbent
Pete Ricketts
since January 8, 2015
Style The Honorable
Inaugural holder David Butler
1871
Formation Constitution of Nebraska
Salary $105,000 (2013)[1]

Territorial governors

Appointed, before statehood, to a four-year term by the President of the United States.[upper-alpha 1]

The Democratic Party and its allies elected Presidents Franklin Pierce (March 4, 1853, to March 3, 1857) and James Buchanan (March 4, 1857, to March 3, 1861). The Republican Party and its allies elected Presidents Abraham Lincoln (March 4, 1861, to April 15, 1865) and Andrew Johnson (April 15, 1865, to March 3, 1869), as well as a majority of the Senators and Representatives to the Congresses after 1860 that admitted Nebraska into the Union of states.

Parties

      Democratic       Republican

# Governor Party Took office Left office Notes Length of Service
William Walker July 23, 1853 October 16, 1854 Not recognized by the federal government
1 Francis Burt † Democratic October 16, 1854 October 18, 1854 died 2 days
2 Thomas B. Cuming (acting) Democratic October 18, 1854 February 23, 1855 [acting] 4 months & 5 days
3 Mark W. Izard Democratic February 23, 1855 October 25, 1857 resigned 2 years, 8 months & 2 days
4 Thomas B. Cuming (acting) Democratic October 25, 1857 January 12, 1858 [acting] 2 months & 18 days
5 William A. Richardson Democratic January 12, 1858 December 5, 1858 resigned 10 months & 23 days
6 J. Sterling Morton (acting) Democratic December 5, 1858 May 2, 1859 [acting] 4 months & 27 days
7 Samuel W. Black Democratic May 2, 1859 February 24, 1861 resigned 1 year, 9 months & 22 days
8 J. Sterling Morton (acting) Democratic February 24, 1861 March 6, 1861 [acting] 10 days
9 Algernon S. Paddock (acting) Republican March 6, 1861 May 15, 1861 [acting] 2 months & 9 days
10 Alvin Saunders Republican May 15, 1861 March 1, 1867 5 years, 9 months & 14 days

State governors

Popularly elected, beginning in 1866, to a two-year term. In 1962, the voters approved a constitutional amendment expanding terms beginning in 1966 to four years. In 1966, the voters limited the number of consecutive full terms that any one governor could serve to two (i.e. only one possible re-election while still in office after election to a full term.)[upper-alpha 2]

Parties

      Democratic       Republican       Fusion (Democratic/Populist)

# Governor(Life)Took officeLeft officePartyNotes
1 David Butler (1829–1891) February 21, 1867 June 2, 1871 Republican [2]
William H. James (acting) (1831–1920) June 2, 1871 January 13, 1873 Republican Secretary of State[3]
2 Robert Wilkinson Furnas (1824–1905) January 13, 1873 January 11, 1875 Republican
3 Silas Garber (1833–1905) January 11, 1875 January 9, 1879 Republican
4 Albinus Nance (1848–1911) January 9, 1879 January 4, 1883 Republican
5 James W. Dawes (1844–1918) January 4, 1883 January 6, 1887 Republican
6 John Milton Thayer (1820–1906) January 6, 1887 February 8, 1892 Republican [4]
7 James E. Boyd (1834–1906) February 8, 1892 January 13, 1893 Democratic [4]
8 Lorenzo Crounse (1834–1909) January 13, 1893 January 3, 1895 Republican
9 Silas A. Holcomb (1858–1920) January 3, 1895 January 5, 1899 Fusion
(Democratic/Populist)
10 William A. Poynter (1848–1909) January 5, 1899 January 3, 1901 Fusion
(Democratic/Populist)
11 Charles H. Dietrich (1853–1924) January 3, 1901 May 1, 1901 Republican Resigned[5]
12 Ezra P. Savage (1842–1920) May 1, 1901 January 8, 1903 Republican Lt-Gov.[6]
13 John H. Mickey (1845–1910) January 8, 1903 January 3, 1907 Republican
14 George L. Sheldon (1870–1960) January 3, 1907 January 7, 1909 Republican
15 Ashton C. Shallenberger (1862–1938) January 7, 1909 January 5, 1911 Democratic
16 Chester H. Aldrich (1862–1924) January 5, 1911 January 9, 1913 Republican
17 John H. Morehead (1861–1942) January 9, 1913 January 4, 1917 Democratic
18 Keith Neville (1884–1929) January 4, 1917 January 9, 1919 Democratic
19 Samuel R. McKelvie (1881–1956) January 9, 1919 January 3, 1923 Republican
20 Charles W. Bryan (1867–1945) January 3, 1923 January 8, 1925 Democratic
21 Adam McMullen (1872–1959) January 8, 1925 January 3, 1929 Republican
22 Arthur J. Weaver (1873–1945) January 3, 1929 January 8, 1931 Republican
23 Charles W. Bryan (1867–1945) January 8, 1931 January 3, 1935 Democratic
24 Robert Leroy Cochran (1886–1953) January 3, 1935 January 9, 1941 Democratic
25 Dwight Griswold (1893–1954) January 9, 1941 January 9, 1947 Republican
26 Val Peterson (1903–1983) January 9, 1947 January 8, 1953 Republican
27 Robert B. Crosby (1911–2000) January 8, 1953 January 6, 1955 Republican
28 Victor E. Anderson (1902–1962) January 6, 1955 January 8, 1959 Republican
29 Ralph G. Brooks † (1898–1960) January 8, 1959 September 9, 1960 Democratic Died.[7]
30 Dwight W. Burney (1892–1987) September 9, 1960 January 5, 1961 Republican Lt-Gov.[6]
31 Frank B. Morrison (1905–2004) January 5, 1961 January 5, 1967 Democratic
32 Norbert T. Tiemann (1924–2012) January 5, 1967 January 7, 1971 Republican
33 J. James Exon (1921–2005) January 7, 1971 January 4, 1979 Democratic
34 Charles Thone (born 1924) January 4, 1979 January 6, 1983 Republican
35 J. Robert Kerrey (born 1943) January 6, 1983 January 9, 1987 Democratic
36 Kay A. Orr [8] (born 1939) January 9, 1987 January 9, 1991 Republican
37 Ben Nelson (born 1941) January 9, 1991 January 7, 1999 Democratic
38 Mike Johanns (born 1950) January 7, 1999 January 20, 2005 Republican Resigned[9]
39 Dave Heineman (born 1948) January 20, 2005 January 8, 2015 Republican Lt-Gov.[10]
40 Pete Ricketts (born 1964) January 8, 2015 Incumbent Republican

Notes

  1. ↑ "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries". The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  2. ↑ Elected, but not inaugurated, before Nebraska's statehood. Impeached and removed from office for misappropriation of state funds; the impeachment was expunged six years later.
  3. ↑ As state secretary of state, acted as governor for unexpired term.
  4. 1 2 James Boyd won the 1890 election, and was sworn in on January 8, 1891. However, due to a question of his U.S. citizenship and eligibility for the office, he did not take office until February 8, 1892.
  5. ↑ Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
  6. 1 2 As lieutenant governor, became governor for unexpired term.
  7. ↑ Died in office.
  8. ↑ First and (as of May 2013) only female governor of Nebraska
  9. ↑ Resigned to become United States Secretary of Agriculture.
  10. ↑ As lieutenant governor, succeeded to the office of governor for Johann's unexpired term, and was later elected in his own right.

Other high offices held

This is a table of other governorships, congressional seats and other national public offices held by governors of Nebraska. All representatives and senators mentioned represented Nebraska except where noted.

* denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take.
p. = Political Party; D = Democrat ; R = Republican;
the footnotes [P 1], etc., indicate the presidential administration(s) under which an unelected Federal office was held (see Appointing presidents below the table).
Name p. Service as
Governor		 U.S. Congress Other offices held
(beyond Nebraska)
House Senate
William A. Richardson D 1858 (territorial) U.S. Representative & Senator from Illinois (D, 1847–1856; 1861-1865)
J. Sterling Morton D 1858–1859
1861 (territorial)		 U.S. Secretary of Agriculture[P 1]
Algernon Paddock R 1861 (territorial) S
Alvin Saunders R 1861–1867 (territorial) S
John Milton Thayer R 1887–1892 S Governor of Wyoming Territory (1875-1878) [P 2]
Lorenzo Crounse R 1893–1895 H
Charles Henry Dietrich R 1901 S *
Ashton C. Shallenberger D 1909–1911 H
John H. Morehead D 1913–1917 H
Charles W. Bryan D 1923–1925
1931–1935		 1924 Democratic nominee for Vice President (lost)
Robert Leroy Cochran D 1935–1941 Ambassador (UNRRA; Am. Mission for Aid to Greece)[P 3][upper-alpha 3]
Dwight Griswold R 1941–1947 S
Val Peterson R 1947–1953 Ambassador to Denmark;[P 4] Ambassador to Finland[P 5]
J. James Exon D 1971–1979 S
Charles Thone R 1979–1983 H
Bob Kerrey D 1983–1987 S
Ben Nelson D 1991–1999 S
Mike Johanns R 1999–2005 S U.S. Secretary of Agriculture * [P 6]

Appointing presidents

  1. ↑ Grover Cleveland (D, 1893-1897)
  2. ↑ Ulysses Grant (R, 1869-1877) and Rutherford B. Hayes (R, 1877-1881)
  3. ↑ Franklin Roosevelt (D, 1933-45) and Harry Truman (D, 1945-53)
  4. ↑ Dwight Eisenhower (R, 1953-1961)
  5. ↑ Richard Nixon (R, 1969-1974)
  6. ↑ George W. Bush (R, 2001-2009)

Living former U.S. governors of Nebraska

As of May 2015, there are six former U.S. governors of Nebraska who are currently living at this time, the oldest U.S. governor of Nebraska being Charles Thone (1979–1983, born 1924). The most recent U.S. governor of Nebraska to die was Norbert T. Tiemann (1967–1971) on June 19, 2012. The most recently serving U.S. governor of Nebraska to die was J. James Exon (1971–1979), on June 10, 2005.

NameGubernatorial termDate of birth (and age)
Charles Thone 1979–1983 January 4, 1924
Bob Kerrey 1983–1987 August 27, 1943
Kay A. Orr 1987–1991 January 2, 1939
Ben Nelson 1991–1999 May 17, 1941
Mike Johanns 1999–2005 June 18, 1950
Dave Heineman 2005–2015 May 12, 1948

See also

References

  1. ↑ 2012-13 Nebraska Blue Book (Nebraska State Government), page 418
  2. ↑ 2012-13 Nebraska Blue Book, pages 418–419
  3. ↑ Nebraska Governor Robert Leroy (Roy) Cochran at the National Governors Association web site, retrieved May 27, 2013.

External links

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