List of governors of Oklahoma explained

The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.

List of governors

Oklahoma Territory

Oklahoma Territory was organized on May 2, 1890. It had seven governors appointed by the president of the United States.

!scope="colgroup" colspan="2"

Governor	Term in office	Appointing president
1	data-sort-value="Steele, George"		George Washington Steele	- November 8, 1891
2	data-sort-value="Seay, Abraham"		Abraham Jefferson Seay	- May 7, 1893
3	data-sort-value="Renfrow, William"		William Cary Renfrow	- May 11, 1897
4	data-sort-value="Barnes, Cassius"		Cassius McDonald Barnes	- April 20, 1901
5	data-sort-value="Jenkins, William"		William Miller Jenkins	- November 30, 1901
6	data-sort-value="Ferguson, Thompson"		Thompson Benton Ferguson	- January 13, 1906
7	data-sort-value="Frantz, Frank"		Frank Frantz	- November 16, 1907

State of Oklahoma

Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory were combined and admitted to the Union as the State of Oklahoma on November 16, 1907.

The Constitution of Oklahoma calls for the election of a governor every four years, to take office on the second Monday in January after the election.^[1] Originally, governors could not succeed themselves, with no limit on total terms;^[2] a 1966 constitutional amendment allowed them to succeed themselves once.^[3] An amendment in 2010 limited them to eight years in total, retroactively applying to all living former governors.^[4] Should the office become vacant because of a death, resignation or removal of the governor, the lieutenant governor immediately succeeds to the governorship.^[5] After Jack C. Walton was impeached and removed in 1923, Lieutenant Governor Martin E. Trapp served in the office for the remainder of the term. He styled himself "Acting Governor," as the constitution only specified that the powers of the office devolved upon the lieutenant governor, hoping that he would not be prevented from running in the next election. However, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled in 1926 that, in the case of a vacancy in the office, the lieutenant governor becomes governor, and he was ineligible to run for a consecutive term.^[6] The governor and the lieutenant governor are not formally elected on the same ticket.

!scope="colgroup" colspan="3"

Governor	Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor
1	data-sort-value="Haskell, Charles"			Charles N. Haskell ^[7]	^[8]  - January 9, 1911	Democratic	1907
2	data-sort-value="Cruce, Lee"			Lee Cruce ^[9]	^[10]  - January 11, 1915	Democratic	1910
3	data-sort-value="Williams, Robert"			Robert L. Williams ^[11]	^[12]  - January 13, 1919	Democratic	1914
4	data-sort-value="Robertson, James"			James B. A. Robertson ^[13]	^[14]  - January 8, 1923	Democratic	1918
5	data-sort-value="Walton, Jack"			Jack C. Walton ^[15]	^[16]  - November 19, 1923	Democratic	1922
6	data-sort-value="Trapp, Martin"			Martin E. Trapp ^[17]	^[18]  - January 10, 1927	Democratic		Vacant
7	data-sort-value="Johnston, Henry"			Henry S. Johnston ^[19]	^[20]  - March 20, 1929	Democratic	1926
8	data-sort-value="Holloway, William"			William J. Holloway ^[21]	^[22]  - January 12, 1931	Democratic		Vacant
9	data-sort-value="Murray, William"			William H. Murray ^[23]	^[24]  - January 14, 1935	Democratic	1930
10	data-sort-value="Marland, E. W."			E. W. Marland ^[25]	^[26]  - January 9, 1939	Democratic	1934
11	data-sort-value="Phillips, Leon"			Leon C. Phillips ^[27]	^[28]  - January 11, 1943	Democratic	1938
12	data-sort-value="Kerr, Robert"			Robert S. Kerr ^[29]	^[30]  - January 13, 1947	Democratic	1942
13	data-sort-value="Turner, Roy"			Roy J. Turner ^[31]	^[32]  - January 8, 1951	Democratic	1946
14	data-sort-value="Murray, Johnston"			Johnston Murray ^[33]	^[34]  - January 10, 1955	Democratic	1950
15	data-sort-value="Gary, Raymond"			Raymond D. Gary ^[35]	^[36]  - January 12, 1959	Democratic	1954
16	data-sort-value="Edmondson, J."			J. Howard Edmondson ^[37]	^[38]  - January 6, 1963	Democratic	1958
17	data-sort-value="Nigh, George"			George Nigh ^[39]	^[40]  - January 14, 1963	Democratic		Vacant
18	data-sort-value="Bellmon, Henry"			Henry Bellmon ^[41]	^[42]  - January 9, 1967	Republican	1962
19	data-sort-value="Bartlett, Dewey"			Dewey F. Bartlett ^[43]	^[44]  - January 11, 1971	Republican	1966
20	data-sort-value="Hall, David"			David Hall ^[45]	^[46]  - January 13, 1975	Democratic	1970
21	data-sort-value="Boren, David"			David Boren ^[47]	^[48]  - January 2, 1979	Democratic	1974
22		George Nigh		^[49]  - January 12, 1987	Democratic
						1978
						1982
23	data-sort-value="Bellmon, Henry"			Henry Bellmon	^[50]  - January 14, 1991	Republican	1986
24	data-sort-value="Walters, David"			David Walters ^[51]	^[52]  - January 9, 1995	Democratic	1990
25			Frank Keating ^[53]	^[54]  - January 13, 2003	Republican	1994
						1998
26			Brad Henry ^[55]	^[56]  - January 10, 2011	Democratic	2002
						2006
27			Mary Fallin ^[57]	^[58]  - January 14, 2019	Republican	2010
						2014
28			Kevin Stitt ^[59]	^[60]  - Incumbent	Republican	2018
						2022

See also

• List of Oklahoma state legislatures

References

General

• Web site: Former Oklahoma Governors . June 4, 2023 . National Governors Association.
• Book: McMullin, Thomas A. . Biographical directory of American territorial governors . 1984 . Westport, CT : Meckler . 978-0-930466-11-4 . January 19, 2023.
• Book: Sobel, Robert . Biographical directory of the governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. III . Meckler Books . 1978 . 9780930466008 . March 25, 2023.
• Book: Kallenbach, Joseph Ernest . American State Governors, 1776-1976 . 1977 . Oceana Publications . 978-0-379-00665-0 . September 23, 2023.
• Book: Dubin, Michael J. . United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1861-1911: The Official Results by State and County . 2014 . McFarland . 978-0-7864-5646-8 . en.
• Book: Glashan, Roy R. . American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978 . 1979 . Meckler Books . 978-0-930466-17-6.
• Web site: Our Campaigns - Governor of Oklahoma - History . 2023-07-25 . www.ourcampaigns.com.

Specific

External links

• Office of the Governor of Oklahoma

Notes and References

1. OK Const. Art. I, § 4
2. Book: Constitution and Enabling Act of the State of Oklahoma Annotated and Indexed . 1907 . Bunn brothers . 37 . en.
3. Web site: Oklahoma Succession of Office, State Question 436 (May 1966) . 2023-06-05 . Ballotpedia . en.
4. Web site: Oklahoma Term Limits, State Question 747 (2010) . 2023-06-05 . Ballotpedia . en.
5. OK Const. Art. 4, § 16
6. Abel . Kevin M. . 2013 . The Right of Succession by the Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor to the Office of the Governor and the Appointment of a Successor Lieutenant Governor . Tulsa Law Review . 36 . 1 . 217 - 229.
7. Web site: Charles Nathaniel Haskell . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
8. News: 1907-11-16 . Oklahoma State Is Now a Reality . 1 . Muskogee Times-Democrat . 2023-06-06.
9. Web site: Lee Cruce . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
10. News: 1911-01-09 . Cruce Is Now Governor . 1 . Muskogee Times-Democrat . 2023-06-06.
11. Web site: Robert Lee Williams . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
12. News: 1915-01-11 . Gov. Robt. L. Williams Takes Oath of Office at Capitol . 1 . The Daily Ardmoreite . 2023-06-06.
13. Web site: James Brooks Ayers Robertson . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
14. News: 1919-01-13 . Oklahoma Governor Takes Oath . 1 . The Ponca City News . 2023-06-06.
15. Web site: John Callaway (Jack) Walton . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
16. News: 1923-01-08 . Walton Now Is Governor . 1 . Nowata Daily Star . Associated Press . 2023-06-06.
17. Web site: Martin Edwin Trapp . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
18. News: 1923-11-20 . Jack Walton Ousted . 1 . Okmulgee Daily Times . 2023-06-06.
19. Web site: Henry Simpson Johnston . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
20. News: 1927-01-10 . New Governor Inducted Into Office Amid Scenes of Impressive Inaugural . 1 . Bristow Daily Record . Associated Press . 2023-06-06.
21. Web site: William Judson Holloway . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
22. News: 1929-03-20 . Johnston Is Convicted . 1 . The Frederick Leader . United Press . 2023-06-06.
23. Web site: William Henry Murray . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
24. News: 1931-01-12 . 'Sage' Is Sworn In As Oklahoma's Ninth Governor . 1 . Pawhuska Journal-Capital . United Press . 2023-06-07.
25. Web site: Ernest Whitworth Marland . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
26. News: 1935-01-14 . Marland Ready With Plans . 1 . Daily American-Democrat . Associated Press . 2023-06-07.
27. Web site: Leon Chase Phillips . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
28. News: 1939-01-09 . Phillips Demands Economy; 20-Point Program Outlined . 1 . The Norman Transcript . United Press . 2023-06-07.
29. Web site: Robert Samuel Kerr . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
30. News: 1943-01-11 . Robert S. Kerr Is Inaugurated . 1 . The Daily Ardmoreite . Associated Press . 2023-06-07.
31. Web site: Roy Joseph Turner . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
32. News: 1947-01-13 . Tax Reductions Pledged by Turner; Increased Pensions, Aid to Veterans Promised . 1 . The Lawton Constitution . United Press . 2023-06-07.
33. Web site: Johnston Murray . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
34. News: Wilson . Howard . 1951-01-08 . 5,000 Watch Second Murray Take Office in Capitol Ceremony . 1 . The Clinton Daily News . United Press . 2023-06-07.
35. Web site: Raymond Dancel Gary . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
36. News: Bachman . Bill . 1955-01-11 . Gary Takes Over As 15th Governor of Oklahoma . 1 . Okmulgee Daily Times . Associated Press . 2023-06-07.
37. Web site: James Howard Edmondson . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
38. News: Dessauer . Phil . 1959-01-13 . Edmondson Sworn In as Governor . 1 . Tulsa World . 2023-06-07.
39. Web site: George Patterson Nigh . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
40. News: Walsh . Travis . 1963-01-07 . Edmondson Resigns, Nigh at Once Makes Him Kerr's Successor . 1 . Tulsa World . 2023-06-07.
41. Web site: Henry Louis Bellmon . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
42. News: Parr . Ray . 1963-01-15 . Bellmon, GOP Mark Victory As New Governor Takes Reins . 1 . The Daily Oklahoman . 2023-06-07.
43. Web site: Dewey Follett Bartlett . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
44. News: Young . Jim . 1967-01-10 . Bartlett Challenges All Oklahomans to Excel . 1 . The Daily Oklahoman . 2023-06-07.
45. Web site: David Hall . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
46. News: Standard . Jim . 1971-01-12 . New Directions Promised in Oklahoma Government As Hall Takes Over Office . 1 . The Daily Oklahoman . 2023-06-08.
47. Web site: David Lyle Boren . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
48. News: Montgomery . Ed . 1975-01-14 . 4,500 See David Boren Become Governor . 1 . The Daily Oklahoman . 2023-06-08.
49. News: Montgomery . Ed . 1979-01-03 . Boren Out at Midnight, Nigh In at Noon . 3 . The Daily Oklahoman . 2023-06-08.
50. News: Ervin . Chuck . 1987-01-13 . Bellmon Inaugurated As Governor . A1 . Tulsa World . 2023-06-08.
51. Web site: David Lee Walters . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
52. News: Ervin . Chuck . 1991-01-15 . Walters Sworn In as 24th Governor . A1 . Tulsa World . 2023-06-08.
53. Web site: Francis Anthony Keating . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
54. News: Ervin . Chuck . 1995-01-10 . Be Bold, Keating Tells Oklahomans . 1 . Tulsa World . 2023-06-08.
55. Web site: Brad Henry . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
56. News: English . Paul . 2003-01-14 . Budget Crisis Noted in Inaugural Address . A1 . Tulsa World . 2023-06-08.
57. Web site: Mary Fallin . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
58. News: McNutt . Michael . 2011-01-11 . 'There Truly Is No Place Like Oklahoma' . 1A . The Daily Oklahoman . 2023-06-08.
59. Web site: Kevin Stitt . June 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
60. News: Sweeney . Catherine . 2019-01-15 . J. Kevin Stitt, Oklahoma’s 28th Governor . en-US . The Journal Record . 2023-06-08.