List of governors of Texas explained

Post:	Governor
Body:	Texas
Insignia:	Seal of the Governor of Texas.svg
Insigniasize:	110px
Insigniacaption:	Gubernatorial seal
Flag:	Flag of the Governor of Texas.svg
Flagcaption:	Gubernatorial standard
Incumbent:	Greg Abbott
Incumbentsince:	January 20, 2015
Termlength:	Four years, no term limit
Residence:	Texas Governor's Mansion
Formation:	Texas Constitution
Inaugural:	James Pinckney Henderson 1846
Salary:	$150,000 (2013)^[1]

The governor of Texas is the head of government of the U.S. state of Texas. The incumbent, Greg Abbott, is the forty-eighth governor to serve in the office since Texas' statehood in 1845.

When compared to those of other states, the governorship of Texas has been described as one of relative weakness.^{[2] [3]} In some respects, it is the lieutenant governor of Texas, who presides over the Texas Senate, who possesses greater influence to exercise their prerogatives.^{[2] [3]}

Rick Perry is the longest-serving governor, having assumed the governorship in 2000 upon the exit of George W. Bush, who resigned to take office as the 43rd president of the United States. Perry was elected in 2002 and he was re-elected in 2006 and 2010 serving for 14 years before choosing to retire in 2014.

Allan Shivers assumed the governorship upon the death of Beauford Jester in July 1949 and was elected in 1950 and re-elected in 1952 and 1954, serving for years, making him the third longest serving governor before choosing to retire in 1956. Price Daniel was elected to the governorship in 1956 and re-elected in 1958 and 1960 before losing his re-election for an unprecedented fourth term in the 1962 Democratic primary, missing the runoff. John Connally was elected in 1962 and re-elected in 1964 and 1966 before choosing to retire in 1968, leaving office on January 21, 1969. Bill Clements served two non-consecutive four-year terms, having been elected in 1978 but lost re-election in 1982 before winning re-election in 1986, choosing to retire in 1990, previously held the record as the second longest-serving governor: both of Shivers and Clements' records were surpassed by Perry.

Current governor Greg Abbott was elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018 and again in 2022. He is the second longest-serving governor and on track to serve 12 years by January 19, 2027.

Governors

Texas was annexed by the United States and admitted to the Union on December 29, 1845.

The governor is inaugurated on the third Tuesday of January every four years along with the lieutenant governor, and serves a term of four years. Prior to the present laws, in 1845, the state's first constitution established the office of governor, serving a term of two years, but no more than four years of every six.^[4] The 1861 constitution, following secession from the Union, established the first Monday of November following election as the term's start.^[5] Following the end of the American Civil War, the 1866 constitution increased term length to four years, limiting overall service to no more than eight years of every twelve, moving the term's start to the first Thursday following organization of the legislature, or "as soon thereafter as practicable."^[6] The constitution of 1869, enacted during Reconstruction, removed term limitations,^[7] to this day making Texas one of sixteen states, territory or jurisdiction (including the U.S. Territory Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia^[8] with no limit on gubernatorial terms. The present constitution of 1876 returned terms to two years,^[9] but a 1972 amendment again returned them to four.^[10]

In the case of a vacancy in the office, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.^[11] Prior to a 1999 amendment, the lieutenant governor only acted as governor until the expiration of the term to which he succeeded.^{[12] [13]} The governor and the lieutenant governor are not officially elected on the same ticket.

!scope="colgroup" colspan="3"

Governor	Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor
1	data-sort-value="Henderson, J."			J. Pinckney Henderson ^[14]	^[15] – December 21, 1847	Democratic	1845
2	data-sort-value="Wood, George"			George Tyler Wood ^[16]	^[17] – December 21, 1849	Democratic	1847
3		Peter Hansborough Bell ^[18]		^[19] – November 23, 1853	Democratic	1849
						1851
4	data-sort-value="Henderson, James."			James W. Henderson ^[20]	^[21] – December 21, 1853	Democratic		Vacant
5		Elisha M. Pease ^[22]		^[23] – December 21, 1857	Democratic	1853
						1855
6	data-sort-value="Runnels, Hardin"			Hardin Richard Runnels ^[24]	^[25] – December 21, 1859	Democratic		1857
7	data-sort-value="Houston, Sam"			Sam Houston ^[26]	^[27] – March 16, 1861	Independent		1859
8	data-sort-value="Clark, Edward"			Edward Clark ^[28]	^[29] – November 7, 1861	Democratic		Vacant
9	data-sort-value="Lubbock, Francis"			Francis Lubbock ^[30]	^[31] – November 5, 1863	Democratic	1861
10	data-sort-value="Murrah, Pendleton"			Pendleton Murrah ^[32]	^[33] – June 17, 1865	Democratic	1863
11	data-sort-value="Hamilton, Andrew"			Andrew Jackson Hamilton ^[34]	^[35] – August 9, 1866			Vacant
12	data-sort-value="Throckmorton, James"			James W. Throckmorton ^[36]	^[37] – July 30, 1867	Democratic	1866
13	data-sort-value="Pease, Elisha"			Elisha M. Pease	^[38] – September 30, 1869			Vacant
—	Vacant			- January 8, 1870
14	data-sort-value="Davis, Edmund"			Edmund J. Davis ^[39]	^[40] – January 15, 1874	Republican	1869
15			Richard Coke ^[41]	^[42] – December 1, 1876	Democratic	1873
						1876
16	data-sort-value="Hubbard, Richard"			Richard B. Hubbard ^[43]	^[44] – January 21, 1879	Democratic		Vacant
17			Oran Milo Roberts ^[45]	^[46] – January 16, 1883	Democratic	1878
						1880
18			John Ireland ^[47]	^[48] – January 18, 1887	Democratic	1882
						1884
19			Lawrence Sullivan Ross ^[49]	^[50] – January 20, 1891	Democratic	1886
						1888
20			Jim Hogg ^[51]	^[52] – January 15, 1895	Democratic	1890
						1892
21			Charles A. Culberson ^[53]	^[54] – January 17, 1899	Democratic	1894
						1896
22			Joseph D. Sayers ^[55]	^[56] – January 20, 1903	Democratic	1898
						1900
23			S. W. T. Lanham ^[57]	^[58] – January 15, 1907	Democratic	1902
						1904
24			Thomas Mitchell Campbell ^[59]	^[60] – January 17, 1911	Democratic	1906
						1908
25			Oscar Branch Colquitt ^[61]	^[62] – January 19, 1915	Democratic	1910
						1912
26			James E. Ferguson ^[63]	^[64] – September 22, 1917	Democratic	1914
						1916
27			William P. Hobby ^[65]	– January 18, 1921	Democratic		Vacant
						1918
28			Pat Morris Neff ^[66]	^[67] – January 20, 1925	Democratic	1920
						1922
29	data-sort-value="Ferguson, Miriam"			Miriam A. Ferguson ^[68]	^[69] – January 18, 1927	Democratic		1924
30			Dan Moody ^[70]	^[71] – January 20, 1931	Democratic	1926
						1928
31	data-sort-value="Sterling, Ross"			Ross S. Sterling ^[72]	^[73] – January 17, 1933	Democratic		1930
32	data-sort-value="Ferguson, Miriam"			Miriam A. Ferguson	^[74] – January 15, 1935	Democratic		1932
33			James Burr V Allred ^[75]	^[76] – January 17, 1939	Democratic	1934
						1936
34			W. Lee O'Daniel ^[77]	^[78] – August 4, 1941	Democratic	1938
						1940
35			Coke R. Stevenson ^[79]	^[80] – January 21, 1947	Democratic		Vacant
						1942
						1944
36			Beauford H. Jester ^[81]	^[82] – July 11, 1949	Democratic	1946
						1948
37			Allan Shivers ^[83]	^[84] – January 15, 1957	Democratic		Vacant
						1950
						1952
						1954
38			Price Daniel ^[85]	^[86] – January 15, 1963	Democratic	1956
						1958
						1960
							Vacant
39			John Connally ^[87]	^[88] – January 21, 1969	Democratic	1962
						1964
						1966
40			Preston Smith ^[89]	^[90] – January 16, 1973	Democratic	1968
						1970
41			Dolph Briscoe ^[91]	^[92] – January 16, 1979	Democratic	1972
						1974
42	data-sort-value="Clements, Bill"			Bill Clements ^[93]	^[94] – January 18, 1983	Republican			1978
43	data-sort-value="White, Mark"			Mark White ^[95]	^[96] – January 20, 1987	Democratic			1982
44	data-sort-value="Clements, Bill"			Bill Clements	^[97] – January 15, 1991	Republican			1986
45	data-sort-value="Richards, Ann"			Ann Richards ^[98]	^[99] – January 17, 1995	Democratic		1990
46			George W. Bush ^[100]	^[101] – December 21, 2000	Republican	1994
						1998
47			Rick Perry ^[102]	^[103] – January 20, 2015	Republican
						2002
						2006
						2010
48			Greg Abbott ^[104]	^[105] – Incumbent	Republican	2014
						2018
						2022

See also

• Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Texas
• List of Texas state legislatures

References

General

• Web site: Former Texas Governors . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
• Book: Sobel, Robert . Biographical directory of the governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. IV . Meckler Books . 1978 . 9780930466008 . June 13, 2023.
• Book: Dubin, Michael J. . United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776-1860: The Official Results by State and County . 2003 . McFarland . 978-0-7864-1439-0.
• 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: Kallenbach, Joseph Ernest . American State Governors, 1776-1976 . 1977 . Oceana Publications . 978-0-379-00665-0 . September 23, 2023.
• 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 Texas - History . 2023-07-25 . www.ourcampaigns.com.
• Web site: Our Campaigns - Governor of Texas (CSA) - History . 2023-07-25 . www.ourcampaigns.com.

Specific

External links

• Office of the Governor of Texas
• Legislative Reference Library of Texas -- Governors of Texas
  • The Handbook of Texas Online: Texas History Quiz -- Presidents and Governors of Texas
• Explanation of the strengths of governors

Notes and References

1. Web site: June 25, 2013 . CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries . November 23, 2014 . The Council of State Governments.
2. Web site: Suellentrop, Chip . 2000-01-05 . Is George W. Bush a "Weak" Governor? . 2010-01-25 . Slate Magazine - Explainer.
3. Book: Ivins, Molly . Shrub: The Short But Happy Political Life of George W. Bush . Lou Dubose . Vintage Books . 2000 . 0-375-75714-7 . New York . xii-xiii . Molly Ivins.
4. 1845 Const. Art V sec 4
5. 1861 Const. art V sec 12
6. 1866 Const. art V sec 4
7. 1869 Const. Art IV sec 4
8. http://www.nga.org/files/pdf/BOS4-9.pdf Executive Branch
9. TX Const. Art IV sec 4
10. http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/1_3_1.html Texas Politics - The Executive Branch
11. TX Const. art IV sec 16 graf d
12. Under the 1861 constitution, law provided that the lieutenant governor would be "styled Governor of those state of Republicans" in case of vacancy.
13. 1861 Const art V sec 12
14. Web site: James Pinckney Henderson . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
15. Texas Legislature. Journal of the Senate. 1st general assembly, 15, accessed July 9, 2023
16. Web site: George T. Wood . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
17. Texas Legislature. Journal of the Senate. 2nd Legislature, 40, accessed July 9, 2023
18. Web site: Peter Hansborough Bell . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
19. Texas Legislature. Journal of the Senate. 3rd Legislature, 273, accessed July 9, 2023
20. Web site: Kemp . L. W. . Henderson, James Wilson . 2023-07-09 . Handbook of Texas Online . Texas State Historical Association . en.
21. Texas Legislature. Journal of the Senate. 5th Legislature, 78, accessed July 9, 2023
22. Web site: Elisha Marshall Pease . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
23. Texas Legislature. Journal of the Senate. 5th Legislature, Part II, 1, accessed July 9, 2023
24. Web site: Hardin Richard Runnels . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
25. Texas Legislature. Journal of the Senate. 7th Legislature, 244, accessed July 9, 2023
26. Web site: Samuel Houston . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
27. Texas Legislature. Journal of the Senate. 8th Legislature, 169, accessed July 9, 2023
28. Web site: Edward Clark . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
29. Web site: 1861-03-30 . Houston removed March 16 . 2023-07-10 . Baton Rouge Tri-Weekly Gazette and Comet . 8.
30. Web site: Francis Richard Lubbock . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
31. Texas Legislature. Journal of the Senate. 9th Legislature, 14, accessed July 9, 2023
32. Web site: Pendleton Murrah . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
33. Texas Legislature. Journal of the Senate. 10th Legislature, 47, accessed July 9, 2023
34. Web site: Andrew Jackson Hamilton . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
35. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/202228 Andrew Johnson, Proclamation 139—Reorganizing a Constitutional Government in Texas
36. Web site: James Webb Throckmorton . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
37. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 11th Legislature, 25, accessed July 9, 2023
38. 1867-08-01 . Throckmorton replaced with Pease July 30 . The Daily Standard . Raleigh, North Carolina . 2.
39. Web site: Edmund Jackson Davis . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
40. News: 1870-01-18 . Texas . 2 . The Times-Picayune . 2023-07-10.
41. Web site: Richard Coke . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
42. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 14th Legislature, 7, accessed July 9, 2023
43. Web site: Richard Bennett Hubbard . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
44. News: 1876-12-02 . Resignation of Gov. Coke and Installation of His Successor . 1 . The Galveston Daily News . 2023-07-10.
45. Web site: Oran Milo Roberts . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
46. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 16th Legislature, 106, accessed July 9, 2023
47. Web site: John Ireland . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
48. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 18th Legislature, 38, accessed July 9, 2023
49. Web site: Lawrence Sullivan Ross . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
50. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 20th Legislature, 64, accessed July 9, 2023
51. Web site: James Stephen Hogg . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
52. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 22nd Legislature, 6, accessed July 9, 2023
53. Web site: Charles Allen Culberson . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
54. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 24th Legislature, 44, accessed July 9, 2023
55. Web site: Joseph Draper Sayers . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
56. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 26th Legislature, 82, accessed July 9, 2023
57. Web site: Samuel Willis Tucker Lanham . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
58. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 28th Legislature, 104, accessed July 9, 2023
59. Web site: Thomas Mitchell Campbell . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
60. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 30th Legislature, 109, accessed July 9, 2023
61. Web site: Oscar Branch Colquitt . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
62. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 32nd Legislature, 137, accessed July 9, 2023
63. Web site: James Edward Ferguson . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
64. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 34th Legislature, 125, accessed July 9, 2023
65. Web site: William Pettus Hobby . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
66. Web site: Pat Morris Neff . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
67. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 37th Legislature, 148, accessed July 9, 2023
68. Web site: Miriam Amanda Ferguson . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
69. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 39th Legislature, 98, accessed July 9, 2023
70. Web site: Daniel J. Moody . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
71. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 40th Legislature, 81, accessed July 9, 2023
72. Web site: Ross S. Sterling . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
73. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 42nd Legislature, 74, accessed July 9, 2023
74. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 43rd Legislature, 98, accessed July 9, 2023
75. Web site: James V. Allred . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
76. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 44th Legislature, 93, accessed July 9, 2023
77. Web site: Wilbert Lee O'Daniel . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
78. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 46th Legislature, 100, accessed July 9, 2023
79. Web site: Coke R. Stevenson . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
80. News: 1941-08-04 . Stevenson Is New Governor of Texas . 1 . Big Spring Daily Herald . Associated Press . 2023-07-10.
81. Web site: Beauford Halbert Jester . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
82. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 50th Legislature, 60, accessed July 9, 2023
83. Web site: Allan Shivers . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
84. News: 1949-07-11 . Gov. Jester Found Dead in Pullman Berth at Houston . 1 . Fort Worth Star-Telegram . Associated Press . 2023-07-10.
85. Web site: Price Daniel . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
86. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 55th Legislature, 64, accessed July 9, 2023
87. Web site: John Bowden Connally . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
88. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 58th Legislature, 56, accessed July 9, 2023
89. Web site: Preston Smith . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
90. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 61st Legislature, 98, accessed July 9, 2023
91. Web site: Dolph Briscoe . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
92. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 63rd Legislature, 113, accessed July 9, 2023
93. Web site: William P. Clements . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
94. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 66th Legislature, 121, accessed July 9, 2023
95. Web site: Mark White . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
96. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 68th Legislature, 138, accessed July 9, 2023
97. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 70th Legislature, 122, accessed July 9, 2023
98. Web site: Dorothy Ann Willis Richards . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
99. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 72nd Legislature, 139, accessed July 9, 2023
100. Web site: George W. Bush . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
101. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 74th Legislature, 35, accessed July 9, 2023
102. Web site: Rick Perry . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
103. News: Susswein . Gary . Kurtz . Michele . 2000-12-22 . Perry Promises a Prosperous Future for Texas . 1 . Austin American-Statesman . 2023-07-10.
104. Web site: Greg Abbott . July 5, 2023 . National Governors Association.
105. Texas Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 84th Legislature, 182, accessed July 9, 2023