List of Governors of Kentucky
| Party | Governors |
|---|---|
| Democratic | 34 |
| Democratic-Republican | 9 |
| Republican | 8 |
| Whig | 6 |
| National Republican | 2 |
| Know Nothing | 1 |
The original 1792 Kentucky Constitution had the governor chosen by an electoral college for a term of four years. The second constitution in 1799 changed this to a popular vote, and prevented governors from succeeding themselves within seven years of their terms. The third constitution in 1850 reduced the succession limitation to four years. A 1992 amendment to the constitution allowed governors to have a second term before being prevented from succeeding themselves for four years.
Fifty-six individuals have held the office of governor of Kentucky. Prior to a 1992 amendment to the state's constitution, the governor of Kentucky was prohibited from succeeding himself in office, though four men (Isaac Shelby, John L. Helm, James B. McCreary, and A. B. "Happy" Chandler) served multiple non-consecutive terms. Paul Patton, the first governor eligible for a second consecutive term under the amendment, won his reelection bid in 1999. James Garrard succeeded himself in 1800, before the constitutional provision existed.
William Goebel, who was elected to the office in the disputed election of 1899, remains the only governor of any U.S. state to die from assassination while in office. Martha Layne Collins, who held the office from 1983 to 1987, was the first woman to serve as governor of Kentucky and was only the third woman to serve as governor of any U.S. state who was not the wife or widow of a previous governor.
Steve Beshear (D) is the 61st and current governor, having served since December 11, 2007. He defeated incumbent Governor Ernie Fletcher (R) in the 2007 gubernatorial election held on November 6, 2007.
An unelected group proclaimed Kentucky's secession from the Union on November 20, 1861, and it was annexed by the Confederate States of America on December 10, 1861. The Confederate government elected two governors (listed separately), but it never held much control over the state, and the main line of governors was preserved.Governors
Kentucky was initially Kentucky County in Virginia. It achieved statehood and was admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792; see the list of governors of Virginia for the period before statehood. There have been 56 governors, serving 61 distinct terms.
#
Name
Party
Took office
Left office
Lt. Governor
Terms
1
Isaac Shelby
Democratic-Republican
June 4, 1792
June 7, 1796
None
1
2
James Garrard
Democratic-Republican
June 7, 1796
September 5, 1804
None
2
Alexander Scott Bullitt
3
Christopher Greenup
Democratic-Republican
September 5, 1804
September 1, 1808
John Caldwell
1
Thomas Posey
4
Charles Scott
Democratic-Republican
September 1, 1808
August 24, 1812
Gabriel Slaughter
1
Notes
Confederate governors
During the Civil War, a group of Confederate sympathizers met at the Russellville, Kentucky to form a Confederate government for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. While this government never successfully displaced the government in Frankfort, two men were elected governor of the Confederate government: George W. Johnson, who served from November 20, 1861 to his death on April 8, 1862 at the Battle of Shiloh, and, on Johnson's death, Richard Hawes, who served until the Confederate surrender on April 9, 1865. The Confederate government disbanded shortly after the end of the war in 1865.
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 Kentucky except where noted. * denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take.| Name | Gubernatorial term | U.S. Congress | Other offices held | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House | Senate | |||
| Christopher Greenup | 1804–1808 | H | ||
| John Adair | 1820–1824 | H | S | |
| Joseph Desha | 1824–1828 | H | ||
| Thomas Metcalfe | 1828–1832 | H | S | |
| James T. Morehead | 1834–1836 | S | ||
| James Clark | 1836–1839 | H | ||
| Charles A. Wickliffe | 1839–1840 | H | U.S. Postmaster General | |
| Robert P. Letcher | 1840–1844 | H | Ambassador to Mexico | |
| John J. Crittenden | 1848–1850 | H | S | U.S. Attorney General* (twice) |
| Lazarus W. Powell | 1851–1855 | S | ||
| Charles S. Morehead | 1855–1859 | H | ||
| John W. Stevenson | 1867–1871 | H | S* | |
| Preston Leslie | 1871–1875 | Governor of Montana Territory | ||
| James B. McCreary | 1875–1879, 1911–1915 | H | S | |
| J. Proctor Knott | 1883–1887 | H | ||
| John Y. Brown | 1891–1895 | H | ||
| William O. Bradley | 1895–1899 | S | ||
| J. C. W. Beckham | 1900–1907 | S | ||
| Augustus O. Stanley | 1915–1919 | H | S* | |
| William J. Fields | 1923–1927 | H | ||
| A. B. "Happy" Chandler | 1935–1939, 1955–1959 | S* | ||
| Earle C. Clements | 1947–1950 | H | S* | |
| Bert T. Combs | 1959–1963 | Sixth Circuit Court Judge | ||
| Wendell H. Ford | 1971–1975 | S* | ||
| Ernie Fletcher | 2003–2007 | H | ||
In addition, one Confederate governor, Richard Hawes, served as a U.S. Representative.
Living former governors
As of June 2008, seven former governors were alive, the oldest being Wendell H. Ford (1971–1975, born 1924). The most recent governor to die was Louie B. Nunn (1967–1971), on January 29, 2004. The most recently-serving governor to die was Wallace G. Wilkinson (1987–1991), on July 5, 2002.| Name | Gubernatorial term | Date of birth |
|---|---|---|
| Wendell H. Ford | 1971–1975 | September 8, 1924 |
| Julian Carroll | 1975–1979 | April 16, 1931 |
| John Y. Brown, Jr. | 1979–1983 | December 28, 1933 |
| Martha Layne Collins | 1983–1987 | December 7, 1936 |
| Brereton Jones | 1991–1995 | June 27, 1939 |
| Paul E. Patton | 1995–2003 | May 26, 1937 |
| Ernie Fletcher | 2003–2007 | November 12, 1952 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
