List of governors of Indiana

The governor of Indiana is the head of government of the U.S. state of Indiana. The governor is the head of the executive branch of Indiana's state government and is charged with enforcing state laws.

The Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis, which houses the office of the governor

While a territory, Indiana had two governors appointed by the president of the United States. Since statehood in 1816, it has had 49 governors, serving 51 distinct terms; Isaac P. Gray and Henry F. Schricker are the only governors to have served non-consecutive terms. Four governors have served two four-year terms; territorial governor William Henry Harrison served for 11 years. The shortest-serving governor is Henry S. Lane, who served two days before resigning to become a U.S. senator. The current governor is Eric Holcomb, who took office on January 9, 2017.

List of governors

Territory of Indiana

Indiana Territory was formed on July 4, 1800, from the Northwest Territory. Despite remaining a territory for nearly 16 years, it had only two governors appointed by the president of the United States before it became a state.

Governors of Indiana Territory
No.GovernorTerm in office[a]Appointed by
1 William Henry Harrison[b]
(1773–1841)
[2]
May 13, 1800[c]

December 28, 1812
(successor appointed)
John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
2 Thomas Posey
(1750–1818)
[9]
March 3, 1813[d]

November 7, 1816
(lost election)
James Madison

State of Indiana

Indiana was admitted to the Union on December 11, 1816.

The original 1816 Constitution of Indiana provided for the election of a governor and a lieutenant governor every three years, limited to six years out of any nine-year period.[12] The second and current constitution of 1851 lengthened terms to four years and set the commencement of the governor's term on the second Monday in the January following the election.[13] Governors were allowed to serve for four years in any eight-year period,[13] but a 1972 amendment permitted governors to serve for eight years in any twelve-year period.[14] Should the office of governor become vacant, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.[15] If the office of lieutenant governor is vacant, the president pro tempore of the Indiana Senate becomes governor;[15] this has happened once, when James B. Ray succeeded William Hendricks.[16]

Governors of the State of Indiana
No.[e]GovernorTerm in officePartyElectionLt. Governor[f]
1  Jonathan Jennings
(1784–1834)
[18][19]
November 7, 1816[20]

September 12, 1822
(resigned)[g]
Democratic-
Republican
[21]
1816 Christopher Harrison
(resigned December 18, 1818)[h]
Vacant
1819Ratliff Boon
2 Ratliff Boon
(1781–1844)
[23][24]
September 12, 1822[21]

December 4, 1822
(successor took office)
Democratic-
Republican
[21]
Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
3 William Hendricks
(1782–1850)
[25][26]
December 4, 1822[27]

February 12, 1825
(resigned)[i]
Democratic-
Republican
[21]
1822Ratliff Boon
(resigned January 30, 1824)
Vacant
4 James B. Ray
(1794–1848)
[28][29]
February 12, 1825[21]

December 7, 1831
(term-limited)[j]
Democratic-
Republican
[k]
Succeeded from
president of
the Senate
[l]
1825John H. Thompson[m]
1828Milton Stapp
5 Noah Noble
(1794–1844)
[32][33]
December 7, 1831[34]

December 6, 1837
(term-limited)[j]
National
Republican
[21]
1831David Wallace
Whig[21]1834
6 David Wallace
(1799–1859)
[35][36]
December 6, 1837[37]

December 9, 1840
(did not run)
Whig[38]1837David Hillis
7 Samuel Bigger
(1802–1846)
[39][40]
December 9, 1840[41]

December 6, 1843
(lost election)
Whig[42]1840Samuel Hall
8 James Whitcomb
(1795–1852)
[43][44]
December 6, 1843[45]

December 27, 1848
(resigned)[n]
Democratic[46]1843Jesse D. Bright
(resigned December 8, 1845)
Vacant
1846Paris C. Dunning
9 Paris C. Dunning
(1806–1884)
[47][48]
December 27, 1848[49]

December 5, 1849
(did not run)
Democratic[21]Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
10 Joseph A. Wright
(1810–1867)
[50][51]
December 5, 1849[52]

January 12, 1857
(term-limited)[o]
Democratic[54]1849Jim Lane
1852[p]Ashbel P. Willard
11 Ashbel P. Willard
(1820–1860)
[55][56]
January 12, 1857[57]

October 4, 1860
(died in office)
Democratic[58]1856Abram A. Hammond
12 Abram A. Hammond
(1814–1874)
[59][60]
October 4, 1860[61]

January 14, 1861
(successor took office)
Democratic[21]Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
13 Henry S. Lane
(1811–1881)
[62][63]
January 14, 1861[64]

January 16, 1861
(resigned)[q]
Republican[65]1860Oliver P. Morton
14 Oliver P. Morton
(1823–1877)
[66][67]
January 16, 1861[68]

January 24, 1867
(resigned)[r]
Republican[21]Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
1864Conrad Baker[s]
15 Conrad Baker
(1817–1885)
[70][71]
January 24, 1867[72]

January 13, 1873
(term-limited)[o]
Republican[21]Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
1868William Cumback
(resigned January 11, 1871)
Vacant
16 Thomas A. Hendricks
(1819–1885)
[73][74]
January 13, 1873[75]

January 8, 1877
(term-limited)[o]
Democratic[21]1872Leonidas Sexton[t]
17 James D. Williams
(1808–1880)
[76][77]
January 8, 1877[78]

November 20, 1880
(died in office)
Democratic[21]1876Isaac P. Gray
18 Isaac P. Gray
(1828–1895)
[79][80]
November 20, 1880[81]

January 10, 1881
(successor took office)
Democratic[21]Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
19 Albert G. Porter
(1824–1897)
[82][83]
January 10, 1881[84]

January 12, 1885
(term-limited)[o]
Republican[21]1880Thomas Hanna
20 Isaac P. Gray
(1828–1895)
[79][80]
January 12, 1885[85]

January 14, 1889
(term-limited)[o]
Democratic[21]1884Mahlon Dickerson Manson
(resigned July 1886)
Vacant
21 Alvin Peterson Hovey
(1821–1891)
[86][87]
January 14, 1889[88]

November 23, 1891
(died in office)
Republican[21]1888Ira Joy Chase
22 Ira Joy Chase
(1834–1895)
[89][90]
November 23, 1891[91]

January 9, 1893
(lost election)
Republican[21]Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
23 Claude Matthews
(1845–1898)
[92][93]
January 9, 1893[94]

January 11, 1897
(term-limited)[o]
Democratic[21]1892Mortimer Nye
24 James A. Mount
(1843–1901)
[95][96]
January 11, 1897[97]

January 14, 1901
(term-limited)[o]
Republican[21]1896William S. Haggard
25 Winfield T. Durbin
(1847–1928)
[98][99]
January 14, 1901[100]

January 9, 1905
(term-limited)[o]
Republican[21]1900Newton W. Gilbert
26 Frank Hanly
(1863–1920)
[101][102]
January 9, 1905[103]

January 11, 1909
(term-limited)[o]
Republican[21]1904Hugh Thomas Miller
27 Thomas R. Marshall
(1854–1925)
[104][105]
January 11, 1909[106]

January 13, 1913
(term-limited)[o]
Democratic[21]1908Frank J. Hall
28 Samuel M. Ralston
(1857–1925)
[107][108]
January 13, 1913[109]

January 8, 1917
(term-limited)[o]
Democratic[21]1912William P. O'Neill
29 James P. Goodrich
(1864–1940)
[110][111]
January 8, 1917[112]

January 10, 1921
(term-limited)[o]
Republican[21]1916Edgar D. Bush
30 Warren T. McCray
(1865–1938)
[113][114]
January 10, 1921[115]

April 30, 1924
(resigned)[u]
Republican[21]1920Emmett Forest Branch
31 Emmett Forest Branch
(1874–1932)
[116][117]
April 30, 1924[118]

January 12, 1925
(did not run)
Republican[21]Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
32 Edward L. Jackson
(1873–1954)
[119][120]
January 12, 1925[121]

January 14, 1929
(term-limited)[o]
Republican[21]1924F. Harold Van Orman
33 Harry G. Leslie
(1878–1937)
[122][123]
January 14, 1929[124]

January 9, 1933
(term-limited)[o]
Republican[21]1928Edgar D. Bush
34 Paul V. McNutt
(1891–1955)
[125][126]
January 9, 1933[127]

January 11, 1937
(term-limited)[o]
Democratic[21]1932M. Clifford Townsend
35 M. Clifford Townsend
(1884–1954)
[128][129]
January 11, 1937[130]

January 13, 1941
(term-limited)[o]
Democratic[21]1936Henry F. Schricker
36 Henry F. Schricker
(1883–1966)
[131][132]
January 13, 1941[133]

January 8, 1945
(term-limited)[o]
Democratic[21]1940Charles M. Dawson
37 Ralph F. Gates
(1893–1978)
[134][135]
January 8, 1945[136]

January 10, 1949
(term-limited)[o]
Republican[21]1944Richard T. James
(resigned April 1, 1948)
Vacant
Rue J. Alexander
(appointed April 14, 1948)
(died January 2, 1949)
Vacant
38 Henry F. Schricker
(1883–1966)
[131][132]
January 10, 1949[137]

January 12, 1953
(term-limited)[o]
Democratic[21]1948John A. Watkins
39 George N. Craig
(1909–1992)
[138][139]
January 12, 1953[140]

January 14, 1957
(term-limited)[o]
Republican[21]1952Harold W. Handley
40 Harold W. Handley
(1909–1972)
[141][142]
January 14, 1957[143]

January 9, 1961
(term-limited)[o]
Republican[21]1956Crawford F. Parker
41 Matthew E. Welsh
(1912–1995)
[144][145]
January 9, 1961[146]

January 11, 1965
(term-limited)[o]
Democratic[21]1960Richard O. Ristine[t]
42 Roger D. Branigin
(1902–1975)
[147][148]
January 11, 1965[149]

January 13, 1969
(term-limited)[o]
Democratic[21]1964Robert L. Rock
43 Edgar Whitcomb
(1917–2016)
[150][151]
January 13, 1969[152]

January 8, 1973
(did not run)[v]
Republican[21]1968Richard E. Folz
44 Otis Bowen
(1918–2013)
[153][154]
January 8, 1973[155]

January 12, 1981
(term-limited)[w]
Republican[21]1972Robert D. Orr
1976
45 Robert D. Orr
(1917–2004)
[157]
January 12, 1981[158]

January 9, 1989
(term-limited)[w]
Republican[157]1980John Mutz
1984
46 Evan Bayh
(b. 1955)
[159]
January 9, 1989[160]

January 13, 1997
(term-limited)[w]
Democratic[159]1988Frank O'Bannon
1992
47 Frank O'Bannon
(1930–2003)
[161]
January 13, 1997[162]

September 13, 2003
(died in office)
Democratic[161]1996Joe Kernan
2000
48 Joe Kernan
(1946–2020)
[163]
September 13, 2003[164]

January 10, 2005
(lost election)
Democratic[163]Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
Kathy Davis
(appointed October 20, 2003)
49 Mitch Daniels
(b. 1949)
[165]
January 10, 2005[166]

January 14, 2013
(term-limited)[w]
Republican[165]2004Becky Skillman
2008
50 Mike Pence
(b. 1959)
[167]
January 14, 2013[168]

January 9, 2017
(withdrew)[x]
Republican[167]2012Sue Ellspermann
(resigned March 2, 2016)
Vacant
Eric Holcomb
(appointed March 3, 2016)
51 Eric Holcomb
(b. 1968)
[170]
January 9, 2017[171]

Incumbent[y]
Republican[170]2016Suzanne Crouch
2020

See also

Notes

References

General
Constitutions
Specific

External links