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List of female governors in the United States
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]] As of , 53 women have served as governor of a U.S. state, three as governor of an unincorporated U.S. territory, and two as mayor of the District of Columbia. In January 2026, women have been serving as governor in 14 U.S. states, as mayor of the District of Columbia, and as territorial governors of Guam and Puerto Rico. Of the current female state governors, 10 are Democrats and 4 are Republicans. Madeleine Kunin is the oldest living former female governor at 92.
History
]] The first woman to act as governor was Carolyn B. Shelton, who served as Acting Governor of Oregon for one weekend from 9 a.m. on February 27, through 10 a.m. on March 1, 1909. The outgoing governor, George Earle Chamberlain, had been elected to the U.S. Senate and had to leave for Washington, D.C., before his term ended; the incoming governor, Frank W. Benson, had become ill and could not assume office early. Chamberlain left Shelton, his secretary, in charge for the weekend. It was another three and a half years before women were allowed to vote in Oregon.
The first woman acting governor to be entrusted with substantial duties while in office was Soledad Chávez de Chacón, who held the powers and duties of Governor of New Mexico for two weeks in 1924 while Governor James F. Hinkle attended the Democratic Convention in New York. Lieutenant Governor José A. Baca had died in May, so Chacón, the Secretary of State, filled the position. Chacón said that she believed that her 1924 elevation was the first time in the United States that a woman had been called on to assume the responsibilities of the governor.
The first woman to assume office as governor pursuant to a special election was Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming, who was elected on November 4, 1924, following the death of her husband and former governor, William B. Ross, and was sworn in on January 5, 1925. Wyoming was the first state to provide women's suffrage after New Jersey had abolished it in 1807. Miriam A. Ferguson of Texas won the general election of November 4, 1924, and was sworn in on January 20, 1925. Her husband, former governor James Edward Ferguson, had been impeached and removed from office in 1917. The first woman elected governor who was not the wife or widow of a former state governor was Ella T. Grasso of Connecticut, elected in 1974 and sworn in on January 8, 1975. Kay Ivey of Alabama, is the longest-serving female governor in the nation. She is currently serving having been first elected in 2018.
To date, no woman has ever changed parties during her gubernatorial term or has been elected as a third-party member or an independent.
Demographics
As of 2026, Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and New Mexico are the only states to have elected women as governors from both major parties. Arizona was the first state where a woman followed another woman as governor (they were from different parties). Arizona has also had the most with five, and is the first state to have three consecutive women to serve as governor.
A record 14 out of 50 state governorships were held by women following Mikie Sherrill's inauguration as the Governor of New Jersey on January 20, 2026.
As of 2026, 19 states have never elected a female governor: California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Four states (Minnesota, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Utah) have never seen a major party nominate a woman in a gubernatorial election, although one woman, Olene Walker, had assumed the office of Governor of Utah from 2003 to 2005 after previous governor, Mike Leavitt, resigned.
Three women of color have been state governors: Susana Martinez and Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico (both Hispanic) and Nikki Haley of South Carolina (Indian-American). Martinez and Haley are both Republican; Lujan Grisham is a Democrat. Additionally, all six women who governed an insular area have been of an ethnic minority group: Sharon Pratt and Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C. (both African-American), Sila María Calderón, Wanda Vázquez Garced and Jenniffer González-Colón of Puerto Rico (all Hispanic), and Lou Leon Guerrero of Guam (Pacific Islander). Pratt, Bowser, Calderón, and Guerrero are Democrats, while Vázquez Garced and Gonzalez-Colon are Republicans.
Histograph
| Starting | Total | Graph |
|---|---|---|
| March 4, 1789 | 0 | |
| January 5, 1925 | 1 | ❚ |
| January 20, 1925 | 2 | ❚❚ |
| January 3, 1927 | 1 | ❚ |
| January 17, 1927 | 0 | |
| January 17, 1933 | 1 | ❚ |
| January 15, 1935 | 0 | |
| January 16, 1967 | 1 | ❚ |
| May 7, 1968 | 0 | |
| January 8, 1975 | 1 | ❚ |
| January 12, 1977 | 2 | ❚❚ |
| December 31, 1980 | 1 | ❚ |
| January 14, 1981 | 0 | |
| December 13, 1983 | 1 | ❚ |
| January 10, 1985 | 2 | ❚❚ |
| January 9, 1987 | 3 | ❚❚❚ |
| December 8, 1987 | 2 | ❚❚ |
| April 4, 1988 | 3 | ❚❚❚ |
| January 9, 1991 | 2 | ❚❚ |
| January 10, 1991 | 1 | ❚ |
| January 14, 1991 | 3 | ❚❚❚ |
| January 15, 1991 | 4 | ❚❚❚❚ |
| March 6, 1991 | 3 | ❚❚❚ |
| January 18, 1994 | 4 | ❚❚❚❚ |
| January 9, 1995 | 2 | ❚❚ |
| January 17, 1995 | 1 | ❚ |
| January 9, 1997 | 2 | ❚❚ |
| September 5, 1997 | 3 | ❚❚❚ |
| December 31, 1998 | 4 | ❚❚❚❚ |
| January 11, 1999 | 3 | ❚❚❚ |
| January 1, 2001 | 4 | ❚❚❚❚ |
| January 3, 2001 | 5 | ❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 31, 2001 | 4 | ❚❚❚❚ |
| April 10, 2001 | 5 | ❚❚❚❚❚ |
| December 2, 2002 | 6 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 1, 2003 | 7 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 2, 2003 | 6 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 9, 2003 | 5 | ❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 13, 2003 | 6 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| November 5, 2003 | 7 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 12, 2004 | 8 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| July 1, 2004 | 9 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 3, 2005 | 7 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 12, 2005 | 8 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| December 4, 2006 | 9 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 14, 2008 | 8 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 10, 2009 | 9 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 20, 2009 | 8 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| April 28, 2009 | 7 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| July 26, 2009 | 6 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| December 6, 2010 | 5 | ❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 5, 2011 | 4 | ❚❚❚❚ |
| January 10, 2011 | 5 | ❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 12, 2011 | 6 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 3, 2013 | 7 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 5, 2013 | 6 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 16, 2013 | 5 | ❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 5, 2015 | 4 | ❚❚❚❚ |
| January 6, 2015 | 5 | ❚❚❚❚❚ |
| February 16, 2015 | 6 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 2, 2017 | 5 | ❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 24, 2017 | 4 | ❚❚❚❚ |
| April 10, 2017 | 5 | ❚❚❚❚❚ |
| May 24, 2017 | 6 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 1, 2019 | 7 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 2, 2019 | 8 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 5, 2019 | 9 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| March 2, 2021 | 8 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| August 24, 2021 | 9 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 2, 2023 | 10 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 5, 2023 | 11 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 10, 2023 | 12 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 7, 2025 | 13 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 9, 2025 | 14 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 21, 2025 | 13 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 25, 2025 | 12 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 17, 2026 | 13 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
| January 20, 2026 | 14 | ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ |
State governors
| Image | Name | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (lifespan) | State | Term start | Term end | Party | Notes | Departure | Time in office | |||||
| Ref | ||||||||||||
| [[File:Nellie Tayloe Ross.jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (1876–1977) | Wyoming Wyoming | First woman to serve as governor. First woman as Governor of Wyoming. First woman elected in a special election. | Lost reelection | |||||||||
| [[File:Miriam A. Ferguson.jpg | 96x96px]] | |||||||||||
| (1875–1961) | Texas Texas | First woman as Governor of Texas. First woman elected in a general election. First woman to serve non-consecutive terms as Governor. | Lost renomination | |||||||||
| Retired | ||||||||||||
| [[File:Lurleen Wallace.jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (1926–1968) | Alabama Alabama | First woman as Governor of Alabama. First woman to die in office as governor. | Died in office | |||||||||
| [[File:Ella Grasso.jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (1919–1981) | Connecticut Connecticut | First woman as Governor of Connecticut. First woman to resign as governor. | Resigned | |||||||||
| [[File:Dixy Lee Ray.jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (1914–1994) | Washington Washington | First woman as Governor of Washington. | Lost renomination | |||||||||
| [[File:Vesta Roy Portrait NH Statehouse 02.jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (1925–2002) | New Hampshire New Hampshire | First woman as Acting Governor of New Hampshire. Elevated while President of the Senate. Shortest serving female governor. | Acting governor replaced upon inauguration of a full governor | |||||||||
| [[File:Lt. Governor Martha Layne Collins (cropped).jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (1936–2025) | Kentucky Kentucky | First woman as Governor of Kentucky. | Term-limited | |||||||||
| [[File:Madeleine Kunin 2009 (cropped).jpg | 99x99px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1933) | Vermont Vermont | First woman as Governor of Vermont. First foreign-born woman as governor. | Retired | |||||||||
| [[File:Kay Orr 2017.jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1939) | Nebraska Nebraska | First woman as Governor of Nebraska. First woman elected to a governorship over another woman nominated by a major party. First Republican woman elected to a governorship. | Lost reelection | |||||||||
| [[File:Rose Mofford 2012.jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (1922–2016) | Arizona Arizona | First woman as Governor of Arizona. Elevated from Secretary of State. | Retired | |||||||||
| (1925–2001) | Kansas Kansas | First woman as Governor of Kansas. First woman to defeat an incumbent governor in a general election. | Retired | |||||||||
| [[File: Barbara Roberts (8100211362).jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1936) | Oregon Oregon | First woman as Governor of Oregon. | Retired | |||||||||
| [[File:Ann Richards, Governor of Texas.jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (1933–2006) | Texas Texas | Lost reelection | ||||||||||
| [[File: Christine Todd Whitman 412-APD-A5-EPA13a.jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1946) | New Jersey New Jersey | First woman as Governor of New Jersey. First Republican woman to defeat an incumbent governor in a general election. | Resigned to become EPA Administrator | title=Governor Christine Todd Whitman Gubernatorial Timeline | url=http://governors.rutgers.edu/on-governors/nj-governors/governor-christine-todd-whitman-administration/governor-christine-todd-whitman-gubernatorial-timeline/ | publisher=Rutgers.edu | access-date=April 4, 2019}} | |||||
| [[File:Shaheen Senate Portrait.jpg | 93x93px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1947) | New Hampshire New Hampshire | First woman elected Governor of New Hampshire. First woman elected as both Governor and U.S. Senator. | Retired | title=Gov. Jeanne Shaheen | url=https://www.nga.org/governor/jeanne-shaheen/ | publisher=NGA.org | access-date=April 4, 2019}} | |||||
| [[File: Jane Dee Hull by Gage Skidmore.jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (1935–2020) | Arizona Arizona | Elevated from Secretary of State. Later elected in her own right. | Term-limited | |||||||||
| [[File:Nancy Hollister (Ohio governor).jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1949) | Ohio Ohio | First woman as Governor of Ohio. Elevated from Lieutenant Governor. | Term ended | |||||||||
| [[File:Judy Martz 2003 (cropped).jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (1943–2017) | Montana Montana | First woman as Governor of Montana. | Retired | |||||||||
| [[File:Ruth Ann Minner (2008) (cropped).jpg | 93x93px]] | |||||||||||
| (1935–2021) | Delaware Delaware | First woman as Governor of Delaware. | Term-limited | |||||||||
| [[File:Jane Swift 2001 (3x4a).jpeg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1965) | Massachusetts Massachusetts | First woman as Acting Governor of Massachusetts. Elevated to acting governor while Lieutenant Governor. First to give birth while in office. | Retired | |||||||||
| [[File: Linda Lingle in March 2010.jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1953) | Hawaii Hawaii | First woman as Governor of Hawaii. | Term-limited | |||||||||
| [[File:Secretary Jennifer Granholm (June 2021).jpg | 93x93px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1959) | Michigan Michigan | First woman as Governor of Michigan. | Term-limited | |||||||||
| [[File:Janet Napolitano by Gage Skidmore 3.jpg | 99x99px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1957) | Arizona Arizona | First woman to succeed another woman. | Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security | |||||||||
| [[File:Kathleen Sebelius official portrait.jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1948) | Kansas Kansas | First governor who is the daughter of a former governor. | Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services | |||||||||
| [[File:Olene Walker.JPG | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (1930–2015) | Utah Utah | First woman as Governor of Utah. Elevated from Lieutenant Governor. | Lost nomination for full term | |||||||||
| [[File:Kathleen Blanco 2006 (cropped).jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (1942–2019) | Louisiana Louisiana | First woman as Governor of Louisiana. | Retired | |||||||||
| [[File:Jodi Rell 2007.jpg | 103x103px]] | |||||||||||
| (1946–2024) | Connecticut Connecticut | Elevated from Lieutenant Governor. Later elected in her own right. | Retired | |||||||||
| [[File:ChristineGregoireOfficial.jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1947) | Washington Washington | Retired | ||||||||||
| [[File:Sarah Palin (51769866572) (cropped).jpg | 100x100px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1964) | Alaska Alaska | First woman as Governor of Alaska. | Resigned | |||||||||
| [[File:Beverly Perdue official photo.jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1947) | North Carolina North Carolina | First woman as Governor of North Carolina. | Retired | |||||||||
| [[File:Jan Brewer by Gage Skidmore 5.jpg | 105x105px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1944) | Arizona Arizona | Elevated from Secretary of State. Later elected in her own right. | Retired | |||||||||
| [[File:Governor NewMexico.jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1959) | New Mexico New Mexico | First woman as Governor of New Mexico. First Latina to serve as Governor of a U.S. state. | Term-limited | |||||||||
| [[File:Governor Mary Fallin May 2015.jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1954) | Oklahoma Oklahoma | First woman as Governor of Oklahoma. | Term-limited | |||||||||
| [[File:Official Photo of SC Governor Nikki Haley (cropped).jpg | 98x98px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1972) | South Carolina South Carolina | First woman as Governor of South Carolina. First Indian American woman serving as governor. | Resigned to become U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations | |||||||||
| [[File:Maggie Hassan, official portrait, 115th Congress.jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1958) | New Hampshire New Hampshire | Resigned to become a U.S. Senator | ||||||||||
| [[File:Gina Raimondo.jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1971) | Rhode Island Rhode Island | First woman as Governor of Rhode Island. | Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Commerce | |||||||||
| [[File:Gov Kate Brown 2021.jpg | 97x97px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1960) | Oregon Oregon | First openly bisexual governor and first openly LGBT elected governor. Elevated from Secretary of State. Later elected in her own right. | Term-limited | |||||||||
| [[File:Governor Kay Ivey 2017 (cropped).jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1944) | Alabama Alabama | Incumbent | Elevated from Lieutenant Governor. Later elected in her own right. Longest serving female governor. | Serving | ** | |||||||
| [[File:Kim Reynolds (53129996491) (cropped).jpg | 100x100px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1959) | Iowa Iowa | Incumbent | First woman as Governor of Iowa. Elevated from Lieutenant Governor. Later elected in her own right. | Serving | ** | |||||||
| [[File:8R4A9872 (53367444225) (Whitmer1).jpg | 99x99px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1971) | Michigan Michigan | Incumbent | Serving | ** | ||||||||
| [[File:Michelle Lujan Grisham 2021.jpg | 97x97px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1959) | New Mexico New Mexico | Incumbent | Serving | ** | ||||||||
| [[File:Maine congressional delegation meets with Gov Janet Mills (cropped).jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1947) | Maine Maine | Incumbent | First woman as Governor of Maine. | Serving | ** | |||||||
| [[File:Kristi Noem Portrait 2 (cropped 2).jpg | 93x93px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1971) | South Dakota South Dakota | First woman as Governor of South Dakota. | Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security | |||||||||
| [[File:Laura Kelly official photo.jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1950) | Kansas Kansas | Incumbent | Serving | ** | ||||||||
| [[File:Kathy Hochul March 2024.jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1958) | New York New York | Incumbent | First woman as Governor of New York. Elevated from Lieutenant Governor. Later elected in her own right. | Serving | ** | |||||||
| [[File:Katie Hobbs in 2025.jpg | 100x100px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1969) | Arizona Arizona | Incumbent | Serving | ** | ||||||||
| [[File:Maura Healey, official portrait, governor.jpg | 95x95px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1971) | Massachusetts Massachusetts | Incumbent | First woman elected as Governor of Massachusetts. First openly lesbian governor. | Serving | ** | |||||||
| [[File:Tina Kotek, 2021.jpg | 99x99px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1966) | Oregon Oregon | Incumbent | First openly LGBT governor to succeed another openly LGBT governor. | Serving | ** | |||||||
| [[File:Sarah Huckabee Sanders 2023.jpg | 75px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1982) | Arkansas Arkansas | Incumbent | First woman as Governor of Arkansas. Youngest current governor in the United States; first millennial governor. | Serving | ** | |||||||
| [[File:Bethany Hall-Long.jpg | frameless | 104x104px]] | Bethany Hall-Long | |||||||||
| (born 1963) | Delaware Delaware | Elevated from Lieutenant Governor. | Term ended; Lost nomination for full term | |||||||||
| [[File:Governor-elect Kelly Ayotte 2024 (cropped).jpg | 75px]] | Kelly Ayotte | ||||||||||
| (born 1968) | New Hampshire New Hampshire | Incumbent | Serving | ** | ||||||||
| [[File:Rep. Abigail Spanberger - 118th Congress.jpg | 99x99px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1979) | Virginia Virginia | Incumbent | First woman as Governor of Virginia. | Serving | ** | |||||||
| [[File:Gov. Mikie Sherril.jpg | 99x99px]] | |||||||||||
| (born 1972) | New Jersey New Jersey | Incumbent | First female military veteran to be elected as Governor. | Serving | ** |
Number of female governors per state
| # of governors | States | # of states |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Arizona | 1 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1 |
| 3 | Kansas, Oregon | 2 |
| 2 | Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, Texas, Washington | 9 |
| 1 | Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming | 20 |
| 0 | California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin | 17 |
Pregnancies
| Governors who have given birth while in office | Governor | State | Date of child's birth | Mother's age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jane Swift | Massachusetts | May 14, 2001 | 36 | First sitting governor or acting governor to give birth while in office. Gave birth to twin girls one month into her tenure as acting governor. | |
| Sarah Palin | Alaska | April 18, 2008 | 44 | First elected sitting governor to give birth while in office. Gave birth to son, Trig, while in office. |
Territories and the District of Columbia
| Image | Name | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (lifespan) | Jurisdiction | Term start | Term end | Party | Notes | Departure | |
| [[File:Mayor Sharon Pratt.jpg | 75px]] | ||||||
| (born 1944) | Washington, D.C. District of Columbia | First African American woman elected mayor of a major city. First woman as Mayor of the District of Columbia. | Lost renomination | ||||
| [[File:Official portrait of Puerto Rican Governor Sila María Calderón in 2001.jpg | 75px]] | {{nowrap | |||||
| (born 1942) | Puerto Rico Puerto Rico | / | |||||
| First woman as Governor of Puerto Rico. First Hispanic American woman as governor. | Retired | ||||||
| [[File:Muriel Bowser official photo.jpg | 75px]] | {{nowrap | |||||
| (born 1972) | Washington, D.C. District of Columbia | Incumbent | Serving | ||||
| [[File:Lou Leon Guerrero in 2018.jpeg | 75px]] | ||||||
| (born 1950) | Guam Guam | Incumbent | First woman as Governor of Guam. First Pacific Islander American woman as governor. | Serving | |||
| [[File:Puerto Rican Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced in 2020 (cropped).jpg | 75px]] | {{nowrap | |||||
| (born 1960) | Puerto Rico Puerto Rico | / | |||||
| Elevated from Secretary of Justice when Pedro Pierluisi was removed quo warranto. | Lost renomination | ||||||
| [[File:Official portrait of Resident Commissioner Jenniffer Gonzalez (4x5 cropped).jpg | frameless | 75px]] | Jenniffer González-Colón | ||||
| (born 1976) | Puerto Rico Puerto Rico | Incumbent | / | ||||
| Serving |
Number by party
| Party | Total number | Number of incumbents | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | ||
| 2 | 1 | ||
| Total: | 6 | 3 |
Timeline of women serving as governors
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Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas
BarData = bar:Ross bar:Ferguson barset:Governors
PlotData= width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5, -4) anchor:till bar:Ross from:05/01/1925 till:03/01/1927 color:D text:"Nellie Ross" bar:Ferguson from:20/01/1925 till:17/01/1927 color:D text: from:17/01/1933 till:15/01/1935 color:D text:"Miriam A. Ferguson" barset:Governors from:16/01/1967 till:07/05/1968 color:D text:"Lurleen Wallace" from:08/01/1975 till:31/12/1980 color:D text:"Ella T. Grasso" from:12/01/1977 till:14/01/1981 color:D text:"Dixy Lee Ray" from:30/12/1982 till:06/01/1983 color:R text:"Vesta M. Roy" from:13/12/1983 till:08/12/1987 color:D text:"Martha Layne Collins" from:10/01/1985 till:10/01/1989 color:D text:"Madeleine Kunin" from:09/01/1987 till:09/01/1991 color:R text:"Kay Orr" from:04/04/1988 till:06/03/1991 color:D text:"Rose Mofford" from:02/01/1991 till:02/01/1995 color:D text:"Sharon Pratt" from:14/01/1991 till:09/01/1995 color:D text:"Joan Finney" from:14/01/1991 till:09/01/1995 color:D text:"Barbara Roberts" from:15/01/1991 till:17/01/1995 color:D text:"Ann Richards" from:18/01/1994 till:31/01/2001 color:R text:"Christine Todd-Whitman" from:09/01/1997 till:09/01/2003 color:D text:"Jeanne Shaheen" from:05/09/1997 till:06/01/2003 color:R text:"Jane Dee Hull" from:31/12/1998 till:11/01/1999 color:R text:"Nancy Hollister" from:01/01/2001 till:03/01/2005 color:R text:"Judy Martz" from:02/01/2001 till:02/01/2005 color:D text:"Sila Calderón" from:03/01/2001 till:20/01/2009 color:D text:"Ruth Ann Minner " from:10/04/2001 till:02/01/2003 color:R text:"Jane Swift" from:02/12/2002 till:06/12/2010 color:R text:"Linda Lingle" from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2011 color:D text:"Jennifer Granholm" from:06/01/2003 till:21/01/2009 color:D text:"Janet Napolitano" from:13/01/2003 till:28/04/2009 color:D text:"Kathleen Sebelius" from:05/11/2003 till:03/01/2005 color:R text:"Olene Walker" from:12/01/2004 till:14/01/2008 color:D text:"Kathleen Blanco" from:01/07/2004 till:05/01/2011 color:R text:"Jodi Rell" from:12/01/2005 till:12/01/2013 color:D text:"Christine Gregoire" from:04/12/2006 till:26/07/2009 color:R text:"Sarah Palin" from:10/01/2009 till:05/01/2013 color:D text:"Bev Perdue" from:21/01/2009 till:05/01/2015 color:R text:"Jan Brewer" from:01/01/2011 till:01/01/2019 color:R text:"Susana Martinez" from:10/01/2011 till:14/01/2019 color:R text:"Mary Fallin" from:12/01/2011 till:24/01/2017 color:R text:"Nikki Haley" from:02/01/2013 till:03/01/2017 color:D text:"Maggie Hassan" from:02/01/2015 till: color:D text:"Muriel Bowser" from:06/01/2015 till:02/03/2021 color:D text:"Gina Raimondo" from:18/02/2015 till:09/01/2023 color:D text:"Kate Brown" from:10/04/2017 till: color:R text:"Kay Ivey" from:24/05/2017 till: color:R text:"Kim Reynolds" from:01/01/2019 till: color:D text:"Gretchen Whitmer" from:01/01/2019 till: color:D text:"Michelle Lujan Grisham" from:02/01/2019 till: color:D text:"Janet Mills " from:05/01/2019 till:25/01/2025 color:R text:"Kristi Noem" from:07/01/2019 till: color:D text:"Lou Leon Guerrero" from:14/01/2019 till: color:D text:"Laura Kelly" from:07/08/2019 till:01/02/2021 color:R text:"Wanda Vázquez Garced" from:24/08/2021 till: color:D text:"Kathy Hochul" from:02/01/2023 till: color:D text:"Katie Hobbs" from:05/01/2023 till: color:D text:"Maura Healey" from:09/01/2023 till: color:D text:"Tina Kotek" from:10/01/2023 till: color:R text:"Sarah Huckabee Sanders" from:01/01/2025 till: color:R text:"Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon" from:07/01/2025 till:21/01/2025 color:D text:"Bethany Hall-Long" from:08/01/2025 till: color:R text:"Kelly Ayotte" from:17/01/2026 till: color:D text:"Abigail Spanberger" from:20/01/2026 till: color:D text:"Mikie Sherrill" barset:skip
Elections with two female major party nominees
Incumbent governors (at the time of the election) are in bold.
| Elections with two female major party nominees | Election year | State | Winner | Second place finisher | Other female candidate(s) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Nebraska | Kay Orr | Helen Boosalis | |||||
| 2002 | Hawaii | Linda Lingle | Mazie Hirono | |||||
| 2010 | New Mexico | Susana Martinez | Diane Denish | |||||
| Oklahoma | Mary Fallin | Jari Askins | ||||||
| 2022 | Alabama | Kay Ivey | Yolanda Flowers | |||||
| Arizona | Katie Hobbs | Kari Lake | ||||||
| Iowa | Kim Reynolds | Deidre DeJear | ||||||
| Michigan | Gretchen Whitmer | Tudor Dixon | ||||||
| Oregon | Tina Kotek | Christine Drazan | Betsy Johnson | |||||
| 2024 | New Hampshire | Kelly Ayotte | Joyce Craig | |||||
| 2025 | Virginia | Abigail Spanberger | Winsome Earle-Sears |
Notes
References
References
- Long, James Andrew. (1994). "Oregon Firsts: Past and Present". Oregon Firsts Media.
- Kessler, Lauren. (1983). "The Ideas of Woman Suffrage and the Mainstream Press". Oregon Historical Quarterly.
- (July 26, 1926). "Milestones: Jul. 26, 1926".
- [[Albuquerque Journal]], October 24, 2010, reporting on an article from ''Albuquerque Morning Journal'', June 21, 1924.
- "Today in History". [[Library of Congress]].
- Lasky, Mandy. (October 12, 2019). "How Nellie Tayloe Ross became the nation's first female governor". Casper Star-Tribune.
- "Governors of Texas, 1846–present". [[Texas State Library and Archives Commission]].
- (May 16, 1986). "Ella Grasso: First Woman Elected State Governor". Essortment.
- "History of Women Governors".
- (January 17, 2014). "Minnesota: Where Female Lieutenant Governors Reign {{!}} Smart Politics".
- Rea, Tom. "The Ambition of Nellie Tayloe Ross". Wyoming State Historical Society.
- Huddlston, D. John. (June 12, 2010). "Ferguson, Miriam Amanda Wallace [Ma]". [[Texas State Historical Association]].
- Wald, Matthew L.. (February 6, 1981). "Ex-Gov. Grasso of Connecticut Dead of Cancer". [[The New York Times]].
- "From Mt. Rainier to the Governorship of Washington, Dixy Lee Ray Was a Climber". [[American Association of University Women]].
- Crawford, Allison. (March 29, 2016). "Former Kentucky Governor Martha Layne Collins Partners with Baptist Health Paducah".
- (April 1, 1985). "Once a Refugee from Nazi Europe, Madeleine Kunin Takes Charge as Vermont's First Woman Governor – Vol. 23 No. 13". [[People (magazine).
- (January 1, 2007). "Nebraska Moments". U of Nebraska Press.
- (September 16, 2016). "Rose Mofford, first woman to serve as Arizona governor, has died". azcentral.
- Myers, Roger. (July 29, 2001). "Trailblazer did it her way".
- (September 13, 2006). "Former Texas Gov. Ann Richards dies at 73". Houston Chronicle.
- "Governor Christine Todd Whitman Gubernatorial Timeline". Rutgers.edu.
- (February 22, 2002). "Vesta Roy, 76, New Hampshire Ex-Governor". [[The New York Times]].
- "Gov. Jeanne Shaheen". NGA.org.
- (September 28, 2017). "Granite State Stories: Jeanne Shaheen is first woman elected governor of New Hampshire". Concord Monitor.
- (April 8, 2001). "Swift's Unusual Ride to the Governor's Office". [[Boston Globe]].
- Herbst-Bayliss, Sva. (November 4, 2014). "Democrat Gina Raimondo becomes Rhode Island's first female governor". Reuters.
- NBC, AP. "New Information: Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey sworn in as Alabama's 54th governor".
- Noble, Jason. (May 24, 2017). "Kim Reynolds becomes Iowa's first female governor". Des Moines Register.
- "CNN.com - Massachusetts governor gives birth to twin girls - May 15, 2001".
- (September 20, 2010). "Palin confirms baby has Down syndrome (04/21/08): Gov. Sarah Palin family - adn.com".
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