List of governors of Washington

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English Template:Infobox official post The governor of Washington is the head of government of Washington and commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.<ref name="wac-3-2">WA Const. art. III, § 2.</ref><ref>WA Const. art. III, § 8.</ref> The officeholder has a duty to enforce state laws,<ref name="wac-3-5">WA Const. art. III, § 5.</ref> the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Washington Legislature and line-item veto power to cancel specific provisions in spending bills.<ref>WA Const. art. III, § 12.</ref> The Washington governor may also convene the legislature on "extraordinary occasions".<ref name="wac-3-5" />

Washington Territory had 14 territorial governors from its organization in 1853 until the formation of the state of Washington in 1889. Territorial governors were appointed by the president of the United States. Elisha P. Ferry had the longest term of eight years and went on to become the state's first governor. William H. Wallace was appointed governor but never took office due to being elected as the territory's congressional delegate. George Edward Cole was appointed governor and took office, but his appointment was never ratified by the U.S. Senate and he was replaced as governor after four months.

Twenty-two individuals have held the office of Governor of Washington since the state's admission to the Union, with Arthur B. Langlie serving non-consecutive terms. Populist Party candidate John Rankin Rogers is the only non-Democratic or Republican nominee to win office. The most recent governor to be from Eastern Washington was Clarence D. Martin, elected in 1932.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The current governor is Democrat Bob Ferguson, who took office on January 15, 2025.

List of governors

Territory of Washington

Washington Territory was organized on March 2, 1853, from the northern half of Oregon Territory.

Governors of the Territory of Washington

Template:Abbr	Governor		Term in officeTemplate:Efn	Appointing President
1	File:Isaac Stevens (3x4 cropped).jpg	Isaac Stevens Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – August 11, 1857 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	Template:Sortname
2	File:LaFayette McMullen.jpg	Fayette McMullen Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – March 5, 1859 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	Template:Sortname
3	File:Richard D. Gholson.jpg	Richard D. Gholson Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – February 14, 1861 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	Template:Sortname
—	File:William H. Wallace (3x4 cropped).jpg	William H. Wallace Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:Dts – July 8, 1861 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	Template:Sortname
4	File:William Pickering.jpg	William Pickering Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – November 21, 1866 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	Template:Sortname
				Template:Sortname
5	File:George Edward Cole.jpg	George Edward Cole Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – March 4, 1867 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	Template:Sortname
6	File:MFMoore.jpg	Marshall F. Moore Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – April 5, 1869 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	Template:Sortname
7	File:Alvan Flanders.jpg	Alvan Flanders Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – March 14, 1870 Template:Small	Template:Sortname
8	File:Edward Selig Salomon.jpg	Edward S. Salomon Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – April 26, 1872 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	Template:Sortname
9	File:Elisha Peyre Ferry.jpg	Elisha P. Ferry Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – April 26, 1880 Template:Small	Template:Sortname
10	File:William A Newell.jpg	William A. Newell Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – July 2, 1884 Template:Small	Template:Sortname
11	File:Watson C Squire.jpg	Watson C. Squire Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – April 9, 1887 Template:Small	Template:Sortname
12	File:Eugene Semple.jpg	Eugene Semple Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – March 23, 1889 Template:Small	Template:Sortname
13	File:Miles C. Moore.jpg	Miles Conway Moore Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – November 18, 1889 Template:Small	Template:Sortname

State of Washington

Washington was admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889. The term for governor is four years,<ref name="wac-3-2" /> commencing on the second Monday in the January following the election.<ref>WA Const. art. III, § 4</ref> If the office of governor is vacant or the governor is unable to discharge their duties, the lieutenant governor assumes the duties of governor, though still officially retains the office of lieutenant governor.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> If both the offices of governor and lieutenant governor are unable to fulfill their duties, the secretary of state is next in line, and then the treasurer.<ref>WA Const. art. III, § 10</ref> There is no limit to the number of terms a governor may serve.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The office of lieutenant governor is not elected on the same ticket as the governor.

Governors of the State of Washington

Template:Abbr	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. GovernorTemplate:Efn
1	File:Elisha Peyre Ferry.jpg	rowspan="2" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	Elisha P. Ferry Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-ferry">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 11, 1893 Template:SmallTemplate:Sfn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1889	rowspan="2"style="background: Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
2	File:John McGraw 1890 (1).jpg	John McGraw Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-mcgraw">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Washington State Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 3rd legislature, 44, accessed July 20, 2023</ref> – January 13, 1897 Template:Small	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1892	Template:Sortname
3	File:John Rankin Rogers.jpg	style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	John Rankin Rogers Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-rogers">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Washington State Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 5th legislature, 34, accessed July 20, 2023</ref> – December 26, 1901 Template:Small	PopulistTemplate:Sfn	1896	style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
		style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|		DemocraticTemplate:Sfn		1900	style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Template:SortnameTemplate:Efn
4	File:Governor Henry McBride.jpg	rowspan="4" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Henry McBride Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-mcbride">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 11, 1905 Template:SmallTemplate:Sfn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	Template:Small	Vacant
5	File:Governor Albert E. Mead.jpg	Albert E. Mead Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-mead">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Washington State Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 9th legislature, 33, accessed July 20, 2023</ref> – January 27, 1909 Template:SmallTemplate:Sfn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1904	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
6	File:Samuel Goodlove Cosgrove.jpg	Samuel G. Cosgrove Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-cosgrove">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Washington State Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 11th legislature, 152, accessed July 20, 2023</ref> – March 28, 1909 Template:Small	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1908	Template:Sortname
7	File:Governor Marion E. Hay.jpg	Marion E. Hay Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-hay">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 15, 1913 Template:Small	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	Template:Small	Vacant
8	File:Governor Ernest Lister.jpg	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Ernest Lister Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-lister">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Washington State Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 13th legislature, 44, accessed July 20, 2023</ref> – June 14, 1919 Template:Small	DemocraticTemplate:Sfn	1912	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Template:SortnameTemplate:Efn
		1916
9	File:Louis F. Hart LCCN2014716914.jpg	rowspan="4" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Louis F. Hart Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-hart">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 14, 1925 Template:SmallTemplate:Sfn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	Template:Small	Vacant
		1920		rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|			Template:Sortname
10	File:Roland Hill Hartley.jpg	Roland H. Hartley Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-hartley">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Washington State Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 19th legislature, 23, accessed July 20, 2023</ref> – January 11, 1933 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1924	Template:Sortname
			1928			Template:Sortname
11	File:Clarence Daniel Martin.jpg	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Clarence D. Martin Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-martin">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 15, 1941 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	DemocraticTemplate:Sfn	1932	rowspan="5" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Template:SortnameTemplate:Efn
		1936
12	File:Arthur Bernard Langlie (cropped).jpg	style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Arthur B. Langlie Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-langlie">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Washington State Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 27th legislature, 32, accessed July 20, 2023</ref> – January 10, 1945 Template:Small	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1940
13	File:Governor Monrad Charles Wallgren (cropped).jpg	style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Monrad Wallgren Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-wallgren">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Washington State Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 29th legislature, 31, accessed July 20, 2023</ref> – January 12, 1949 Template:Small	DemocraticTemplate:Sfn	1944
14	File:Arthur Bernard Langlie (cropped).jpg	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Arthur B. Langlie Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-langlie" />	Template:Dts<ref>Washington State Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 31st legislature, 39, accessed July 20, 2023</ref> – January 16, 1957 Template:SmallTemplate:Sfn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1948
		1952				style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
15	File:Albert D. Rosellini (cropped).jpg	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Albert Rosellini Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-rosellini">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Washington State Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 35th legislature, 41, accessed July 20, 2023</ref> – January 13, 1965 Template:Small	DemocraticTemplate:Sfn	1956	rowspan="8" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Template:SortnameTemplate:Efn
		1960
16	File:Daniel J. Evans.jpg	rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Daniel J. Evans Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-evans">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Washington State Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 39th legislature, 60, accessed July 20, 2023</ref> – January 12, 1977 Template:SmallTemplate:Sfn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1964
		1968
		1972
17	File:Dixy Lee Ray (cropped).jpg	style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Dixy Lee Ray Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-ray">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Washington State Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 45th legislature, 44, accessed July 20, 2023</ref> – January 14, 1981 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	Democratic<ref name="nga-ray" />	1976
18	File:JohnDSpellman.jpg	style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	John Spellman Template:Small <ref name="nga-spellman">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Washington State Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 47th legislature, 52, accessed July 20, 2023</ref> – January 16, 1985 Template:Small	Republican<ref name="nga-spellman" />	1980
19	File:Booth Gardner (3x4 cropped).jpg	rowspan="11" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Booth Gardner Template:Small <ref name="nga-gardner">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Washington State Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 49th legislature, 44, accessed July 20, 2023</ref> – Template:Dts Template:Small	Democratic<ref name="nga-gardner" />	1984
		1988		rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|			Template:SortnameTemplate:Efn
20	File:Michael E. Lowry.jpg	Mike Lowry Template:Small <ref name="nga-lowry">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Washington State Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 53rd legislature, 55, accessed July 20, 2023</ref> – Template:Dts Template:Small	Democratic<ref name="nga-lowry" />	1992
21	File:Gary Locke.jpg	Gary Locke Template:Small <ref name="nga-locke">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Washington State Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 55th legislature, 96, accessed July 20, 2023</ref> – Template:Dts Template:Small	Democratic<ref name="nga-locke" />	1996	rowspan="8" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Template:Sortname
			2000
22	File:ChristineGregoireOfficial (cropped).jpg	Christine Gregoire Template:Small <ref name="nga-gregoire">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Washington State Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 59th legislature, 69, accessed July 20, 2023</ref> – Template:Dts Template:Small	Democratic<ref name="nga-gregoire" />	2004
			2008
23	File:Jay Inslee official portrait (cropped 2).jpg	Jay Inslee Template:Small <ref name="nga-inslee">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Washington State Legislature. Journal of the House of Representatives. 63rd legislature, 50, accessed July 20, 2023</ref> – Template:Dts Template:Small	Democratic<ref name="nga-inslee" />	2012
			2016			Template:Sortname
			2020			Template:Sortname
24	File:Bob Ferguson at his 2023 Shrimp Feed 02 (cropped).jpg	Bob Ferguson Template:Small <ref name="nga-ferguson">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – IncumbentTemplate:Efn	Democratic<ref name="nga-ferguson" />		2024

See also

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

References

General

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Specific

External links

• Office of the Governor of Washington