List of governors of Illinois - wikipedia List of governors of Illinois The Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Illinois. The governor is the head of the executive branch of Illinois 's state government and is charged with enforcing state laws. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Illinois Legislature, to convene the legislature, and to grant pardons, except in cases of impeachment. The governor is also the commander - in - chief of the state 's military forces. There have been 42 governors of the state of Illinois since it became a state in 1818 ; before that, it had only one territorial governor. The longest - serving governor was James R. Thompson, who was elected four times to a term lasting 14 years. The current governor is Bruce Rauner, elected for a four - year in 2014. Contents 1 Governors 1.1 Governor of the Territory of Illinois 1.2 Governors of the State of Illinois 2 Notes 3 Living former U.S. governors of Illinois 4 References Governors Governor of the Territory of Illinois For the period before the Illinois Territory was formed, see the list of Governors of Indiana Territory. Illinois Territory was formed on March 1, 1809, from Indiana Territory. It had only one governor appointed by the President of the United States before it became a state. From March to June 1809, Territorial Secretary Nathaniel Pope served as acting governor ; Edwards ' arrival in Illinois ended Pope 's brief administration. # Governor Term in office Appointed by Ninian Edwards March 1, 1809 -- October 6, 1818 James Madison Governors of the state of Illinois Illinois was admitted to the Union on December 3, 1818, consisting of the southern portion of Illinois Territory ; the remainder was assigned to Michigan Territory. The first Illinois Constitution, ratified in 1818, provided that a governor be elected every four years for a term starting on the first Monday in the December following an election. The constitution of 1848 moved the start of the term to the second Monday in January. Governors were not allowed to succeed themselves until the 1870 constitution, which removed this limit. The office of lieutenant governor was created in the first constitution, to exercise the power of governor if that office becomes vacant. The 1848 constitution changed this to say the power `` devolves '' upon the lieutenant governor in case of a vacancy. The current constitution of 1970 made it so that, in the event of a vacancy, the lieutenant becomes governor, and the governor and lieutenant governor are now elected on the same ticket. # Governor Term in office Party Election Lt. Governor Shadrach Bond October 6, 1818 -- December 5, 1822 Independent 1818 Pierre Menard Edward Coles December 5, 1822 -- December 6, 1826 Independent 1822 Adolphus Hubbard Ninian Edwards December 6, 1826 -- December 6, 1830 Adams - Clay Republican 1826 William Kinney John Reynolds December 6, 1830 -- November 17, 1834 Democratic 1830 Zadok Casey ( resigned March 1, 1833 ) William Lee D. Ewing William Lee D. Ewing November 17, 1834 -- December 3, 1834 Democratic Vacant 6 Joseph Duncan December 3, 1834 -- December 7, 1838 Whig 1834 Alexander Jenkins ( resigned December 9, 1836 ) William H. Davidson 7 Thomas Carlin December 7, 1838 -- December 8, 1842 Democratic 1838 Stinson Anderson 8 Thomas Ford December 8, 1842 -- December 9, 1846 Democratic 1842 John Moore 9 Augustus C. French December 9, 1846 -- January 10, 1853 Democratic 1846 Joseph Wells 1848 William McMurtry 10 Joel Aldrich Matteson January 10, 1853 -- January 12, 1857 Democratic 1852 Gustavus Koerner 11 William Henry Bissell January 12, 1857 -- March 18, 1860 Republican 1856 John Wood 12 John Wood March 18, 1860 -- January 14, 1861 Republican Vacant Thomas Marshall 13 Richard Yates January 14, 1861 -- January 16, 1865 Republican 1860 Francis Hoffmann 14 Richard J. Oglesby January 16, 1865 -- January 11, 1869 Republican 1864 William Bross 15 John M. Palmer January 11, 1869 -- January 13, 1873 Republican 1868 John Dougherty 14 Richard J. Oglesby January 13, 1873 -- January 23, 1873 Republican 1872 John Lourie Beveridge 16 John Lourie Beveridge January 23, 1873 -- January 8, 1877 Republican John Early ( term ended January 8, 1875 ) Archibald Glenn 17 Shelby Moore Cullom January 8, 1877 -- February 5, 1883 Republican 1876 Andrew Shuman 1880 John Marshall Hamilton 18 John Marshall Hamilton February 5, 1883 -- January 30, 1885 Republican William Campbell 14 Richard J. Oglesby January 30, 1885 -- January 14, 1889 Republican 1884 John Smith 19 Joseph W. Fifer January 14, 1889 -- January 10, 1893 Republican 1888 Lyman Ray 20 John Peter Altgeld January 10, 1893 -- January 11, 1897 Democratic 1892 Joseph B. Gill 21 John R. Tanner January 11, 1897 -- January 14, 1901 Republican 1896 William Northcott 22 Richard Yates, Jr. January 14, 1901 -- January 9, 1905 Republican 1900 23 Charles S. Deneen January 9, 1905 -- February 3, 1913 Republican 1904 Lawrence Sherman 1908 John G. Oglesby 24 Edward F. Dunne February 3, 1913 -- January 8, 1917 Democratic 1912 Barratt O'Hara 25 Frank O. Lowden January 8, 1917 -- January 10, 1921 Republican 1916 John G. Oglesby 26 Len Small January 10, 1921 -- January 14, 1929 Republican 1920 Fred E. Sterling 1924 27 Louis L. Emmerson January 14, 1929 -- January 9, 1933 Republican 1928 28 Henry Horner January 9, 1933 -- October 6, 1940 Democratic 1932 Thomas Donovan 1936 John H. Stelle 29 John H. Stelle October 6, 1940 -- January 13, 1941 Democratic Vacant 30 Dwight H. Green January 13, 1941 -- January 10, 1949 Republican 1940 Hugh W. Cross 1944 31 Adlai E. Stevenson II January 10, 1949 -- January 12, 1953 Democratic 1948 Sherwood Dixon 32 William G. Stratton January 12, 1953 -- January 9, 1961 Republican 1952 John William Chapman 1956 33 Otto Kerner, Jr. January 9, 1961 -- May 21, 1968 Democratic 1960 Samuel H. Shapiro 1964 34 Samuel H. Shapiro May 21, 1968 -- January 13, 1969 Democratic Vacant 35 Richard Buell Ogilvie January 13, 1969 -- January 8, 1973 Republican 1968 Paul Simon 36 Dan Walker January 8, 1973 -- January 10, 1977 Democratic 1972 Neil Hartigan 37 James R. Thompson January 10, 1977 -- January 14, 1991 Republican 1976 Dave O'Neal ( resigned July 31, 1981 ) 1978 Vacant 1982 George Ryan 1986 38 Jim Edgar January 14, 1991 -- January 11, 1999 Republican 1990 Bob Kustra 1994 39 George Ryan January 11, 1999 -- January 13, 2003 Republican 1998 Corinne Wood 40 Rod Blagojevich January 13, 2003 -- January 29, 2009 Democratic 2002 Pat Quinn 2006 41 Pat Quinn January 29, 2009 -- January 12, 2015 Democratic Vacant Sheila Simon 42 Bruce Rauner January 12, 2015 -- Present Republican 2014 Evelyn Sanguinetti Notes Jump up ^ Based on Jim Edgar being the 38th governor Archived 2007 - 09 - 21 at the Wayback Machine., repeat governors are officially only numbered once ; subsequent terms are marked with their original number italicized. Jump up ^ Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted. Jump up ^ Reynolds resigned to take elected seat in the United States House of Representatives ; as acting lieutenant governor, Ewing acted as governor for the remainder of the term. ^ Jump up to : Represented the Democratic Party. Jump up ^ The election schedule was shifted after this term, shortening it to two years. Jump up ^ Bissell died in office ; as lieutenant governor, Wood acted as governor for the remainder of the term. Jump up ^ Oglesby resigned so that Lieutenant Governor Beveridge would appoint him to the United States Senate ; as lieutenant governor, Beveridge acted as governor for the remainder of the term. Jump up ^ Cullom resigned to take elected seat in the United States Senate ; as lieutenant governor, Hamilton acted as governor for the remainder of the term. Jump up ^ Horner died in office ; as lieutenant governor, Stelle acted as governor for the remainder of the term. Jump up ^ Kerner resigned to take seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ; as lieutenant governor, Shapiro acted as governor for the remainder of the term. Jump up ^ A constitutional amendment came into effect with this term, moving the election schedule to coincide with Congressional midterms and shortening the term by two years. Jump up ^ Blagojevich was impeached and removed from office on charges of corruption ; as lieutenant governor, Quinn succeeded him. Jump up ^ Governor Rauner 's term expires on January 14, 2019. Living former U.S. governors of Illinois As of January 2017, there are five former U.S. governors of Illinois who are currently living at this time, the oldest U.S. governor of Illinois being George Ryan ( served 1999 -- 2003, born 1934 ). The most recent death of a former U.S. governor of Illinois was that of Dan Walker ( served 1973 -- 1977, born 1922 ), who died on April 29, 2015 at the age of 92. Walker was also the most recently serving U.S. governor of Illinois to die, having left office on January 10, 1977. Governor Gubernatorial term Date of birth ( and age ) James R. Thompson 1977 -- 1991 ( 1936 - 05 - 08 ) May 8, 1936 ( age 81 ) Jim Edgar 1991 -- 1999 ( 1946 - 07 - 22 ) July 22, 1946 ( age 71 ) George Ryan 1999 -- 2003 ( 1934 - 02 - 24 ) February 24, 1934 ( age 83 ) Rod Blagojevich 2003 -- 2009 ( 1956 - 12 - 10 ) December 10, 1956 ( age 61 ) Pat Quinn 2009 -- 2015 ( 1948 - 12 - 16 ) December 16, 1948 ( age 68 ) References Jump up ^ IL Const. art. V Jump up ^ Robert P. Howard ( 1988 ), Mostly Good and Competent Men : Illinois Governors, 1818 -- 1988, Illinois Issues and the Illinois State Historical Society, 39 -- 40. Jump up ^ 1818 Const. art. III, § 2 Jump up ^ 1818 Const. art. III, § 3 Jump up ^ 1848 Const. art. IV, § 3 Jump up ^ 1818 Const. art. III, § 3 Jump up ^ 1818 Const. art. III, § 13 Jump up ^ 1818 Const. art. III, § 18 Jump up ^ 1848 Const. art. IV, § 19 Jump up ^ IL Const. art. V, § 6 Jump up ^ IL Const. art. V, § 4 Sources Illinois 2005 - 2006 Bluebook, Illinois Governor mini-bios Governors of Illinois Colonial administrators List of commandants of the Illinois Country Territorial Governors Edwards Governors Bond Coles Edwards Reynolds Ewing Duncan Carlin Ford French Matteson Bissell Wood Yates ( father ) Oglesby Palmer Oglesby Beveridge Cullom Hamilton Oglesby Fifer Altgeld Tanner Yates Deneen Dunne Lowden Small Emmerson Horner Stelle Green Stevenson Stratton Kerner Shapiro Ogilvie Walker Thompson Edgar Ryan Blagojevich Quinn Rauner State of Illinois Springfield ( capital ) Topics Index Buildings and structures Census areas Communications Culture Delegations Earthquakes Economy Education Energy Environment Geography Government Health History Languages Law Music People Politics Portal Protected areas Society Sports Tourism Transportation Windmills Seal of Illinois Regions American Bottom Central Illinois Champaign -- Urbana metropolitan area Chicago metropolitan area Collar counties Corn Belt Driftless Area Forgottonia Fox Valley Illinois - Indiana - Kentucky tri-state area Metro East Metro Lakeland Mississippi Alluvial Plain North Shore Northern Illinois Northwestern Illinois Peoria metropolitan area Quad Cities River Bend Rockford metropolitan area Southern Illinois Streatorland Wabash Valley Cities, towns and villages Alton / Granite City / Edwardsville Arlington Heights / Palatine Aurora / Naperville / Oswego / Plainfield Bartlett / Hanover Park / Streamwood Belleville / East St. Louis / Collinsville / O'Fallon Berwyn / Cicero Bloomington / Normal Bolingbrook / Romeoville Buffalo Grove / Wheeling Calumet City Canton Carbondale Carol Stream / Glendale Heights Centralia Champaign / Urbana Charleston / Mattoon Chicago Chicago Heights Crystal Lake / Algonquin Danville Decatur DeKalb / Sycamore Des Plaines / Mount Prospect / Park Ridge Dixon Downers Grove / Woodridge Effingham Elgin / Carpentersville Elmhurst / Lombard / Addison Evanston / Skokie Freeport Galesburg Glenview / Northbrook Harrisburg Jacksonville Joliet Kankakee / Bradley / Bourbonnais Lincoln Macomb Marion / Herrin Moline / East Moline / Rock Island Mount Vernon Mundelein Oak Lawn Oak Park Orland Park / Tinley Park Ottawa / Streator / LaSalle / Peru Peoria / Pekin / East Peoria / Morton / Washington Pontiac Quincy Rochelle Rockford / Belvidere / Machesney Park / Loves Park St. Charles Schaumburg / Hoffman Estates / Elk Grove Village Springfield Sterling / Rock Falls Taylorville Waukegan / North Chicago / Gurnee Wheaton Counties Adams Alexander Bond Boone Brown Bureau Calhoun Carroll Cass Champaign Christian Clark Clay Clinton Coles Cook Crawford Cumberland DeKalb DeWitt Douglas DuPage Edgar Edwards Effingham Fayette Ford Franklin Fulton Gallatin Greene Grundy Hamilton Hancock Hardin Henderson Henry Iroquois Jackson Jasper Jefferson Jersey Jo Daviess Johnson Kane Kankakee Kendall Knox LaSalle Lake Lawrence Lee Livingston Logan Macon Macoupin Madison Marion Marshall Mason Massac McDonough McHenry McLean Menard Mercer Monroe Montgomery Morgan Moultrie Ogle Peoria Perry Piatt Pike Pope Pulaski Putnam Randolph Richland Rock Island Saline Sangamon Schuyler Scott Shelby St. Clair Stark Stephenson Tazewell Union Vermilion Wabash Warren Washington Wayne White Whiteside Will Williamson Winnebago Woodford Chief executives of the United States Federal President of the United States State governors ( current list ) Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Territorial ( current list ) American Samoa District of Columbia Guam Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico United States Virgin Islands Defunct Pre-state territories Panama Canal Zone Cuba Philippine Islands ( until 1935 ) Philippine Commonwealth ( until 1946 ) Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands Years in Illinois ( 1818 -- present ) 1818 1819 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1990 1991 1994 1995 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Governors_of_Illinois&oldid=810710694 '' Categories : Governors of Illinois Lists of Illinois politicians Lists of state governors of the United States Political history of Illinois Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Articles containing potentially dated statements from January 2017 All articles containing potentially dated statements Talk Contents About Wikipedia Languages Deutsch Français Latina Magyar Nederlands Português Русский Simple English Slovenščina Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 16 November 2017, at 23 : 38. 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Question: who were the last three governors of illinois
Answer: Bruce Rauner