Governor of California - wikipedia Governor of California Governor of the State of California Seal of the Governor Standard of the Governor Incumbent Jerry Brown since January 3, 2011 California Executive Branch Style The Honorable ( formal ) Residence California Governor 's Mansion Seat Sacramento, CA Term length Four year term renewable once Inaugural holder Peter Hardeman Burnett Formation December 20, 1849 Salary US $ 173,987 ( 2013 ) Website Official website The Governor of California is the head of government of the State of California. The governor is the chief executive of the Government of the State of California and the commander - in - chief of the California National Guard and the California State Military Reserve. Established in the California State Constitution, the governor 's responsibilities also include making the annual State of the State address to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced. The position was created in 1849, the year before California became a state. The current governor is Jerry Brown who was inaugurated on January 3, 2011, and who had previously served as governor from 1975 to 1983. In October 2013, Jerry Brown surpassed Earl Warren for the longest cumulative period of time served as governor. Contents 1 Gubernatorial elections, oath, and term of office 1.1 Gubernatorial removal 1.1. 1 Impeachment and removal by the legislature 1.1. 2 Recall by the voters 2 Relationship with Lieutenant Governor of California 3 Gubernatorial facts 3.1 Age and longevity 3.2 Transition events 3.3 Presidential campaigns 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Gubernatorial elections, oath, and term of office See also : List of Governors of California Governors are elected by popular ballot and serve terms of four years, with a limit of two terms, if served after November 6, 1990. Governors take the following oath : I ( Governor ) do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California against all enemies foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California, that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which I am about to enter. Governors take office on the first Monday after January 1 after their election. Gubernatorial removal There are two methods available to remove a governor before the expiration of the gubernatorial term of office. Impeachment and removal by the Legislature The governor can be impeached for `` misconduct in office '' by the State Assembly and removed by a two - thirds vote of the State Senate. Recall by the voters Petitions signed by California state voters equal in number to 12 % of the last vote for the office of governor ( with signatures from each of 5 counties equal in number to 1 % of the last vote for governor in the county ) can launch a gubernatorial recall election. The voters can then vote on whether or not to recall the incumbent governor, and on the same ballot they can vote a potential replacement. If a majority of the voters in the election vote to recall the governor, then the person who gains a plurality of the votes in the replacement race will become governor. The 2003 California recall began with a petition drive that successfully forced sitting Democratic Governor Gray Davis into a special recall election. It marked the first time in the history of California that a governor faced a recall election. He was subsequently voted out of office, becoming the second governor in the history of the United States to be recalled after Lynn Frazier of North Dakota in 1921. He was replaced by Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. Relationship with lieutenant governor of California Governor - elect Arnold Schwarzenegger ( left ) and Governor Gray Davis ( right ) with President George W. Bush in 2003 The Lieutenant Governor of California is separately elected during the same election, not jointly as the running mate of the gubernatorial candidate. California has had a governor and a lieutenant governor of different parties 26 of the past 31 years. This occasionally becomes significant, since the California Constitution provides that all the powers of the governor fall to the lieutenant governor whenever the governor is not in the state of California, with the lieutenant governor often signing or vetoing legislation, or making political appointments, whenever the governor leaves the state. The lieutenant governor is also the President of the California State Senate. In practice, there is a gentlemen 's agreement for the Lieutenant Governor not to perform more than perfunctory duties while the Governor is away from the state. This agreement was violated when Mike Curb was in office, as he signed several executive orders at odds with the Brown administration when Brown was out of the state. Court rulings have upheld the lieutenant governor 's right to perform the duties and assume all of the prerogatives of governor while the governor is out of the state. Gubernatorial facts Age and longevity Peter Burnett had the longest post-governorship, 44 years. He left office in 1851 and died in 1895. Excluding governors who died in office, Robert Waterman had the shortest post-governorship. He died on April 12, 1891, a short three months and four days after the expiration of his term. Sworn in at the age of 30, J. Neely Johnson was the youngest governor from 1856 to 1858. Sworn in at the age of 72, Jerry Brown became the oldest governor in 2011. Earl Warren was the only governor to serve more than two consecutive terms in office ( 1943 -- 1953 ). Jerry Brown previously served as governor for eight years ( 1975 -- 1983 ) and returned to office 28 years later to serve as the incumbent governor ( since 2011 ). Milton Latham served the shortest term in office of five days ( January 9 -- 14, 1860 ). Of the 38 governors who held office, seven of them were born in California ( six of them after statehood ) : One ( Romualdo Pacheco ) was born in Santa Barbara. Four ( George Pardee, James Rolph, Pat Brown, and Jerry Brown ) were born in San Francisco. One ( Hiram Johnson ) was born in Sacramento. One ( Earl Warren ) was born in Los Angeles. Two governors were not born in the United States : John G. Downey was born in Ireland. Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in Austria. Only two governors have died in office : Washington Bartlett on September 12, 1887 James Rolph on June 2, 1934 Ronald Reagan had the longest life - span of any governor, 93 years. J. Neely Johnson had the shortest life - span of any governor, 47 years. Both governors who died in office, Washington Bartlett in 1887 and James Rolph in 1934, served as Mayor of San Francisco shortly before becoming governor. Two governors are related : Pat Brown ( 1959 -- 1967 ) was the father of twice - governor Jerry Brown ( 1975 -- 1983, 2011 to present ). Transition events Milton Latham 6th Governor ( 1860 ) Five governors have resigned : Peter Burnett in 1851 `` as a result of certain personal prejudices '' in favor of slavery Milton Latham in 1860 to become a United States Senator Newton Booth in 1875 to become a United States Senator Hiram Johnson in 1917 to become a United States Senator Earl Warren in 1953 to become Chief Justice of the United States One governor has been recalled : Gray Davis in 2003 Seven governors took office without being elected to the governor 's seat, having been elected as lieutenant governor and then ascending from that position : Four of them did not run to succeed themselves, and were never elected governor : John McDougal in 1851 John G. Downey in 1860 Romualdo Pacheco in 1875 Robert Waterman in 1887 The other three later ran for governor, and were elected to succeed themselves as governor : William Stephens in 1917 Frank Merriam in 1934 Goodwin Knight in 1953 One governor has served two terms, and was elected to a non-consecutive third term ( followed by a fourth term ) : Jerry Brown in 2010 ( Brown is the only living former governor of California who was elected to two terms before term limits were enacted on November 6, 1990 ) Presidential campaigns Ronald Reagan 33rd Governor ( 1967 -- 1975 ) 40th President of the United States ( 1981 -- 1989 ) One former governor of California won his party 's nomination and was elected President of the United States : Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984 ( Republican ) Five governors actively sought the nomination of their party, but were unsuccessful : Hiram Johnson in 1920 and 1924 ( Republican ) Pat Brown in 1960 ( Democratic ) Jerry Brown in 1976, 1980 and 1992 ( Democratic ) Ronald Reagan in 1968 and 1976 ( Republican ) Pete Wilson in 1996 ( Republican ) Two governors were nominated for Vice President, but their ticket lost the election : Hiram Johnson ( Ran with Theodore Roosevelt, Progressive, 1912 ) Earl Warren ( Ran with Thomas Dewey, Republican, 1948 ) Two governors did not run for president, but were under serious consideration by their party 's nominee during their governorship to be their running mate for the office of Vice President, but were not chosen : George Deukmejian ( George H.W. Bush, Republican, 1988 ) declined being considered because of his vast ideological differences with Lieutenant Governor Leo McCarthy, who would have become governor if Deukmejian accepted the nomination and was elected to the Vice Presidency. Gray Davis ( Al Gore, Democratic, 2000 ) One unsuccessful candidate for governor of California was elected President of the United States : Former Vice President Richard Nixon was the Republican nominee for Governor of California in 1962, and lost to Democrat Pat Brown. Nixon later was elected president in 1968 and reelected in 1972 ( Republican ). See also Biography portal California portal Politics portal United States portal Book : Governors of California List of Governors of California List of Governors of California before admission Politics of California Politics of California before 1900 Spouses of the Governors of California References Jump up ^ `` CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries ''. The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2016. Jump up ^ Shelley, Kevin ( October 2003 ). `` Summary of Qualifications and Requirements for the Office of Governor '' ( PDF ). California Secretary of State Department. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on November 28, 2008. Retrieved February 23, 2009. Jump up ^ In re Governorship, 26 Cal. 3d 110, 401 ( Supreme Court of California 1979 ) ( `` we conclude that the Lieutenant Governor has authority to exercise all gubernatorial powers of appointment while the Governor is physically absent from the state and that the Governor has authority to withdraw the appointment until the confirmation of appointment becomes effective. '' ). Jump up ^ Alastair Dallas ( June 5, 2004 ). `` Governors of California : 1849 -- 2003 ''. familydallas.com. Archived from the original on March 8, 2005. Retrieved March 10, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Californian Removes Himself From Running for No. 2 Spot ''. The New York Times. August 5, 1988. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Governors of California. 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Portolà Col. Fages Capt. Rivera Capt - Gen. de Neve Col. Fages Capt. Roméu Capt. Arrillaga Col. Bórica Lt. Col. Alberní Capt. Arrillaga Capt. J. Argüello Don Solá Territory ( 1822 -- 36 ) Capt. L. Argüello Lt. Col. Echeandía Gen. Victoria Don P. Pico Lt. Col. Echeandía Brig. Gen. Figueroa Lt. Col. Castro Lt. Col. Gutiérrez Col. Chico Lt. Col. Gutiérrez Sovereignty ( 1836 -- 46 ) Pres. Castro Pres. Alvarado Uncle Carrillo ( rival ) Brig. Gen. Micheltorena Don P. Pico Republic ( 1846 -- 50 ) Cdre. Sloat Cdre. Stockton Gen. Flores ( rival ) Gen. Kearny Maj. Frémont ( mutineer ) Gen. Mason Gen. Smith Gen. Riley Burnett ( from 1849 ) U.S. State ( since 1850 ) Burnett McDougal Bigler J. Johnson Weller Latham Downey Stanford Low Haight Booth Pacheco Irwin Perkins Stoneman Bartlett Waterman Markham Budd Gage Pardee Gillett H. Johnson Stephens Richardson Young Rolph Merriam Olson Warren Knight P. Brown Reagan J. Brown Deukmejian Wilson Davis Schwarzenegger J. Brown Before 1850 After 1850 After 1850 by age Elections in California General 1992 1994 1998 2000 2002 2005 2006 2008 ( Feb, Jun, Nov ) 2009 2010 ( Jun, Nov ) 2012 ( Jun, Nov ) 2014 2016 ( Jun, Nov ) 2018 Governor 1849 1851 1853 1855 1857 1859 1861 1863 1867 1871 1875 1879 1882 1886 1890 1894 1898 1902 1906 1910 1914 1918 1922 1926 1930 1934 1938 1942 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2003 * 2006 2014 2018 Lieutenant Governor 1994 1998 2002 2006 2014 2018 Mayoral Los Angeles 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1909 ( M ) 1909 ( N ) 1911 1913 1915 1917 1919 1921 1925 1929 1933 1937 1941 1945 1949 1953 1957 1961 1965 1969 1973 1977 1981 1985 2005 2009 2013 2017 San Diego 1889 1891 1893 1895 1897 1899 1901 1903 1905 1907 1909 1911 1913 1915 1917 1919 1921 1923 1925 1927 1929 1931 1932 1935 1939 1943 1947 1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1979 1983 * 1984 1986 * 1988 1992 2000 2005 * 2008 2012 2014 * 2016 San Francisco 1943 1947 1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1979 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2018 * State Senate At - Large 1864 1866 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1998 2000 2002 2006 2008 2012 2014 2016 2018 Special State Assembly At - Large 1864 1866 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1998 2000 2002 2006 2008 2012 2014 2016 2018 Special U.S. President 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 2000 2008 2012 2016 U.S. Senate Class 1 : 1849 1850 1852 * 1856 1860 * 1862 1868 1873 * 1874 1880 1886 * 1886 1890 * 1892 1900 * 1904 1910 1916 1922 1928 1934 1940 1946 * 1946 1952 1958 1964 1970 1976 1982 1988 1992 * 1994 2000 2006 2012 2018 Class 3 : 1849 1854 1857 * 1860 1866 1872 1878 1884 1890 1896 1902 1908 1914 1920 1926 1932 1938 1944 1950 1954 * 1956 1962 1968 1980 1986 1992 1998 2016 2022 U.S. House 1849 1851 1854 1856 1859 1861 1863 1864 1867 1868 1871 1872 1875 1876 1879 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 ( 12th ) 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1998 ( 9th * 23rd * 44th * ) 2000 2002 2005 ( 5th *, 48th * ) 2006 ( 4th, 11th, 50th * ) 2007 ( 37th * ) 2008 ( 12th * ) 2009 ( 10th *, 32nd * ) 2011 ( 36th * ) 2012 2014 2016 2017 ( 34th * ) 2018 Special An asterisk signifies a special election California statewide elected officials Governor Lieutenant Governor Attorney General Secretary of State Treasurer Controller Insurance Commissioner Superintendent of Public Instruction Current governors and executives of U.S. states and territories President of the United States : Donald Trump ( R ) AL Ivey ( R ) AK B. Walker ( I ) AZ Ducey ( R ) AR Hutchinson ( R ) CA J. Brown ( D ) CO Hickenlooper ( D ) CT Malloy ( D ) DE Carney ( D ) FL R. Scott ( R ) GA Deal ( R ) HI Ige ( D ) ID Otter ( R ) IL Rauner ( R ) IN Holcomb ( R ) IA Reynolds ( R ) KS Colyer ( R ) KY Bevin ( R ) LA Edwards ( D ) ME LePage ( R ) MD Hogan ( R ) MA Baker ( R ) MI Snyder ( R ) MN Dayton ( D ) MS Bryant ( R ) MO Greitens ( R ) MT Bullock ( D ) NE Ricketts ( R ) NV Sandoval ( R ) NH Sununu ( R ) NJ Murphy ( D ) NM Martinez ( R ) NY Cuomo ( D ) NC Cooper ( D ) ND Burgum ( R ) OH Kasich ( R ) OK Fallin ( R ) OR K. Brown ( D ) PA Wolf ( D ) RI Raimondo ( D ) SC McMaster ( R ) SD Daugaard ( R ) TN Haslam ( R ) TX Abbott ( R ) UT Herbert ( R ) VT P. Scott ( R ) VA Northam ( D ) WA Inslee ( D ) WV Justice ( R ) WI S. Walker ( R ) WY Mead ( R ) DC Bowser ( D ) ( Mayor ) Territories : AS Moliga ( D ) GU Calvo ( R ) MP Torres ( R ) PR Rosselló ( D ) VI Mapp ( I ) Political party affiliations : Republican : 35 ( 33 states, 2 territories ) Democratic : 19 ( 16 states, 2 territories, 1 district ) Independent : 2 ( 1 state, 1 territory ) Chief executives of the United States Federal President of the United States State governors ( current list ) Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California list Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii list Idaho Illinois list Indiana list Iowa list Kansas Kentucky list Louisiana Maine list Maryland list Massachusetts Michigan list Minnesota list Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska list Nevada New Hampshire list New Jersey list New Mexico list New York list North Carolina list North Dakota list Ohio Oklahoma list Oregon list Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina list South Dakota list Tennessee list Texas list Utah Vermont list Virginia list Washington West Virginia Wisconsin list 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 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Governor_of_California&oldid=840615398 '' Categories : Governors of California State constitutional officers of California Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from March 2016 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Български Català Deutsch Español Esperanto Français 한국어 Ilokano Italiano עברית Norsk Русский Scots Simple English Suomi Українська 中文 8 more Edit links This page was last edited on 11 May 2018, at 00 : 34. 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Question: how many terms can governor of california serve
Answer: two terms, if served after November 6, 1990