# List of governors of Illinois

The governor of Illinois is the head of government 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.
Since becoming a state in 1818, 43 people have served as governor of Illinois; before statehood, it had only one territorial governor, Ninian Edwards. The longest-serving governor was James R. Thompson, who was elected to four terms lasting 14 years, from 1977 to 1991. Only one governor, Richard J. Oglesby, has served multiple non-consecutive terms, having been elected in 1864, 1872, and 1884.
The current governor is J. B. Pritzker, who took office on January 14, 2019.

## List of governors
### Territory of Illinois

Illinois Territory was formed on March 1, 1809, from Indiana Territory. It had only two governors appointed by the president of the United States before it became a state, and only one ever took office.
Governors of Illinois Territory :
| No. | Governor | Governor | Term in office | Appointed by |
| 1 | | John Boyle (1774–1834) | March 7, 1809 – April 3, 1809 (resigned before taking office) | James Madison |
| 2 | | Ninian Edwards (1775–1833) | April 24, 1809 – October 6, 1818 (statehood) | James Madison |

### 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 4 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 starting in 1849, thus shortening the term won in the 1844 election to 2 years. 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. If the governor feels seriously impeded in performing their job, they can inform the secretary of state and the next in the line of succession, who becomes acting governor until the governor can resume office.
Governors of the State of Illinois :
| No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | Lt. Governor |
| 1 | Shadrach Bond (1773–1832) | October 6, 1818 – December 5, 1822 (term-limited) | Democratic- Republican | 1818 | | Pierre Menard |
| 2 | Edward Coles (1786–1868) | December 5, 1822 – December 6, 1826 (term-limited) | Independent | 1822 | | Adolphus Hubbard |
| 3 | Ninian Edwards (1775–1833) | December 6, 1826 – December 6, 1830 (term-limited) | Democratic- Republican | 1826 | | William Kinney |
| 4 | John Reynolds (1788–1865) | December 6, 1830 – November 17, 1834 (resigned) | Democratic | 1830 | | Zadok Casey (resigned March 1, 1833) |
| 4 | John Reynolds (1788–1865) | December 6, 1830 – November 17, 1834 (resigned) | Democratic | 1830 | | William Lee D. Ewing (acting) |
| 5 | William Lee D. Ewing (1795–1846) | November 17, 1834 – December 3, 1834 (successor took office) | Democratic | Lieutenant governor acting | Vacant | Vacant |
| 6 | Joseph Duncan (1794–1844) | December 3, 1834 – December 7, 1838 (term-limited) | Whig | 1834 | | Alexander M. Jenkins (resigned December 9, 1836) |
| 6 | Joseph Duncan (1794–1844) | December 3, 1834 – December 7, 1838 (term-limited) | Whig | 1834 | | William H. Davidson (acting) |
| 7 | Thomas Carlin (1789–1852) | December 7, 1838 – December 8, 1842 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1838 | | Stinson Anderson |
| 8 | Thomas Ford (1800–1850) | December 8, 1842 – December 9, 1846 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1842 | | John Moore |
| 9 | Augustus C. French (1808–1864) | December 9, 1846 – January 10, 1853 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1846 | | Joseph Wells |
| 9 | Augustus C. French (1808–1864) | December 9, 1846 – January 10, 1853 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1848 | | William McMurtry |
| 10 | Joel Aldrich Matteson (1808–1873) | January 10, 1853 – January 12, 1857 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1852 | | Gustav Koerner |
| 11 | William Henry Bissell (1811–1860) | January 12, 1857 – March 18, 1860 (died in office) | Republican | 1856 | | John Wood |
| 12 | John Wood (1798–1880) | March 18, 1860 – January 14, 1861 (successor took office) | Republican | Lieutenant governor acting | | Thomas Marshall (acting) |
| 13 | Richard Yates (1815–1873) | January 14, 1861 – January 16, 1865 (term-limited) | Republican | 1860 | | Francis Hoffmann |
| 14 | Richard J. Oglesby (1824–1899) | January 16, 1865 – January 11, 1869 (term-limited) | Republican | 1864 | | William Bross |
| 15 | John M. Palmer (1817–1900) | January 11, 1869 – January 13, 1873 (term-limited) | Republican | 1868 | | John Dougherty |
| 14 | Richard J. Oglesby (1824–1899) | January 13, 1873 – January 23, 1873 (resigned) | Republican | 1872 | | John Lourie Beveridge |
| 16 | John Lourie Beveridge (1824–1910) | January 23, 1873 – January 8, 1877 (successor took office) | Republican | Lieutenant governor acting | | John Early (acting) (term ended January 8, 1875) |
| 16 | John Lourie Beveridge (1824–1910) | January 23, 1873 – January 8, 1877 (successor took office) | Republican | Lieutenant governor acting | | Archibald A. Glenn (acting) |
| 17 | Shelby Moore Cullom (1829–1914) | January 8, 1877 – February 6, 1883 (resigned) | Republican | 1876 | | Andrew Shuman |
| 17 | Shelby Moore Cullom (1829–1914) | January 8, 1877 – February 6, 1883 (resigned) | Republican | 1880 | | John Marshall Hamilton |
| 18 | John Marshall Hamilton (1847–1905) | February 6, 1883 – January 30, 1885 (successor took office) | Republican | Lieutenant governor acting | | William J. Campbell (acting) |
| 14 | Richard J. Oglesby (1824–1899) | January 30, 1885 – January 14, 1889 (did not run) | Republican | 1884 | | John C. Smith |
| 19 | Joseph W. Fifer (1840–1938) | January 14, 1889 – January 10, 1893 (lost election) | Republican | 1888 | | Lyman Beecher Ray |
| 20 | John Peter Altgeld (1847–1902) | January 10, 1893 – January 11, 1897 (lost election) | Democratic | 1892 | | Joseph B. Gill |
| 21 | John Riley Tanner (1844–1901) | January 11, 1897 – January 14, 1901 (did not run) | Republican | 1896 | | William Northcott |
| 22 | Richard Yates Jr. (1860–1936) | January 14, 1901 – January 9, 1905 (lost nomination) | Republican | 1900 | | William Northcott |
| 23 | Charles S. Deneen (1863–1940) | January 9, 1905 – February 3, 1913 (lost election) | Republican | 1904 | | Lawrence Yates Sherman |
| 23 | Charles S. Deneen (1863–1940) | January 9, 1905 – February 3, 1913 (lost election) | Republican | 1908 | | John G. Oglesby |
| 24 | Edward Fitzsimmons Dunne (1853–1937) | February 3, 1913 – January 8, 1917 (lost election) | Democratic | 1912 | | Barratt O'Hara |
| 25 | Frank Orren Lowden (1861–1943) | January 8, 1917 – January 10, 1921 (did not run) | Republican | 1916 | | John G. Oglesby |
| 26 | Len Small (1862–1936) | January 10, 1921 – January 14, 1929 (did not run) | Republican | 1920 | | Fred E. Sterling |
| 26 | Len Small (1862–1936) | January 10, 1921 – January 14, 1929 (did not run) | Republican | 1924 | | Fred E. Sterling |
| 27 | Louis Lincoln Emmerson (1863–1941) | January 14, 1929 – January 9, 1933 (did not run) | Republican | 1928 | | Fred E. Sterling |
| 28 | Henry Horner (1878–1940) | January 9, 1933 – October 6, 1940 (died in office) | Democratic | 1932 | | Thomas Donovan |
| 28 | Henry Horner (1878–1940) | January 9, 1933 – October 6, 1940 (died in office) | Democratic | 1936 | | John Henry Stelle |
| 29 | John Henry Stelle (1891–1962) | October 6, 1940 – January 13, 1941 (successor took office) | Democratic | Lieutenant governor acting | Vacant | Vacant |
| 30 | Dwight H. Green (1897–1958) | January 13, 1941 – January 10, 1949 (lost election) | Republican | 1940 | | Hugh W. Cross |
| 30 | Dwight H. Green (1897–1958) | January 13, 1941 – January 10, 1949 (lost election) | Republican | 1944 | | Hugh W. Cross |
| 31 | Adlai Stevenson II (1900–1965) | January 10, 1949 – January 12, 1953 (did not run) | Democratic | 1948 | | Sherwood Dixon |
| 32 | William Stratton (1914–2001) | January 12, 1953 – January 9, 1961 (lost election) | Republican | 1952 | | John William Chapman |
| 32 | William Stratton (1914–2001) | January 12, 1953 – January 9, 1961 (lost election) | Republican | 1956 | | John William Chapman |
| 33 | Otto Kerner Jr. (1908–1976) | January 9, 1961 – May 20, 1968 (resigned) | Democratic | 1960 | | Samuel H. Shapiro |
| 33 | Otto Kerner Jr. (1908–1976) | January 9, 1961 – May 20, 1968 (resigned) | Democratic | 1964 | | Samuel H. Shapiro |
| 34 | Samuel H. Shapiro (1907–1987) | May 21, 1968 – January 13, 1969 (lost election) | Democratic | Lieutenant governor acting | Vacant | Vacant |
| 35 | Richard B. Ogilvie (1923–1988) | January 13, 1969 – January 8, 1973 (lost election) | Republican | 1968 | | Paul Simon |
| 36 | Dan Walker (1922–2015) | January 8, 1973 – January 10, 1977 (lost nomination) | Democratic | 1972 | | Neil Hartigan |
| 37 | James R. Thompson (1936–2020) | January 10, 1977 – January 14, 1991 (did not run) | Republican | 1976 | | Dave O'Neal (resigned July 31, 1981) |
| 37 | James R. Thompson (1936–2020) | January 10, 1977 – January 14, 1991 (did not run) | Republican | 1978 | | Dave O'Neal (resigned July 31, 1981) |
| Vacant ||
| 37 | James R. Thompson (1936–2020) | January 10, 1977 – January 14, 1991 (did not run) | Republican | 1982 | | George Ryan |
| 37 | James R. Thompson (1936–2020) | January 10, 1977 – January 14, 1991 (did not run) | Republican | 1986 | | George Ryan |
| 38 | Jim Edgar (b. 1946) | January 14, 1991 – January 11, 1999 (did not run) | Republican | 1990 | | Bob Kustra (resigned July 1, 1998) |
| 38 | Jim Edgar (b. 1946) | January 14, 1991 – January 11, 1999 (did not run) | Republican | 1994 | | Bob Kustra (resigned July 1, 1998) |
| Vacant ||
| 39 | George Ryan (b. 1934) | January 11, 1999 – January 13, 2003 (did not run) | Republican | 1998 | | Corinne Wood |
| 40 | Rod Blagojevich (b. 1956) | January 13, 2003 – January 29, 2009 (impeached and removed) | Democratic | 2002 | | Pat Quinn |
| 40 | Rod Blagojevich (b. 1956) | January 13, 2003 – January 29, 2009 (impeached and removed) | Democratic | 2006 | | Pat Quinn |
| 41 | Pat Quinn (b. 1948) | January 29, 2009 – January 12, 2015 (lost election) | Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor | Vacant | Vacant |
| 41 | Pat Quinn (b. 1948) | January 29, 2009 – January 12, 2015 (lost election) | Democratic | 2010 | | Sheila Simon |
| 42 | Bruce Rauner (b. 1956) | January 12, 2015 – January 14, 2019 (lost election) | Republican | 2014 | | Evelyn Sanguinetti |
| 43 | J. B. Pritzker (b. 1965) | January 14, 2019 – Incumbent | Democratic | 2018 | | Juliana Stratton |
| 43 | J. B. Pritzker (b. 1965) | January 14, 2019 – Incumbent | Democratic | 2022 | | Juliana Stratton |