Governor of Massachusetts

Just like the other 49 American states, Massachusetts has its own **governor**. The current governor is **Maura Healey**. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The first governor of Massachusetts was John Hancock.

## Commonwealth of Massachusetts: 1780–present

This is a complete list of governors of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Acting governors, denoted as "A" instead of numbered, are included when the Governor resigned or died. Acting governors show a vacancy in the lieutenant governorship. They remain as Lieutenant Governors and merely _act_ as governor. Lieutenant governors in Massachusetts do not ascend to the governorship upon death or resignation of their predecessor.

|Political party|Number of governors||
| --- | --- | --- |
||Democratic|20|
||Democratic-Republican|6|
||Federalist|3|
||Know Nothing|1|
||National Republican|1|
||No party affiliation|6|
||Republican|31|
||Whig|7|

|#|Governor|Party|Years|Lt. governor|Electoral history||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|align=left|**John Hancock**||None|nowrap|October 25, 1780 – February 17, 1785|rowspan=4|Thomas Cushing|Resigned due to claimed illness (recurring gout).|
|align=left|**Thomas Cushing**||None|nowrap|February 17, 1785 – May 27, 1785|Acted as governor for the remainder of Hancock's term. Lost election in his own right.|||
|align=left|**James Bowdoin**||None|nowrap|May 27, 1785 – May 30, 1787|Lost re-election.|||
|style="text-align:left;" rowspan="3"|**John Hancock**|rowspan=3|None|nowrap rowspan=3|May 30, 1787 – October 8, 1793|rowspan=3|Died.||
|Benjamin Lincoln|||||||||
|rowspan=2|Samuel Adams||||||||
|style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"|**Samuel Adams**|rowspan=2|None|nowrap rowspan=2|October 8, 1793 – June 2, 1797|rowspan=2|Acted as governor for the remainder of Hancock's term. Elected and re-elected in his own right until retirement.||
|rowspan=3|Moses Gill||||||||
|align=left|**Increase Sumner**||Federalist|nowrap|June 2, 1797 – June 7, 1799|Died.|||
|align=left|**Moses Gill**||None|nowrap|June 7, 1799 – May 20, 1800|Acted as governor for most of the remainder of Sumner's term. Died ten days before its end.|||
|align=left|**Governor's Council**||None|nowrap|May 20, 1800 – May 30, 1800|None.|The council was headed by Thomas Dawes. this is the only time both the governorship and the lieutenant governorship were vacant.||
|style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"|**Caleb Strong**|rowspan=2|Federalist|nowrap rowspan=2|May 30, 1800 – May 29, 1807|Samuel Phillips Jr.|rowspan=2|Lost re-election.|
|Edward Robbins|||||||||
|align=left|**James Sullivan**||Democratic- Republican|nowrap|May 29, 1807 – December 10, 1808|rowspan=2|Levi Lincoln Sr.|Died.|
|align=left|**Levi Lincoln Sr.**||Democratic- Republican|nowrap|December 10, 1808 – May 1, 1809|Acted as governor for the remainder of Sullivan's term. Lost election in his own right.|||
|align=left|**Christopher Gore**||Federalist|nowrap|May 1, 1809 – June 10, 1810|David Cobb|Lost re-election.||
|align=left|**Elbridge Gerry**||Democratic- Republican|nowrap|June 10, 1810 – June 5, 1812|William Gray|Lost re-election.||
|align=left|**Caleb Strong**||Federalist|nowrap|June 5, 1812 – May 30, 1816|rowspan=2|William Phillips Jr.|Retired.|
|align=left|**John Brooks**||Federalist|nowrap|May 30, 1816 – May 31, 1823|Retired.|||
|style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"|**William Eustis**|rowspan=2|Democratic- Republican|nowrap rowspan=2|May 31, 1823 – February 6, 1825|Levi Lincoln Jr.|rowspan=2|Died.|
|rowspan=2|Marcus Morton||||||||
|align=left|**Marcus Morton**||Democratic- Republican|nowrap|February 6, 1825 – May 26, 1825|Acted as governor for the remainder of Eustis's term. Retired.|||
|align=left|**Levi Lincoln Jr.**||National Republican|nowrap|May 26, 1825 – January 9, 1834|Thomas L. Winthrop|Retired.||
|align=left|**John Davis**||Whig|nowrap|January 9, 1834 – March 1, 1835|rowspan=2|Samuel Turell Armstrong|Resigned to become US Senator.|
|align=left|**Samuel Turell Armstrong**||Whig|nowrap|March 1, 1835 – January 13, 1836|Acted as governor for the remainder of Davis's term. Lost nomination. lost election as independent.|||
|align=left|**Edward Everett**||Whig|nowrap|January 13, 1836 – January 18, 1840|rowspan=3|George Hull|Lost re-election|
|align=left|**Marcus Morton**||Democratic|nowrap|January 18, 1840 – January 7, 1841|Lost re-election.|||
|align=left|**John Davis**||Whig|nowrap|January 7, 1841 – January 17, 1843|Lost re-election.|||
|align=left|**Marcus Morton**||Democratic|nowrap|January 17, 1843 – January 9, 1844|Henry H. Childs|Lost re-election.||
|align=left|**George N. Briggs**||Whig|nowrap|January 9, 1844 – January 11, 1851|John Reed Jr.|Lost re-election.||
|align=left|**George S. Boutwell**||Democratic|nowrap|January 11, 1851 – January 14, 1853|Henry W. Cushman|Retired.||
|align=left|**John H. Clifford**||Whig|nowrap|January 14, 1853 – January 12, 1854|Elisha Huntington|Retired.||
|align=left|**Emory Washburn**||Whig|nowrap|January 12, 1854 – January 4, 1855|William C. Plunkett|Lost re-election.||
|style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"|**Henry Gardner**|rowspan=2|Know-Nothing|nowrap rowspan=2|January 4, 1855 – January 7, 1858|Simon Brown|rowspan=2|Lost re-election.|
|Henry W. Benchley|||||||||
|align=left|**Nathaniel Prentice Banks**||Republican|nowrap|January 7, 1858 – January 3, 1861|Eliphalet Trask|Retired to run for president.||
|style="text-align:left;" rowspan="3"|**John Albion Andrew**|rowspan=3|Republican|nowrap rowspan=3|January 3, 1861 – January 4, 1866|John Z. Goodrich|rowspan=3|Retired.|
|John Nesmith|||||||||
|Joel Hayden|||||||||
|align=left|**Alexander H. Bullock**||Republican|nowrap|January 4, 1866 – January 7, 1869|William Claflin|Retired.||
|align=left|**William Claflin**||Republican|nowrap|January 7, 1869 – January 4, 1872|rowspan=2|Joseph Tucker|Retired.|
|style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"|**William B. Washburn**|rowspan=2|Republican|nowrap rowspan=2|January 4, 1872 – April 29, 1874|rowspan=2|Resigned to become US Senator.||
|rowspan=2|Thomas Talbot||||||||
|align=left|**Thomas Talbot**||Republican|nowrap|April 29, 1874 – January 7, 1875|Acted as governor for the remainder of Washburn's term. Lost election in his own right.|||
|align=left|**William Gaston**||Democratic|nowrap|January 7, 1875 – January 6, 1876|rowspan=2|Horatio G. Knight|Lost re-election.|
|align=left|**Alexander H. Rice**||Republican|nowrap|January 6, 1876 – January 2, 1879|Retired.|||
|align=left|**Thomas Talbot**||Republican|nowrap|January 2, 1879 – January 8, 1880|John Davis Long|Retired.||
|align=left|**John Davis Long**||Republican|nowrap|January 8, 1880 – January 4, 1883|Byron Weston|Retired.||
|align=left|**Benjamin F. Butler**||Democratic|nowrap|January 4, 1883 – January 3, 1884|rowspan=2|Oliver Ames|Lost re-election.|
|align=left|**George D. Robinson**||Republican|nowrap|January 3, 1884 – January 6, 1887|Retired.|||
|align=left|**Oliver Ames**||Republican|nowrap|January 6, 1887 – January 7, 1890|John Q. A. Brackett|Retired.||
|align=left|**John Q. A. Brackett**||Republican|nowrap|January 7, 1890 – January 8, 1891|rowspan=2|William H. Haile|Lost re-election.|
|style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"|**William E. Russell**|rowspan=2|Democratic|nowrap rowspan=2|January 8, 1891 – January 4, 1894|rowspan=2|Retired.||
|rowspan=3|Roger Wolcott||||||||
|align=left|**Frederic T. Greenhalge**||Republican|nowrap|January 4, 1894 – March 5, 1896|Died.|||
|style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"|**Roger Wolcott**|rowspan=2|Republican|nowrap rowspan=2|March 5, 1896 – January 4, 1900|rowspan=2|Acted as governor for the remainder of Greenhalge's term. Elected and re-elected in own right until retirement.||
|Winthrop Murray Crane|||||||||
|align=left|**Winthrop Murray Crane**||Republican|nowrap|January 4, 1900 – January 8, 1903|John L. Bates|Retired.||
|align=left|**John L. Bates**||Republican|nowrap|January 8, 1903 – January 5, 1905|rowspan=2|Curtis Guild Jr.|Retired.|
|align=left|**William L. Douglas**||Democratic|nowrap|January 5, 1905 – January 4, 1906|Retired.|||
|align=left|**Curtis Guild Jr.**||Republican|nowrap|January 4, 1906 – January 7, 1909|Eben Sumner Draper|Retired.||
|align=left|**Eben Sumner Draper**||Republican|nowrap|January 7, 1909 – January 5, 1911|Louis A. Frothingham|Lost re-election.||
|style="text-align:left;" rowspan="3"|**Eugene Noble Foss**|rowspan=3|Democratic|nowrap rowspan=3|January 5, 1911 – January 8, 1914|Louis A. Frothingham|rowspan=3|Did not stand for renomination as Democrat. defeated as independent in general election.|
|Robert Luce|||||||||
|David I. Walsh|||||||||
|style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"|**David I. Walsh**|rowspan=2|Democratic|nowrap rowspan=2|January 8, 1914 – January 6, 1916|Edward P. Barry|rowspan=2|Lost re-election.|
|Grafton D. Cushing|||||||||
|align=left|**Samuel W. McCall**||Republican|nowrap|January 6, 1916 – January 2, 1919|Calvin Coolidge|Retired.||
|align=left|**Calvin Coolidge**||Republican|nowrap|January 2, 1919 – January 6, 1921|Channing H. Cox|Retired Vice President of the United States 1921-1923 President of the United States 1923-1929||
|align=left|**Channing H. Cox**||Republican|nowrap|January 6, 1921 – January 8, 1925|Alvan T. Fuller|Elected in 1920 (first two-year term). Re-elected in 1922. Retired.||
|align=left|**Alvan T. Fuller**||Republican|nowrap|January 8, 1925 – January 3, 1929|Frank G. Allen|Retired.||
|align=left|**Frank G. Allen**||Republican|nowrap|January 3, 1929 – January 8, 1931|William S. Youngman|Lost re-election.||
|style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"|**Joseph B. Ely**|rowspan=2|Democratic|nowrap rowspan=2|January 8, 1931 – January 3, 1935|William S. Youngman|rowspan=2|Retired.|
|Gaspar G. Bacon|||||||||
|align=left|**James Michael Curley**||Democratic|nowrap|January 3, 1935 – January 7, 1937|Joseph L. Hurley|Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate||
|align=left|**Charles F. Hurley**||Democratic|nowrap|January 7, 1937 – January 5, 1939|Francis E. Kelly|Lost renomination.||
|align=left|**Leverett Saltonstall**||Republican|nowrap|January 5, 1939 – January 4, 1945|Horace T. Cahill|Retired to run successfully for U.S. Senate||
|align=left|**Maurice J. Tobin**||Democratic|nowrap|January 4, 1945 – January 2, 1947|Robert F. Bradford|Lost re-election.||
|align=left|**Robert F. Bradford**||Republican|nowrap|January 2, 1947 – January 6, 1949|Arthur W. Coolidge|Elected in 1946. Lost re-election.||
|align=left|**Paul A. Dever**||Democratic|nowrap|January 6, 1949 – January 8, 1953|Charles F. Sullivan|Elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Lost re-election.||
|align=left|**Christian A. Herter**||Republican|nowrap|January 8, 1953 – January 3, 1957|Sumner G. Whittier|Elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Retired.||
|align=left|**Foster Furcolo**||Democratic|nowrap|January 3, 1957 – January 5, 1961|Robert F. Murphy|Elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Retired to run for U.S. Senator.||
|align=left|**John Volpe**||Republican|nowrap|January 5, 1961 – January 3, 1963|Edward F. McLaughlin Jr.|Elected in 1960. Lost re-election.||
|align=left|**Endicott Peabody**||Democratic|nowrap|January 3, 1963 – January 7, 1965|Francis Bellotti|Elected in 1962. Lost renomination.||
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:left;"|**John Volpe**|rowspan=2|Republican|nowrap rowspan=2|January 7, 1965 – January 22, 1969|Elliot Richardson|rowspan=2|Elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966 (first four-year term). Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Transportation.|
|rowspan=2|Francis Sargent||||||||
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:left;"|**Francis Sargent**|rowspan=2|Republican|nowrap rowspan=2|January 22, 1969 – January 2, 1975|rowspan=2|Acted as governor for the remainder of Volpe's term. Elected in own right in 1970. Lost re-election.||
|Donald Dwight|||||||||
|align=left|**Michael Dukakis**||Democratic|nowrap|January 2, 1975 – January 4, 1979|rowspan=2|Thomas P. O'Neill III|Elected in 1974. Lost renomination.|
|align=left|**Edward J. King**||Democratic|nowrap|January 4, 1979 – January 6, 1983|Elected in 1978. Lost renomination.|||
|style="text-align:left;" rowspan="3"|**Michael Dukakis**|rowspan=3|Democratic|nowrap rowspan=3|January 6, 1983 – January 3, 1991|John Kerry|rowspan=3|Elected in 1982. Elected in 1986. Retired.|
|_Vacant_|||||||||
|Evelyn Murphy|||||||||
|align=left|**Bill Weld**||Republican|nowrap|January 3, 1991 – July 29, 1997|rowspan=2|Paul Cellucci|Elected in 1990. Re-elected in 1994. Resigned when nominated U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, but was not confirmed to the office.|
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:left;"|**Paul Cellucci**|rowspan=2|Republican|nowrap rowspan=2|July 29, 1997 – April 10, 2001|rowspan=2|Acted as governor for the remainder of Weld's term. Elected in own right in 1998. Resigned to become U.S. Ambassador to Canada.||
|rowspan=2|Jane Swift||||||||
|align=left|**Jane Swift**||Republican|nowrap|April 10, 2001 – January 2, 2003|Acted as governor for the remainder of Cellucci's term. Retired.|||
|align=left|**Mitt Romney**||Republican|nowrap|January 2, 2003 – January 4, 2007|Kerry Healey|Elected in 2002. Retired.||
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:left;"|**Deval Patrick**|rowspan=2|Democratic|rowspan=2 nowrap|January 4, 2007 – January 8, 2015|Tim Murray|rowspan=2|Elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2010. Retired.|
|_Vacant_|||||||||
|align=left|**Charlie Baker**||Republican|nowrap|January 8, 2015 – January 5, 2023|Karyn Polito|Elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2018. Retired.||
|align=left|**Maura Healey**||Democratic|nowrap|January 5, 2023 – present.|Kim Driscoll|Elected in 2022.||