page_title: Milton Latham
section_title: Governor
hierarchical_section_title: Milton Latham / Governor
caption_attribution_description: w:Milton Latham (1827-1882), United States Senator and w:Governor of California (1860)
context_page_description: Milton Slocum Latham was an American politician, who served as the sixth governor of California and as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator. Latham holds the distinction of having the shortest governorship in California history, lasting for five days between January 9 and January 14, 1860. A Lecompton Democrat, Latham resigned from office after being elected by the legislature to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of David C. Broderick in a duel.
context_section_description: Latham was inaugurated on January 9, 1860. In his inauguration speech, the new governor outlined his main priority as solving the state's creeping debt, an issue that previously challenged former Governors John Bigler, J. Neely Johnson and John Weller. Latham suggested curtailing legislative expenses, erecting more governmental buildings—such as completing the new State Capitol building—without raising taxes, and increasing U.S. Mail links from the Eastern United States to California to help facilitate commerce and personal links. Latham also suggested that the Office of the governor should not be made more powerful, and be securely checked by the legislature and courts.
  However, only hours into his term, Latham's desire for political advancement were quickly known. Within days, Latham had proposed to the Assembly and Senate to be selected as David Broderick's replacement in the U.S. Senate and serve the rest of his term. (Prior to the Seventeenth Amendment, state legislatures selected federal senators.) Running against challenger Henry P. Haun, Latham was selected by the legislature, and on January 14, 1860, just five days into his governorship, Latham resigned. Latham had become the second California Governor to resign from office.
  Latham's five-day tenure as governor remains the shortest in California history. His record for the shortest tenure of any California constitutional officer held until Republican Sean Wallentine served three days - December 31, 2010 to January 3, 2011 - as an acting member of the California State Board of Equalization.
caption: Milton Latham's official portrait in the California State Capitol
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