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 1 100pxJohn Hancock None October 25, 1780 –February 17, 1785Thomas Cushing Resigned due to claimed illness (recurring gout). AActing governors are not counted. 100pxThomas Cushing None February 17, 1785 –May 27, 1785 Acted as governor for the remainder of Hancock's term.Lost election in his own right. 2 100pxJames Bowdoin None May 27, 1785 –May 30, 1787 Lost re-election. 3 100pxJohn Hancock None May 30, 1787 –October 8, 1793 Died. Benjamin Lincoln Samuel Adams 4 100pxSamuel Adams None October 8, 1793 –June 2, 1797 Acted as governor for the remainder of Hancock's term.Elected and re-elected in his own right until retirement.Moses Gill 5 100pxIncrease Sumner Federalist June 2, 1797 –June 7, 1799 Died.  100pxMoses Gill None June 7, 1799 –May 20, 1800 Acted as governor for most of the remainder of Sumner's term.Died ten days before its end.  100pxGovernor's Council None 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. 6 100pxCaleb Strong Federalist May 30, 1800 –May 29, 1807 Samuel Phillips Jr. Lost re-election. Edward Robbins 7 100pxJames Sullivan Democratic-Republican May 29, 1807 –December 10, 1808 Levi Lincoln Sr. Died.  100pxLevi Lincoln Sr. Democratic-Republican December 10, 1808 –May 1, 1809 Acted as governor for the remainder of Sullivan's term.Lost election in his own right. 8 100pxChristopher Gore Federalist May 1, 1809 –June 10, 1810 David Cobb Lost re-election. 9 100pxElbridge Gerry Democratic-Republican June 10, 1810 –June 5, 1812 William Gray Lost re-election. 10 100pxCaleb Strong Federalist June 5, 1812 –May 30, 1816 William Phillips Jr. Retired. 11 100pxJohn Brooks Federalist May 30, 1816 –May 31, 1823 Retired. 12 100pxWilliam Eustis Democratic-Republican May 31, 1823 –February 6, 1825 Levi Lincoln Jr. Died. Marcus Morton  100pxMarcus Morton Democratic-Republican February 6, 1825 –May 26, 1825 Acted as governor for the remainder of Eustis's term.Retired. 13 100pxLevi Lincoln Jr. NationalRepublican May 26, 1825 –January 9, 1834 Thomas L. Winthrop Retired. 14 100pxJohn Davis Whig January 9, 1834 –March 1, 1835 Samuel Turell Armstrong Resigned to become US Senator.  100pxSamuel Turell Armstrong Whig March 1, 1835 –January 13, 1836 Acted as governor for the remainder of Davis's term.Lost nomination. lost election as independent. 15 100pxEdward Everett Whig January 13, 1836 –January 18, 1840George Hull Lost re-election 16 100pxMarcus Morton Democratic January 18, 1840 –January 7, 1841 Lost re-election. 17 100pxJohn Davis Whig January 7, 1841 –January 17, 1843 Lost re-election. 18 100pxMarcus Morton Democratic January 17, 1843 –January 9, 1844 Henry H. Childs Lost re-election. 19 George N. Briggs Whig January 9, 1844 –January 11, 1851 John Reed Jr. Lost re-election. 20 100pxGeorge S. Boutwell Democratic January 11, 1851 –January 14, 1853 Henry W. Cushman Retired. 21 100pxJohn H. Clifford Whig January 14, 1853 –January 12, 1854 Elisha Huntington Retired. 22 100pxEmory Washburn Whig January 12, 1854 –January 4, 1855 William C. Plunkett Lost re-election. 23 100pxHenry Gardner Know-Nothing January 4, 1855 –January 7, 1858 Simon Brown Lost re-election. Henry W. Benchley 24 100pxNathaniel Prentice Banks Republican January 7, 1858 –January 3, 1861 Eliphalet Trask Retired to run for president. 25 100pxJohn Albion Andrew Republican January 3, 1861 –January 4, 1866 John Z. Goodrich Retired. John Nesmith Joel Hayden 26 100pxAlexander H. Bullock Republican January 4, 1866 –January 7, 1869 William Claflin Retired. 27 100pxWilliam Claflin Republican January 7, 1869 –January 4, 1872 Joseph Tucker Retired. 28 100pxWilliam B. Washburn Republican January 4, 1872 –April 29, 1874 Resigned to become US Senator. Thomas Talbot  100pxThomas Talbot Republican April 29, 1874 –January 7, 1875 Acted as governor for the remainder of Washburn's term.Lost election in his own right. 29 100pxWilliam Gaston Democratic January 7, 1875 –January 6, 1876 Horatio G. Knight Lost re-election. 30 100pxAlexander H. Rice Republican January 6, 1876 –January 2, 1879 Retired. 31 100pxThomas Talbot Republican January 2, 1879 –January 8, 1880 John Davis Long Retired. 32 100pxJohn Davis Long Republican January 8, 1880 –January 4, 1883 Byron Weston Retired. 33 100pxBenjamin F. Butler Democratic January 4, 1883 –January 3, 1884 Oliver Ames Lost re-election. 34 100pxGeorge D. Robinson Republican January 3, 1884 –January 6, 1887 Retired. 35 100pxOliver Ames Republican January 6, 1887 –January 7, 1890 John Q. A. Brackett Retired. 36 100pxJohn Q. A. Brackett Republican January 7, 1890 –January 8, 1891 William H. Haile Lost re-election. 37 100pxWilliam E. Russell Democratic January 8, 1891 –January 4, 1894 Retired. Roger Wolcott 38 100pxFrederic T. Greenhalge Republican January 4, 1894 –March 5, 1896 Died. 39 100pxRoger Wolcott Republican March 5, 1896 –January 4, 1900 Acted as governor for the remainder of Greenhalge's term.Elected and re-elected in own right until retirement. Winthrop Murray Crane 40 100pxWinthrop Murray Crane Republican January 4, 1900 –January 8, 1903 John L. Bates Retired. 41 100pxJohn L. Bates Republican January 8, 1903 –January 5, 1905 Curtis Guild Jr. Retired. 42 100pxWilliam L. Douglas Democratic January 5, 1905 –January 4, 1906 Retired. 43 100pxCurtis Guild Jr. Republican January 4, 1906 –January 7, 1909 Eben Sumner Draper Retired. 44 100pxEben Sumner Draper Republican January 7, 1909 –January 5, 1911 Louis A. Frothingham Lost re-election. 45 100pxEugene Noble Foss Democratic January 5, 1911 –January 8, 1914 Louis A. Frothingham Did not stand for renomination as Democrat. defeated as independent in general election. Robert Luce David I. Walsh 46 100pxDavid I. Walsh Democratic January 8, 1914 –January 6, 1916 Edward P. Barry Lost re-election. Grafton D. Cushing 47 100pxSamuel W. McCall Republican January 6, 1916 –January 2, 1919 Calvin Coolidge Retired. 48 100pxCalvin Coolidge Republican 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 49 100pxChanning H. Cox Republican January 6, 1921 –January 8, 1925 Alvan T. Fuller Elected in 1920 (first two-year term).Re-elected in 1922.Retired. 50 100pxAlvan T. Fuller Republican January 8, 1925 –January 3, 1929 Frank G. Allen Retired. 51 100pxFrank G. Allen Republican January 3, 1929 –January 8, 1931 William S. Youngman Lost re-election. 52100pxJoseph B. Ely Democratic January 8, 1931 –January 3, 1935 William S. Youngman Retired. Gaspar G. Bacon 53 100pxJames Michael Curley Democratic January 3, 1935 –January 7, 1937 Joseph L. Hurley Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate 54 Charles F. Hurley Democratic January 7, 1937 –January 5, 1939 Francis E. Kelly Lost renomination. 55 100pxLeverett Saltonstall Republican January 5, 1939 –January 4, 1945 Horace T. Cahill Retired to run successfully for U.S. Senate 56 100pxMaurice J. Tobin Democratic January 4, 1945 –January 2, 1947 Robert F. Bradford Lost re-election. 57100pxRobert F. Bradford Republican January 2, 1947 –January 6, 1949 Arthur W. Coolidge Elected in 1946.Lost re-election. 58 100pxPaul A. Dever Democratic January 6, 1949 –January 8, 1953 Charles F. Sullivan Elected in 1948.Re-elected in 1950.Lost re-election. 59 100pxChristian A. Herter Republican January 8, 1953 –January 3, 1957 Sumner G. Whittier Elected in 1952.Re-elected in 1954.Retired. 60100pxFoster Furcolo Democratic January 3, 1957 –January 5, 1961 Robert F. Murphy Elected in 1956.Re-elected in 1958.Retired to run for U.S. Senator. 61 100pxJohn Volpe Republican January 5, 1961 –January 3, 1963 Edward F. McLaughlin Jr. Elected in 1960.Lost re-election. 62 100pxEndicott Peabody Democratic January 3, 1963 –January 7, 1965 Francis Bellotti Elected in 1962.Lost renomination. 63 100pxJohn Volpe Republican January 7, 1965 –January 22, 1969 Elliot Richardson Elected in 1964.Re-elected in 1966 (first four-year term).Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Francis Sargent 64 100pxFrancis Sargent Republican January 22, 1969 –January 2, 1975 Acted as governor for the remainder of Volpe's term.Elected in own right in 1970.Lost re-election. Donald Dwight 65 100pxMichael Dukakis Democratic January 2, 1975 –January 4, 1979 Thomas P. O'Neill III Elected in 1974.Lost renomination. 66 100pxEdward J. King Democratic January 4, 1979 –January 6, 1983 Elected in 1978.Lost renomination. 67 100pxMichael Dukakis Democratic January 6, 1983 –January 3, 1991 John Kerry Elected in 1982.Elected in 1986.Retired. Vacant Evelyn Murphy 68 100pxBill Weld Republican January 3, 1991 –July 29, 1997 Paul Cellucci Elected in 1990.Re-elected in 1994.Resigned when nominated U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, but was not confirmed to the office. 69 100pxPaul Cellucci Republican July 29, 1997 –April 10, 2001 Acted as governor for the remainder of Weld's term.Elected in own right in 1998.Resigned to become U.S. Ambassador to Canada. Jane Swift   100pxJane Swift Republican April 10, 2001 –January 2, 2003 Acted as governor for the remainder of Cellucci's term.Retired. 70 100pxMitt Romney Republican January 2, 2003 –January 4, 2007 Kerry Healey Elected in 2002.Retired. 71 100pxDeval Patrick Democratic January 4, 2007 –January 8, 2015 Tim Murray Elected in 2006.Re-elected in 2010.Retired. Vacant 72 100pxCharlie Baker Republican January 8, 2015 –January 5, 2023 Karyn Polito Elected in 2014.Re-elected in 2018.Retired. 73 100pxMaura Healey Democratic January 5, 2023 –present. Kim Driscoll Elected in 2022.

References


Massachusetts
Category:Politicians from Massachusetts