List of governors of California

This is a list of governors of the US state of California.

 List 
+ Governors of the State of CaliforniaGovernorTerm in officePartyElectionLt. Governor175px Peter Hardeman Burnett–January 9, 1851(resigned)Democratic1849 John McDougal275pxJohn McDougal–January 8, 1852(not candidate for election)Succeeded fromLieutenantGovernorDavid C. Broderick(acting)375pxJohn Bigler–January 9, 1856(lost election)1851Samuel Purdy1853475pxJ. Neely Johnson–January 8, 1858(not candidate for election)American1855Robert M. Anderson575pxJohn B. Weller–January 9, 1860(not candidate for election)Democratic1857Joseph Walkup675pxMilton Latham–January 14, 1860(resigned)1859John G. Downey775pxJohn G. Downey–January 10, 1862(not candidate for election)Succeeded fromLieutenantGovernorIsaac N. Quinn (acting)(term ended January 7, 1861)Pablo de la Guerra (acting)875pxLeland Stanford– December 10, 1863(not candidate for election)Republican1861John F. Chellis975pxFrederick Low–December 5, 1867(not candidate for election)Union1863Tim N. Machin1075pxHenry Huntly Haight–December 8, 1871(lost election)Democratic1867William Holden1175pxNewton Booth–February 27, 1875(resigned)Republican1871Romualdo Pacheco1275pxRomualdo Pacheco–December 9, 1875(not candidate for election)Succeeded fromLieutenantGovernorWilliam Irwin(acting)1375pxWilliam Irwin–January 8, 1880(not candidate for election)Democratic1875James A. Johnson1475pxGeorge Clement Perkins–January 10, 1883(not candidate for election)Republican1879John Mansfield1575pxGeorge Stoneman–January 8, 1887(not candidate for election)Democratic1882John Daggett1675pxWashington Bartlett–September 12, 1887(died in office)1886Robert Waterman1775pxRobert Waterman–January 8, 1891(not candidate for election)RepublicanSucceeded fromLieutenantGovernorStephen M. White(acting)1875pxHenry Markham–January 11, 1895(not candidate for election)1890John B. Reddick1975pxJames Budd–January 4, 1899(not candidate for election)Democratic1894Spencer G. Millard(died October 24, 1895)William T. Jeter2075pxHenry Gage–January 7, 1903(not candidate for election)Republican1898Jacob H. Neff2175pxGeorge Pardee–January 9, 1907(not candidate for election)1902Alden Anderson2275pxJames Gillett–January 3, 1911(not candidate for election)1906Warren R. Porter23100x100pxHiram Johnson–March 15, 1917(resigned)Republican1910Albert Joseph WallaceProgressive1914John M. Eshleman(died February 28, 1916)VacantWilliam Stephens(took office July 22, 1916)2475pxWilliam Stephens–January 8, 1923(not candidate for election)RepublicanSucceeded fromLieutenantGovernorVacant1918C. C. Young2575pxFriend Richardson–January 4, 1927(not candidate for election)19222675pxC. C. Young–January 6, 1931(lost renomination)1926Buron Fitts(resigned November 30, 1928)VacantHerschel L. Carnahan(appointed December 4, 1928)2775pxJames Rolph–June 2, 1934(died in office)1930Frank Merriam2875pxFrank Merriam–January 2, 1939(lost election)Succeeded fromLieutenantGovernorVacant1934George J. Hatfield2975pxCulbert Olson–January 4, 1943(lost election)Democratic1938Ellis E. Patterson3075pxEarl Warren–October 5, 1953(resigned)Republican1942Frederick F. Houser1946Goodwin Knight19503175pxGoodwin Knight–January 5, 1959(not candidate for election)RepublicanSucceeded fromLieutenantGovernorHarold J. Powers19543275pxPat Brown–January 2, 1967(lost election)Democratic1958Glenn M. Anderson19623375pxRonald Reagan–January 6, 1975(not candidate for election)Republican1966Robert Finch(resigned January 8, 1969)Edwin Reinecke(resigned October 2, 1974)1970John L. Harmer3475pxJerry Brown–January 3, 1983(not candidate for election)Democratic1974Mervyn M. Dymally1978Michael Curb3575pxGeorge Deukmejian–January 7, 1991(not candidate for election)Republican1982Leo T. McCarthy19863675pxPete Wilson–January 4, 1999(term limited)19901994Gray Davis3775pxGray Davis–November 17, 2003(recalled)Democratic1998Cruz Bustamante20023875pxArnold Schwarzenegger–January 3, 2011(term limited)Republican2003(special)2006John Garamendi(resigned November 3, 2009)Mona Pasquil(acting)Abel Maldonado(appointed April 27, 2010)3975pxJerry Brown–January 7, 2019(term limited)Democratic2010Gavin Newsom(took office January 10, 2011)20144075pxGavin Newsom–present2018Eleni Kounalakis

 Living former Governors of California 
As of February 2026, there are five living former Governors of California, the oldest being Pete Wilson, who served as the 36th Governor of California (served 1991-1999), at 92. The most recent death of a former governor was that of George Deukmejian, who served as the 35th Governor of California (served 1983-1991) on May 8, 2018.

References

Notes

California
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governors