List of governors of Pennsylvania

The Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the head of the executive branch of Pennsylvania's governmentPA Constitution article IV, § 2 and the commander-in-chief of the state's military.PA Constitution article IV, § 7

The job of the governor is to enforce state laws and to approve or veto bills passed by the Pennsylvania Legislature.PA Constitution article IV, § 15 The governor may grant pardons except in cases of impeachment.PA Constitution article IV, § 9

There have been seven presidents and 46 governors of Pennsylvania. Two governors serving non-consecutive terms. There have been a total of 55 terms in both offices. The longest term was that of the first governor, Thomas Mifflin. He served three full terms as governor and two years as president. The shortest term belonged to John Bell. He served only 19 days as acting governor after Edward Martin resigned. The current governor is Josh Shapiro. His term began on January 17, 2023.

Governors
Pennsylvania was one of the first thirteen colonies. It became a state on December 12, 1787. 

  The Presidents of the Supreme Executive Council

The first constitution in 1776 created the Supreme Executive Council as the executive branch. The President was the leader of the  Council.1776 Constitution § 3 The president was picked each year by the council.1776 Constitution § 19

The 1776 constitution created the position of "vice-president" but it did not say what should happen if the president left office. This happened four times. Sources from that time still listed the chief executive as the vice president when that person acted as the president.  One acting president, George Bryan, has since been recognized as a governor. This is because he acted as president for over six months.

 # President Took office Left office Vice President1Thomas Wharton Jr.March 5, 1777May 23, 1778Died in office.George Bryan2George BryanMay 23, 1778December 1, 1778acting as presidentAs Vice President of the Supreme Executive Council, acted as president. Four vice presidents acted as president. Bryan's long term has caused his term to since be seen as being equal to president.3Joseph ReedDecember 1, 1778November 15, 1781George BryanResigned; no reason was recorded by the Supreme Executive Council.Matthew SmithWilliam Moore4William MooreNovember 15, 1781November 7, 1782James Potter5John DickinsonNovember 7, 1782October 18, 1785James EwingJames IrvineCharles Biddle6Benjamin FranklinOctober 18, 1785November 5, 1788Charles BiddlePeter MuhlenbergDavid Redick7Thomas MifflinNovember 5, 1788December 21, 1790George Ross

Governors of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

The 1790 constitution ended the council. It replaced the president with a governor,1790 Constitution article II, § 1 and created a three-year term for governor. This term started on the third Tuesday of the December after the election. A governors could not serve more than nine out of any twelve years.1790 Constitution article IV, § 3 The 1838 constitution moved the start of the term to the third Tuesday of the January after the election. It allowed governors to only serve six out of any nine years.1838 Constitution article II, § 3 The 1874 constitution lengthened the term to four years. It said that governors could not succeed themselves (be elected to another term while still in office).1874 Constitution article IV, § 3 The current constitution of 1968 changed this to allow governors to serve two consecutive terms.PA Constitution article IV, § 3 There are no limits on the number of terms a governor may serve in total as long as there is a four year break after a second term.

If the governor dies, resigns or is impeached, the lieutenant governor becomes governor for the rest of the term. If the governor becomes unable to act as governor because of disability, the lieutenant governor only acts out the duties of governor.PA Constitution article IV, § 13 Should both offices be vacant, the president pro tempore of the state senate becomes governor.PA Constitution article IV, § 14 The position of lieutenant governor was created in the 1874 constitution. Before this, the speaker of the senate would act as governor in cases of vacancy. At first, the lieutenant governor could only act as governor. It was not until the 1968 constitution that the lieutenant governor could actually become governor. The office of governor has been vacant for an extended period of time once. There was a 17-day time period in 1848 between the death of Francis R. Shunk and the swearing in of William F. Johnston. Governors and lieutenant governors are elected on the same ticket.

 # Governor Took office Left office Party Lt. GovernorThe office of lieutenant governor was not created until the 1873 Constitution, first being filled in 1875. TermsThe fractional terms of some governors are not to be understood absolutely literally; rather, they are meant to show single terms during which multiple governors served, due to resignations, deaths and the like.7 Thomas MifflinDecember 21, 1790December 17, 1799NoneThe Federalist Party nominated Mifflin, but he himself carried no party label.None3Mifflin was elected governor three times under the 1790 Constitution, having previously been elected once as President of the Supreme Executive Council.8 Thomas McKeanDecember 17, 1799December 20, 1808Democratic-Republican39 Simon SnyderDecember 20, 1808December 16, 1817Democratic-Republican310 William FindlayDecember 16, 1817December 19, 1820Democratic-Republican111 Joseph HiesterDecember 19, 1820December 16, 1823Democratic-Republican112 John Andrew ShulzeDecember 16, 1823December 15, 1829Democratic-Republican213 George WolfDecember 15, 1829December 15, 1835Democratic-Republican214 Joseph RitnerDecember 15, 1835January 15, 1839Anti-Masonic1Ritner was the last to serve before the 1838 constitution limited governors to serving six years out of any nine years; that constitution also changed the term to commence the next January from the election, extending Ritner's term by a month.15 David R. PorterJanuary 15, 1839January 21, 1845Democratic2First governor to serve under the 1838 constitution.16 Francis R. ShunkJanuary 21, 1845July 9, 1848DemocraticResigned due to illness; he died of tuberculosis only 11 days later.— Office vacantJuly 9, 1848July 26, 1848——Following Francis R. Shunk's resignation, an interregnum of 17 days occurred before the speaker of the state senate, William F. Johnston, was sworn in.17 William F. JohnstonJuly 26, 1848January 20, 1852WhigAs speaker of the state senate, filled unexpired term, and was subsequently elected governor in his own right.18 William BiglerJanuary 20, 1852January 16, 1855Democratic119 James PollockJanuary 16, 1855January 19, 1858Whig120 William F. PackerJanuary 19, 1858January 15, 1861Democratic121 Andrew Gregg CurtinJanuary 15, 1861January 15, 1867Republican223 John W. GearyJanuary 15, 1867January 21, 1873Republican224 John F. HartranftJanuary 21, 1873January 21, 1879Republican None2First governor under the 1874 constitution, which prevented governors from succeeding themselves and lengthened terms to four years. Since Hartranft was originally elected under the previous constitution, he was allowed to succeed himself. Hartranft's first term was shortened from three to two years to fit the electoral schedule of the new constitution. John Latta25 Henry M. HoytJanuary 21, 1879January 16, 1883Republican Charles Warren Stone126 Robert E. PattisonJanuary 16, 1883January 18, 1887Democratic Chauncey Forward Black127 James A. BeaverJanuary 18, 1887January 20, 1891Republican William T. Davies128 Robert E. PattisonJanuary 20, 1891January 15, 1895Democratic Louis Arthur Watres129 Daniel H. HastingsJanuary 15, 1895January 17, 1899Republican Walter Lyon130 William A. StoneJanuary 17, 1899January 20, 1903Republican John P. S. Gobin131 Samuel W. PennypackerJanuary 20, 1903January 15, 1907Republican William M. Brown132 Edwin Sydney StuartJanuary 15, 1907January 17, 1911Republican Robert S. Murphy133 John K. TenerJanuary 17, 1911January 19, 1915Republican John Merriman Reynolds134 Martin Grove BrumbaughJanuary 19, 1915January 21, 1919Republican Frank B. McClain135 William Cameron SproulJanuary 21, 1919January 16, 1923Republican Edward E. Beidleman136 Gifford PinchotJanuary 16, 1923January 18, 1927Republican David J. Davis137 John Stuchell FisherJanuary 18, 1927January 20, 1931Republican Arthur James138 Gifford PinchotJanuary 20, 1931January 15, 1935Republican Edward C. Shannon139 George Howard Earle IIIJanuary 15, 1935January 17, 1939Democratic Thomas Kennedy140 Arthur JamesJanuary 17, 1939January 19, 1943Republican Samuel S. Lewis141 Edward MartinJanuary 19, 1943January 2, 1947Republican John C. Bell, Jr.42 John C. Bell, Jr.January 2, 1947January 21, 1947Republican vacantAs lieutenant governor, acted as governor for unexpired term.43 James H. DuffJanuary 21, 1947January 16, 1951Republican Daniel B. Strickler144 John S. FineJanuary 16, 1951January 18, 1955Republican Lloyd H. Wood145 George M. LeaderJanuary 18, 1955January 20, 1959Democratic Roy E. Furman146 David L. LawrenceJanuary 20, 1959January 15, 1963Democratic John Morgan Davis147 William ScrantonJanuary 15, 1963January 17, 1967Republican Raymond P. Shafer148 Raymond P. ShaferJanuary 17, 1967January 19, 1971Republican Raymond J. Broderick149 Milton ShappJanuary 19, 1971January 16, 1979Democratic Ernest P. Kline2First governor under the 1968 constitution, and thus eligible to succeed himself.50 Dick ThornburghJanuary 16, 1979January 20, 1987Republican William Scranton, III251 Robert P. CaseyJanuary 20, 1987January 17, 1995Democratic Mark Singel2On June 14, 1993, Casey transferred executive authority to Lieutenant Governor Singel, and later that day underwent a heart-liver transplant operation. Singel acted as governor until Casey resumed the powers and duties of the office six months later on December 13, 1993. Because Casey never officially resigned, Singel was only an acting governor.52 Tom RidgeJanuary 17, 1995October 5, 2001Republican Mark S. SchweikerResigned to be Director of the Office of Homeland Security.53 Mark S. SchweikerOctober 5, 2001January 21, 2003Republican Robert JubelirerAs lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term.54 Ed RendellJanuary 21, 2003January 18, 2011Democratic Catherine Baker KnollDied in office.2 Joe ScarnatiAs president pro tempore of the state senate, acted as lieutenant governor.55 Tom CorbettJanuary 18, 2011January 20, 2015Republican Jim Cawley156 Tom WolfJanuary 20, 2015January 17, 2023Democratic Michael J. Stack III2John Fetterman57 Josh ShapiroJanuary 17, 2023IncumbentDemocratic Austin Davis1

Living former governors
, five former governors are alive. The most recent death of a former governor was that of Dick Thornburgh (1979–1987), on December 31, 2020. 

 Name Gubernatorial term Date of birthTom Ridge1995–2001Mark Schweiker2001–2003Ed Rendell2003–2011Tom Corbett2011−2015Tom Wolf2015−2023

Notes

References
General



Constitutions







Specific

Other websites

 Office of the Governor of Pennsylvania 

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