List of governors of Georgia

The governor of Georgia is the head of the executive branch of Georgia's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.

The current governor is Republican Brian Kemp, who took office on January 14, 2019.

List of Governors
+ Governors of the State of GeorgiaGovernorTerm in officePartyElectionLt. Governor175px Archibald Bulloch–1777(died in office)None—Office did not exist275pxButton Gwinnett–1778None—375pxJohn A. Treutlen–1779None—4John Houstoun–1780None—Vacant–August 6, 1781—Government inchaos after fallof Savannah575px John Wereat–November 1783None—675pxGeorge Walton–January 4, 1785None—7Richard Howly–February 5, 1780(resigned)None—875pxStephen Heard–August 18, 1781None—9Nathan Brownson–January 3, 1782(term limited)None178110John Martin–December 31, 1782(term limited)None17821175pxLyman Hall–December 9, 1783(term limited)None178312John Houstoun–January 6, 1785(term limited)None178413Samuel Elbert–January 9, 1786(term limited)None178514Edward Telfair–January 9, 1787(term limited)None178615George Mathews–January 26, 1788(term limited)None178716George Handley–January 7, 1789(term limited)None17881775pxGeorge Walton–November 9, 1789(term limited)Democratic-RepublicanJan. 178918Edward Telfair–November 7, 1793(lost election)Democratic-RepublicanNov. 1789179119George Mathews–January 15, 1796(not candidate for election)Democratic-Republican17932075pxJared Irwin–January 12, 1798(not candidate for election)Democratic-Republican17952175pxJames Jackson–March 3, 1801(resigned)Democratic-Republican1797179922David Emanuel–November 7, 1801(not candidate for election)Democratic-RepublicanSucceeded fromPresident ofthe Senate23Josiah Tattnall–November 4, 1802(resigned)Democratic-Republican18012475pxJohn Milledge–September 23, 1806(resigned)Democratic-Republican1802(special)180318052575pxJared Irwin–November 10, 1809(not candidate for election)Democratic-RepublicanSucceeded fromPresident ofthe Senate18072675pxDavid Brydie Mitchell–November 5, 1813(not candidate for election)Democratic-Republican180918112775pxPeter Early–November 20, 1815(lost election)Democratic-Republican18132875pxDavid Brydie Mitchell–March 4, 1817(resigned)Democratic-Republican181529William Rabun–October 24, 1819(died in office)Democratic-RepublicanSucceeded fromPresident ofthe Senate18173075pxMatthew Talbot–November 5, 1819(successor took office)Democratic-RepublicanSucceeded fromPresident ofthe Senate3175pxJohn Clark–November 7, 1823(not candidate for election)Democratic-Republican181918213275pxGeorge Troup–November 7, 1827(not candidate for election)Democratic-Republican182318253375pxJohn Forsyth–November 4, 1829(not candidate for election)Democratic-Republican18273475pxGeorge Rockingham Gilmer–November 9, 1831(not candidate for election)Democratic-Republican18293575pxWilson Lumpkin–November 4, 1835(not candidate for election)Union (Democratic)183118333675pxWilliam Schley–November 8, 1837(not candidate for election)Union (Democratic)18353775pxGeorge Rockingham Gilmer–November 6, 1839(not candidate for election)State Rights (Whig)18373875pxCharles James McDonald–November 8, 1843(not candidate for election)Union (Democratic)183918413975pxGeorge W. Crawford–November 3, 1847(not candidate for election)Whig184318454075pxGeorge W. Towns–November 5, 1851(not candidate for election)Democratic184718494175pxHowell Cobb–November 9, 1853(not candidate for election)Constitutional Union18514275pxHerschel Vespasian Johnson–November 6, 1857(not candidate for election)Democratic185318554375pxJoseph E. Brown–June 17, 1865(resigned)Democratic18571859186118634475pxJames Johnson–December 14, 1865(provisional term ended)DemocraticProvisionalgovernorappointed byPresident4575pxCharles J. Jenkins–January 13, 1868(not candidate for election)Democratic18654675pxThomas H. Ruger–July 4, 1868(state readmitted)—Militaryoccupation4775pxRufus Bullock–October 30, 1871(resigned)Republican18684875pxBenjamin F. Conley–January 12, 1872RepublicanPresident ofthe Senateacting asGovernor4975pxJames Milton Smith–January 12, 1877(not candidate for election)Democratic1871(special)18725075pxAlfred H. Colquitt–November 4, 1882(not candidate for election)Democratic187618805175pxAlexander H. Stephens–March 4, 1883(died in office)Democratic18825275pxJames S. Boynton–May 10, 1883(not candidate for election)DemocraticPresident ofthe Senateacting asGovernor5375pxHenry Dickerson McDaniel–November 9, 1886(not candidate for election)Democratic1883(special)18845475pxJohn Brown Gordon–November 8, 1890(term limited)Democratic188618885575pxWilliam J. Northen–October 27, 1894(term limited)Democratic189018925675pxWilliam Yates Atkinson–October 29, 1898(term limited)Democratic189418965775pxAllen D. Candler–October 25, 1902(term limited)Democratic189819005875pxJoseph M. Terrell–June 29, 1907(term limited)Democratic190219045975pxM. Hoke Smith–June 26, 1909(not candidate for election)Democratic19066075pxJoseph Mackey Brown–July 1, 1911(not candidate for election)Democratic19086175pxM. Hoke Smith–November 15, 1911(resigned)Democratic19106275pxJohn M. Slaton–January 25, 1912(not candidate for election)DemocraticPresident ofthe Senateacting asGovernor6375pxJoseph Mackey Brown–June 28, 1913(not candidate for election)Democratic1912(special)6475pxJohn M. Slaton–June 26, 1915(not candidate for election)Democratic19126575pxNathaniel Edwin Harris–June 30, 1917(not candidate for election)Democratic19146675pxHugh Dorsey–June 25, 1921(term limited)Democratic191619186775pxThomas W. Hardwick–June 30, 1923(not candidate for election)Democratic19206875pxClifford Walker–June 25, 1927(term limited)Democratic192219246975pxLamartine Griffin Hardman–June 27, 1931(term limited)Democratic192619287075pxRichard Russell Jr.–January 10, 1933(not candidate for election)Democratic19307175pxEugene Talmadge–January 12, 1937(term limited)Democratic193219347275pxEurith D. Rivers–January 14, 1941(term limited)Democratic193619387375pxEugene Talmadge–January 12, 1943(not candidate for election)Democratic194074Ellis Arnall–January 14, 1947(term limited)Democratic194275pxEugene TalmadgeDied before taking officeDemocratic1946 Melvin E. Thompson75pxHerman Talmadge–March 18, 1947(removed from office)Democratic75Melvin E. Thompson–November 17, 1948(lost election)DemocraticSucceeded fromLieutenantGovernorVacant7675pxHerman Talmadge–January 11, 1955(term limited)Democratic1948(special)Marvin Griffin19507775pxMarvin Griffin–January 13, 1956(term limited)Democratic1954Ernest Vandiver78Ernest Vandiver–January 15, 1963(term limited)Democratic1958Garland T. Byrd7975pxCarl Sanders–January 11, 1967(term limited)Democratic1962Peter Zack Geer8075pxLester Maddox–January 12, 1971(term limited)Democratic1966George T. Smith8175pxJimmy Carter–January 14, 1975(term limited)Democratic1970Lester Maddox8275pxGeorge Busbee–January 11, 1983(term limited)Democratic1974Zell Miller19788375pxJoe Frank Harris–January 14, 1991(term limited)Democratic198219868475pxZell Miller–January 11, 1999(term limited)Democratic1990Pierre Howard19948575pxRoy Barnes–January 13, 2003(lost election)Democratic1998Mark Taylor8675pxSonny Perdue–January 10, 2011(term limited)Republican20022006Casey Cagle8775pxNathan Deal–January 14, 2019(term limited)Republican201020148875pxBrian Kemp–presentRepublican2018Geoff Duncan

 Living former Governors of Georgia 
As of February 2026, there are four living former Governors of Georgia, the oldest being Joe Frank Harris, who served as the 78th Governor of Georgia (served 1983-1991), at 90. The most recent death of a former governor was that of Jimmy Carter, who served as the 78th Governor of Georgia from 1971-1975 and later as the 39th President of the United States, on December 29, 2024.

Notes

References

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Governors
Georgia