List of governors of Indiana

The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Indiana. The governor is the head of the executive branch of Indiana's state government and is charged with enforcing state laws.

Governors

Governors of the Territory of Indiana
Indiana Territory was formed on July 4, 1800, from the Northwest Territory. Despite remaining a territory for nearly 16 years, it had only two governors appointed by the President of the United States before it became a state.

+ Governors of the Territory of IndianaGovernorTerm in officeAppointed by1100pxWilliam Henry Harrison–December 28, 1812John AdamsThomas JeffersonJames Madison2100pxThomas Posey–November 7, 1816James Madison

Governors of the State of Indiana
Indiana was admitted to the Union on December 11, 1816.

The original 1816 Constitution of Indiana provided for the election of a governor and a lieutenant governor every three years, limited to six years out of any nine-year period.1816 Const. art. IV, § 3 The second and current constitution of 1851 lengthened terms to four years and set the commencement of the governor's term on the second Monday in the January following the election.IN Const. art. V, § 1 Governors were allowed to serve for four years in any eight-year period, but a 1972 amendment permitted governors to serve for eight years in any twelve-year period.McLauchlan p. 94 Should the office of governor become vacant, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.IN Const. art. V, § 10 If the office of lieutenant governor is vacant, the president pro tempore of the Indiana Senate becomes governor; this has happened once, when James B. Ray succeeded William Hendricks.Woollen, p. 56

+ Governors of the State of IndianaGovernorTerm in officePartyElectionLt. Governor375px Jonathan JenningsIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1816 sess., 10, accessed August 18, 2023–September 12, 1822Democratic-Republican1816 Vacant1819475pxRatliff Boon–December 4, 1822Democratic-RepublicanVacant575pxWilliam HendricksIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1822 sess., 26, accessed August 18, 2023–February 12, 1825Democratic-Republican1822Vacant675pxJames B. Ray–December 7, 1831Democratic-Republican18251828775pxNoah NobleIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1831 sess., 32, accessed August 19, 2023–December 6, 1837NationalRepublican1831Whig1834875pxDavid WallaceIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1837 sess., 30, accessed August 19, 2023–December 9, 1840Whig1837975pxSamuel BiggerIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1840 sess., 35, accessed August 19, 2023–December 6, 1843Whig18401075pxJames WhitcombIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1843 sess., 33, accessed August 19, 2023–December 27, 1848Democratic1843Vacant18461175pxParis C. DunningIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1848 sess., 202, accessed August 19, 2023–December 5, 1849DemocraticVacant1275pxJoseph A. WrightIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1849 sess., 42, accessed August 19, 2023–January 12, 1857Democratic184918521375pxAshbel P. WillardIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1857 sess., 60, accessed August 19, 2023–October 4, 1860Democratic18561475pxAbram A. Hammond–January 14, 1861DemocraticVacant1575pxHenry S. LaneIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1861 sess., 60, accessed August 19, 2023–January 16, 1861Republican18601675pxOliver P. MortonIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1861 sess., 94, accessed August 19, 2023–January 24, 1867RepublicanVacantUnion18641775pxConrad BakerIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1867 sess., 197, accessed August 19, 2023–January 13, 1873RepublicanVacant1868Vacant1875pxThomas A. HendricksIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1873 sess., 77, accessed August 19, 2023–January 8, 1877Democratic18721975pxJames D. WilliamsIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1877 sess., 66, accessed August 19, 2023–November 20, 1880Democratic18762075pxIsaac P. Gray–January 10, 1881DemocraticVacant2175pxAlbert G. PorterIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1881 sess., 79, accessed August 19, 2023–January 12, 1885Republican18802275pxIsaac P. GrayIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1885 sess., 60, accessed August 19, 2023–January 14, 1889Democratic1884Vacant2375pxAlvin Peterson HoveyIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1889 sess., 62, accessed August 19, 2023–November 23, 1891Republican18882475pxIra Joy Chase–January 9, 1893RepublicanVacant2575pxClaude MatthewsIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1893 sess., 50, accessed August 19, 2023–January 11, 1897Democratic18922675pxJames A. MountIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1897 sess., 63, accessed August 19, 2023–January 14, 1901Republican18962775pxWinfield T. DurbinIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1901 sess., 72, accessed August 19, 2023–January 9, 1905Republican19002875pxFrank HanlyIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1905 sess., 103, accessed August 19, 2023–January 11, 1909Republican19042975pxThomas R. MarshallIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1909 sess., 79, accessed August 19, 2023–January 13, 1913Democratic19083099x99pxSamuel M. RalstonIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1913 sess., 69, accessed August 19, 2023–January 8, 1917Democratic19123175pxJames P. GoodrichIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1917 sess., 51, accessed August 19, 2023–January 10, 1921Republican19163275pxWarren T. McCrayIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1921 sess., 149, accessed August 19, 2023–April 30, 1924Republican19203375pxEmmett Forest Branch–January 12, 1925RepublicanVacant3475pxEdward L. JacksonIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1925 sess., 26, accessed August 19, 2023–January 14, 1929Republican19243575pxHarry G. LeslieIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1929 sess., 13, accessed August 19, 2023–January 9, 1933Republican19283675pxPaul V. McNuttIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1933 sess., 88, accessed August 19, 2023–January 11, 1937Democratic19323775pxM. Clifford TownsendIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1937 sess., 76, accessed August 19, 2023–January 13, 1941Democratic19363875pxHenry F. SchrickerIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1941 sess., 97, accessed August 19, 2023–January 8, 1945Democratic19403975pxRalph F. Gates–January 10, 1949Republican1944VacantVacant4075pxHenry F. SchrickerIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1949 sess., 54, accessed August 19, 2023–January 12, 1953Democratic19484175pxGeorge N. CraigIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1953 sess., 44, accessed August 19, 2023–January 14, 1957Republican19524275pxHarold W. HandleyIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1957 sess., 47, accessed August 19, 2023–January 9, 1961Republican19564375pxMatthew E. WelshIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1961 sess., 55, accessed August 19, 2023–January 11, 1965Democratic19604475pxRoger D. BraniginIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1965 sess., 50, accessed August 19, 2023–January 13, 1969Democratic19644575pxEdgar WhitcombIndiana General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1969 sess., 89, accessed August 19, 2023–January 8, 1973Republican19684675pxOtis Bowen–January 12, 1981Republican197219764775pxRobert D. Orr–January 9, 1989Republican198019844875pxEvan Bayh–January 13, 1997Democratic198819924975pxFrank O'Bannon–September 13, 2003Democratic199620005075pxJoe Kernan–January 10, 2005DemocraticVacant5175pxMitch Daniels–January 14, 2013Republican2004200852 100x100pxMike Pence–January 9, 2017Republican2012Vacant5375pxEric Holcomb–January 13, 2025Republican201620205475pxMike Braun–IncumbentRepublican2024

Notes

References

*