List of governors of Nebraska
The governor of Nebraska is the head of government of the U.S. state of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Constitution of Nebraska. The officeholder is elected to a four-year term, with elections held two years after presidential elections. The governor may be elected any number of times, but not more than twice in a row. The current officeholder is Jim Pillen, a Republican, who was sworn in on January 5, 2023. The current Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska is Joe Kelly, who also assumed office on January 5, 2023.
| Governor of Nebraska | |
|---|---|
 Seal of Nebraska | |
| Style | The Honorable |
| Residence | Nebraska Governor's Mansion |
| Term length | 4 years, renewable once consecutively |
| Inaugural holder | David Butler |
| Formation | Constitution of Nebraska |
| Salary | $105,000 USD (2022)[1] |
Governors of Nebraska must be at least 30 years old and have been citizens and residents of the state for five years before being elected. Before 1966, the governor was elected to a two-year term. In 1962, a constitutional amendment extended the gubernatorial term to four years, effective with the 1966 election. In 1966, another amendment imposed a term limit of two consecutive terms. The lieutenant governor is subject to the same limitations and runs on a combined ticket with the governor. Charles W. Bryan is the only Governor of Nebraska to serve non-consecutive terms. Dave Heineman holds the record as Nebraska's longest-serving Governor with 10 years.
The governor's term, along with all other elected statewide officers, begins on the first Thursday after the first Tuesday in the month of January after an election.[2] If the governor becomes incapacitated or is out of the state, the lieutenant governor acts as governor; if there is a vacancy or permanent incapacitation, the lieutenant governor becomes governor and serves the balance of the term. However, if both offices become vacant, the next person in the line of succession is the Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature, who is then followed by the chairs of various committees in the legislature.
Qualifications
Anyone who seeks to be elected Governor of Nebraska must meet the following qualifications:[3]
- Be at least 30 years old,
- Be a resident of the state of Nebraska for at least five years, and
- Be a citizen of the United States
Territorial governors
- See List of governors of Missouri for the period from 1805 to 1821. Between 1821 and 1854, the land was unorganized territory.
Before statehood, governors were appointed to a four-year term by the President of the United States.[upper-alpha 1]
| No. | Governor (Birth–Death) | Term in office | Appointed By | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (8)
Republican (2) | ||||||||
| – | .jpg.webp) |
William Walker (1800–1874) |
July 23, 1853 – October 16, 1854 |
None | Not recognized by the federal government | |||
| 1 |  |
Francis Burt (1807–1854) |
October 16, 1854 – October 18, 1854 |
Franklin Pierce | Appointed after William Orlando Butler turned down the position.[4] Died only two days after being sworn in. | |||
| – |  |
Thomas B. Cuming (1827–1858) |
October 18, 1854 – February 23, 1855 |
Acting Territorial Governor as Secretary of the Territory | ||||
| 2 |  |
Mark W. Izard (1799–1866) |
February 23, 1855 – October 25, 1857 |
Resigned | ||||
| – | |
Thomas B. Cuming (1827–1858) |
October 25, 1857 – January 12, 1858 |
James Buchanan | Acting Territorial Governor as Secretary of the Territory | |||
| 3 |  |
William A. Richardson (1811–1875) |
January 12, 1858 – December 5, 1858 |
Resigned | ||||
| – |  |
J. Sterling Morton (1832–1902) |
December 5, 1858 – May 2, 1859 |
Acting Territorial Governor as Secretary of the Territory | ||||
| 4 |  |
Samuel W. Black (1816–1862) |
May 2, 1859 – February 24, 1861 |
Resigned | ||||
| – | |
J. Sterling Morton (1832–1902) |
February 24, 1861 – March 6, 1861 |
Acting Territorial Governor as Secretary of the Territory | ||||
| – |  |
Algernon S. Paddock (1830–1897) |
March 6, 1861 – May 15, 1861 |
Abraham Lincoln | Acting Territorial Governor as Secretary of the Territory | |||
| 5 |  |
Alvin Saunders (1817–1899) |
May 15, 1861 – March 1, 1867 |
Ceased being Territorial Governor once Nebraska became a state | ||||
State governors
Popularly elected, beginning in 1866, to a two-year term. In 1962, the voters approved a constitutional amendment expanding terms beginning in 1966 to four years. In 1966, the voters limited the number of consecutive full terms that any one governor could serve to two (i.e. only one possible re-election while still in office after election to a full term.)[upper-alpha 2]
| No. | Governor (Birth–Death) | Term in office | Party | Election | Lieutenant Governor | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican (26)
Democratic (12) Fusion (Democratic/Populist) (2) | ||||||||
| 1 |  |
David Butler (1829–1891) |
February 21, 1867 – June 2, 1871[5] |
Republican | 1866 | None | ||
| 1868 | ||||||||
| 1870 | ||||||||
| – |  |
William H. James[6] (1831–1920) |
June 2, 1871[7] – January 13, 1873 |
Republican | Acting Governor as Secretary of State | |||
| 2 |  |
Robert Wilkinson Furnas (1824–1905) |
January 13, 1873 – January 11, 1875 |
Republican | 1872 | |||
| 3 |  |
Silas Garber (1833–1905) |
January 11, 1875 – January 9, 1879 |
Republican | 1874 | |||
| 1876 | Othman A. Abbott | |||||||
| 4 |  |
Albinus Nance (1848–1911) |
January 9, 1879 – January 4, 1883 |
Republican | 1878 | Edmund C. Carns | ||
| 1880 | ||||||||
| 5 |  |
James W. Dawes (1844–1918) |
January 4, 1883 – January 6, 1887 |
Republican | 1882 | Alfred W. Agee Hibbard H. Shedd | ||
| 1884 | ||||||||
| 6 |  |
John Milton Thayer (1820–1906) |
January 6, 1887 – February 8, 1892[8] |
Republican | 1886 | Hibbard H. Shedd George D. Meiklejohn Thomas J. Majors | ||
| 1888 | ||||||||
| 7 |  |
James E. Boyd (1834–1906) |
February 8, 1892[8] – January 13, 1893 |
Democratic | 1890 | Thomas J. Majors | ||
| 8 |  |
Lorenzo Crounse (1834–1909) |
January 13, 1893 – January 3, 1895 |
Republican | 1892 | Thomas J. Majors | ||
| 9 |  |
Silas A. Holcomb (1858–1920) |
January 3, 1895 – January 5, 1899 (not candidate for election) |
Fusion | 1894 | Robert E. Moore James E. Harris | ||
| 1896 | ||||||||
| 10 |  |
William A. Poynter (1848–1909) |
January 5, 1899 – January 3, 1901 (lost election) |
Fusion | 1898 | Edward A. Gilbert | ||
| 11 |  |
Charles H. Dietrich (1853–1924) |
January 3, 1901 – May 1, 1901 (resigned)[9] |
Republican | 1900 | Ezra P. Savage | ||
| 12 | .jpg.webp) |
Ezra P. Savage (1842–1920) |
May 1, 1901 – January 8, 1903 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Calvin F. Steele (Acting) | ||
| 13 |  |
John H. Mickey (1845–1910) |
January 8, 1903 – January 3, 1907 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1902 | Edmund G. McGilton | ||
| 1904 | ||||||||
| 14 |  |
George L. Sheldon (1870–1960) |
January 3, 1907 – January 7, 1909 (lost election) |
Republican | 1906 | Melville R. Hopewell | ||
| 15 |  |
Ashton C. Shallenberger (1862–1938) |
January 7, 1909 – January 5, 1911 (lost renomination) |
Democratic | 1908 | Melville R. Hopewell | ||
| 16 |  |
Chester H. Aldrich (1863–1924) |
January 5, 1911 – January 9, 1913 (lost election) |
Republican | 1910 | Melville R. Hopewell | ||
| John H. Morehead (Acting) | ||||||||
| 17 |  |
John H. Morehead (1861–1942) |
January 9, 1913 – January 4, 1917 (not candidate for election) |
Democratic | 1912 | Samuel R. McKelvie | ||
| 1914 | James Pearson | |||||||
| 18 |  |
Keith Neville (1884–1959) |
January 4, 1917 – January 9, 1919 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1916 | Edgar Howard | ||
| 19 |  |
Samuel R. McKelvie (1881–1956) |
January 9, 1919 – January 3, 1923 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1918 | Pelham A. Barrows | ||
| 1920 | ||||||||
| 20 |  |
Charles W. Bryan (1867–1945) |
January 3, 1923 – January 8, 1925 (not candidate for election)[10] |
Democratic | 1922 | Fred Gustus Johnson | ||
| 21 |  |
Adam McMullen (1872–1959) |
January 8, 1925 – January 3, 1929 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1924 | George A. Williams | ||
| 1926 | ||||||||
| 22 |  |
Arthur J. Weaver (1873–1945) |
January 3, 1929 – January 8, 1931 (lost election) |
Republican | 1928 | George A. Williams | ||
| 23 | |
Charles W. Bryan (1867–1945) |
January 8, 1931 – January 3, 1935 (not candidate for election) |
Democratic | 1930 | Theodore Metcalfe | ||
| 1932 | Walter H. Jurgensen | |||||||
| 24 |  |
Robert Leroy Cochran (1886–1963) |
January 3, 1935 – January 9, 1941 (not candidate for election) |
Democratic | 1934 | Walter H. Jurgensen Nate M. Parsons | ||
| 1936 | ||||||||
| 1938 | William E. Johnson | |||||||
| 25 | .jpg.webp) |
Dwight Griswold (1893–1954) |
January 9, 1941 – January 9, 1947 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1940 | William E. Johnson Roy W. Johnson | ||
| 1942 | ||||||||
| 1944 | ||||||||
| 26 |  |
Val Peterson (1903–1983) |
January 9, 1947 – January 8, 1953 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1946 | Robert B. Crosby Charles J. Warner | ||
| 1948 | ||||||||
| 1950 | ||||||||
| 27 | .jpg.webp) |
Robert B. Crosby (1911–2000) |
January 8, 1953 – January 6, 1955 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | 1952 | Charles J. Warner | ||
| 28 | .jpg.webp) |
Victor E. Anderson (1902–1962) |
January 6, 1955 – January 8, 1959 (lost election) |
Republican | 1954 | Charles J. Warner Dwight W. Burney | ||
| 1956 | ||||||||
| 29 |  |
Ralph G. Brooks (1898–1960) |
January 8, 1959 – September 9, 1960 (died)[11] |
Democratic | 1958 | Dwight W. Burney | ||
| 30 |  |
Dwight W. Burney (1892–1987) |
September 9, 1960 – January 5, 1961 (not candidate for election) |
Republican | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Dwight W. Burney | ||
| 31 | .jpg.webp) |
Frank B. Morrison (1905–2004) |
January 5, 1961 – January 5, 1967 (not candidate for election) |
Democratic | 1960 | Dwight W. Burney | ||
| 1962 | ||||||||
| 1964 | Philip C. Sorensen | |||||||
| 32 | .jpg.webp) |
Norbert Tiemann (1924–2012) |
January 5, 1967 – January 7, 1971 (lost election) |
Republican | 1966[12] | John E. Everroad | ||
| 33 |  |
J. James Exon (1921–2005) |
January 7, 1971 – January 4, 1979 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1970 | Frank Marsh | ||
| 1974 | Gerald T. Whelan | |||||||
| 34 | .png.webp) |
Charles Thone (1924–2018) |
January 4, 1979 – January 6, 1983 (lost election) |
Republican | 1978 | Roland A. Luedtke | ||
| 35 |  |
J. Robert Kerrey (b. 1943) |
January 6, 1983 – January 9, 1987 (not candidate for election) |
Democratic | 1982 | Donald F. McGinley | ||
| 36 |  |
Kay A. Orr (b. 1939) |
January 9, 1987 – January 9, 1991 (lost election) |
Republican | 1986 | William E. Nichol | ||
| 37 |  |
Ben Nelson (b. 1941) |
January 9, 1991 – January 7, 1999 (term limited) |
Democratic | 1990 | Maxine B. Moul Kim M. Robak | ||
| 1994 | ||||||||
| 38 |  |
Mike Johanns (b. 1950) |
January 7, 1999 – January 20, 2005 (resigned)[13] |
Republican | 1998 | David I. Maurstad Dave Heineman | ||
| 2002 | ||||||||
| 39 | .jpg.webp) |
Dave Heineman (b. 1948) |
January 20, 2005 – January 8, 2015 (term limited) |
Republican | Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor |
Rick Sheehy Lavon Heidemann John E. Nelson | ||
| 2006 | ||||||||
| 2010 | ||||||||
| 40 | .jpg.webp) |
Pete Ricketts (b. 1964) |
January 8, 2015 – January 5, 2023 (term limited) |
Republican | 2014 | Mike Foley | ||
| 2018 | ||||||||
| 41 | .jpg.webp) |
Jim Pillen (b. 1955) |
January 5, 2023 – Incumbent [14][15][2] |
Republican | 2022 | Joe Kelly | ||
Notes
- "Governor of Nebraska". Ballotpedia. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
- "Nebraska State Constitution Article XVII-5". Nebraska Legislature.
- "Governor of Nebraska".
- James C. Olson (1966). History of Nebraska (New Edition) (2nd ed.). University of Nebraska Press. p. 81.
- Elected, but not inaugurated, before Nebraska's statehood. Impeached and removed from office for misappropriation of state funds; the impeachment was expunged six years later.
- From February 8 to February 13, 1872, Acting Governor James traveled outside the state of Nebraska, and Senate President pro tempore Isaac Hascall declared himself Acting Governor of Nebraska in James's absence. The Nebraska Supreme Court would later rule that Hascall was legally the Acting Governor under the Nebraska Constitution of 1866 while James was absent from the state.
- As Secretary of State, James acted as governor for the unexpired term of David Butler.
- James Boyd won the 1890 election, and was sworn in on January 8, 1891. However, due to a question of his U.S. citizenship and eligibility for the office, he did not take office until February 8, 1892.
- Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
- Bryan instead unsuccessfully ran for Vice President of the United States.
- Died in office.
- This was the first four-year term under the new constitution.
- Resigned to become United States Secretary of Agriculture.
- Pillen's first term began on January 5, 2023 and will expire January 7, 2027.
- Don Walton (November 21, 2022). "Ricketts moves close to acknowledging Senate interest". Retrieved November 21, 2022.
Succession
See also
References
- 2012-13 Nebraska Blue Book (Nebraska State Government) Archived 2013-05-15 at the Wayback Machine, page 418
- 2012-13 Nebraska Blue Book Archived 2013-05-15 at the Wayback Machine, pages 418–419
External links
- Semi-Centennial History of Nebraska (1904)
- Nebraska Blue Book
- specifically (in the 2012-13 Blue Book), State Executive Branch (PDF), page 421, "Nebraska Governors, 1854–2013"
