Wikipedia
List of governors of Illinois
The governor of Illinois is the head of government of the U.S. state of Illinois. The governor is the head of the executive branch of Illinois's state government and is charged with enforcing state laws. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Illinois Legislature, to convene the legislature, and to grant pardons, except in cases of impeachment.[2] The governor is also the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.
| Governor of Illinois | |
|---|---|
| Residence | Illinois Governor's Mansion |
| Term length | Four years, no term limits |
| Inaugural holder | Shadrach Bond |
| Formation | October 6, 1818 |
| Salary | $177,412 (2015)[1]^α |
| Website | www2 |
Since becoming a state in 1818, 43 people have served as governor of Illinois; before statehood, it had only one territorial governor, Ninian Edwards. The longest-serving governor was James R. Thompson, who was elected to four terms lasting 14 years, from 1977 to 1991. Only one governor, Richard J. Oglesby, has served multiple non-consecutive terms, having been elected in 1864, 1872, and 1884.
The current governor is J. B. Pritzker, who took office on January 14, 2019.[3]
Governors
Governor of the Territory of Illinois
Illinois Territory was formed on March 1, 1809, from Indiana Territory.[4] It had only two governors appointed by the President of the United States before it became a state, and only one ever took office.
| No. | Governor | Term in office[a] | Appointed by | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Boyle (1774–1834) | March 7, 1809 – April 3, 1809 (resigned before taking office)[b] | Thomas Jefferson | |
| 2 | Ninian Edwards[c] (1775–1833) [9][10] | April 24, 1809[d] – October 6, 1818 (statehood)[e] | Thomas Jefferson | |
| James Madison | ||||
Governors of the State of Illinois
Illinois was admitted to the Union on December 3, 1818, consisting of the southern portion of Illinois Territory; the remainder was assigned to Michigan Territory.[17]
The first Illinois Constitution, ratified in 1818, provided that a governor be elected every 4 years[18] for a term starting on the first Monday in the December following an election.[19] The constitution of 1848 moved the start of the term to the second Monday in January starting in 1849, thus shortening the term won in the 1844 election to 2 years.[20] Governors were not allowed to succeed themselves[19] until the 1870 constitution, which removed this limit.
The office of lieutenant governor was created in the first constitution,[21] to exercise the power of governor if that office becomes vacant.[22] The 1848 constitution changed this to say the power "devolves" upon the lieutenant governor in case of a vacancy.[23] The current constitution of 1970 made it so that, in the event of a vacancy, the lieutenant becomes governor,[24] and the governor and lieutenant governor are now elected on the same ticket.[25] If the governor feels seriously impeded in performing their job, they can inform the secretary of state and the next in the line of succession, who becomes acting governor until the governor can resume office.[24]
| No.[f] | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor[g][h] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shadrach Bond (1773–1832) [28][29] | October 6, 1818 – December 5, 1822 (term-limited) | Democratic- Republican | 1818 | Pierre Menard | |||
| 2 | Edward Coles (1786–1868) [30][31] | December 5, 1822 – December 6, 1826 (term-limited) | Democratic- Republican | 1822 | Adolphus Hubbard | |||
| 3 | Ninian Edwards (1775–1833) [10][9][32] | December 6, 1826 – December 6, 1830 (term-limited) | Democratic- Republican | 1826 | William Kinney | |||
| 4 | John Reynolds (1788–1865) [33][34] | December 6, 1830 – November 17, 1834 (resigned)[i] | Democratic- Republican | 1830 | Zadok Casey[j] (resigned March 1, 1833) | |||
| William Lee D. Ewing[j] (acting) | ||||||||
| 5 | William Lee D. Ewing (1795–1846) [35][36] | November 17, 1834 – December 3, 1834 (successor took office) | Democratic | Lieutenant governor acting | Vacant | |||
| 6 | Joseph Duncan (1794–1844) [37][38] | December 3, 1834 – December 7, 1838 (term-limited) | Whig | 1834 | Alexander M. Jenkins[j] (resigned December 9, 1836) | |||
| William H. Davidson[j] (acting) | ||||||||
| 7 | Thomas Carlin (1789–1852) [39][40] | December 7, 1838 – December 8, 1842 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1838 | Stinson Anderson | |||
| 8 | Thomas Ford (1800–1850) [41][42] | December 8, 1842 – December 9, 1846 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1842 | John Moore | |||
| 9 | Augustus C. French (1808–1864) [43][44] | December 9, 1846 – January 10, 1853 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1846[k] | Joseph Wells | |||
| 1848 | William McMurtry | |||||||
| 10 | Joel Aldrich Matteson (1808–1873) [45][46] | January 10, 1853 – January 12, 1857 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1852 | Gustav Koerner | |||
| 11 | William Henry Bissell (1811–1860) [47][48] | January 12, 1857 – March 18, 1860 (died in office) | Republican | 1856 | John Wood | |||
| 12 | John Wood (1798–1880) [49][50] | March 18, 1860 – January 14, 1861 (did not run) | Republican | Lieutenant governor acting | Thomas Marshall[j] (acting) | |||
| 13 | Richard Yates (1815–1873) [51][52] | January 14, 1861 – January 16, 1865 (term-limited) | Republican | 1860 | Francis Hoffmann | |||
| 14 | Richard J. Oglesby (1824–1899) [53][54] | January 16, 1865 – January 11, 1869 (term-limited) | Republican | 1864 | William Bross | |||
| 15 | John M. Palmer (1817–1900) [55][56] | January 11, 1869 – January 13, 1873 (term-limited)[l] | Republican | 1868 | John Dougherty | |||
| 14 | Richard J. Oglesby (1824–1899) [53][54] | January 13, 1873 – January 23, 1873 (resigned)[m] | Republican | 1872 | John Lourie Beveridge | |||
| 16 | John Lourie Beveridge (1824–1910) [57][58] | January 23, 1873 – January 8, 1877 (did not run) | Republican | Lieutenant governor acting | John Early (acting) (term ended January 8, 1875) | |||
| Archibald A. Glenn[j] (acting) | ||||||||
| 17 | Shelby Moore Cullom (1829–1914) [59][60] | January 8, 1877 – February 6, 1883 (resigned)[n] | Republican | 1876 | Andrew Shuman | |||
| 1880 | John Marshall Hamilton | |||||||
| 18 | John Marshall Hamilton (1847–1905) [62][63] | February 6, 1883[61] – January 30, 1885 (did not run) | Republican | Lieutenant governor acting | William J. Campbell (acting) | |||
| 14 | Richard J. Oglesby (1824–1899) [53][54] | January 30, 1885 – January 14, 1889 (did not run) | Republican | 1884 | John C. Smith | |||
| 19 | Joseph W. Fifer (1840–1938) [64][65] | January 14, 1889 – January 10, 1893 (lost election) | Republican | 1888 | Lyman Beecher Ray | |||
| 20 | John Peter Altgeld (1847–1902) [66][67] | January 10, 1893 – January 11, 1897 (lost election) | Democratic | 1892 | Joseph B. Gill | |||
| 21 | John Riley Tanner (1844–1901) [68][69] | January 11, 1897 – January 14, 1901 (did not run)[o] | Republican | 1896 | William Northcott | |||
| 22 | Richard Yates Jr. (1860–1936) [70][71] | January 14, 1901 – January 9, 1905 (lost nomination)[p] | Republican | 1900 | ||||
| 23 | Charles S. Deneen (1863–1940) [72][73] | January 9, 1905 – February 3, 1913 (lost election) | Republican | 1904 | Lawrence Yates Sherman | |||
| 1908 | John G. Oglesby | |||||||
| 24 | Edward Fitzsimmons Dunne (1853–1937) [74][75] | February 3, 1913 – January 8, 1917 (lost election) | Democratic | 1912 | Barratt O'Hara | |||
| 25 | Frank Orren Lowden (1861–1943) [76][77] | January 8, 1917 – January 10, 1921 (did not run) | Republican | 1916 | John G. Oglesby | |||
| 26 | Len Small (1862–1936) [78][79] | January 10, 1921 – January 14, 1929 (did not run) | Republican | 1920 | Fred E. Sterling | |||
| 1924 | ||||||||
| 27 | Louis Lincoln Emmerson (1863–1941) [80][81] | January 14, 1929 – January 9, 1933 (did not run) | Republican | 1928 | ||||
| 28 | Henry Horner (1878–1940) [82][83] | January 9, 1933 – October 6, 1940 (died in office) | Democratic | 1932 | Thomas Donovan | |||
| 1936 | John Henry Stelle | |||||||
| 29 | John Henry Stelle (1891–1962) [84][85] | October 6, 1940 – January 13, 1941 (did not run) | Democratic | Lieutenant governor acting | Vacant | |||
| 30 | Dwight H. Green (1897–1958) [86][87] | January 13, 1941 – January 10, 1949 (lost election) | Republican | 1940 | Hugh W. Cross | |||
| 1944 | ||||||||
| 31 | Adlai Stevenson II (1900–1965) [88][89] | January 10, 1949 – January 12, 1953 (did not run)[q] | Democratic | 1948 | Sherwood Dixon | |||
| 32 | William Stratton (1914–2001) [90][91] | January 12, 1953 – January 9, 1961 (lost election) | Republican | 1952 | John William Chapman | |||
| 1956 | ||||||||
| 33 | Otto Kerner Jr. (1908–1976) [92][93] | January 9, 1961 – May 20, 1968 (resigned)[r] | Democratic | 1960 | Samuel H. Shapiro | |||
| 1964 | ||||||||
| 34 | Samuel H. Shapiro (1907–1987) [96][97] | May 21, 1968 – January 13, 1969 (lost election) | Democratic | Lieutenant governor acting | Vacant | |||
| 35 | Richard B. Ogilvie (1923–1988) [98][99] | January 13, 1969 – January 8, 1973 (lost election) | Republican | 1968 | Paul Simon[j] | |||
| 36 | Dan Walker (1922–2015) [100][101] | January 8, 1973 – January 10, 1977 (lost nomination)[s] | Democratic | 1972 | Neil Hartigan | |||
| 37 | James R. Thompson (1936–2020) [102][103] | January 10, 1977 – January 14, 1991 (did not run) | Republican | 1976[t] | Dave O'Neal (resigned July 31, 1981) | |||
| 1978 | ||||||||
| Vacant | ||||||||
| 1982 | George Ryan | |||||||
| 1986 | ||||||||
| 38 | Jim Edgar (b. 1946) [105] | January 14, 1991 – January 11, 1999 (did not run) | Republican | 1990 | Bob Kustra (resigned July 1, 1998) | |||
| 1994 | ||||||||
| Vacant | ||||||||
| 39 | George Ryan (b. 1934) [106] | January 11, 1999 – January 13, 2003 (did not run) | Republican | 1998 | Corinne Wood | |||
| 40 | Rod Blagojevich (b. 1956) [107] | January 13, 2003 – January 29, 2009 (impeached and removed)[u] | Democratic | 2002 | Pat Quinn | |||
| 2006 | ||||||||
| 41 | Pat Quinn (b. 1948) [109] | January 29, 2009 – January 12, 2015 (lost election) | Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor | Vacant | |||
| 2010 | Sheila Simon | |||||||
| 42 | Bruce Rauner (b. 1956) [110] | January 12, 2015 – January 14, 2019 (lost election) | Republican | 2014 | Evelyn Sanguinetti | |||
| 43 | J. B. Pritzker (b. 1965) [111] | January 14, 2019 – Incumbent[v] | Democratic | 2018 | Juliana Stratton | |||
| 2022 | ||||||||
See also
Notes
- ^ The range given is from the date the governor was confirmed by the Senate, or appointed by the President during a Senate recess, to the date the governor left office.
- ^ Boyle was nominated on March 6, 1809,[5] and confirmed by the Senate on March 7.[6] However, he resigned on April 3, having never taken office.[7]
- ^ Territorial Secretary Nathaniel Pope served as acting governor until Edwards arrived in Illinois in June 1809.[8]
- ^ Edwards was appointed on April 24, 1809;[9] nominated on June 16;[11] and confirmed by the Senate on June 17.[12] He took office on June 11.[9] He was reappointed on July 7, 1812,[13] during a Senate recess; reconfirmed on November 20, 1812;[14] reappointed on November 20, 1815,[15] during a Senate recess; and reconfirmed on January 9, 1816.[16]
- ^ Edwards served as governor until statehood, when he was elected to the United States Senate.
- ^ Based on the official site labeling Bruce Rauner as the 42nd governor,[26] it is assumed the official numbering includes repeat governors only once; subsequent terms are marked with their original number italicized.
- ^ Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
- ^ When the lieutenant governor is serving as governor, the Illinois Blue Book considers the president pro tempore of the senate to be acting lieutenant governor. However, this only applies to acting lieutenant governors before 1883; after that, there are no acting lieutenant governors noted, and instead these are marked vacant. It is unknown why this changed; the constitution does not appear to have any relevant changes around that time.[27]
- ^ Reynolds resigned to take an elected seat in the United States House of Representatives.[34]
- ^ a b c d e f g Represented the Democratic Party
- ^ The election schedule was shifted after this term, shortening it to two years.[20]
- ^ The term limit was removed in the 1870 constitution, but as Palmer was first elected under the previous constitution; Sobel writes that this meant he was term-limited.[55]
- ^ Oglesby resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[54]
- ^ Cullom resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[60][61]
- ^ Tanner instead ran unsuccessfully for nomination to the United States Senate.[68]
- ^ Yates lost the Republican nomination to Charles S. Deneen.[70]
- ^ Stevenson instead ran unsuccessfully for President of the United States.[88]
- ^ Kerner resigned to take seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.[93] Contemporary news reported that Kerner resigned at midnight,[94] though one article says he resigned one minute after.[95]
- ^ Walker lost the Democratic nomination to Michael Howlett.[100]
- ^ The schedule for the 1970 constitution provided that the 1976 election would be for a two-year term, shifting the election schedule away from presidential election years.[104]
- ^ Blagojevich was impeached and removed from office on charges of corruption.[107][108]
- ^ Pritzker's second term began on January 9, 2023, and will expire January 11, 2027.
References
- General
- "Former Illinois Governors". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- "Illinois Blue Book" (PDF). Illinois Secretary of State. pp. 359–360. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
- Sobel, Robert (1978). Biographical directory of the governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. I. Meckler Books. ISBN 9780930466015. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
- McMullin, Thomas A. (1984). Biographical directory of American territorial governors. Westport, CT : Meckler. ISBN 978-0-930466-11-4. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
- Constitutions
- "Constitution of the State of Illinois". 1818.
- "Constitution of the State of Illinois". 1848.
- "Constitution of the State of Illinois". 1870.
- "Constitution of the State of Illinois". 1970.
- Specific
- ^ "Governors' Salaries, 2015". The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
- ^ IL Const. art. V
- ^ "Election Results". Elections.il.gov. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ 2 Stat. 514
- ^ U.S. Senate Exec. Journal. 11th Cong., special sess., 6 March 1809, 119. Accessed February 23, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Senate Exec. Journal. 11th Cong., special sess., 7 March 1809, 120. Accessed February 23, 2023.
- ^ The Territorial Papers of the United States: Volume XVI: The Territory of Illinois 1809-1814 (PDF). United States Government Publishing Office. 1948. pp. 18–19.
- ^ Robert P. Howard (1988), Mostly Good and Competent Men: Illinois Governors, 1818–1988, Illinois Issues and the Illinois State Historical Society, 39–40.
- ^ a b c d McMullin pp. 145–147
- ^ a b Sobel pp. 366–367
- ^ U.S. Senate Exec. Journal. 11th Cong., 1st sess., 16 June 1809, 122. Accessed February 23, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Senate Exec. Journal. 11th Cong., 1st sess., 17 June 1809, 124. Accessed February 23, 2023.
- ^ Ferguson, Gillum (2012). Illinois in the War of 1812. University of Illinois Press. pp. 115–130. doi:10.5406/j.ctt1xcqz0.12. ISBN 978-0-252-03674-3.
- ^ U.S. Senate Exec. Journal. 12th Cong., 2nd sess., 20 November 1812, 305. Accessed February 23, 2023.
- ^ The Territorial Papers of the United States: Volume I: General. United States Government Publishing Office. 1934. p. 11.
- ^ U.S. Senate Exec. Journal. 14th Cong., 1st sess., 9 January 1816, 213e. Accessed February 23, 2023.
- ^ 3 Stat. 536
- ^ 1818 Const. art. III, § 2
- ^ a b 1818 Const. art. III, § 3
- ^ a b 1848 Const. art. IV, § 3
- ^ 1818 Const. art. III, § 13
- ^ 1818 Const. art. III, § 18
- ^ 1848 Const. art. IV, § 19
- ^ a b IL Const. art. V, § 6
- ^ IL Const. art. V, § 4
- ^ . State of Illinois. Archived from the original on 2018-04-26. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
- ^ Illinois Blue Book, p. 360
- ^ Sobel p. 365
- ^ "Shadrack Bond". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel p. 366
- ^ "Edward Coles". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ "Ninian Edwards". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel pp. 367–368
- ^ a b "John Reynolds". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel p. 368
- ^ "William Lee Davidson Ewing". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel p. 369
- ^ "Joseph Duncan". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel pp. 369–370
- ^ "Thomas Carlin". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel pp. 370–371
- ^ "Thomas Ford". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel p. 371
- ^ "Augustus C. French". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel pp. 371–372
- ^ "Joel Aldrich Matteson". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel pp. 372–373
- ^ "William Henry Bissell". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel p. 373
- ^ "John Wood". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel p. 374
- ^ "Richard Yates Sr". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ a b c Sobel pp. 374–375
- ^ a b c d "Richard James Oglesby". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ a b Sobel p. 376
- ^ "John McAuley Palmer". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel p. 377
- ^ "John Lourie Beveridge". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel pp. 377–378
- ^ a b "Shelby Moore Cullom". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ a b "Governor Cullom Resigns". Chicago Tribune. 1883-02-07. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
- ^ Sobel pp. 378–379
- ^ "John Marshall Hamilton". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel pp. 379–380
- ^ "Joseph Wilson Fifer". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel pp. 380–381
- ^ "John Peter Altgeld". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ a b Sobel p. 381
- ^ "John Riley Tanner". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ a b Sobel p. 382
- ^ "Richard Yates Jr". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel pp. 382–383
- ^ "Charles Samuel Deneen". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel p. 383
- ^ "Edward Fitzsimmons Dunne". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel p. 384
- ^ "Frank Orren Lowden". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel pp. 384–385
- ^ "Lennington Small". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel pp. 385–386
- ^ "Louis Lincoln Emmerson". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel p. 386
- ^ "Henry Horner". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel pp. 386–387
- ^ "John Henry Stelle". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel pp. 387–388
- ^ "Dwight Herbert Green". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ a b Sobel p. 388
- ^ "Adlai Ewing Stevenson". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel p. 389
- ^ "William Grant Stratton". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel pp. 389–390
- ^ a b "Otto Kerner, Jr". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ "Kerner Resigns As Ill. Governor". Daily Republican-Register. 1968-05-20. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
- ^ "Kerner Resigns Post to Shapiro". Daily Republican-Register. 1968-05-21. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
- ^ Sobel p. 390
- ^ "Samuel H. Shapiro". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel pp. 390–391
- ^ "Richard Buell Ogilvie". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ a b Sobel p. 391
- ^ "Daniel Walker". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Sobel p. 392
- ^ "James Robert Thompson". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Lousin, Ann (2011). The Illinois State Constitution. Oxford University Press. p. 130. ISBN 9780199766925.
- ^ "Jim Edgar". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ "George H. Ryan". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ a b "Rod R. Blagojevich". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ "Blagojevich Ousted by Illinois State Senate". The New York Times. January 29, 2009. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
- ^ "Pat Quinn". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ "Bruce Rauner". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ "JB Pritzker". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.