List of governors of Connecticut

The Governor of Connecticut is the elected head of the executive branch of Connecticut's state government, and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Connecticut General Assembly and to convene the legislature.[3] Unusual among U.S. governors, the Governor of Connecticut has no power to pardon.[4] The Governor of Connecticut is automatically a member of the state's Bonding Commission. He is an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Connecticut and Yale University.

Governor of Connecticut
Seal of the Governor
Incumbent Ned Lamont since January 9, 2019
Style	His Excellency
Residence	Connecticut Governor's Residence
Term length	Four years
Inaugural holder	Jonathan Trumbull
Deputy	Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut
Salary	$150,000 (2013)[1] (Governor Lamont has declined a salary)[2]
Website	Office of the Governor

There have been 68 post-Revolution governors of the state, serving 72 distinct spans in office. Four have served non-consecutive terms: Henry W. Edwards, James E. English, Marshall Jewell, and Raymond E. Baldwin. The longest terms in office were in the state's early years, when four governors were elected to nine or more one-year terms. The longest was that of the first governor, Jonathan Trumbull, who served over 14 years, but 7 of those as colonial governor; the longest-serving state governor — with no other position included in the term — was his son, Jonathan Trumbull Jr., who served over 11 years. The shortest term was that of Hiram Bingham III, who served only one day before resigning to take an elected seat in the U.S. Senate. Lowell Weicker, is noted for a rare third party win in American politics, having been elected to a term in 1990 representing A Connecticut Party.

The current governor is Ned Lamont, a Democrat who took office on January 9, 2019.

Governors

For the period before independence, see the list of colonial governors of Connecticut.

Connecticut was one of the original Thirteen Colonies and was admitted as a state on January 9, 1788.[5] Before it declared its independence, Connecticut was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Connecticut did not create a state constitution for itself until several decades after it became a state; until 1818, the state operated under the provisions of its colonial charter. The charter called for the election of a governor every year, but not more than once every two years, with the term commencing on the second Thursday in May.[6]

The current Constitution of Connecticut, ratified in 1965, calls for a four-year term for the governor,[7] commencing on the Wednesday after the first Monday in the January following an election.[8] The previous constitution of 1818 originally had only a one-year term for governor; this was increased to two years in 1875,[9] and four years in 1948.[10] The 1875 amendment also set the start date of the term to its current date; before then, it was the first Wednesday in the May following an election.[11] The constitution provides for the election of a lieutenant governor for the same term as the governor. The two offices are elected on the same ticket; this provision was added in 1962.[12] In the event of a vacancy in the office of governor, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.[13] Before the adoption of the 1965 constitution, the lieutenant governor only acted as governor.[14] There is no limit of any kind on the number of terms one may serve.

Governors of the State of Connecticut[lower-alpha 1]

No.[lower-alpha 2]	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4]
16			Jonathan Trumbull	1769 – May 13, 1784 (not candidate for election)	No party	1776[lower-alpha 5]		Matthew Griswold
						1777
						1778
						1779
						1780
						1781
						1782
						1783
17			Matthew Griswold	May 13, 1784 – May 11, 1786 (lost election)[17]	Federalist	1784		Samuel Huntington
						1785
18			Samuel Huntington	May 11, 1786 – January 5, 1796 (died in office)	Federalist	1786		Oliver Wolcott
						1787
						1788
						1789
						1790
						1791
						1792
						1793
						1794
						1795
19			Oliver Wolcott	January 5, 1796 – December 1, 1797 (died in office)	Federalist	Lieutenant Governor acting as Governor		Acting as Governor
						1796		Jonathan Trumbull Jr.
						1797
20			Jonathan Trumbull Jr.	December 1, 1797 – August 7, 1809 (died in office)	Federalist	Lieutenant Governor acting as Governor		Acting as Governor
						1798		John Treadwell
						1799
						1800
						1801
						1802
						1803
						1804
						1805
						1806
						1807
						1808
						1809
21			John Treadwell	August 7, 1809 – May 9, 1811 (lost election)[18]	Federalist	Lieutenant Governor acting as Governor		Acting as Governor
						1810		Roger Griswold
22			Roger Griswold	May 9, 1811 – October 25, 1812 (died in office)	Federalist	1811		John Cotton Smith
						1812
23			John Cotton Smith	October 25, 1812 – May 8, 1817 (lost election)	Federalist	Lieutenant Governor acting as Governor		Acting as Governor
						1813		Chauncey Goodrich (died August 18, 1815)
						1814
						1815
							Vacant
						1816		Jonathan Ingersoll[lower-alpha 6] (died January 12, 1823)
24			Oliver Wolcott Jr.	May 8, 1817 – May 2, 1827 (lost election)	Toleration Republican	1817
						1818
						1819
						1820
						1821
						1822
							Vacant
						1823		David Plant[lower-alpha 7]
						1824
						1825
						1826
25			Gideon Tomlinson	May 2, 1827 – March 2, 1831 (resigned)[lower-alpha 8]	Democratic- Republican	1827		John Samuel Peters[lower-alpha 7]
					National Republican	1828
						1829
						1830
26			John Samuel Peters	March 2, 1831 – May 1, 1833 (lost election)	National Republican	Lieutenant Governor acting as Governor		Acting as Governor
						1831[lower-alpha 9]	Vacant
						1832		Thaddeus Betts
27			Henry W. Edwards	May 1, 1833 – May 7, 1834 (lost election)	Democratic	1833		Ebenezer Stoddard
28			Samuel A. Foot	May 7, 1834 – May 6, 1835 (lost election)	Whig	1834		Thaddeus Betts
29			Henry W. Edwards	May 6, 1835 – May 2, 1838 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1835		Ebenezer Stoddard
						1836
						1837
30			William W. Ellsworth	May 2, 1838 – May 4, 1842 (lost election)	Whig	1838		Charles Hawley
						1839
						1840
						1841
31			Chauncey Fitch Cleveland	May 4, 1842 – May 1, 1844 (lost election)	Democratic	1842		William S. Holabird
						1843
32			Roger Sherman Baldwin	May 1, 1844 – May 6, 1846 (not candidate for election)	Whig	1844		Reuben Booth
						1845
33			Isaac Toucey	May 6, 1846 – May 5, 1847 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1846		Noyes Billings
34			Clark Bissell	May 5, 1847 – May 2, 1849 (not candidate for election)	Whig	1847		Charles J. McCurdy
						1848
35			Joseph Trumbull	May 2, 1849 – May 4, 1850 (not candidate for election)	Whig	1849		Thomas Backus
36			Thomas H. Seymour	May 4, 1850[lower-alpha 10] – October 13, 1853 (resigned)[lower-alpha 11]	Democratic	1850		Charles H. Pond
						1851		Green Kendrick
						1852		Charles H. Pond
						1853
37			Charles H. Pond	October 13, 1853 – May 3, 1854 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	Lieutenant Governor acting as Governor		Acting as Governor
38			Henry Dutton	May 3, 1854 – May 2, 1855 (lost election)	Whig	1854		Alexander H. Holley
39			William T. Minor	May 2, 1855 – May 6, 1857 (not candidate for election)	American	1855		William Field
						1856		Albert Day
40			Alexander H. Holley	May 6, 1857 – May 5, 1858 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1857		Alfred A. Burnham
41			William Alfred Buckingham	May 5, 1858 – May 2, 1866 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1858		Julius Catlin
						1859
						1860
						1861		Benjamin Douglas
						1862 [lower-alpha 12]		Roger Averill
						1863
					National Union	1864
						1865
42			Joseph Roswell Hawley	May 2, 1866 – May 1, 1867 (lost election)	Republican	1866		Oliver Winchester
43			James E. English	May 1, 1867 – May 5, 1869 (lost election)	Democratic	1867		Ephraim H. Hyde
						1868
44			Marshall Jewell	May 5, 1869 – May 4, 1870 (lost election)	Republican	1869		Francis Wayland III
45			James E. English	May 4, 1870 – May 16, 1871 (lost election)[lower-alpha 13]	Democratic	1870		Julius Hotchkiss
46			Marshall Jewell	May 16, 1871 – May 7, 1873 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1871[lower-alpha 13]		Morris Tyler
						1872
47			Charles Roberts Ingersoll	May 7, 1873 – January 3, 1877 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1873		George G. Sill
						1874
						1875[lower-alpha 14]
						April 1876[lower-alpha 15]
48			Richard D. Hubbard	January 3, 1877 – January 9, 1879 (lost election)	Democratic	November 1876[lower-alpha 16]		Francis Loomis
49			Charles B. Andrews	January 9, 1879[lower-alpha 17] – January 5, 1881 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1878		David Gallup
50			Hobart B. Bigelow	January 5, 1881 – January 3, 1883 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1880		William H. Bulkeley
51			Thomas M. Waller	January 3, 1883 – January 8, 1885 (lost election)	Democratic	1882		George G. Sumner
52			Henry Baldwin Harrison	January 8, 1885[lower-alpha 18] – January 7, 1887 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1884		Lorrin A. Cooke
53			Phineas C. Lounsbury	January 7, 1887[lower-alpha 19] – January 10, 1889 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1886		James L. Howard
54			Morgan Bulkeley	January 10, 1889[lower-alpha 20] – January 4, 1893 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1888		Samuel E. Merwin
						1890[lower-alpha 21]
55			Luzon B. Morris	January 4, 1893 – January 9, 1895 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1892		Ernest Cady
56			Owen Vincent Coffin	January 9, 1895 – January 6, 1897 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1894		Lorrin A. Cooke
57			Lorrin A. Cooke	January 6, 1897 – January 4, 1899 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1896		James D. Dewell
58			George E. Lounsbury	January 4, 1899 – January 9, 1901 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1898		Lyman A. Mills
59			George P. McLean	January 9, 1901 – January 7, 1903 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1900		Edwin O. Keeler
60			Abiram Chamberlain	January 7, 1903 – January 4, 1905 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1902		Henry Roberts
61			Henry Roberts	January 4, 1905 – January 9, 1907 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1904		Rollin S. Woodruff
62			Rollin S. Woodruff	January 9, 1907 – January 6, 1909 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1906		Everett J. Lake
63			George L. Lilley	January 6, 1909 – April 21, 1909 (died in office)	Republican	1908		Frank B. Weeks
64			Frank B. Weeks	April 21, 1909 – January 4, 1911 (not candidate for election)	Republican	Lieutenant Governor acting as Governor		Acting as Governor
65			Simeon Eben Baldwin	January 4, 1911 – January 6, 1915 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1910		Dennis A. Blakeslee[lower-alpha 22]
						1912		Lyman T. Tingier
66			Marcus H. Holcomb	January 6, 1915 – January 5, 1921 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1914		Clifford B. Wilson
						1916
						1918
67			Everett J. Lake	January 5, 1921 – January 3, 1923 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1920		Charles A. Templeton
68			Charles A. Templeton	January 3, 1923 – January 7, 1925 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1922		Hiram Bingham III
69			Hiram Bingham III	January 7, 1925 – January 8, 1925 (resigned)[lower-alpha 23]	Republican	1924		John H. Trumbull
70			John H. Trumbull	January 8, 1925 – January 7, 1931 (not candidate for election)	Republican	Lieutenant Governor acting as Governor		Acting as Governor[lower-alpha 24]
						1926		J. Edwin Brainard
						1928		Ernest E. Rogers
71			Wilbur Lucius Cross	January 7, 1931 – January 4, 1939 (lost election)	Democratic	1930		Samuel R. Spencer[lower-alpha 22]
						1932		Roy C. Wilcox[lower-alpha 22]
						1934		T. Frank Hayes
						1936
72			Raymond E. Baldwin	January 4, 1939 – January 8, 1941 (lost election)	Republican	1938		James L. McConaughy
73			Robert A. Hurley	January 8, 1941 – January 6, 1943 (lost election)	Democratic	1940		Odell Shepard
74			Raymond E. Baldwin	January 6, 1943 – December 27, 1946 (resigned)[lower-alpha 25]	Republican	1942		William L. Hadden
						1944		Charles Wilbert Snow[lower-alpha 26]
75			Charles Wilbert Snow	December 27, 1946 – January 8, 1947 (successor took office)	Democratic	Lieutenant Governor acting as Governor		Acting as Governor
76			James L. McConaughy	January 8, 1947 – March 7, 1948 (died in office)	Republican	1946		James C. Shannon
77			James C. Shannon	March 7, 1948 – January 5, 1949 (lost election)	Republican	Lieutenant Governor acting as Governor		Acting as Governor[lower-alpha 27]
78			Chester Bowles	January 5, 1949 – January 3, 1951 (lost election)	Democratic	1948		William T. Carroll
79			John Davis Lodge	January 3, 1951 – January 5, 1955 (lost election)	Republican	1950[lower-alpha 28]		Edward N. Allen
80			Abraham Ribicoff	January 5, 1955 – January 21, 1961 (resigned)[lower-alpha 29]	Democratic	1954		Charles W. Jewett
						1958		John N. Dempsey
81			John N. Dempsey	January 21, 1961 – January 6, 1971 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	Lieutenant Governor acting as Governor		Acting as Governor[lower-alpha 30]
						1962		Samuel J. Tedesco (resigned January 15, 1966)
								Fred J. Doocy
						1966		Attilio R. Frassinelli
82			Thomas Meskill	January 6, 1971 – January 8, 1975 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1970		T. Clark Hull (resigned June 1, 1973)
								Peter L. Cashman
83			Ella Grasso	January 8, 1975 – December 31, 1980 (resigned)[lower-alpha 31]	Democratic	1974		Robert K. Killian
						1978		William A. O'Neill
84			William A. O'Neill	December 31, 1980 – January 9, 1991 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor		Joseph J. Fauliso
						1982
						1986
85			Lowell Weicker	January 9, 1991 – January 4, 1995 (not candidate for election)	A Connecticut Party	1990		Eunice Groark
86			John G. Rowland	January 4, 1995 – July 13, 2004 (resigned)[lower-alpha 32]	Republican	1994		Jodi Rell
						1998
						2002
87			Jodi Rell	July 13, 2004 – January 5, 2011 (not candidate for election)	Republican	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor		Kevin Sullivan[lower-alpha 26]
						2006		Michael Fedele
88			Dannel Malloy	January 5, 2011 – January 9, 2019 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	2010		Nancy Wyman
						2014
89			Ned Lamont	January 9, 2019 – present[lower-alpha 33]	Democratic	2018		Susan Bysiewicz

Succession

Notes

1. Data is sourced from the National Governors Association, unless supplemental references are required.
2. According to the Connecticut State Library, the official listing goes back to the first governor of Connecticut Colony in 1639, and did not include repeat governors serving non-consecutive terms in the colonial period; this makes Trumbull the 16th governor.[15] The official numbering since statehood includes repeat and acting governors.
3. The office of Lieutenant Governor was known as Deputy-Governor under the colonial charter, but the name 'Lieutenant Governor' was predominantly used after independence.[6]
4. Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
5. The Connecticut General Assembly approved the United States Declaration of Independence on October 10, 1776, and resolved that the state's government would continue as established under the charter. So, as colonial governor, Jonathan Trumbull became state governor, serving roughly 14 years total.[16]
6. Represented the Democratic-Republican Party until 1817, and the Toleration Party after that.
7. Represented the National Republican Party
8. Tomlinson resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[19]
9. John Samuel Peters became Acting Governor on March 2, 1831 following the resignation of Gideon Tomlinson. It was too close to the April election to nominate a Lieutenant Governor, so the office remained vacant for one year.
10. The constitutional start date for the term in 1850 was May 1; the delay may be because Seymour was chosen by the legislature after a close election.[20]
11. Seymour resigned to be U.S. Minister to Russia.[20]
12. Separate Unionist and Republican conventions held in January 1862 endorsed a fusion ticket of Republicans and War Democrats. The Democratic Party endorsed their own ticket. The Unionist/Republican ticket included Republican Buckingham and War Democrat Averill, and would win the election.
13. James English won the popular vote, but a canvassing committee found the election was fraudulent, and named Jewell governor several days into the term.[21]
14. This term was lengthened by nearly 8 months due to a constitutional amendment moving the election schedule.[9]
15. This term was only from May 1876 to January 1877, due to a constitutional amendment moving the election schedule.[9]
16. First election in November, and first term under a constitutional amendment which lengthened terms to two years.[9]
17. The constitutional start date for the term in 1879 was January 8; the delay may be because Andrews was chosen by the legislature after a close election.[22][23]
18. The constitutional start date for the term in 1885 was January 7; the delay may be because Harrison was chosen by the legislature after a close election.[24]
19. The constitutional start date for the term in 1887 was January 5; the delay may be because Lounsbury was chosen by the legislature after a close election.[25]
20. The constitutional start date for the term in 1889 was January 9; the delay may be because Bulkeley was chosen by the legislature after a close election.[26]
21. Morgan Bulkeley did not run for re-election in 1890, but due to such a close contest and controversies, the results were not certified, and the legislature spent two years debating the issue; Bulkeley essentially served as governor by default.[26]
22. Represented the Republican Party
23. Bingham resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[27]
24. Since Trumbull took over only one day into the term, nearly all sources describe J. Edwin Brainard as lieutenant governor during this term; however, constitutionally, he would have remained president of the senate and only acted as lieutenant governor. At least one contemporary news source describes him as such.[28]
25. Baldwin resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[29]
26. Represented the Democratic Party
27. Robert E. Parsons is always listed as serving as lieutenant governor during this term, but constitutionally he likely would have remained president of the senate. However, questions were raised over whether or not they should fully succeed to the next office.[30]
28. First term under a constitution amendment which lengthened terms to four years.[10]
29. Ribicoff resigned to become United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.[31]
30. Anthony J. Armentano is always listed as serving as lieutenant governor during this term, but constitutionally he likely would have remained president of the senate. This is the last time such a confusion would exist, as the 1965 constitution established a solid line of succession.
31. Grasso resigned due to ovarian cancer.[32]
32. Rowland resigned due to a federal corruption investigation;[33] he later pleaded guilty to corruption.[34]
33. Lamont's first term expires on January 4, 2023.

References

General

• "Governors of Connecticut". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
• "Roster of Connecticut Governors". Connecticut State Library. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
• Loomis, Dwight; Joseph Gilbert Calhoun (1895). The Judicial and Civil History of Connecticut. The Boston History Company. pp. 114–117. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
• Sobel, Robert (1978). Biographical directory of the governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. I. Meckler Books. ISBN 9780930466015. Retrieved July 10, 2019.

Constitutions

• "Constitution of the State of Connecticut". Connecticut State Library. 1965. Archived from the original on March 23, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
• "Constitution of the State of Connecticut". Secretary of the State of Connecticut. 1818. Archived from the original on 2009-04-22. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
• "Charter of the Colony of Connecticut". National Humanities Institute. 1662. Retrieved February 21, 2009.

Specific

1. "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries". The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
2. "When it comes to giving at the office, Gov. Lamont is writing checks and not taking a salary". The Hartford Courant. July 7, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
3. CT Const. art. IV
4. "Pardons Power in Connecticut". Archived from the original on June 13, 2008. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
5. "Today in History: January 9". Library of Congress. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
6. 1662 Charter
7. CT Const. art. IV, § 1
8. CT Const. art. IV, § 2
9. 1818 Const. amendment XVI
10. 1818 Const. amendment XLV
11. 1818 Const. art. IV § 1
12. 1818 Const. new amendment VII
13. CT Const. art. IV § 19
14. 1818 Const. art. IV § 14
15. "Roster of Connecticut Governors". Connecticut State Library. Retrieved April 4, 2008.
16. "Jonathan Trumbull". Connecticut State Library. Archived from the original on 2008-12-26. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
17. "Matthew Griswold". Connecticut State Library. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
18. "John Treadwell". Connecticut State Library. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
19. "Gideon Tomlinson". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
20. "Thomas H. Seymour". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
21. "James Edward English". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
22. "Charles Bartlett Andrews". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
23. "Governor Andrews' First Message". New York Herald. New York City. January 10, 1879. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
24. "Henry Baldwin Harrison". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
25. "Phineas Chapman Lounsbury". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
26. "Morgan Gardner Bulkeley". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
27. "Hiram Bingham". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
28. "Unknown title". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. January 11, 1925. Retrieved December 18, 2018. Acting Lieutenant-Governor Brainard, once a foundry hand...
29. "Raymond Early Baldwin". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
30. "Doubt Cast on Parsons's Right to Title". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. March 31, 1948. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
31. "Abraham Alexander Ribicoff". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
32. "Ella T. Grasso". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
33. William Yardley; Stacey Stowe; Avi Salzman and Alison Leigh Cowan (June 22, 2004). "Connecticut's Governor Steps Down". The New York Times.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
34. Robert D. McFadden (December 24, 2004). "An Ex-Governor Says He's Guilty". The New York Times.

External links

• Office of the Governor of Connecticut