List of governors of Rhode Island

The governor of the State of Rhode Island is the head of the executive branch of the government of Rhode Island and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's Army National Guard and Air National Guard. The current governor is Gina Raimondo. John W. Davis, Herbert W. Ladd, and Aram J. Pothier each served two non-consecutive stints, while James Fenner served three non-consecutive stints as governor.

This article is about governors of the state of Rhode Island. For a list of colonial governors of Rhode Island, see List of colonial governors of Rhode Island.
Governor of Rhode Island
Seal of the Governor
Flag of the Governor
Incumbent
Gina Raimondo
since January 6, 2015
Style
Status
Term lengthFour years, renewable once
Inaugural holderNicholas Cooke
FormationNovember 7, 1775 (1775-11-07)
DeputyLieutenant Governor of Rhode Island
Salary$128,210 (2013)[1]
Websitegovernor.ri.gov

Party affiliation
Number of governors of Rhode Island by party affiliation[2]
Party Governors
Republican 32
Democratic 21
Democratic-Republican 4
Independent 4
Whig 4
Country 3
Law and Order 2
Dorr Rebellion 1
Federalist 1
Know Nothing 1
Rhode Island Party 1

Colonial Rhode Island, 1640–1775
Further information: List of colonial governors of Rhode Island

List of governors of Rhode Island, 1775–present
Parties

  Country   Democratic   Federalist   Democratic-Republican   Dorr Rebellion   No party   Whig   Law and Order   Republican   Know Nothing   Rhode Island Party

# Governor Picture Party Took office Left office Lt. Governor Notes
1 Nicholas Cooke None November 7, 1775 May 4, 1778 None 2 years 6 mos.
2 William Greene None May 4, 1778 May 3, 1786 None 8 years.
3 John Collins None May 3, 1786 May 5, 1790 None 4 years.
4 Arthur Fenner Country Party May 5, 1790 October 15, 1805 Samuel J. Potter 15 years.
Rhode Island ratified the U.S. Constitution on May 29, 1790.
Died in office.
5 Henry Smith Country October 15, 1805 May 7, 1806 7 months.
6 Isaac Wilbour Country May 7, 1806 May 6, 1807 Himself 1 year.
7 James Fenner Democratic-Republican May 6, 1807 May 1, 1811 Constant Taber
Simeon Martin
Isaac Wilbour		 4 years.
8 William Jones Federalist May 1, 1811 May 7, 1817 Simeon Martin
Jeremiah Thurston		 6 years.
9 Nehemiah R. Knight Democratic-Republican May 7, 1817 May 2, 1821 Edward Wilcox 4 years.
10 William C. Gibbs Democratic-Republican May 2, 1821 May 5, 1824 3 years.
11 James Fenner Democratic-Republican May 5, 1824 May 4, 1831 Charles Collins 7 years.
12 Lemuel H. Arnold National Republican May 4, 1831 May 1, 1833 Charles Collins 2 years.
13 John B. Francis Democratic May 1, 1833 May 2, 1838 Jeffrey Hazard
George Engs
Jeffrey Hazard
Benjamin B. Thurston		 5 years.
14 William Sprague III Whig May 2, 1838 May 2, 1839 Joseph Childs 1 year.
15 Samuel Ward King Rhode Island Party May 2, 1839 May 2, 1843 Byron Diman 4 years.
16 Thomas Dorr Extralegal
Dorr Rebellion		 May 1, 1842 January 23, 1843 9 mos.
17 James Fenner Law and Order May 2, 1843 May 6, 1845 Byron Diman 2 years.
18 Charles Jackson Whig,[3]
Liberation Party[4]		 May 6, 1845 May 6, 1846 Byron Diman 1 year.
19 Byron Diman Law and Order May 6, 1846 May 4, 1847 Elisha Harris 1 year.
20 Elisha Harris Whig May 4, 1847 May 1, 1849 Edward W. Lawton 2 years.
21 Henry B. Anthony Whig May 1, 1849 May 6, 1851 Thomas Whipple 2 years.
22 Philip Allen Democratic May 6, 1851 July 20, 1853 William Beach Lawrence
Samuel G. Arnold		 2 years 2 mos.
23 Francis M. Dimond Democratic July 20, 1853 May 2, 1854 Francis M. Dimond 10 mos.
24 William W. Hoppin Whig May 2, 1854 May 26, 1857 John J. Reynolds
Anderson C. Rose
Nicholas Brown III		 3 years.
25 Elisha Dyer Republican May 26, 1857 May 31, 1859 Thomas G. Turner 2 years.
26 Thomas G. Turner Republican May 31, 1859 May 29, 1860 Isaac Saunders 1 year.
27 William Sprague IV Republican May 29, 1860 March 3, 1863 J. Russell Bullock
Samuel G. Arnold		 2 years 10 mos. Resigned to become a U.S. Senator.
28 William C. Cozzens Democratic March 3, 1863 May 26, 1863 None. 2 months 23 days. Defeated for election.
29 James Y. Smith Republican May 26, 1863 May 29, 1866 Seth Padelford
Duncan Pell		 3 years.
30 Ambrose Everett Burnside Republican May 29, 1866 May 25, 1869 William Greene
Pardon Stevens		 3 years.
31 Seth Padelford Republican May 25, 1869 May 27, 1873 Pardon Stevens
Charles Cutler		 4 years.
32 Henry Howard Republican May 27, 1873 May 25, 1875 Charles C. Van Zandt 2 years.
33 Henry Lippitt Republican May 25, 1875 May 29, 1877 Henry Tillinghast Sisson 2 years.
34 Charles C. Van Zandt Republican May 29, 1877 May 25, 1880 Albert Howard 3 years.
35 Alfred H. Littlefield Republican May 25, 1880 May 29, 1883 Henry Fay 3 years.
36 Augustus O. Bourn Republican May 29, 1883 May 26, 1885 Oscar Rathbun 2 years.
37 George P. Wetmore Republican May 26, 1885 May 29, 1887 Lucius B. Darling 2 years.
38 John W. Davis Democratic May 29, 1887 May 29, 1888 Samuel R. Honey 1 year.
39 Royal C. Taft Republican May 29, 1888 May 28, 1889 Enos Lapham 1 year.
40 Herbert W. Ladd Republican May 28, 1889 May 27, 1890 Daniel Littlefield 1 year.
41 John W. Davis Democratic May 27, 1890 May 26, 1891 William T. C. Wardwell 1 year.
42 Herbert W. Ladd Republican May 26, 1891 May 31, 1892 Henry A. Stearns 1 year.
43 D. Russell Brown Republican May 31, 1892 May 29, 1895 Melville Bull
Edwin Allen		 3 years.
44 Charles W. Lippitt Republican May 29, 1895 May 25, 1897 Edwin Allen 2 years.
45 Elisha Dyer, Jr. Republican May 25, 1897 May 29, 1900 Aram J. Pothier
William Gregory		 3 years.
46 William Gregory Republican May 29, 1900 December 16, 1901 Charles D. Kimball 1 year 7 mos. Died in office.
47 Charles D. Kimball Republican December 16, 1901 January 3, 1903 vacant
George L. Shepley		 1 year 18 days.
48 Lucius F. C. Garvin Democratic January 3, 1903 January 3, 1905 Frederick H. Jackson 2 years.
49 George H. Utter Republican January 3, 1905 January 1, 1907 Frederick H. Jackson 2 years.
50 James H. Higgins Democratic January 1, 1907 January 5, 1909 Frederick H. Jackson
Ralph Watrous		 2 years.
51 Aram J. Pothier Republican January 5, 1909 January 5, 1915 Arthur W. Dennis
Rosewell Burchard
Emery J. San Souci
Rosewell Burchard		 6 years,
52 R. Livingston Beeckman Republican January 5, 1915 January 4, 1921 Emery J. San Souci 6 years.
53 Emery J. San Souci Republican January 4, 1921 January 2, 1923 Harold Gross 2 years.
54 William S. Flynn Democratic January 2, 1923 January 6, 1925 Felix A. Toupin 2 years.
55 Aram J. Pothier Republican January 6, 1925 February 4, 1928 Nathaniel W. Smith
Norman S. Case		 3 years 1 month.
56 Norman S. Case Republican February 4, 1928 January 3, 1933 James G. Connelly 4 years 11 months.
57 Theodore Francis Green Democratic January 3, 1933 January 5, 1937 Robert E. Quinn 4 years.
Elected to U.S. Senate in 1936 and served from 1937 to 1961.
58 Robert E. Quinn Democratic January 5, 1937 January 3, 1939 Raymond E. Jordan 2 years.
59 William Henry Vanderbilt III Republican January 3, 1939 January 7, 1941 James O. McManus Two years.
Defeated for re-election.
60 J. Howard McGrath Democratic January 7, 1941 October 6, 1945 Louis W. Cappelli 4 years 9 months. Resigned to become United States Solicitor General.
61 John Pastore Democratic October 6, 1945 December 19, 1950 John S. McKiernan 5 years two months. Appointed to U.S. Senate and served from 1950 to 1976.
62 John S. McKiernan Democratic December 19, 1950 January 2, 1951 None Two weeks.
63 Dennis J. Roberts Democratic January 2, 1951 January 6, 1959 John S. McKiernan
Armand H. Cote		 8 years.
64 Christopher Del Sesto Republican January 6, 1959 January 3, 1961 John A. Notte, Jr. 2 years.
Defeated for re-election.
65 John A. Notte, Jr. Democratic January 3, 1961 January 1, 1963 Edward P. Gallogly 2 years.
66 John Chafee Republican January 1, 1963 January 7, 1969 Edward P. Gallogly
Giovanni Folcarelli
Joseph O'Donnell, Jr.		 6 years.
Defeated for re-election.
U.S. Senator 1976 to 1999.
67 Frank Licht Democratic January 7, 1969 January 2, 1973 J. Joseph Garrahy 4 years.
68 Philip W. Noel Democratic January 2, 1973 January 4, 1977 J. Joseph Garrahy
69 J. Joseph Garrahy Democratic January 4, 1977 January 1, 1985 Thomas R. DiLuglio 8 years.
70 Edward D. DiPrete Republican January 1, 1985 January 1, 1991 Richard A. Licht
Roger N. Begin		 6 years.
Defeated for re-election.
Imprisoned for corruption after leaving office.
71 Bruce Sundlun Democratic January 1, 1991 January 3, 1995 Roger N. Begin
Robert Weygand		 4 years.
Defeated in Democratic primary in 1994.
72 Lincoln Almond Republican January 3, 1995 January 7, 2003 Robert Weygand
Bernard Jackvony
Charles J. Fogarty		 8 years.
First governor to serve a four-year term.
73 Donald Carcieri Republican January 7, 2003 January 4, 2011 Charles J. Fogarty
Elizabeth H. Roberts
74 Lincoln Chafee Independent[a] January 4, 2011 May 30, 2013 Elizabeth H. Roberts 4 years.
Did not seek re-election.
Democratic[a] May 30, 2013 January 6, 2015 Elizabeth H. Roberts
75 Gina Raimondo Democratic January 6, 2015 Incumbent Daniel McKee [5]

a Chafee served in prior offices as a Republican, but ran for Governor as an independent. On May 30, 2013, while in office, he switched his party affiliation to Democratic.[6]

Succession
Main article: Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States § Rhode Island

Other high offices held

This is a table of congressional seats, other federal offices, and other governorships held by governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented Rhode Island except where noted. * Denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take.

Governor Gubernatorial term U.S. Congress Other offices held
House Senate
Isaac Wilbour 1806–1807 H
James Fenner 1807–1811
1824–1831
1843–1845		 S
Nehemiah R. Knight 1817–1821 S
Lemuel H. Arnold 1831–1833 H
John Brown Francis 1833–1838 S
William Sprague III 1838–1839 H S
Henry B. Anthony 1849–1851 S
Philip Allen 1851–1853 S*
William Sprague IV 1860–1863 S
Ambrose Burnside 1866–1869 S Commander of the Army of the Potomac
George P. Wetmore 1885–1887 S
George H. Utter 1905–1907 H
Theodore F. Green 1933–1937 S
J. Howard McGrath 1941–1945 S United States Solicitor General*; United States Attorney General
John O. Pastore 1945–1950 S* Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island
John Chafee 1963–1969 S United States Secretary of the Navy
Lincoln Chafee 2011–2015 S Mayor of Warwick, Rhode Island

Living former governors of Rhode Island

As of January 2017, there are five former governors of Rhode Island who are currently living at this time, the oldest governor of Rhode Island being Philip W. Noel (served 1973–1977, born 1931). The most recent governor of Rhode Island to die was J. Joseph Garrahy (served 1977–1985, born 1930) who died on January 24, 2012. The most recently serving governor of Rhode Island to die was Bruce Sundlun (served 1991–1995, born 1920), on July 21, 2011.

GovernorGubernatorial termDate of birth (and age)
Philip W. Noel 1973–1977 (1931-01-06) January 6, 1931
Edward D. DiPrete 1985–1991 (1934-07-08) July 8, 1934
Lincoln C. Almond 1995–2003 (1936-06-16) June 16, 1936
Donald Carcieri 2003–2011 (1942-12-16) December 16, 1942
Lincoln Chafee 2011–2015 (1953-03-26) March 26, 1953

See also

References
  1. "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries". The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  2. Table does not include governors from the colonial period, when there were no organized parties in Rhode Island, and governors were generally appointed rather than elected. It also does not include acting governors.
  3. "Rhode Island Governor Charles Jackson". National Governors Association. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  4. "Rhode Island Governors 1640 – Present". Rhode Island Secretary of State. State of Rhode Island. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  5. Raimondo's second term began January 6, 2019, and expires January 3, 2023; she is term limited.
  6. Burns, Alexander (May 29, 2013). "Lincoln Chafee switches affiliation to Democrat". Politico. Archived from the original on June 9, 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-30.
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