List of governors of Arizona

The governor of Arizona is the head of government of the U.S. state of Arizona.^[5] As the top elected official, the governor is the head of the executive branch of the Arizona state government and is charged with faithfully executing state laws.^[5] The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Arizona State Legislature;^[6] to convene the legislature;^[5] and to grant pardons,^[7] with the exception of cases of impeachment. The governor is also the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.^[8] Arizona is one of the few states that currently does not have a governor's mansion or other official residence.

Governor of Arizona
Seal of Arizona
Flag of Arizona
Incumbent Katie Hobbs since January 2, 2023
Government of Arizona
Style	The Honorable
Status	Head of state Head of government
Residence	No official residence
Term length	Four years, renewable once consecutively[1]
Constituting instrument	Arizona Constitution, article V[2]
Inaugural holder	George W. P. Hunt
Formation	February 14, 1912
Deputy	None (until 2027) Lieutenant Governor (expected from 2027) [3]
Salary	$95,000 (2022)[4]
Website	azgovernor.gov

Twenty-four people have served as governor over 28 distinct terms. All of the repeat governors were in the state's earliest years, when George W. P. Hunt and Thomas Edward Campbell alternated as governor for 17 years and, after a two-year gap, Hunt served another term. One governor, Evan Mecham, was successfully impeached, and one, Fife Symington, resigned upon being convicted of a felony. The longest-serving governor was Hunt, who was elected seven times and served just under fourteen years. The longest single stint was that of Bruce Babbitt, who was elected to two four-year terms after succeeding to the office following the death of his predecessor, Wesley Bolin, serving nearly nine years total. Bolin had the shortest tenure, dying less than five months after succeeding as governor. Arizona has had five female governors, the most in the United States, and was the first—and until 2019 (when Michelle Lujan Grisham succeeded Susana Martinez in neighboring New Mexico) the only—state where female governors served consecutively.

The current governor as of January 2, 2023, is Democrat Katie Hobbs.

List of governors

Confederate Arizona

Main article: Confederate Arizona

In Tucson between April 2 and April 5, 1860, a convention of settlers from the southern half of New Mexico Territory drafted a provisional constitution for "Arizona Territory", three years before the United States would create such a territory. This proposed territory consisted of the part of New Mexico Territory south of 33° 40' north. On April 2,^[9] they elected a governor, Lewis S. Owings. The provisional territory was to exist until such time as an official territory was created, but that proposal was rejected by Congress at the time.^[10]

On March 16, 1861, soon before the American Civil War broke out, a convention in Mesilla voted that the provisional territory should secede from the Union and join the Confederacy.^[11] Lewis S. Owings remained on as the provisional governor of the territory.

The Confederacy took ownership of the territory on August 1, 1861, when forces led by Lieutenant Colonel John R. Baylor won decisive control of the territory, and Baylor proclaimed himself governor.^[12] Arizona Territory was formally organized in the Confederacy on January 18, 1862.^[13] On March 20, 1862, Baylor issued an order to kill all the adult Apache and take their children into slavery.^[12] When Confederate President Jefferson Davis learned of this order, he strongly disapproved and demanded an explanation. Baylor wrote a letter December 29, 1862, to justify his decision, and after this was received, Davis relieved Baylor of his post and commission, calling his letter an "avowal of an infamous crime". By that time, the Confederate government of Arizona Territory was in exile in San Antonio, Texas, as the territory had been effectively lost to Union forces in July 1862;^[14] no new governor was appointed.

Territory of Arizona

Arizona Territory was formed on February 24, 1863, from New Mexico Territory, remaining a territory for 49 years.^[15]

Governors of the Territory of Arizona

No.	Governor		Term in office[a]	Appointing President
—		John A. Gurley (1813–1863)	March 10, 1863 – August 19, 1863 (died before taking office)[b]	Abraham Lincoln
1		John Noble Goodwin (1824–1887) [20]	August 21, 1863[c] – April 10, 1866 (resigned)[d]	Abraham Lincoln
2		Richard Cunningham McCormick (1832–1901) [27]	April 10, 1866[e] – March 4, 1869 (resigned)[f]	Andrew Johnson
3		Anson P. K. Safford (1830–1891) [35]	April 8, 1869[g] – April 5, 1877 (term expired)[h]	Ulysses S. Grant
4		John Philo Hoyt (1841–1926) [41]	April 5, 1877[i] – June 14, 1878 (resigned)[j]	Rutherford B. Hayes
5		John C. Frémont (1813–1890) [46]	June 14, 1878[k] – October 11, 1881 (resigned)[l]	Rutherford B. Hayes
6		Frederick Augustus Tritle (1833–1906) [51]	February 6, 1882[m] – October 7, 1885 (resigned)[n]	Chester A. Arthur
7		C. Meyer Zulick (1839–1926) [57]	October 15, 1885[o] – March 28, 1889 (successor appointed)	Grover Cleveland
8		Lewis Wolfley (1839–1910) [63]	March 28, 1889[p] – August 20, 1890 (resigned)[q]	Benjamin Harrison
9		John N. Irwin (1844–1905) [70]	October 1, 1890[r] – April 19, 1892 (resigned)[s]	Benjamin Harrison
10		Oakes Murphy (1849–1908) [76]	May 9, 1892[t] – April 13, 1893 (successor appointed)[u]	Benjamin Harrison
11		L. C. Hughes (1842–1915) [81]	April 8, 1893[v] – April 1, 1896 (successor appointed)[w]	Grover Cleveland
12		Benjamin Joseph Franklin (1839–1898) [86]	April 8, 1896[x] – July 22, 1897 (resigned)[y]	Grover Cleveland
13		Myron H. McCord (1840–1908) [92]	July 17, 1897[z] – August 1, 1898 (resigned)[aa]	William McKinley
14		Oakes Murphy (1849–1908) [76]	July 16, 1898[ab] – July 1, 1902 (resigned)[ac]	William McKinley
15		Alexander Oswald Brodie (1849–1918) [106]	May 14, 1902[ad] – February 14, 1905 (resigned)[ae]	Theodore Roosevelt
16		Joseph Henry Kibbey (1853–1924) [112]	February 27, 1905[af] – April 15, 1909 (successor appointed)	Theodore Roosevelt
17		Richard Elihu Sloan (1857–1933) [118]	April 15, 1909[ag] – February 14, 1912 (statehood)	William Howard Taft

State of Arizona

The state of Arizona was admitted to the Union on February 14, 1912, the last of the contiguous states to be admitted.

The state constitution of 1912 called for the election of a governor every two years.^[124] The term was increased to four years by a 1968 amendment.^[125][126] The constitution originally included no term limit,^[127] but an amendment passed in 1992 allows governors to succeed themselves only once;^[124] before this, four governors were elected more than twice in a row. Gubernatorial terms begin on the first Monday in the January following the election.^[124] Governors who have served the two term limit can run again after four years out of office.

Arizona is one of the few states which does not have a lieutenant governor. Instead, in the event of a vacancy in the office of governor, the secretary of state, if elected, succeeds to the office. If the secretary of state was appointed rather than elected, or is otherwise ineligible to hold the office of governor, the next elected and eligible person in the line of succession assumes the office. The state constitution specifies the line of succession to be the Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Treasurer and Superintendent of Public Instruction, in that order.^[128] If the governor is out of the state or impeached, the next elected officer in the line of succession becomes acting governor until the governor returns or is cleared.^[128] In either case, any partial term counts toward the limit of two consecutive terms.

The line of succession has reached beyond the secretary of state only once, when Attorney General Bruce Babbitt became governor upon the death of Wesley Bolin. Rose Mofford had been appointed secretary of state to replace Bolin after Bolin succeeded to the governorship. Bolin had become governor when Raúl Héctor Castro resigned to accept appointment as ambassador to Argentina. Mofford later became acting governor after Evan Mecham was impeached by the House of Representatives, and succeeded to the governorship when Mecham was removed from office after his conviction by the Senate.

Starting with the 2026 election cycle, Arizona will have a lieutenant governor, pursuant to a 2022 amendment to the constitution.^[129] Nominees will be chosen by each party's gubernatorial nominee, with the governor and lieutenant governor then chosen by general election voters on a joint ticket.^[129] If the offices of governor and the lieutenant governor become vacant at the same time, the amended law provisions of the state constitution are that the secretary of state, attorney general, state treasurer or the superintendent of public instruction will assume the office of governor and then appoint the lieutenant governor pending state legislative approval.^[130]

Governors of the State of Arizona

No.[ah]	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election
1			George W. P. Hunt (1859–1934) [132][133]	February 14, 1912[134] – January 1, 1917 (lost election)[ai]	Democratic[135]	1911
						1914
2			Thomas Edward Campbell (1878–1944) [136]	January 1, 1917[137] – December 25, 1917 (removed from office)	Republican[135]	1916[ai]
1			George W. P. Hunt (1859–1934) [132][133]	December 25, 1917[141] – January 6, 1919 (did not run)	Democratic[135]
2			Thomas Edward Campbell (1878–1944) [136]	January 6, 1919[142] – January 1, 1923 (lost election)	Republican[135]	1918
						1920
1			George W. P. Hunt (1859–1934) [132][133]	January 1, 1923[143] – January 7, 1929 (lost election)	Democratic[135]	1922
						1924
						1926
3			John Calhoun Phillips (1870–1943) [144][145]	January 7, 1929[146] – January 5, 1931 (lost election)	Republican[135]	1928
1			George W. P. Hunt (1859–1934) [132][133]	January 5, 1931[147] – January 2, 1933 (lost nomination)[148]	Democratic[135]	1930
4			Benjamin Baker Moeur (1869–1937) [149][150]	January 2, 1933[151] – January 4, 1937 (lost nomination)[149]	Democratic[135]	1932
						1934
5			Rawghlie Clement Stanford (1879–1963) [152][153]	January 4, 1937[154] – January 2, 1939 (did not run)	Democratic[135]	1936
6			Robert Taylor Jones (1884–1958) [155][156]	January 2, 1939[157] – January 6, 1941 (lost nomination)[158]	Democratic[135]	1938
7			Sidney Preston Osborn (1884–1948) [159][160]	January 6, 1941[161] – May 25, 1948 (died in office)	Democratic[135]	1940
						1942
						1944
						1946
8			Dan Edward Garvey (1886–1974) [162][163]	May 25, 1948[164] – January 1, 1951 (lost nomination)[aj]	Democratic[135]	Succeeded from secretary of state
						1948
9			John Howard Pyle (1906–1987) [166][167]	January 1, 1951[168] – January 3, 1955 (lost election)	Republican[135]	1950
						1952
10			Ernest McFarland (1894–1984) [169][170]	January 3, 1955[171] – January 5, 1959 (did not run)	Democratic[135]	1954
						1956
11			Paul Fannin (1907–2002) [172][173]	January 5, 1959[174] – January 4, 1965 (did not run)	Republican[135]	1958
						1960
						1962
12			Samuel Pearson Goddard Jr. (1919–2006) [175][176]	January 4, 1965[177] – January 2, 1967 (lost election)	Democratic[135]	1964
13			Jack Williams (1909–1998) [178][179]	January 2, 1967[180] – January 6, 1975 (did not run)[ak]	Republican[135]	1966
						1968
						1970[al]
14			Raúl Héctor Castro (1916–2015) [182][183]	January 6, 1975[184] – October 20, 1977 (resigned)[am]	Democratic[135]	1974
15			Wesley Bolin (1909–1978) [185][186]	October 20, 1977[187] – March 4, 1978 (died in office)	Democratic[186]	Succeeded from secretary of state
16			Bruce Babbitt (b. 1938) [188]	March 4, 1978[189] – January 5, 1987 (did not run)	Democratic[188]	Succeeded from attorney general[an]
						1978
						1982
17			Evan Mecham (1924–2008) [190]	January 5, 1987[191] – April 4, 1988 (impeached and removed)[ao]	Republican[190]	1986
18			Rose Mofford (1922–2016) [193]	April 4, 1988[194] – March 6, 1991 (did not run)	Democratic[193]	Succeeded from secretary of state
19			Fife Symington (b. 1945) [195]	March 6, 1991[196] – September 5, 1997 (resigned)[ap]	Republican[195]	1990–1991[aq]
						1994
20			Jane Dee Hull (1935–2020) [199]	September 5, 1997[200] – January 6, 2003 (term-limited)[ar]	Republican[199]	Succeeded from secretary of state
						1998
21			Janet Napolitano (b. 1957) [202]	January 6, 2003[203] – January 20, 2009 (resigned)[as]	Democratic[202]	2002
						2006
22			Jan Brewer (b. 1944) [204]	January 20, 2009[205] – January 5, 2015 (did not run)[at]	Republican[204]	Succeeded from secretary of state
						2010
23			Doug Ducey (b. 1964) [207]	January 5, 2015[208] – January 2, 2023 (term-limited)[ar]	Republican[207]	2014
						2018
24			Katie Hobbs (b. 1969) [209]	January 2, 2023[210] – Incumbent[au]	Democratic[209]	2022

See also

• Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Arizona
• Lieutenant Governor of Arizona
• List of Arizona state legislatures

Notes

1. 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's successor was confirmed, unless noted.
2. Gurley was nominated on March 7, 1863,^[16] and was confirmed by the Senate on March 10,^[17] but died on August 19, before he could take office.^[18][19]
3. Goodwin was appointed on August 21, 1863,^[21] during a Senate recess; nominated on January 7, 1864;^[22] and confirmed by the Senate on February 4, 1864.^[23] He established the territorial government on December 29, 1863.^[24][25]
4. Goodwin resigned, having been elected to the United States House of Representatives for a term which began on March 4, 1865; he held both offices for thirteen months.^[20]>^[26]
5. McCormick was nominated on March 14, 1866,^[28] confirmed by the Senate on April 10,^[29] and he took office on July 9.^[30][31]
6. McCormick resigned, having been elected to the United States House of Representatives. While he took office on March 4, 1869,^[32][33] at least one contemporary report said he resigned from the governorship on March 3.^[34]
7. Safford was nominated on April 3, 1869,^[36] confirmed by the Senate on April 8,^[37] and took office on July 9.^[38] He was reconfirmed by the Senate on March 18, 1873.^[39]
8. While some sources say Safford resigned due to health and personal concerns,^[35] President Hayes' nomination of his successor John Philo Hoyt specified, "vice A. P. K. Safford, whose term of office has expired."^[40]
9. Hoyt was appointed on April 5, 1877,^[42] during a Senate recess; nominated on October 17,^[40] and confirmed by the Senate on October 29.^[43] Despite already being in the territory when appointed, he did not take office until May 30, due to involvement as secretary of the territory in litigation over moving the territorial capital.^[41][44]
10. McMullin states that Hoyt was asked to resign on June 11, 1878,^[41] the day Hayes nominated Hoyt to be governor of Idaho Territory and Frémont to succeed him as governor of Arizona Territory.^[45]
11. Frémont was nominated on June 11, 1878,^[47] confirmed by the Senate on June 14,^[48] and took office on October 6.^[46][49]
12. Frémont resigned; he spent little time in the territory, and the Secretary of the Territory eventually asked him to resume his duties or resign, and he chose resignation.^[50]
13. Tritle was nominated on January 27, 1882,^[52] confirmed by the Senate on February 6,^[53] and took office on March 8.^[50][54][55]
14. Tritle resigned after Grover Cleveland was elected president, so that the Democrat could appoint a Democrat as governor.^[51][56]
15. Zulick was appointed on October 15, 1885,^[58] during a Senate recess; nominated on December 10, 1885;^[59] and confirmed by the Senate on May 5, 1886.^[60] He took office on November 2, 1885.^[61][62]
16. Wolfley was nominated on March 14, 1889,^[64] confirmed by the Senate on March 28,^[65] and took office on April 8.^[66][67]
17. Wolfley resigned due to a disagreement with the federal government on arid land policy.^[63][68][69]
18. Irwin was nominated on September 29, 1890,^[71] confirmed by the Senate on October 1, 1890,^[72] and took office on January 20, 1891.^[73]
19. Irwin resigned to handle family business out of state.^[74][75]
20. Murphy was nominated on April 22, 1892,^[77] and confirmed by the Senate on May 9.^[78] As he was secretary of the territory, he did not take office until his successor to that office was confirmed, which occurred on June 2.^[79]
21. While some sources say Murphy resigned before Hughes took office,^[76] contemporary news reported that Murphy handed the office directly to Hughes on April 13, 1893.^[80]
22. Hughes was nominated on April 5, 1893,^[82] confirmed by the Senate on April 8,^[83] and took office on April 13.^[80]
23. Hughes had abolished many territorial offices, and unhappy officials successfully petitioned President Cleveland to remove him.^[84][81][85]
24. Franklin was nominated on March 30, 1896,^[87] confirmed by the Senate on April 8,^[88] and took office on April 18.^[86][89][90]
25. His successor having been sworn in out of state, and given instruction from the federal government, Franklin resigned the office and handed over duties to the secretary of the territory, Charles H. Akers.^[91]
26. McCord was nominated on May 20, 1897,^[93] and confirmed on July 17.^[94] He was sworn in as governor in Virginia on July 21,^[95] though Charles H. Akers was still acting governor of the territory until McCord arrived on July 28.^[96]
27. McCord resigned to serve in the Spanish–American War.^[92][97]
28. Murphy was appointed on July 16, 1898,^[98] during a Senate recess; nominated on December 8;^[98] and confirmed by the Senate on December 14.^[99] He took office on August 1.^{[100][101][102]}
29. Murphy was asked by President Theodore Roosevelt to resign for opposing the Newlands Reclamation Act;^[103] he submitted his resignation in April 1902 to take effect June 30,^[104] and remained until his successor took office.^[105]
30. Brodie was nominated on May 7, 1902,^[107] confirmed by the Senate on May 14,^[108] and took office on July 1.^[105][109]
31. Brodie resigned, having been appointed assistant chief of the records and pension bureau at the United States Department of War.^[110][111]
32. Kibbey was nominated on February 10, 1905,^[113] confirmed by the Senate on February 27,^[114] and took office on March 7,^[112][115] for a term to expire February 27, 1909.^[116] Though he was renominated on December 16, 1908,^[116] the Senate did not confirm him before the end of the session.^[117]
33. Sloan was nominated on April 8, 1909,^[119] confirmed by the Senate on April 15,^[120] and took office on May 1.^{[121][122][123]}
34. The governor's website labeled Katie Hobbs as the 24th governor;^[131] based on this, each governor is numbered only once, regardless of how many distinct terms they served. Repeat terms are listed with the governor's original number in italics.
35. Initial results showed that Campbell had won by 30 votes, but Hunt challenged the results, claiming that several precincts had experienced fraudulent voting.^[138] The Arizona Supreme Court named Campbell governor on January 27, 1917, and forced Hunt to surrender his office.^[139] Hunt continued fighting in court, and on December 22, was declared the winner of the election by 43 votes.^[140] Campbell vacated the office three days later.^[133]
36. Garvey lost the Democratic nomination to Ana Frohmiller.^[162][165]
37. Sobel says that Williams lost the 1974 election, but that was someone with a similar name, Russell Williams.^[181]
38. First term under a constitutional amendment which lengthened terms to four years.^[125]
39. Castro resigned, having been confirmed as United States Ambassador to Argentina.^[182]
40. The secretary of state at the time of Bolin's death had been appointed, not elected, and thus not in the line of succession according to the Arizona constitution,^[128] making Attorney General Babbitt governor.^[188]
41. Mecham was impeached and removed from office on charges of obstruction of justice and misuse of government funds,^[190] though he was later acquitted.^[192]
42. Symington resigned after being convicted of bank fraud; the conviction was later overturned and he was pardoned by President Bill Clinton.^[195][197]
43. Arizona adopted runoff voting after Evan Mecham won with only 43% of the vote in 1986. The 1990 election was very close, and a runoff was held on February 26, 1991, which Symington won, and he was inaugurated on March 6.^[198]
44. Under a 1992 amendment to the constitution, governors who have served two successive terms are not eligible again until another full term has passed.^[201]
45. Napolitano resigned, having been confirmed as United States Secretary of Homeland Security.^[202]
46. There was a question as to whether Brewer, who had served part of one term and one full term, would be prohibited from running for a third term; she decided not to run.^[206]
47. Hobbs' term will expire on January 4, 2027.