List of governors of Rhode Island

The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government of Rhode Island and serves as commander-in-chief of the U.S. state's Army National Guard and Air National Guard. The current governor is Dan McKee.

Governor of Rhode Island
Seal of the governor
Flag of the governor
Incumbent Dan McKee since March 2, 2021
Style	Governor (informal) The Honorable (formal)
Status	Head of state Head of government
Term length	Four years, renewable once consecutively
Inaugural holder	Nicholas Cooke
Formation	November 7, 1775 (249 years ago) (1775-11-07)
Succession	Line of succession
Deputy	Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island
Salary	$128,210 (2013)[1]
Website	governor.ri.gov

Governors

For the period before independence, see List of colonial governors of Rhode Island.

Rhode Island was one of the original Thirteen Colonies and was admitted as a state on May 29, 1790.^[2] Before it declared its independence, Rhode Island was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain.

The state initially continued operating under the provisions of its 1663 charter, which simply said that the governor and deputy-governor would be elected from time to time. The 1842 constitution formalized the terms for governor and lieutenant governor to be one year, beginning on the first Tuesday of May after the election.^[3] Amendment XVI, taking effect in 1911, changed the term to be two years beginning from the first Tuesday in the January after the election.^[4] Terms were lengthened to four years in 1992, but governors were now limited to succeeding themselves only once.^[5] A former governor can run again after a four year break. Should the office of governor be vacant, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.^[6] The governor and the lieutenant governor are not officially elected on the same ticket.

Governors of the State of Rhode Island

No.	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor[a][b]
1			Nicholas Cooke (1717–1782) [7]	November 7, 1775[c] – May 6, 1778 (did not run)	None[9]	1776		William Bradford
						1777
2			William Greene (1731–1809) [10]	May 6, 1778[11] – May 3, 1786 (lost election)	None[9]	1778		Jabez Bowen
						1779
						1780		William West
						1781		Jabez Bowen
						1782
						1783
						1784
						1785
3			John Collins (1717–1795) [12][13]	May 3, 1786[14] – May 5, 1790 (lost election)	None[9]	1786		Daniel Owen
						1787
						1788
						1789
4			Arthur Fenner (1745–1805) [15][16]	May 5, 1790[17] – October 15, 1805 (died in office)	Country	1790		Samuel J. Potter
						1791
						1792
						1793
						1794
						1795
						1796
						1797
						1798
						1799		George Brown
						1800		Samuel J. Potter
						1801
						1802
						1803		Paul Mumford (died July 20, 1805)
						1804
						1805
							Vacant
5			Henry Smith (1766–1818) [18][19]	October 15, 1805[18] – May 7, 1806 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican[d]	Succeeded from president of the Senate[e]
6			Isaac Wilbour (1763–1837) [18][20]	May 7, 1806[21] – May 6, 1807 (successor took office)[f]	Democratic- Republican[22]	1806[g]		Acting as governor
7			James Fenner (1771–1846) [24][25]	May 6, 1807[11] – May 1, 1811 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican[11]	1807		Constant Taber
						1808		Simeon Martin
						1809
						1810		Isaac Wilbour
8			William Jones (1753–1822) [26][27]	May 1, 1811[26] – May 7, 1817 (lost election)	Federalist[11]	1811		Simeon Martin
						1812
						1813
						1814
						1815
						1816		Jeremiah Thurston
9			Nehemiah R. Knight (1780–1854) [28][29]	May 7, 1817[30] – January 9, 1821 (resigned)[h]	Democratic- Republican[11]	1817		Edward Wilcox
						1818
						1819
						1820
—			Edward Wilcox (unknown) [33]	January 9, 1821[11] – May 2, 1821 (did not run)	Democratic- Republican[11]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor[i]	Vacant
10			William C. Gibbs (1787–1871) [34][35]	May 2, 1821[36] – May 5, 1824 (did not run)	Democratic- Republican[11]	1821		Caleb Earle
						1822
						1823
11			James Fenner (1771–1846) [24][25]	May 5, 1824[37] – May 4, 1831 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican[11]	1824		Charles Collins
						1825
						1826
						1827
						1828
						1829
						1830
12			Lemuel H. Arnold (1792–1852) [38][39]	May 4, 1831[40] – May 1, 1833 (lost election)	National Republican[11]	1831
						1832[j]
13			John Brown Francis (1791–1864) [41][42]	May 1, 1833[43] – May 2, 1838 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican/ Anti-Masonic[44]	1833		Jeffrey Hazard
					Democratic[44]	1834
						1835		George Engs
						1836		Jeffrey Hazard
						1837		Benjamin Babock Thurston
14			William Sprague III (1799–1856) [45][46]	May 2, 1838[47] – May 2, 1839 (lost election)	Whig[11]	1838		Joseph Childs
15			Samuel Ward King (1786–1851) [48][49]	May 2, 1839[50] – May 2, 1843 (did not run)[48]	Whig[11]	1839[k]		Byron Diman
						1840
						1841
						1842[l]
16			James Fenner (1771–1846) [24][25]	May 2, 1843[51] – May 6, 1845 (lost election)	Law and Order[11]	1843
						1844
17			Charles Jackson (1797–1876) [52][53]	May 6, 1845[54] – May 6, 1846 (lost election)	Liberation[11]	1845
18			Byron Diman (1795–1865) [55][56]	May 6, 1846[57] – May 4, 1847 (did not run)[55]	Law and Order[11]	1846		Elisha Harris
19			Elisha Harris (1791–1861) [58][59]	May 4, 1847[60] – May 1, 1849 (did not run)	Whig[11]	1847		Edward W. Lawton
						1848
20			Henry B. Anthony (1815–1884) [61][62]	May 1, 1849[63] – May 6, 1851 (did not run)	Whig[11]	1849		Thomas Whipple
						1850
21			Philip Allen (1785–1865) [64][65]	May 6, 1851[66] – July 20, 1853 (resigned)[m]	Democratic[11]	1851		William Beach Lawrence
						1852		Samuel G. Arnold
						1853		Francis M. Dimond
22			Francis M. Dimond (1796–1859) [67][68]	July 20, 1853[69] – May 2, 1854 (lost election)	Democratic[11]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
23			William W. Hoppin (1807–1890) [70][71]	May 2, 1854[72] – May 26, 1857 (did not run)[70]	Whig[n]	1854		John J. Reynolds
						1855		Anderson C. Rose
						1856		Nicholas Brown III
24			Elisha Dyer (1811–1890) [76][77]	May 26, 1857[78] – May 31, 1859 (did not run)	Republican[11]	1857		Thomas G. Turner
						1858
25			Thomas G. Turner (1810–1875) [79][80]	May 31, 1859[81] – May 29, 1860 (lost nomination)[o]	Republican[11]	1859		Isaac Saunders
26			William Sprague IV (1830–1915) [82][83]	May 29, 1860[84] – March 3, 1863 (resigned)[p]	Democratic[q]	1860		J. Russell Bullock
						1861
						1862		Samuel G. Arnold (resigned December 1, 1862)
							Vacant
27			William C. Cozzens (1811–1876) [85][86]	March 3, 1863[87] – May 26, 1863 (lost election)	Democratic[11]	Succeeded from president of the Senate[r]
28			James Y. Smith (1809–1876) [88][89]	May 26, 1863[11] – May 29, 1866 (did not run)[88]	Republican[11]	1863		Seth Padelford
						1864
						1865		Duncan Pell
29			Ambrose Burnside (1824–1881) [90][91]	May 29, 1866[92] – May 25, 1869 (did not run)[90]	Republican[11]	1866		William Greene
						1867
						1868		Pardon Stevens
30			Seth Padelford (1807–1878) [93][94]	May 25, 1869[95] – May 27, 1873 (did not run)	Republican[11]	1869
						1870
						1871
						1872		Charles Cutler
31			Henry Howard (1826–1905) [96][97]	May 27, 1873[98] – May 25, 1875 (did not run)[96]	Republican[s]	1873		Charles C. Van Zandt
						1874
32			Henry Lippitt (1818–1891) [99][100]	May 25, 1875[101] – May 29, 1877 (did not run)	Republican[11]	1875		Henry Tillinghast Sisson
						1876
33			Charles C. Van Zandt (1830–1894) [102][103]	May 29, 1877[104] – May 25, 1880 (did not run)[102]	Republican[t]	1877		Albert Howard
						1878
						1879
34			Alfred H. Littlefield (1829–1893) [105][106]	May 25, 1880[107] – May 29, 1883 (did not run)	Republican[11]	1880		Henry Fay
						1881
						1882
35			Augustus O. Bourn (1834–1925) [108][109]	May 29, 1883[110] – May 26, 1885 (did not run)	Republican[11]	1883		Oscar Rathbun
						1884
36			George P. Wetmore (1846–1921) [111][112]	May 26, 1885[113] – May 31, 1887 (lost election)	Republican[11]	1885		Lucius B. Darling
						1886
37			John W. Davis (1826–1907) [114][115]	May 31, 1887[116] – May 29, 1888 (lost election)	Democratic[11]	1887		Samuel R. Honey
38			Royal C. Taft (1823–1912) [117][118]	May 29, 1888[119] – May 28, 1889 (did not run)[117]	Republican[11]	1888		Enos Lapham
39			Herbert W. Ladd (1843–1913) [120][121]	May 28, 1889[122] – May 27, 1890 (lost election)	Republican[11]	1889		Daniel Littlefield
40			John W. Davis (1826–1907) [114][115]	May 27, 1890[123] – May 26, 1891 (lost election)	Democratic[11]	1890		William T. C. Wardwell
41			Herbert W. Ladd (1843–1913) [120][121]	May 26, 1891[124] – May 31, 1892 (did not run)	Republican[11]	1891		Henry A. Stearns
42			Daniel Russell Brown (1848–1919) [125][126]	May 31, 1892[127] – May 29, 1895 (did not run)	Republican[11]	1892		Melville Bull
						1893
						1894		Edwin Allen
43			Charles W. Lippitt (1846–1924) [128][129]	May 29, 1895[130] – May 25, 1897 (did not run)	Republican[11]	1895
						1896
44			Elisha Dyer Jr. (1839–1906) [131][132]	May 25, 1897[133] – May 29, 1900 (did not run)[131]	Republican[11]	1897		Aram J. Pothier
						1898		William Gregory
						1899
45			William Gregory (1849–1901) [134][135]	May 29, 1900[136] – December 16, 1901 (died in office)	Republican[11]	1900		Charles D. Kimball
46			Charles D. Kimball (1859–1930) [137][138]	December 16, 1901[139] – January 6, 1903 (lost election)	Republican[11]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
						1901[u]
								George L. Shepley (elected February 18, 1902)
47			Lucius F. C. Garvin (1841–1922) [140][141]	January 6, 1903[142] – January 3, 1905 (lost election)	Democratic[11]	1902		Adelard Archambault
						1903		George H. Utter
48			George H. Utter (1854–1912) [143][144]	January 3, 1905[145] – January 1, 1907 (lost election)	Republican[11]	1904		Frederick H. Jackson
						1905
49			James H. Higgins (1876–1927) [146][147]	January 1, 1907[148] – January 5, 1909 (did not run)[146]	Democratic[11]	1906
						1907		Ralph Watrous
50			Aram J. Pothier (1854–1928) [149][150]	January 5, 1909[151] – January 5, 1915 (did not run)[149]	Republican[11]	1908		Arthur W. Dennis
						1909		Emery J. San Souci
						1910
						1911
						1912		Rosewell Burchard
51			Robert Livingston Beeckman (1866–1935) [152][153]	January 5, 1915[154] – January 4, 1921 (did not run)	Republican[11]	1914		Emery J. San Souci
						1916
						1918
52			Emery J. San Souci (1857–1936) [155][156]	January 4, 1921[157] – January 2, 1923 (lost nomination)[v]	Republican[11]	1920		Harold Gross
53			William S. Flynn (1885–1966) [159][160]	January 2, 1923[161] – January 6, 1925 (did not run)[w]	Democratic[11]	1922		Felix A. Toupin
54			Aram J. Pothier (1854–1928) [149][150]	January 6, 1925[162] – February 4, 1928 (died in office)	Republican[11]	1924		Nathaniel W. Smith
						1926		Norman S. Case
55			Norman S. Case (1888–1967) [163][164]	February 4, 1928[165] – January 3, 1933 (lost election)	Republican[11]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
						1928		James G. Connelly
						1930
56			Theodore F. Green (1867–1966) [166][167]	January 3, 1933[168] – January 5, 1937 (did not run)[x]	Democratic[11]	1932		Robert E. Quinn
						1934
57			Robert E. Quinn (1894–1975) [169][170]	January 5, 1937[171] – January 3, 1939 (lost election)	Democratic[11]	1936		Raymond E. Jordan
58			William Henry Vanderbilt III (1901–1981) [172][173]	January 3, 1939[174] – January 7, 1941 (lost election)	Republican[11]	1938		James O. McManus
59			J. Howard McGrath (1903–1966) [175][176]	January 7, 1941[177] – October 6, 1945 (resigned)[y]	Democratic[11]	1940		Louis W. Cappelli
						1942
						1944		John Pastore
60			John Pastore (1907–2000) [178][179]	October 6, 1945[180] – December 19, 1950 (resigned)[z]	Democratic[11]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor		John S. McKiernan
						1946
						1948
61			John S. McKiernan (1911–1997) [181][182]	December 19, 1950[183] – January 2, 1951 (successor took office)	Democratic[11]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
62			Dennis J. Roberts (1903–1994) [184][185]	January 2, 1951[186] – January 6, 1959 (lost election)	Democratic[11]	1950		John S. McKiernan
						1952
						1954
						1956		Armand H. Cote
63			Christopher Del Sesto (1907–1973) [187][188]	January 6, 1959[189] – January 3, 1961 (lost election)	Republican[11]	1958		John A. Notte Jr.
64			John A. Notte Jr. (1909–1983) [190][191]	January 3, 1961[192] – January 1, 1963 (lost election)	Democratic[11]	1960		Edward P. Gallogly
65			John Chafee (1922–1999) [193][194]	January 1, 1963[195] – January 7, 1969 (lost election)	Republican[11]	1962
						1964		Giovanni Folcarelli
						1966		Joseph O'Donnell Jr.
66			Frank Licht (1916–1987) [196][197]	January 7, 1969[198] – January 2, 1973 (did not run)[196]	Democratic[11]	1968		J. Joseph Garrahy
						1970
67			Philip Noel (b. 1931) [199][200]	January 2, 1973[201] – January 4, 1977 (did not run)[199]	Democratic[11]	1972
						1974
68			J. Joseph Garrahy (1930–2012) [202][203]	January 4, 1977[204] – January 1, 1985 (did not run)	Democratic[203]	1976		Thomas R. DiLuglio
						1978
						1980
						1982
69			Edward D. DiPrete (b. 1934) [205]	January 1, 1985[206] – January 1, 1991 (lost election)	Republican[205]	1984		Richard A. Licht
						1986
						1988		Roger N. Begin
70			Bruce Sundlun (1920–2011) [207]	January 1, 1991[208] – January 3, 1995 (lost nomination)[aa]	Democratic[207]	1990
						1992		Robert Weygand
71			Lincoln Almond (1936–2023) [210]	January 3, 1995[211] – January 7, 2003 (term-limited)[ab]	Republican[210]	1994
								Bernard Jackvony
						1998		Charles Fogarty
72			Donald Carcieri (b. 1942) [213]	January 7, 2003[214] – January 4, 2011 (term-limited)[ab]	Republican[213]	2002
						2006		Elizabeth H. Roberts
73			Lincoln Chafee (b. 1953) [215]	January 4, 2011[216] – January 6, 2015 (did not run)	Independent[ac]	2010
74			Gina Raimondo (b. 1971) [218]	January 6, 2015 – March 2, 2021 (resigned)[ad]	Democratic[218]	2014		Dan McKee
						2018
75			Dan McKee (b. 1951) [220]	March 2, 2021[221] – Incumbent[ae]	Democratic[220]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor		Sabina Matos
						2022

See also

• Rhode Island portal

• Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Rhode Island
• List of Rhode Island state legislatures

Notes

1. Office was named Deputy Governor until 1798.
2. Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
3. Cooke was deputy governor when colonial governor Joseph Wanton was deposed on November 7, 1775, and was chosen to replace him.^[8]
4. Sobel
5. As the office of lieutenant governor was vacant, President of the Senate Smith succeeded to governor.^[18]
6. Wilbour was instead elected to the United States House of Representatives.^[18]
7. No candidate received a majority of the vote for governor, so Lieutenant Governor-elect Wilbour acted as governor for the term.^[23]
8. Knight resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.^[31][32]
9. Very little is known of Wilcox, and he does not appear on most lists of governors, but it is known he was lieutenant governor at the time Knight resigned,^[31] and at least one reference specifically states he succeeded Knight.^[11]
10. No candidate received a majority of the vote for governor, and four run-offs were attempted during the year but all were similarly deadlocked. Arnold remained as governor, and in January 1833, the state legislature formalized it, permitting him to continue on as governor until the end of the term.^[11]
11. No candidate received a majority of the vote for either governor or lieutenant governor, so as First Senator, King served as acting governor for the year.^[11]
12. A constitutional convention, without consent from the legislature, convened in 1842 and, on May 2, proclaimed Thomas Wilson Dorr as governor, which led to a brief period of strife known as the Dorr Rebellion.^[48]
13. Allen resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.^[64]
14. Glashan^[73] and Sobel^[70] label Hoppin as a Whig and Maine Law candidate in 1854; Dubin,^[74] and Kallenbach^[75] label him a Whig and American in 1855, and a Republican and American in 1856.
15. Turner lost the Republican nomination to Seth Padelford.^[79]
16. Sprague resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.^[82]
17. Sprague was elected as part of a Democratic and Conservative Republican ticket in 1860,^[82] and aftwards as a Union candidate.^[73]
18. As the office of lieutenant governor was vacant, President pro tempore of the Senate Cozzens succeeded to governor.^[85]
19. Howard represented the Republican and Prohibition parties.^[96]
20. Van Zandt represented the Republican and Prohibition parties.^[73]
21. Incumbent governor William Gregory was re-elected in November 1901, but died the next month, so Lieutenant Governor Kimball succeeded him.^[137]
22. San Souci lost the Republican nomination to Harold Gross.^[158]
23. Flynn instead ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate.^[159]
24. Green was instead elected to the United States Senate.^[166]
25. McGrath resigned, having been confirmed as Solicitor General of the United States.^[175]
26. Pastore resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.^[178]
27. Sundlun lost the Democratic nomination to Myrth York.^[209]
28. Under a 1992 amendment to the constitution, governors are ineligible to serve consecutively for more than two terms.^[212]
29. Chafee was elected as an independent, but on May 30, 2013, he joined the Democratic Party.^[217]
30. Raimondo resigned, having been confirmed as United States Secretary of Commerce.^[219]
31. McKee's first full term began on January 3, 2023,^[222] and will expire on January 5, 2027.