List of governors of Wisconsin

The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin^[2] and the commander-in-chief of the state's army and air forces.^[3] The governor has a duty to enforce state laws,^[3] and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Wisconsin Legislature,^[4] to convene the legislature,^[3] and to grant pardons, except in cases of treason and impeachment.^[5]

Governor of Wisconsin
Gubernatorial seal
Incumbent Tony Evers since January 7, 2019
Residence	Wisconsin Governor's Mansion
Term length	Four years, no term limits
Inaugural holder	Nelson Dewey
Formation	June 7, 1848 (1848-06-07)
Succession	Line of succession
Deputy	Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
Salary	$152,756 (2022)[1]
Website	governor.wi.gov

Forty-four individuals have held the office of governor of Wisconsin since the state's admission to the Union in 1848, one of whom—Philip La Follette—served non-consecutive terms. Nelson Dewey, the first governor, took office on June 7, 1848. The longest-serving governor was Tommy Thompson, who took office on January 5, 1987, and resigned on February 1, 2001, a total of 14 years and 28 days. Arthur MacArthur Sr. had the shortest term: he was governor for a total of just 5 days—from March 21 to 25, 1856.^[6] The current governor is Tony Evers, a Democrat who took office on January 7, 2019.^[6]

List of governors

Initially after the American Revolution, parts of the area now known as Wisconsin were claimed by Virginia, Massachusetts and Connecticut; however, Virginia ceded its claim in 1784, Massachusetts in 1785 and Connecticut in 1786.^[7] On July 13, 1787, the Northwest Territory, including the area now called Wisconsin, was formed; Wisconsin remained part of the territory until 1800.^[8] The territorial governor during this period was Arthur St. Clair.^[9] As parts of the Northwest Territory were admitted to the Union as states, Wisconsin became part of first the Indiana Territory (1800–1809), then the Illinois Territory (1809–1818), and then the Michigan Territory (1818–1836);^[8] see the lists of governors of Indiana, of Illinois, and of Michigan for these periods.

Wisconsin Territory

Wisconsin Territory was formed on July 3, 1836. During the time of its existence, the Wisconsin Territory had three people appointed governor by the President of the United States, one of whom served non-consecutive terms.

When most of Wisconsin Territory was admitted as the state of Wisconsin, the remainder became unorganized territory. However, the citizens of the region maintained a territorial government, and even elected a delegate to the United States House of Representatives, essentially making it a de facto continuation of Wisconsin Territory.^[10] As the region no longer had an official governor, Territorial Secretary John Catlin acted as governor of the region.^[11]

Governors of the Territory of Wisconsin

No.	Governor		Term in office[a]	Appointing President
1		Henry Dodge (1782–1867) [12]	April 30, 1836[b] – September 13, 1841 (successor appointed)	Andrew Jackson
				Martin Van Buren
2		James Duane Doty (1799–1865) [16]	September 13, 1841[c] – June 15, 1844 (successor appointed)	John Tyler
3		Nathaniel P. Tallmadge (1795–1864) [19]	June 15, 1844[d] – April 8, 1845 (successor appointed)	John Tyler
4		Henry Dodge (1782–1867) [12]	April 8, 1845[e] – June 23, 1848 (statehood)	James K. Polk

State of Wisconsin

Wisconsin was admitted to the Union on May 29, 1848. Since then, it has had 45 governors, one of whom served non-consecutive terms.^[6]

Originally, governors of Wisconsin served for two-year terms, but in 1967 the state constitution was amended to change this to four.^[2] Jeremiah McLain Rusk served 1 3-year term in the 1880s as the constitution was amended during his first term to move elections from odd to even years, and all officers were allowed to serve an extra year, rather than have their terms cut a year short. Patrick Lucey, elected in the 1970 election, was the first governor to serve a 4-year term.^[6] Governors of Wisconsin are not term limited.

Lucius Fairchild, Jeremiah McLain Rusk, Robert M. La Follette, Emanuel L. Philipp, John J. Blaine, Walter J. Kohler Jr., Warren P. Knowles and Tommy Thompson are one of eight Wisconsin governors to have served three terms. Thompson is the only person to have won four terms having been elected in 1986 and re-elected in 1990, 1994 and again in 1998 before resigning in February 2001.

The state constitution provides for the election of a lieutenant governor; originally, the governor and lieutenant governor were elected on different tickets, and thus were not necessarily of the same party. Since the 1967 amendment, however, the two have been nominated, and voted on, together.^[2] Originally, if the office of the governor was vacant for any reason, "the powers and duties of the office . . . devolve[d] upon the lieutenant governor." In 1979, the constitution was amended to make this more specific: if the governor dies, resigns, or is removed from office, the lieutenant governor becomes governor, but becomes acting governor if the governor is absent from the state, impeached, or unable to carry out of duties.^[23] If any of these events occur while the office of lieutenant governor is vacant, the secretary of state becomes either governor or acting governor.^[24] Two Wisconsin governors have died while in office, one has died after being elected but before taking office, and four have resigned.^[6]

Governors of the State of Wisconsin

No.	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor[f]
1			Nelson Dewey (1813–1889) [25][26]	June 7, 1848[27] – January 5, 1852 (did not run)	Democratic[28]	1848		John Edwin Holmes
						1849		Samuel Beall
2			Leonard J. Farwell (1819–1889) [29][30]	January 5, 1852[31] – January 2, 1854 (did not run)[g]	Whig[28]	1851		Timothy Burns[h] (died September 21, 1853)
							Vacant
3			William A. Barstow (1813–1865) [32][33]	January 2, 1854[34] – March 21, 1856 (resigned)[i]	Democratic[28]	1853		James T. Lewis[j]
						1855[i]		Arthur MacArthur Sr.
4			Arthur MacArthur Sr. (1815–1896) [35][37]	March 21, 1856[38] – March 25, 1856 (removed from office)[i]	Democratic[28]			Acting as governor
5			Coles Bashford (1816–1878) [36][39]	March 25, 1856[40] – January 4, 1858 (did not run)	Republican[28]			Arthur MacArthur Sr.[h]
6			Alexander Randall (1819–1872) [41][42]	January 4, 1858[43] – January 6, 1862 (did not run)	Republican[28]	1857		Erasmus D. Campbell[h]
						1859		Butler Noble
7			Louis P. Harvey (1820–1862) [44][45]	January 6, 1862[46] – April 19, 1862 (died in office)	Republican[28]	1861		Edward Salomon
8			Edward Salomon (1828–1909) [47][48]	April 19, 1862[49] – January 4, 1864 (lost nomination)[50]	Republican[28]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
9			James T. Lewis (1819–1904) [51][52]	January 4, 1864[53] – January 1, 1866 (did not run)	Republican[28]	1863		Wyman Spooner
10			Lucius Fairchild (1831–1896) [54][55]	January 1, 1866[56] – January 1, 1872 (did not run)	Republican[28]	1865
						1867
						1869		Thaddeus C. Pound
11			Cadwallader C. Washburn (1818–1882) [57][58]	January 1, 1872[59] – January 5, 1874 (lost election)	Republican[28]	1871		Milton Pettit (died March 23, 1873)
							Vacant
12			William Robert Taylor (1820–1909) [60][61]	January 5, 1874[62] – January 3, 1876 (lost election)	Reform[63]	1873		Charles D. Parker[h]
13			Harrison Ludington (1812–1891) [64][65]	January 3, 1876[66] – January 7, 1878 (did not run)[64]	Republican[28]	1875
14			William E. Smith (1824–1883) [67][68]	January 7, 1878[69] – January 2, 1882 (did not run)	Republican[28]	1877		James M. Bingham
						1879
15			Jeremiah McLain Rusk (1830–1893) [70][71]	January 2, 1882[72] – January 7, 1889 (did not run)	Republican[28]	1881		Sam Fifield
						1884
						1886		George Washington Ryland
16			William D. Hoard (1836–1918) [73][74]	January 7, 1889[75] – January 5, 1891 (lost election)	Republican[28]	1888
17			George Wilbur Peck (1840–1916) [76][77]	January 5, 1891[78] – January 7, 1895 (lost election)	Democratic[28]	1890		Charles Jonas (resigned April 4, 1894)
						1892
							Vacant
18			William H. Upham (1841–1924) [79][80]	January 7, 1895[81] – January 4, 1897 (did not run)[79]	Republican[28]	1894		Emil Baensch
19			Edward Scofield (1842–1925) [82][83]	January 4, 1897[84] – January 7, 1901 (did not run)	Republican[28]	1896
						1898		Jesse Stone (died May 11, 1902)
20			Robert M. La Follette (1855–1925) [85][86]	January 7, 1901[87] – January 1, 1906 (resigned)[k]	Republican[28]	1900
							Vacant
						1902		James O. Davidson
						1904
21			James O. Davidson (1854–1922) [88][89]	January 1, 1906[90] – January 2, 1911 (did not run)	Republican[28]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
						1906		William D. Connor
						1908		John Strange
22			Francis E. McGovern (1866–1946) [91][92]	January 2, 1911[93] – January 4, 1915 (did not run)[l]	Republican[28]	1910		Thomas Morris
						1912
23			Emanuel L. Philipp (1861–1925) [94][95]	January 4, 1915[96] – January 3, 1921 (did not run)	Republican[28]	1914		Edward Dithmar
						1916
						1918
24			John J. Blaine (1875–1934) [97][98]	January 3, 1921[99] – January 3, 1927 (did not run)[m]	Republican[28]	1920		George Comings
						1922
						1924		Henry Huber
25			Fred R. Zimmerman (1880–1954) [100][101]	January 3, 1927[102] – January 7, 1929 (lost nomination)[100]	Republican[28]	1926
26			Walter J. Kohler Sr. (1875–1940) [103][104]	January 7, 1929[105] – January 5, 1931 (lost nomination)[103]	Republican[28]	1928
27			Philip La Follette (1897–1965) [106][107]	January 5, 1931[108] – January 2, 1933 (lost nomination)[n]	Republican[28]	1930
28			Albert G. Schmedeman (1864–1946) [109][110]	January 2, 1933[111] – January 7, 1935 (lost election)	Democratic[28]	1932		Thomas J. O'Malley[h] (died May 27, 1936)
29			Philip La Follette (1897–1965) [106][107]	January 7, 1935[112] – January 2, 1939 (lost election)	Progressive[28]	1934
							Vacant
						1936		Henry Gunderson (resigned October 16, 1937)
							Vacant
								Herman Ekern (appointed May 16, 1938)
30			Julius P. Heil (1876–1949) [113][114]	January 2, 1939[115] – January 4, 1943 (lost election)	Republican[28]	1938		Walter Samuel Goodland[j]
						1940
—			Orland Steen Loomis (1893–1942) [116]	Died before taking office	Progressive[28]	1942[o]
31			Walter Samuel Goodland (1862–1947) [117][118]	January 4, 1943[119] – March 12, 1947 (died in office)	Republican[28]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
						1944		Oscar Rennebohm
						1946
32			Oscar Rennebohm (1889–1968) [120][121]	March 12, 1947[122] – January 1, 1951 (did not run)[120]	Republican[28]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
						1948		George M. Smith
33			Walter J. Kohler Jr. (1904–1976) [123][124]	January 1, 1951[125] – January 7, 1957 (did not run)[123]	Republican[28]	1950
						1952
						1954		Warren P. Knowles
34			Vernon Wallace Thomson (1905–1988) [126][127]	January 7, 1957[128] – January 5, 1959 (lost election)	Republican[28]	1956
35			Gaylord Nelson (1916–2005) [129][130]	January 5, 1959[131] – January 7, 1963 (did not run)[129]	Democratic[28]	1958		Philleo Nash
						1960		Warren P. Knowles[j]
36			John W. Reynolds Jr. (1921–2002) [132][133]	January 7, 1963[134] – January 4, 1965 (lost election)	Democratic[28]	1962		Jack B. Olson[j]
37			Warren P. Knowles (1908–1993) [135][136]	January 4, 1965[137] – January 4, 1971 (did not run)[135]	Republican[28]	1964		Patrick Lucey[h]
						1966		Jack B. Olson
						1968
38			Patrick Lucey (1918–2014) [138][139]	January 4, 1971[140] – July 6, 1977 (resigned)[p]	Democratic[28]	1970		Martin J. Schreiber
						1974
39			Martin J. Schreiber (b. 1939) [141][142]	July 6, 1977[143] – January 3, 1979 (lost election)	Democratic[142]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
40			Lee S. Dreyfus (1926–2008) [144]	January 3, 1979[145] – January 3, 1983 (did not run)	Republican[144]	1978		Russell Olson
41			Tony Earl (1936–2023) [146]	January 3, 1983[147] – January 5, 1987 (lost election)	Democratic[146]	1982		James Flynn
42			Tommy Thompson (b. 1941) [148]	January 5, 1987[149] – February 1, 2001 (resigned)[q]	Republican[148]	1986		Scott McCallum
						1990
						1994
						1998
43			Scott McCallum (b. 1950) [150]	February 1, 2001[151] – January 6, 2003 (lost election)	Republican[150]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
								Margaret Farrow (appointed May 9, 2001)
44			Jim Doyle (b. 1945) [152]	January 6, 2003[153] – January 3, 2011 (did not run)	Democratic[152]	2002		Barbara Lawton
						2006
45			Scott Walker (b. 1967) [154]	January 3, 2011[155] – January 7, 2019 (lost election)	Republican[154]	2010		Rebecca Kleefisch
						2012 (recall)
						2014
46			Tony Evers (b. 1951) [156]	January 7, 2019[157] – Incumbent[r]	Democratic[156]	2018		Mandela Barnes
						2022		Sara Rodriguez

See also

• Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Wisconsin
• List of Wisconsin 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. Dodge was nominated^[13] and confirmed by the Senate^[14] on April 30, 1836. He was reconfirmed by the Senate on March 2, 1839.^[15]
3. Doty was appointed on April 15, 1841, during a Senate recess;^[16] nominated on June 17;^[17] and confirmed by the Senate on September 13.^[18]
4. Tallmadge was nominated and confirmed by the Senate on June 15, 1844.^[20]
5. Dodge was appointed on April 8, 1845, during a Senate recess;^[12] nominated on December 23, 1846;^[21] and confirmed by the Senate on February 3.^[22]
6. Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
7. A convention of Free Soilers and others nominated Farwell, but he declined.^[29]
8. Represented the Democratic Party
9. The 1855 election was very close, with Barstow initially named the winner by the Democratic state canvassing board, but irregularities were found and Republicans challenged it to the Supreme Court. Barstow resigned on March 21, before the Supreme Court could reach a decision.^[32] Lieutenant Governor MacArthur then acted as governor, though there was uncertainty as to the legitimacy of his position; this was complicated further when the Supreme Court ruled on March 25 that Bashford was the winner. Bashford arrived at the capitol and, due to fears of violence, MacArthur did not resist.^[35] The legislature recognized Bashford as governor on March 27.^[36]
10. Represented the Republican Party
11. La Follette resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate for a term beginning March 4, 1905; he delayed his resignation for nine months.^[28]
12. McGovern instead ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate.^[91]
13. Blaine was instead elected to the United States Senate.^[97]
14. La Follette lost the Republican nomination to Walter J. Kohler Sr.^[106]
15. Loomis was elected in the 1942 election, but died before taking office. Per a ruling of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Goodland, who had been re-elected lieutenant governor in the same election, served as governor term.^[117]
16. Lucey resigned, having been confirmed as United States Ambassador to Mexico.^[138]
17. Thompson resigned, having been confirmed as United States Secretary of Health and Human Services.^[148]
18. Evers' second term began on January 3, 2023,^[158] and will expire on January 4, 2027.