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The governor of Florida is the head of government of the U.S. state of Florida and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.[2] The governor has a duty to enforce state laws and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Florida Legislature,[3] to convene the legislature[4] and grant pardons, except in cases of impeachment.[5]
Governor of Florida | |
---|---|
Government of Florida | |
Style |
|
Type | Head of state Head of government |
Member of | Florida Executive Branch Florida Cabinet |
Residence | Florida Governor's Mansion |
Appointer | Popular vote |
Term length | Four years, renewable once consecutively |
Constituting instrument | Constitution of Florida |
Precursor | Governor of the Florida Territory |
Inaugural holder | William Dunn Moseley |
Formation | June 25, 1845 |
Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of Florida |
Salary | $130,273 (2013)[1] |
Website | www |
When Florida was first acquired by the United States, future president Andrew Jackson served as its military governor. Florida Territory was established in 1822 and five people served as governor over 6 distinct terms. The first territorial governor, William Pope Duval, served 12 years, the longest of any Florida governor to date.
Since statehood in 1845, there have been 45 people who have served as governor, one of whom served two distinct terms. Four state governors have served two full four-year terms: William D. Bloxham, in two stints, as well as Reubin Askew, Jeb Bush and Rick Scott who each served their terms consecutively. Bob Graham almost served two full terms but resigned with three days left in his term in order to take a seat in the United States Senate.[6] The shortest term in office belongs to Wayne Mixson, who served three days following Graham's resignation.
The current officeholder is Ron DeSantis, a member of the Republican Party who took office on January 8, 2019.
Spanish Florida was acquired from Spain in the Adams–Onís Treaty, which took effect July 10, 1821.[7] Parts of West Florida had already been assigned to Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi; the remainder and East Florida were governed by a military commissioner with the powers of governor until the territory was organized and incorporated.[8]
No. | Commissioner | Term in office | Appointed by | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Andrew Jackson (1767–1845) [9] |
March 10, 1821 – December 31, 1821 (resigned)[lower-alpha 2] |
James Monroe |
Florida Territory was organized on March 30, 1822, combining East and West Florida.[13]
No. | Governor | Term in office[lower-alpha 3] | Appointed by | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | William Pope Duval (1784–1854) [14][15] |
April 17, 1822[lower-alpha 4] – April 17, 1834[lower-alpha 5] (successor appointed)[lower-alpha 6] |
James Monroe | |
John Quincy Adams | ||||
Andrew Jackson | ||||
2 | John Eaton (1790–1856) [25][26] |
April 24, 1834[lower-alpha 7] – March 16, 1836 (successor appointed) |
Andrew Jackson | |
3 | Richard K. Call (1792–1862) [28][29] |
March 16, 1836[lower-alpha 8] – December 2, 1839[lower-alpha 9] (successor appointed) |
Andrew Jackson | |
Martin Van Buren | ||||
4 | Robert R. Reid (1789–1841) [34][35] |
December 12, 1839[lower-alpha 10] – March 19, 1841 (successor appointed) |
Martin Van Buren | |
5 | Richard K. Call (1792–1862) [28][29] |
March 19, 1841[lower-alpha 11] – August 11, 1844 (successor appointed) |
William Henry Harrison | |
John Tyler | ||||
6 | John Branch (1782–1863) [40][41] |
August 11, 1844[lower-alpha 12] – June 25, 1845 (statehood) |
John Tyler |
The State of Florida was admitted to the Union on March 3, 1845. It seceded from the Union on January 10, 1861,[44] and joined the Confederate States of America on February 8, 1861,[45] as a founding member. Following the end of the American Civil War, it was part of the Third Military District.[46] Florida was readmitted to the Union on June 25, 1868.[47]
The Florida Constitution of 1838 provided that a governor be elected every 4 years, who was not allowed to serve consecutive terms.[48] The secessionist constitution of 1861 would have reduced this to two years and removed the term limit,[49] but the state fell to the Union before the first election under that constitution. The rejected constitution of 1865 and the ratified constitution of 1868 maintained the four-year term,[50][51] though without the earlier term limit, which was reintroduced in the 1885 constitution.[52] The current constitution of 1968 states that should the governor serve, or would have served had he not resigned, more than six years in two consecutive terms, he cannot be elected to the succeeding term.[53] The start of a term was set in 1885 at the first Tuesday after the first Monday in the January following the election,[52] where it has remained.[54]
Originally, the president of the state senate acted as governor should that office be vacant.[55] The 1865 and 1868 constitutions created the office of lieutenant governor,[56][57] who would similarly act as governor. This office was abolished in 1885, with the president of the senate again taking on that duty.[58] The 1968 constitution recreated the office of lieutenant governor, who now becomes governor in the absence of the governor.[59] The governor and lieutenant governor are elected on the same ticket.[53]
Florida was a strongly Democratic state before the Civil War, electing only one candidate from the Whig Party (the Democrats' chief opposition at the time).[60] It elected three Republican governors following Reconstruction, but after the Democratic Party re-established control, 90 years passed before voters chose another Republican.
No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor[lower-alpha 13][lower-alpha 14] | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | William Dunn Moseley (1795–1863) [61][62][63] |
June 25, 1845[64] – October 1, 1849 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 15] |
Democratic[66] | 1845 | Office did not exist | |||
2 | Thomas Brown (1785–1867) [67][68][69] |
October 1, 1849[64] – October 3, 1853 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 15] |
Whig[66] | 1848 | ||||
3 | James E. Broome (1808–1883) [70][71][72] |
October 3, 1853[73] – October 5, 1857 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 15] |
Democratic[66] | 1852 | ||||
4 | Madison S. Perry (1814–1865) [74][75][76] |
October 5, 1857[64] – October 7, 1861 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 15] |
Democratic[66] | 1856 | ||||
5 | John Milton (1807–1865) [77][78][79] |
October 7, 1861[64] – April 1, 1865 (died in office)[lower-alpha 16] |
Democratic[66] | 1860 | ||||
6 | Abraham K. Allison (1810–1893) [80][81] |
April 1, 1865[82] – May 19, 1865 (resigned)[lower-alpha 17] |
Democratic[64] | President of the Senate acting | ||||
— | Vacant | May 19, 1865 – July 13, 1865 |
Office vacated after civil war | |||||
7 | William Marvin (1808–1902) [83][84][85] |
July 13, 1865[86] – December 20, 1865 (provisional term ended) |
Provisional governor appointed by President[lower-alpha 18] | |||||
8 | David S. Walker (1815–1891) [87][88][89] |
December 20, 1865[64] – July 4, 1868 (did not run) |
Conservative[87] | 1865 | William W. J. Kelly[lower-alpha 19] | |||
9 | Harrison Reed (1813–1899) [90][91][92] |
July 4, 1868[lower-alpha 20] – January 7, 1873 (did not run) |
Republican[64] | 1868 | William Henry Gleason (removed December 14, 1868)[lower-alpha 21] | |||
Vacant | ||||||||
Edmund C. Weeks (appointed January 24, 1870) (term ended December 27, 1870)[lower-alpha 22] | ||||||||
Samuel T. Day (took office December 27, 1870) | ||||||||
10 | Ossian B. Hart (1821–1874) [98][99][100] |
January 7, 1873[64] – March 18, 1874 (died in office) |
Republican[64] | 1872 | Marcellus Stearns | |||
11 | Marcellus Stearns (1839–1891) [101][102][103] |
March 18, 1874[104] – January 2, 1877 (lost election) |
Republican[64] | Lieutenant governor acting |
Acting as governor | |||
12 | George Franklin Drew (1827–1900) [105][106][107] |
January 2, 1877[108] – January 4, 1881 (did not run) |
Democratic[64] | 1876 | Noble A. Hull (resigned March 3, 1879) | |||
Vacant | ||||||||
13 | William D. Bloxham (1835–1911) [109][110][111] |
January 4, 1881[112] – January 6, 1885 (lost nomination)[113] |
Democratic[64] | 1880 | Livingston W. Bethel | |||
14 | Edward A. Perry (1831–1889) [114][115][116] |
January 6, 1885[117] – January 8, 1889 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 23] |
Democratic[64] | 1884 | Milton H. Mabry | |||
15 | Francis P. Fleming (1841–1908) [119][120][121] |
January 8, 1889[122] – January 3, 1893 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 23] |
Democratic[64] | 1888 | Office did not exist | |||
16 | Henry L. Mitchell (1831–1903) [123][124][125] |
January 3, 1893[126] – January 5, 1897 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 23] |
Democratic[64] | 1892 | ||||
17 | William D. Bloxham (1835–1911) [109][110][127] |
January 5, 1897[128] – January 8, 1901 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 23] |
Democratic[64] | 1896 | ||||
18 | William Sherman Jennings (1863–1920) [129][130][131] |
January 8, 1901[132] – January 3, 1905 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 23] |
Democratic[64] | 1900 | ||||
19 | Napoleon B. Broward (1857–1910) [133][134][135] |
January 3, 1905[136] – January 5, 1909 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 23] |
Democratic[64] | 1904 | ||||
20 | Albert W. Gilchrist (1858–1926) [137][138][139] |
January 5, 1909[140] – January 7, 1913 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 23] |
Democratic[64] | 1908 | ||||
21 | Park Trammell (1876–1936) [141][142][143] |
January 7, 1913[144] – January 2, 1917 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 23] |
Democratic[64] | 1912 | ||||
22 | Sidney Johnston Catts (1863–1936) [145][146][147] |
January 2, 1917[148] – January 4, 1921 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 23] |
Prohibition[145] | 1916 | ||||
23 | Cary A. Hardee (1876–1957) [149][150][151] |
January 4, 1921[152] – January 6, 1925 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 23] |
Democratic[64] | 1920 | ||||
24 | John W. Martin (1884–1958) [153][154][155] |
January 6, 1925[156] – January 8, 1929 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 23] |
Democratic[64] | 1924 | ||||
25 | Doyle E. Carlton (1885–1972) [157][158][159] |
January 8, 1929[160] – January 3, 1933 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 23] |
Democratic[64] | 1928 | ||||
26 | David Sholtz (1891–1953) [161][162][163] |
January 3, 1933[164] – January 5, 1937 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 23] |
Democratic[64] | 1932 | ||||
27 | Fred P. Cone (1871–1948) [165][166][167] |
January 5, 1937[168] – January 7, 1941 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 23] |
Democratic[64] | 1936 | ||||
28 | Spessard Holland (1892–1971) [169][170][171] |
January 7, 1941[172] – January 2, 1945 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 23] |
Democratic[64] | 1940 | ||||
29 | Millard Caldwell (1897–1984) [173][174][175] |
January 2, 1945[176] – January 4, 1949 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 23] |
Democratic[64] | 1944 | ||||
30 | Fuller Warren (1905–1973) [177][178][179] |
January 4, 1949[180] – January 6, 1953 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 23] |
Democratic[64] | 1948 | ||||
31 | Daniel T. McCarty (1912–1953) [181][182][183] |
January 6, 1953[184] – September 28, 1953 (died in office) |
Democratic[64] | 1952 | ||||
32 | Charley Eugene Johns (1905–1990) [185][186][187] |
September 28, 1953[188] – January 4, 1955 (lost nomination)[189] |
Democratic[64] | President of the Senate acting | ||||
33 | LeRoy Collins (1909–1991) [189][190][191] |
January 4, 1955[192] – January 3, 1961 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 23] |
Democratic[64] | 1954 (special)[lower-alpha 24] | ||||
1956 | ||||||||
34 | C. Farris Bryant (1914–2002) [193][194][195] |
January 3, 1961[196] – January 5, 1965 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 23] |
Democratic[64] | 1960 | ||||
35 | W. Haydon Burns (1912–1987) [197][198][199] |
January 5, 1965[200] – January 3, 1967 (lost nomination)[lower-alpha 25] |
Democratic[64] | 1964[lower-alpha 26] | ||||
36 | Claude R. Kirk Jr. (1926–2011) [202][203][204] |
January 3, 1967[205] – January 5, 1971 (lost election) |
Republican[64] | 1966 | ||||
Ray C. Osborne (office created January 7, 1969) | ||||||||
37 | Reubin Askew (1928–2014) [206][207][208] |
January 5, 1971[209] – January 2, 1979 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 27] |
Democratic[64] | 1970 | Thomas Burton Adams Jr. | |||
1974 | Jim Williams | |||||||
38 | Bob Graham (1936–2024) [211][212] |
January 2, 1979[213] – January 3, 1987 (resigned)[lower-alpha 28] |
Democratic[212] | 1978 | Wayne Mixson | |||
1982 | ||||||||
39 | Wayne Mixson (1922–2020) [215] |
January 3, 1987[216] – January 6, 1987 (successor took office) |
Democratic[215] | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | |||
40 | Bob Martinez (b. 1934) [217][218] |
January 6, 1987[219] – January 8, 1991 (lost election) |
Republican[218] | 1986 | Bobby Brantley | |||
41 | Lawton Chiles (1930–1998) [220][221] |
January 8, 1991[222] – December 12, 1998 (died in office) |
Democratic[221] | 1990 | Buddy MacKay | |||
1994 | ||||||||
42 | Buddy MacKay (b. 1933) [223][224] |
December 12, 1998[225] – January 5, 1999 (successor took office)[lower-alpha 29] |
Democratic[224] | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | |||
43 | Jeb Bush (b. 1953) [226][227] |
January 5, 1999[228] – January 2, 2007 (term-limited)[lower-alpha 27] |
Republican[227] | 1998 | Frank Brogan (resigned March 3, 2003) | |||
2002 | ||||||||
Toni Jennings | ||||||||
44 | Charlie Crist (b. 1956) [229][230] |
January 2, 2007[231] – January 4, 2011 (did not run)[lower-alpha 30] |
Republican[lower-alpha 31] | 2006 | Jeff Kottkamp | |||
45 | Rick Scott (b. 1952) [233] |
January 4, 2011[234] – January 7, 2019[lower-alpha 32] (term-limited)[lower-alpha 27] |
Republican[233] | 2010 | Jennifer Carroll (resigned March 12, 2013) | |||
Vacant | ||||||||
Carlos Lopez-Cantera (appointed February 3, 2014) | ||||||||
2014 | ||||||||
46 | Ron DeSantis (b. 1978) [236] |
January 8, 2019[237] – Incumbent[lower-alpha 33] |
Republican[236] | 2018 | Jeanette Núñez | |||
2022 |
Florida has had a number of people serve as acting governor. The state's first three constitutions provided that the succession in office became operative whenever the governor was out of the state. Thus, in 1853 when Governor Thomas Brown attended an event in Boston—the Senate president who would normally succeed the governor at the time was also out of state. Therefore, the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, A.K. Allison, became acting governor on September 16, 1853. He served for 17 days.[238]
Article IV Section 3 (b) of the Florida Constitution now calls for the lieutenant governor to "act as Governor" during the governor's physical or mental incapacity. This provision has been invoked one time. On June 18, 2008, Governor Charlie Crist filed a proclamation with the secretary of state transferring power of governor to Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp pursuant to the constitutional provision while he underwent knee surgery.[239]
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