The Governor of Idaho is the head of the executive branch of Idaho's government.[2] He is also the commander-in-chief of the state's militia.[3] The job of the governor is to see that the state laws are obeyed. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Idaho Legislature.[3]
Governor of Idaho | |
---|---|
Residence | The Idaho House |
Term length | Four years |
Inaugural holder | George L. Shoup |
Formation | July 3, 1890 |
Deputy | Janice McGeachin |
Salary | $110,734 (2011)[1] |
Website | gov.idaho.gov |
Idaho Territory had 16 territorial governors chosed by the President of the United States from 1863 until it became a state in 1890. Four of these never took office. They resigned before they got to Idaho.
Thirty people have been Governor of Idaho since it became a state in 1890. Two of these—C. A. Bottolfsen and Cecil D. Andrus—served non-consecutive terms. The state's first governor was George Laird Shoup. He had the shortest term - three months. Cecil D. Andrus served as governor the longest at 14 years. Four governors resigned. None have died while in office. There have been 21 Republican and 12 Democratic governors. The current governor is Brad Little. He took office on January 6, 2019. His current term will expire in January 2023.
Governors
Governors of the Territory of Idaho
Idaho Territory was created from Dakota Territory, Nebraska Territory, and Washington Territory on March 4, 1863. At first, the territory included all of modern-day Idaho and Montana, and most of Wyoming. On May 26, 1864, Montana Territory was separated from Idaho Territory, and most of the Wyoming portion was became part of Dakota Territory. The area east of the 111th meridian became part of the new Wyoming Territory on July 25, 1868. This gave Idaho Territory its final borders.[4]
Because of the long distance between Washington, D.C. and Boise, there was often a long time between a governor being chosen and his arrival in the territory.
Governor | Took office | Left office | Appointed by | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
William H. Wallace | July 1863[5][6] | December 1863[5] | Abraham Lincoln | Resigned. [lower-alpha 1] |
Caleb Lyon | August 1, 1864[5][6] | April 1866[8] | Abraham Lincoln | |
David W. Ballard | June 14, 1866[9] | July 1870[10] | Andrew Johnson | |
Samuel Bard | Appointed March 30, 1870[11] | — | Ulysses S. Grant | Resigned without serving. [lower-alpha 2] |
Gilman Marston | Appointed June 7, 1870[11] | — | Ulysses S. Grant | Resigned without serving. [lower-alpha 3] |
Alexander H. Conner | Appointed January 12, 1871[11] | — | Ulysses S. Grant | Appointed, but declined the offer.[lower-alpha 4] |
Thomas M. Bowen | July 1871[12] | August 15, 1871[12] | Ulysses S. Grant | Resigned. [lower-alpha 5] |
Thomas W. Bennett | December 1871[13] | December 4, 1875[14] | Ulysses S. Grant | Resigned. [lower-alpha 6] |
David P. Thompson | April 1876[16] | May 1876[16] | Ulysses S. Grant | Resigned. [lower-alpha 7] |
Mason Brayman | July 1876[17] | July 24, 1880[18] | Ulysses S. Grant | Suspended in June 1878 pending appointment of Hoyt; allowed to serve remainder of term after Hoyt declined the appointment. [lower-alpha 8] |
John P. Hoyt | Appointed June 8, 1878[20] Appointed August 7, 1878[21] |
— | Rutherford B. Hayes | Initial appointment overturned after Hoyt took too long to respond to the offer. Second appointment declined by Hoyt. [lower-alpha 9] |
John Baldwin Neil | August 3, 1880[22] | March 2, 1883[23] | Rutherford B. Hayes | |
John N. Irwin | April 1883[24] | Dec 20, 1883[24] | Chester A. Arthur | Effectively resigned in July, 1883. [lower-alpha 10] |
William M. Bunn | June 26, 1884[26] | July 3, 1885[27] | Chester A. Arthur | Resigned. [lower-alpha 11] |
Edward A. Stevenson | September 29, 1885[28] | April 1, 1889[29] | Grover Cleveland | [lower-alpha 12] |
George Laird Shoup | April 30, 1889[30] | July 3, 1890 | Benjamin Harrison |
Governors of the State of Idaho
Idaho became a state on July 3, 1890. Since then, the state has had 31 governors. Two of these served non-consecutive terms. The terms for governor and lieutenant governor are four years. It starts on the first Monday in the January after the election. Before 1946, the offices were elected to terms of two years.[31] If there is no governor or the governor is out of state or cannot do his duties, the lieutenant governor acts as governor.[32] If neither the governor and lieutenant governor can do their duties, the President pro tempore of the Idaho Senate is next in line. After that person, the Speaker of the Idaho House of Representatives would act as governor.[33] There is no limit to the number of terms a governor may serve.[34]
Democratic (12) Republican (21)
#[lower-alpha 13] | Governor | Took office | Left office | Party | Lt. Governor | Terms[lower-alpha 14] | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | George Laird Shoup | October 1, 1890 | December 18, 1890 | Republican | N. B. Willey | 1⁄2[lower-alpha 15] | ||
2 | N. B. Willey | December 18, 1890 | January 2, 1893 | Republican | John S. Gray | 1⁄2[lower-alpha 16] | ||
3 | William J. McConnell | January 2, 1893 | January 4, 1897 | Republican | F. B. Willis | 2 | ||
F. J. Mills | ||||||||
4 | Frank Steunenberg | January 4, 1897 | January 7, 1901 | Democratic | George F. Moore[lower-alpha 17] | 2[lower-alpha 18] | ||
J. H. Hutchinson[lower-alpha 19] | ||||||||
5 | Frank W. Hunt | January 7, 1901 | January 5, 1903 | Democratic | Thomas F. Terrell | 1 | ||
6 | John T. Morrison | January 5, 1903 | January 2, 1905 | Republican | James M. Stevens | 1 | ||
7 | Frank R. Gooding | January 2, 1905 | January 4, 1909 | Republican | Burpee L. Steeves | 2 | ||
Ezra A. Burrell | ||||||||
8 | James H. Brady | January 4, 1909 | January 2, 1911 | Republican | Lewis H. Sweetser | 1 | ||
9 | James H. Hawley | January 2, 1911 | January 6, 1913 | Democratic | Lewis H. Sweetser | 1 | ||
10 | John M. Haines | January 6, 1913 | January 4, 1915 | Republican | Herman H. Taylor | 1 | ||
11 | Moses Alexander | January 4, 1915 | January 6, 1919 | Democratic | Herman H. Taylor[lower-alpha 20] | 2 | ||
Ernest L. Parker | ||||||||
12 | D. W. Davis | January 6, 1919 | January 1, 1923 | Republican | Charles C. Moore | 2 | ||
13 | Charles C. Moore | January 1, 1923 | January 3, 1927 | Republican | H. C. Baldridge | 2 | ||
14 | H. C. Baldridge | January 3, 1927 | January 5, 1931 | Republican | O. E. Hailey | 2 | ||
W. B. Kinne[lower-alpha 21] | ||||||||
O. E. Hailey | ||||||||
15 | C. Ben Ross | January 5, 1931 | January 4, 1937 | Democratic | G. P. Mix | 3 | ||
George E. Hill | ||||||||
G. P. Mix | ||||||||
16 | Barzilla W. Clark | January 4, 1937 | January 2, 1939 | Democratic | Charles C. Gossett | 1 | ||
17 | C. A. Bottolfsen | January 2, 1939 | January 6, 1941 | Republican | Donald S. Whitehead | 1 | ||
18 | Chase A. Clark | January 6, 1941 | January 4, 1943 | Democratic | Charles C. Gossett | 1 | ||
19 | C. A. Bottolfsen | January 4, 1943 | January 1, 1945 | Republican | Edwin Nelson | 1 | ||
20 | Charles C. Gossett | January 1, 1945 | November 17, 1945 | Democratic | Arnold Williams | 1⁄2[lower-alpha 22] | ||
21 | Arnold Williams | November 17, 1945 | January 6, 1947 | Democratic | A. R. McCabe | 1⁄2[lower-alpha 16] | ||
22 | C. A. Robins | January 6, 1947 | January 1, 1951 | Republican | Donald S. Whitehead | 1[lower-alpha 23] | ||
23 | Leonard B. Jordan | January 1, 1951 | January 3, 1955 | Republican | Edson H. Deal | 1 | ||
24 | Robert E. Smylie | January 3, 1955 | January 2, 1967 | Republican | J. Berkeley Larsen | 3 | ||
W. E. Drevlow[lower-alpha 24] | ||||||||
25 | Don Samuelson | January 2, 1967 | January 4, 1971 | Republican | Jack M. Murphy | 1 | ||
26 | Cecil D. Andrus | January 4, 1971 | January 24, 1977 | Democratic | Jack M. Murphy[lower-alpha 20] | 11⁄2[lower-alpha 25] | ||
John V. Evans | ||||||||
27 | John V. Evans | January 24, 1977 | January 5, 1987 | Democratic | William J. Murphy | 21⁄2[lower-alpha 26] | ||
Phil Batt[lower-alpha 20] | ||||||||
David H. Leroy[lower-alpha 20] | ||||||||
28 | Cecil D. Andrus | January 5, 1987 | January 2, 1995 | Democratic | C.L. "Butch" Otter[lower-alpha 20] | 2 | ||
29 | Phil Batt | January 2, 1995 | January 4, 1999 | Republican | C.L. "Butch" Otter | 1 | ||
30 | Dirk Kempthorne | January 4, 1999 | May 26, 2006 | Republican | C.L. "Butch" Otter[lower-alpha 27] | 11⁄2[lower-alpha 28] | ||
Jack Riggs | ||||||||
Jim Risch | ||||||||
31 | Jim Risch | May 26, 2006 | January 1, 2007 | Republican | Mark Ricks | 1⁄2[lower-alpha 16] | ||
32 | C.L. "Butch" Otter | January 1, 2007 | January 6, 2019 | Republican | Jim Risch | 2 | ||
Brad Little | ||||||||
33 | Brad Little | January 6, 2019 | Incumbent | Republican | Janice McGeachin | 2 | ||
Scott Bedke |
Other high offices held
Sixteen of Idaho's governors have served higher federal offices or as governors of other states. Nine have served in the U.S. Senate, and three have served in the U.S. House. Two governors have been U.S. Secretaries of the Interior. One served as ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. Six governors (marked with *) resigned to take a new office.
Also, two people who were appointed governor of Idaho Territory but never took office held other high offices. Gilman Marston was a representative and senator from New Hampshire.[41] John Philo Hoyt was Governor of Arizona Territory.[42]
All representatives and senators listed represented Idaho except where noted.
Name | Gubernatorial term | Other offices held | Sources |
---|---|---|---|
William H. Wallace | 1863–1864 | Delegate from Idaho Territory*, Delegate from Washington Territory, appointed Governor of Washington Territory but did not take office |
[7] |
Caleb Lyon | 1864–1866 | Representative from New York | [43] |
Thomas M. Bowen | 1871 | Senator from Colorado | [44] |
Thomas W. Bennett | 1871–1875 | Delegate from Idaho Territory* | [15] |
David P. Thompson | 1875–1876 | Minister to the Ottoman Empire | [45] |
John N. Irwin | 1883 | Governor of Arizona Territory | [46] |
George Laird Shoup | 1889–1890 | Senator* | [36] |
William J. McConnell | 1893–1897 | Senator | [47] |
Frank R. Gooding | 1905–1909 | Senator | [48] |
James H. Brady | 1909–1911 | Senator | [49] |
Charles C. Gossett | 1945 | Senator* | [50] |
Leonard B. Jordan | 1951–1955 | Senator | [51] |
Cecil D. Andrus | 1971–1977, 1987–1995 | Secretary of the Interior* | [38] |
Dirk Kempthorne | 1999–2006 | Senator, Secretary of the Interior* | [40] |
Jim Risch | 2006–2007 | Senator | [52] |
C.L. "Butch" Otter | 2007–2019 | Representative | [39] |
Brad Little | 2019–present | Lieutenant Governor | [53] |
Living former governors
As of January 2019[update], four former governors were alive. The most recent death of a former governor was that of Cecil D. Andrus (1971–1977; 1987–1995). He died at age 85 on August 24, 2017.
Name | Term of office | Date of birth |
---|---|---|
Phil Batt | 1995–1999 | March 4, 1927 |
Dirk Kempthorne | 1999–2006 | October 29, 1951 |
Jim Risch | 2006–2007 | May 3, 1943 |
Butch Otter | 2007–2019 | May 3, 1942 |
Notes
- Resigned to take an elected seat as delegate from Idaho Territory.[7]
- Appointed governor but resigned in April 1870 to become postmaster of Atlanta, Georgia, before arriving in Idaho.[10]
- Appointed governor but resigned in December 1870 before arriving in Idaho.[10]
- Appointed governor but declined the offer.[10]
- Upon arriving in Idaho, Bowen did not like the looks of the landscape, so he decided to stay only a few weeks.[12]
- Resigned to take an elected seat as delegate from Idaho Territory.[15]
- Thompson left Idaho in May 1876 to attend the Republican National Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. He resigned in Cincinnati after he learned federal officers could not hold government contracts.[16]
- Brayman was suspended by President Hayes on June 8, 1878 and John P. Hoyt was appointed Governor of Idaho. After Hoyt refused the appointment, Brayman was allowed to serve out the remainder of his term.[19]
- Appointed governor on June 8, 1878, but was rejected by the United States Senate for taking too long to respond to the offer. Appointed again on August 7, 1878, but declined the offer after researching the suspension of Governor Brayman. He ended up accepting a position on the Washington Territorial Supreme Court.[19]
- Irwin left Idaho Territory in May 1883, never to return. He returned his paychecks from July 1883 through December 1883 to the U.S. Treasury.[25]
- Bunn left Idaho on April 17, 1885 for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he subsequently resigned on July 3, 1885.[24]
- Stevenson was a resident of Idaho when President Cleveland called him to Washington, D.C. for an interview and to personally witness his appointment.[28]
- Based on C.L. "Butch" Otter saying he would be the 32nd governor of the state,[35] the official count includes repeat governors.
- Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[36]
- Moore was part of a fusion ticket that was also endorsed by the Populist Party.[21]
- Steunenberg was part of a fusion ticket that was also endorsed by the Populist Party.[21]
- Hutchinson was part of a fusion ticket that was also endorsed by the Silver Republican Party.[21]
- Represented the Republican Party.
- Died in office.[21]
- Gossett resigned to let Lieutenant Governor Williams succeed him and then appoint him to the United States Senate.[37]
- Represented the Democratic Party.
- Resigned to be United States Secretary of the Interior.[38]
- Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States House of Representatives.[39]
- Resigned to be United States Secretary of the Interior.[40]
References
Other websites
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