List of governors of Indiana

The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Indiana. The governor is the head of the executive branch of Indiana's state government and is charged with enforcing state laws.

Governors

Governors of the Territory of Indiana

Indiana Territory was formed on July 4, 1800, from the Northwest Territory. Despite remaining a territory for nearly 16 years, it had only two governors appointed by the President of the United States before it became a state.

Governors of the Territory of Indiana

No.	Governor		Term in office	Appointed by
1		William Henry Harrison	January 10, 1801 – December 28, 1812	John Adams
				Thomas Jefferson
				James Madison
2		Thomas Posey	March 3, 1813 – November 7, 1816	James Madison

Governors of the State of Indiana

Indiana was admitted to the Union on December 11, 1816.

The original 1816 Constitution of Indiana provided for the election of a governor and a lieutenant governor every three years, limited to six years out of any nine-year period.^[1] The second and current constitution of 1851 lengthened terms to four years and set the commencement of the governor's term on the second Monday in the January following the election.^[2] Governors were allowed to serve for four years in any eight-year period,^[2] but a 1972 amendment permitted governors to serve for eight years in any twelve-year period.^[3] Should the office of governor become vacant, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.^[4] If the office of lieutenant governor is vacant, the president pro tempore of the Indiana Senate becomes governor;^[4] this has happened once, when James B. Ray succeeded William Hendricks.^[5]

Governors of the State of Indiana

No.[a]	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor[b]
3			Jonathan Jennings (1784–1834) [7][8]	November 7, 1816[9] – September 12, 1822 (resigned)[c]	Democratic- Republican[10]	1816		Christopher Harrison (resigned December 18, 1818)[d]
							Vacant
						1819		Ratliff Boon
4			Ratliff Boon (1781–1844) [12][13]	September 12, 1822[10] – December 4, 1822 (successor took office)	Democratic- Republican[10]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
5			William Hendricks (1782–1850) [14][15]	December 4, 1822[16] – February 12, 1825 (resigned)[e]	Democratic- Republican[10]	1822		Ratliff Boon (resigned January 30, 1824)
							Vacant
6			James B. Ray (1794–1848) [17][18]	February 12, 1825[10] – December 7, 1831 (term-limited)[f]	Democratic- Republican[g]	Succeeded from president of the Senate[h]
						1825		John H. Thompson[i]
						1828		Milton Stapp
7			Noah Noble (1794–1844) [21][22]	December 7, 1831[23] – December 6, 1837 (term-limited)[f]	National Republican[10]	1831		David Wallace
					Whig[10]	1834
8			David Wallace (1799–1859) [24][25]	December 6, 1837[26] – December 9, 1840 (did not run)	Whig[27]	1837		David Hillis
9			Samuel Bigger (1802–1846) [28][29]	December 9, 1840[30] – December 6, 1843 (lost election)	Whig[31]	1840		Samuel Hall
10			James Whitcomb (1795–1852) [32][33]	December 6, 1843[34] – December 27, 1848 (resigned)[j]	Democratic[35]	1843		Jesse D. Bright (resigned December 8, 1845)
							Vacant
						1846		Paris C. Dunning
11			Paris C. Dunning (1806–1884) [36][37]	December 27, 1848[38] – December 5, 1849 (did not run)	Democratic[10]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
12			Joseph A. Wright (1810–1867) [39][40]	December 5, 1849[41] – January 12, 1857 (term-limited)[k]	Democratic[43]	1849		Jim Lane
						1852[l]		Ashbel P. Willard
13			Ashbel P. Willard (1820–1860) [44][45]	January 12, 1857[46] – October 4, 1860 (died in office)	Democratic[47]	1856		Abram A. Hammond
14			Abram A. Hammond (1814–1874) [48][49]	October 4, 1860[50] – January 14, 1861 (successor took office)	Democratic[10]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
15			Henry S. Lane (1811–1881) [51][52]	January 14, 1861[53] – January 16, 1861 (resigned)[m]	Republican[54]	1860		Oliver P. Morton
16			Oliver P. Morton (1823–1877) [55][56]	January 16, 1861[57] – January 24, 1867 (resigned)[n]	Republican[10]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
					Union[58]	1864		Conrad Baker[o]
17			Conrad Baker (1817–1885) [60][61]	January 24, 1867[62] – January 13, 1873 (term-limited)[k]	Republican[10]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
						1868		William Cumback (resigned January 11, 1871)
							Vacant
18			Thomas A. Hendricks (1819–1885) [63][64]	January 13, 1873[65] – January 8, 1877 (term-limited)[k]	Democratic[10]	1872		Leonidas Sexton[p]
19			James D. Williams (1808–1880) [66][67]	January 8, 1877[68] – November 20, 1880 (died in office)	Democratic[10]	1876		Isaac P. Gray
20			Isaac P. Gray (1828–1895) [69][70]	November 20, 1880[71] – January 10, 1881 (successor took office)	Democratic[10]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
21			Albert G. Porter (1824–1897) [72][73]	January 10, 1881[74] – January 12, 1885 (term-limited)[k]	Republican[10]	1880		Thomas Hanna
22			Isaac P. Gray (1828–1895) [69][70]	January 12, 1885[75] – January 14, 1889 (term-limited)[k]	Democratic[10]	1884		Mahlon Dickerson Manson (resigned July 1886)
							Vacant
23			Alvin Peterson Hovey (1821–1891) [76][77]	January 14, 1889[78] – November 23, 1891 (died in office)	Republican[10]	1888		Ira Joy Chase
24			Ira Joy Chase (1834–1895) [79][80]	November 23, 1891[81] – January 9, 1893 (lost election)	Republican[10]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
25			Claude Matthews (1845–1898) [82][83]	January 9, 1893[84] – January 11, 1897 (term-limited)[k]	Democratic[10]	1892		Mortimer Nye
26			James A. Mount (1843–1901) [85][86]	January 11, 1897[87] – January 14, 1901 (term-limited)[k]	Republican[10]	1896		William S. Haggard
27			Winfield T. Durbin (1847–1928) [88][89]	January 14, 1901[90] – January 9, 1905 (term-limited)[k]	Republican[10]	1900		Newton W. Gilbert
28			Frank Hanly (1863–1920) [91][92]	January 9, 1905[93] – January 11, 1909 (term-limited)[k]	Republican[10]	1904		Hugh Thomas Miller
29			Thomas R. Marshall (1854–1925) [94][95]	January 11, 1909[96] – January 13, 1913 (term-limited)[k]	Democratic[10]	1908		Frank J. Hall
30			Samuel M. Ralston (1857–1925) [97][98]	January 13, 1913[99] – January 8, 1917 (term-limited)[k]	Democratic[10]	1912		William P. O'Neill
31			James P. Goodrich (1864–1940) [100][101]	January 8, 1917[102] – January 10, 1921 (term-limited)[k]	Republican[10]	1916		Edgar D. Bush
32			Warren T. McCray (1865–1938) [103][104]	January 10, 1921[105] – April 30, 1924 (resigned)[q]	Republican[10]	1920		Emmett Forest Branch
33			Emmett Forest Branch (1874–1932) [106][107]	April 30, 1924[108] – January 12, 1925 (did not run)	Republican[10]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
34			Edward L. Jackson (1873–1954) [109][110]	January 12, 1925[111] – January 14, 1929 (term-limited)[k]	Republican[10]	1924		F. Harold Van Orman
35			Harry G. Leslie (1878–1937) [112][113]	January 14, 1929[114] – January 9, 1933 (term-limited)[k]	Republican[10]	1928		Edgar D. Bush
36			Paul V. McNutt (1891–1955) [115][116]	January 9, 1933[117] – January 11, 1937 (term-limited)[k]	Democratic[10]	1932		M. Clifford Townsend
37			M. Clifford Townsend (1884–1954) [118][119]	January 11, 1937[120] – January 13, 1941 (term-limited)[k]	Democratic[10]	1936		Henry F. Schricker
38			Henry F. Schricker (1883–1966) [121][122]	January 13, 1941[123] – January 8, 1945 (term-limited)[k]	Democratic[10]	1940		Charles M. Dawson
39			Ralph F. Gates (1893–1978) [124][125]	January 8, 1945[126] – January 10, 1949 (term-limited)[k]	Republican[10]	1944		Richard T. James (resigned April 1, 1948)
							Vacant
								Rue J. Alexander (appointed April 14, 1948) (died January 2, 1949)
							Vacant
40			Henry F. Schricker (1883–1966) [121][122]	January 10, 1949[127] – January 12, 1953 (term-limited)[k]	Democratic[10]	1948		John A. Watkins
41			George N. Craig (1909–1992) [128][129]	January 12, 1953[130] – January 14, 1957 (term-limited)[k]	Republican[10]	1952		Harold W. Handley
42			Harold W. Handley (1909–1972) [131][132]	January 14, 1957[133] – January 9, 1961 (term-limited)[k]	Republican[10]	1956		Crawford F. Parker
43			Matthew E. Welsh (1912–1995) [134][135]	January 9, 1961[136] – January 11, 1965 (term-limited)[k]	Democratic[10]	1960		Richard O. Ristine[p]
44			Roger D. Branigin (1902–1975) [137][138]	January 11, 1965[139] – January 13, 1969 (term-limited)[k]	Democratic[10]	1964		Robert L. Rock
45			Edgar Whitcomb (1917–2016) [140][141]	January 13, 1969[142] – January 8, 1973 (did not run)[r]	Republican[10]	1968		Richard E. Folz
46			Otis Bowen (1918–2013) [143][144]	January 8, 1973[145] – January 12, 1981 (term-limited)[s]	Republican[10]	1972		Robert D. Orr
						1976
47			Robert D. Orr (1917–2004) [147]	January 12, 1981[148] – January 9, 1989 (term-limited)[s]	Republican[147]	1980		John Mutz
						1984
48			Evan Bayh (b. 1955) [149]	January 9, 1989[150] – January 13, 1997 (term-limited)[s]	Democratic[149]	1988		Frank O'Bannon
						1992
49			Frank O'Bannon (1930–2003) [151]	January 13, 1997[152] – September 13, 2003 (died in office)	Democratic[151]	1996		Joe Kernan
						2000
50			Joe Kernan (1946–2020) [153]	September 13, 2003[154] – January 10, 2005 (lost election)	Democratic[153]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
								Kathy Davis (appointed October 20, 2003)
51			Mitch Daniels (b. 1949) [155]	January 10, 2005[156] – January 14, 2013 (term-limited)[s]	Republican[155]	2004		Becky Skillman
						2008
52			Mike Pence (b. 1959) [157]	January 14, 2013[158] – January 9, 2017 (withdrew)[t]	Republican[157]	2012		Sue Ellspermann (resigned March 2, 2016)
							Vacant
								Eric Holcomb (appointed March 3, 2016)
53			Eric Holcomb (b. 1968) [160]	January 9, 2017[161] – January 13, 2025 (term-limited)[s]	Republican[160]	2016		Suzanne Crouch
						2020
54			Mike Braun (b. 1954)	January 13, 2025 – Incumbent[u]	Republican	2024		Micah Beckwith

Notes

1. The official site labels Eric Holcomb as the 51st governor;^[6] based on this, repeat non-consecutive terms are numbered.
2. Does not include acting lieutenant governors. All lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor.
3. Jennings resigned, having been elected to the United States House of Representatives.^[8]
4. Jennings was appointed a United States commissioner to conclude a treaty with native tribes on April 15, 1818; after this time, Harrison was acting as governor. However, by accepting the post, Harrison believed Jennings had vacated the seat, and thus felt he had succeeded Jennings to the governorship. The state legislature declined to confirm this, and Harrison resigned on December 18, 1818.^[11]
5. Hendricks resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.^[15]
6. Under the 1816 constitution, governors were not capable of holding the office longer than six years in any term of nine years.^[19]
7. Kallenbach labels Ray a Clay Republican,^[10] but Glashan^[20] and Sobel^[17] label him a Democratic-Republican.
8. As the office of lieutenant governor was vacant, president pro tempore of the Senate Ray succeeded Hendricks.^[18]
9. Represented the Jacksonian faction
10. Whitcomb resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.^[33]
11. Under the 1851 constitution, governors were ineligible to hold the office more than four years in any period of eight years.^[42]
12. First term under the 1851 constitution, which lengthened terms to four years.^[2]
13. Lane resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.^[52]
14. Morton resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.^[56]
15. Baker acted as governor from October 1865 to March 1866 while Morton sought treatment for a stroke and handed over executive powers.^[59]
16. Represented the Republican Party
17. McCray resigned following his conviction for mail fraud, and served three years in prison; he was pardoned by President Herbert Hoover in 1930.^[104]
18. It is unknown if the 1972 constitutional amendment allowing for a second term would have impacted Whitcomb; either way, he did not run in the 1972 election.
19. Under a 1972 amendment to the constitution, governors were ineligible to hold the office more than eight years in any period of twelve years.^[146]
20. Pence won the Republican nomination, but withdrew on July 15, 2016, when Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump selected Pence as his vice presidential running mate. As Pence was barred by Indiana law from simultaneously running for both offices, he subsequently withdrew from the gubernatorial election.^[159]
21. Braun's current term will expire on January 8, 2029.