The governor of Rhode Island is the

head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a gro ...

of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's

Army National Guard The Army National Guard (ARNG), in conjunction with the Air National Guard, is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States A ...

and

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...

. The current

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Dan McKee Daniel James McKee (born June 16, 1951) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 76th governor of Rhode Island since March 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as Rhode Island's 69th lieutenant governor from 2015 to ...

. In their capacity as commander of the national guard, the governor of Rhode Island also has the title of

captain general Captain general (and its literal equivalent in several languages) is a high military rank of general officer grade, and a gubernatorial title. History The term "Captain General" started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of Command ...

Qualifications

The following are the requirements to be elected Governor of Rhode Island: *Be at least eighteen years of age *Be a resident of the State of Rhode Island for at least thirty days *Be a registered voter in Rhode Island

Constitutional authority and responsibilities

Section I, Article IX of the

Rhode Island Constitution The Constitution of the State of Rhode Island is a document describing the structure and function of the government of the U.S. State of Rhode Island. 1842 Constitution Constitutional Convention Prior to 1842, Rhode Island was still governed by ...

reads, The Governor of Rhode Island is elected every four years and is limited to two consecutive terms. As the Chief executive of the

Government of Rhode Island The government of the state of Rhode Island is prescribed from a multitude of sources; the main sources are the Rhode Island Constitution, the General Laws, and executive orders. The governmental structure is modeled on the Government of the Uni ...

, the Governor is supported by a number of elected general officers and appointed directors of state agencies. Responsibilities granted to the Governor by the Rhode Island Constitution include the position of Commander-in-chief of all components of the Rhode Island National Guard, so long as they remain un-federalized by the

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

, and the responsibility to submit the annual state budget to the

Rhode Island General Assembly The State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the lower house, lower Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 re ...

. The Governor also has the power to grant pardons and veto bills, resolutions and votes subject to a two-thirds override.

Party affiliation

Colonial Rhode Island, 1640–1775

References

External links

Governor of Rhode Island: Proclamations Issued
from the Rhode Island State Archives
Office of the Governor Executive Orders
from the Rhode Island State Archives
Lists of Executive Orders, 1973-1997
from the Rhode Island State Archives
State Photographer Alex Tavares photographs
from the Rhode Island State Archives {{DEFAULTSORT:Rhode Island, List of Governors of *

Governors A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...