List Of Female State Governors In The United States
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As of November 2022, 45 women have served or are serving as the governor of a U.S. state (two acting governors due to vacancies) and three women have served or are serving as the governor of an unincorporated U.S. territory. Two women have served or are serving as
Mayor of the District of Columbia The mayor of the District of Columbia is the head of the executive branch of the government of the District of Columbia, in the United States. The mayor has the duty to enforce district laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed ...
. Currently, nine women are serving as governors of U.S. states, along with the Mayor of the District of Columbia Muriel Bowser and territorial governor Lou Leon Guerrero of Guam.
Madeleine Kunin Madeleine Kunin (née May; born September 28, 1933) is a Swiss-born American diplomat, author and politician. She served as the 77th governor of Vermont from 1985 until 1991, as a member of the Democratic Party. She also served as United States ...
is the oldest living former female governor at the age of 89.


History

The first woman to act as governor was Carolyn B. Shelton, who served as Acting Governor of Oregon for one weekend – 9 a.m. Saturday, February 27, through 10 a.m. Monday, March 1, 1909. The outgoing governor, George Earle Chamberlain, had been elected to the U.S. Senate and had to leave for Washington, D.C., before his term was over; the incoming governor, Frank W. Benson, had gotten sick and could not assume office early. Chamberlain left Shelton, his secretary, in charge for the weekend. It was another three and a half years before women were allowed to vote in Oregon. The first woman to be acting governor to be entrusted with substantial duties while in office was Soledad Chávez de Chacón, who held the powers and duties of Governor of New Mexico for two weeks in 1924 while Governor
James F. Hinkle James Fielding Hinkle (October 20, 1862March 26, 1951) was an American banker, politician and the sixth governor of New Mexico. Early life Hinkle was born in Franklin County, Missouri on October 20, 1862. He studied at the University of Mis ...
attended the Democratic Convention in New York. Lieutenant Governor
José A. Baca José A. Baca (June 23, 1876 – May 17, 1924) was an American politician from New Mexico. He served as the lieutenant governor of New Mexico from January 1, 1923, until his death on May 17, 1924. Early life Baca was born in Las Vegas, New Mexic ...
had died unexpectedly in May, so Chacón, the Secretary of State, filled the position. Chacón said that she believed that her 1924 elevation was the first time in the United States that a woman had been called on to assume the responsibilities of governor.
Albuquerque Journal The ''Albuquerque Journal'' is the largest newspaper in the U.S. state of New Mexico. History The ''Golden Gate'' newspaper was founded in June 1880. In the fall of 1880, the owner of the ''Golden Gate'' died and Journal Publishing Company was c ...
, October 24, 2010, reporting on an article from ''Albuquerque Morning Journal'', June 21, 1924. The first woman to assume office as governor pursuant to a special election was
Nellie Tayloe Ross Nellie Davis Tayloe Ross (November 29, 1876 – December 19, 1977) was an American educator and politician who served as the 14th governor of Wyoming from 1925 to 1927, and as the 28th and first female director of the United States Mint from 193 ...
of Wyoming (widow of late Governor
William B. Ross William Bradford Ross (December 4, 1873 – October 2, 1924) was an American politician who served as the 12th governor of Wyoming as a Democrat. Life William Bradford Ross was born in Dover, Tennessee on December 4, 1873 to Ambrose B. Ross an ...
, served January 1923 to October 1924), who was elected on November 4, 1924, and sworn in on January 5, 1925. Wyoming was the first state to provide women's suffrage after New Jersey had abolished it in 1807. Elected on the November 3, 1924, general election, and sworn in on January 20, 1925, was
Miriam A. Ferguson Miriam Amanda Wallace "Ma" Ferguson (June 13, 1875 – June 25, 1961) was an American politician who served two non-consecutive terms as the governor of Texas: from 1925 to 1927, and from 1933 to 1935. She was the first female governor of Texas, ...
of Texas, whose husband, Governor
James Edward Ferguson James Edward Ferguson Jr. (August 31, 1871 – September 21, 1944), known as Pa Ferguson, was an American Democratic politician and the 26th Governor of Texas, in office from 1915 to 1917. He was indicted and impeached during his second ter ...
, had previously held the office but been
impeached Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In ...
and removed from office in 1917. The first woman elected governor without being the wife or widow of a past state governor was
Ella T. Grasso Ella Rosa Giovianna Oliva Grasso (née Tambussi; May 10, 1919 – February 5, 1981) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the 83rd Governor of Connecticut from January 8, 1975, to December 31, 1980, after re ...
of Connecticut, elected in 1974 and sworn in on January 8, 1975. To date, no woman has ever changed parties during her gubernatorial term or has been elected as a third party member or an independent.


Demographics

Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut and New Mexico are the only four states to have elected women as governors from both major parties. Arizona was the first state where a woman followed another woman as governor (they were from different parties). Arizona also has had the most with a total of four, and is the first state to have three women in a row serve as governor. A record nine out of 50 state governorships have been held by women since Kathy Hochul was inaugurated as governor of New York on August 24, 2021. This ties a record previously set on four occasions: first, between July 1, 2004, when
Jodi Rell Mary Carolyn "Jodi" Rell (née Reavis; born June 16, 1946) is an American former Republican politician and the 87th governor of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. Rell also served as the state's 105th lieutenant governor of Connecticut. Rell was C ...
was inaugurated as governor of Connecticut, and January 3, 2005, when
Judy Martz Judith Helen Martz (née Morstein; July 28, 1943 – October 30, 2017) was an American Republican Party politician, businesswoman, and Olympian speed skater who served as the 22nd governor of Montana from 2001 to 2005. She was the first and only ...
left office as governor of Montana and
Olene Walker Olene Walker (née Smith; November 15, 1930 – November 28, 2015) was an American politician who served as the 15th governor of Utah from 2003 to 2005, succeeding the governorship after Mike Leavitt's resignation. A member of the Republican P ...
left office as governor of Utah; second, between December 4, 2006, when
Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin (; Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, author, and reality television personality who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 R ...
was inaugurated as governor of Alaska, and January 14, 2008, when
Kathleen Blanco Kathleen Marie Blanco (née Babineaux; December 15, 1942 – August 18, 2019) was an American politician who served as the 54th Governor of Louisiana from January 2004 to January 2008. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the first and, t ...
left office as governor of Louisiana; third, between January 10, 2009, when
Beverly Perdue Beverly Eaves Perdue (born Beverly Marlene Moore; January 14, 1947) is an American businesswoman, politician, and member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party who served as the List of governors of North Carolina, 73rd Govern ...
was inaugurated as governor of North Carolina, and January 20, 2009, when
Ruth Ann Minner Ruth Ann Minner (née Coverdale; January 17, 1935 – November 4, 2021) was an American politician and businesswoman from Milford, in Kent County, Delaware. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as the 72nd (and, to date, only female) gov ...
left office as governor of Delaware; and fourth, between January 5, 2019, when Kristi Noem was inaugurated as governor of South Dakota, and March 2, 2021, when Gina Raimondo resigned as governor of Rhode Island to become United States Secretary of Commerce. Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, though not states, have also had women as chief executives: Sila María Calderón and
Wanda Vázquez Garced Wanda Emilia Vázquez Garced (born July 9, 1960) is a Puerto Rican politician and attorney who served as Governor of Puerto Rico from 2019 to 2021. Prior to her tenure as governor, she served as the 19th secretary of Justice, from 2017 to 201 ...
as governors of Puerto Rico and Sharon Pratt Kelly and Muriel Bowser as mayors of DC. Additionally, Lou Leon Guerrero has served as the governor of Guam since January 2019. As of November 8, 2022, 18 states have never had a woman as governor: California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Four states (Minnesota, Mississippi, Tennessee and Utah) have never seen a major party nominate a woman in a gubernatorial election, although
one woman "One Woman" is a song by American girl group Jade, released in 1993 as the third single from their debut album, ''Jade to the Max'' (1992). The song peaked at number 22 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Critical reception Alan Jones from ''Musi ...
has served as governor of Utah and nine consecutive lieutenant governors have been women in Minnesota, from 1983 to the present day. Three women of color have been state governors: Susana Martinez and Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico (both Hispanic) and
Nikki Haley Nimrata Nikki Haley (née Randhawa; born January 20, 1972) is an American diplomat and politician who served as the 116th and first female governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017, and as the 29th United States ambassador to the United Na ...
of South Carolina (Asian American). Martinez and Haley are both Republican; Lujan Grisham is a Democrat. Additionally, all five women who governed an insular area have been of an ethnic minority group: Sharon Pratt and Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C. (both African American), Sila María Calderón and
Wanda Vázquez Garced Wanda Emilia Vázquez Garced (born July 9, 1960) is a Puerto Rican politician and attorney who served as Governor of Puerto Rico from 2019 to 2021. Prior to her tenure as governor, she served as the 19th secretary of Justice, from 2017 to 201 ...
of Puerto Rico (both Hispanic) and Lou Leon Guerrero of Guam (Pacific Islander), all Democratic, with the exception of Vázquez Garced, who is a Republican.


Histograph


State governors

{, class="wikitable sortable" , - !Portrait !Name
(lifespan) !State !Term start !Term end !Party !Notes !Departure !Time in office
!Ref , - , ,
, Wyoming , , , , , First and only woman as Governor of Wyoming.
First woman elected in a special election. , Lost reelection , , , - , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 ,
, rowspan=2 , Texas , , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , First woman as
Governor of Texas The governor of Texas heads the state government of Texas. The governor is the leader of the executive and legislative branch of the state government and is the commander in chief of the Texas Military. The current governor is Greg Abbott, who ...
.
First woman elected in a general election. First woman to serve non-consecutive terms as Governor. , Retired , , , - , , , Retired , , , - , ,
, Alabama , , , , , First woman as
Governor of Alabama 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 r ...
.
First and only woman to die in office as governor. , Died in office , , , - , ,
, Connecticut , , , , , First woman as Governor of Connecticut. , Resigned , , , - , ,
, Washington , , , , , First woman as Governor of Washington. , , , , - , ,
, New Hampshire , , , , , First and only woman as Acting Governor of New Hampshire.
Elevated while
President of the Senate President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate. It corresponds to the speaker in some other assemblies. The senate president often ranks high in a jurisdiction's succession for its top executive office: for e ...
. Shortest serving female governor. , , , , - , ,
, Kentucky , , , , , First and only woman as Governor of Kentucky. , Term-limited , , , - , ,
, Vermont , , , , , First and only woman as Governor of Vermont.
First foreign-born woman as governor. , Retired , , , - , ,
, Nebraska , , , , , First and only woman as Governor of Nebraska.
First woman elected to a governorship over another woman nominated by a major party.
First Republican woman elected to a governorship. , Lost reelection , , , - , ,
, Arizona , , , , , First woman as Governor of Arizona.
Elevated from Secretary of State. , Retired , , , - , ,
, Kansas , , , , , First woman as
Governor of Kansas 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 r ...
.
First woman to defeat an incumbent governor in a general election. , Retired , , , - , ,
, Oregon , , , , , First woman as Governor of Oregon. , Retired , , , - , ,
, Texas , , , , , , Lost reelection , , , - , ,
, New Jersey , , , , , First and only woman as Governor of New Jersey.
First Republican woman to defeat an incumbent governor in a general election. , Resigned to become
EPA Administrator The administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is the head of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and is thus responsible for enforcing the nation's Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, as well as numerous other enviro ...
, , , - , ,
, New Hampshire , , , , , First woman elected Governor of New Hampshire.
First woman elected as both Governor and U.S. Senator. , Retired , , , - , ,
, Arizona , , , , , Elevated from Secretary of State.
Later elected in her own right. , Term-limited , , , - , ,
, Ohio , , , , , First and only woman as
Governor of Ohio 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 ...
.
Elevated from
Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
. , Term ended , , , - , ,
, Montana , , , , , First and only woman as Governor of Montana. , Retired , , , - , ,
, Delaware , , , , , First and only woman as Governor of Delaware. Longest serving female governor. , Term-limited , , , - , ,
, Massachusetts , , , , , First woman as Acting Governor of Massachusetts.
Elevated to acting governor while
Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
.
First to give birth while in office. , Retired , , , - , ,
, Hawaii , , , , , First and only woman as Governor of Hawaii. , Term-limited , , , - , ,
, Michigan , , , , , First woman as
Governor of Michigan The governor of Michigan is the head of state, head of government, and chief executive of the U.S. state of Michigan. The current governor is Gretchen Whitmer, a member of the Democratic Party, who was inaugurated on January 1, 2019, as the stat ...
. , Term-limited , , , - , ,
, Arizona , , , , , First woman to succeed another woman , Resigned to become
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security The United States secretary of homeland security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the federal department tasked with ensuring public safety in the United States. The secretary is a member of the Cabinet of the U ...
, , , - , ,
, Kansas , , , , , First woman who is the daughter of a former governor , Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services , , , - , ,
, Utah , , , , , First and only woman as Governor of Utah.
Elevated from
Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
. , Lost nomination for full term , , , - , ,
, Louisiana , , , , , First and only woman as
Governor of Louisiana 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 ...
. , Retired , , , - , ,
, Connecticut , , , , , Elevated from
Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
.
Later elected in her own right. , Retired , , , - , ,
, Washington , , , , , , Retired , , , - , ,
, Alaska , , , , , First and only woman as
Governor of Alaska 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 r ...
, Resigned , , , - , ,
, North Carolina , , , , , First and only woman as
Governor of North Carolina The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The governor directs the executive branch of the government and is the commander in chief of the military forces of the state. The current governor, ...
. , Retired , , , - , ,
, Arizona , , , , , Elevated from Secretary of State.
Later elected in her own right. , Term-limited , , , - , , {{nowrap, {{sortname, Susana, Martinez
{{small, (born 1959) , {{flagicon, New Mexico New Mexico , {{dts, format=mdy, 2011, 1, 1 , {{dts, format=mdy, 2019, 1, 1 , {{Party shading/Republican , {{party shortname linked, Republican Party (United States) , First woman as Governor of New Mexico.
First Latina serving as Governor. , Term-limited , {{ayd, 2011, 1, 1, 2019, 1, 1 , , - , , {{sortname, Mary, Fallin
{{small, (born 1954) , {{flagicon, Oklahoma
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
, {{dts, format=mdy, 2011, 1, 10 , {{dts, format=mdy, 2019, 1, 14 , {{Party shading/Republican , {{party shortname linked, Republican Party (United States) , First and only woman as Governor of Oklahoma. , Term-limited , {{ayd, 2011, 1, 10, 2019, 1, 14 , , - , , {{sortname, Nikki, Haley
{{small, (born 1972) , {{nowrap, {{flagicon, South Carolina South Carolina , {{dts, format=mdy, 2011, 1, 12 , {{dts, format=mdy, 2017, 1, 24 , {{Party shading/Republican , {{party shortname linked, Republican Party (United States) , First and only woman as
Governor of South Carolina The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the '' ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making year ...
.
First
Asian American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous people ...
woman serving as governor. , Resigned to become
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations The United States ambassador to the United Nations is the leader of the U.S. delegation, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. The position is formally known as the permanent representative of the United States of America to the United Nations ...
, {{ayd, 2011, 1, 12, 2017, 1, 24 , , - , , {{sortname, Maggie, Hassan
{{small, (born 1958) , {{flagicon, New Hampshire New Hampshire , {{dts, format=mdy, 2013, 1, 3 , {{dts, format=mdy, 2017, 1, 2 , {{Party shading/Democratic , {{party shortname linked, Democratic Party (United States) , , Resigned to become a
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
. , {{ayd, 2013, 1, 3, 2017, 1, 2 , , - , , {{sortname, Gina, Raimondo
{{small, (born 1971) , {{flagicon, Rhode Island Rhode Island , {{dts, format=mdy, 2015, 1, 6 , {{dts, format=mdy, 2021, 3, 2 , {{Party shading/Democratic , {{party shortname linked, Democratic Party (United States) , First and only woman as Governor of Rhode Island. , Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Commerce , {{ayd, 2015, 1, 6, 2021, 3, 2 , , - bgcolor=#E6E6AA , , {{sortname, Kate, Brown
{{small, (born 1960) , {{flagicon, Oregon Oregon , {{dts, format=mdy, 2015, 2, 18 , Incumbent , {{Party shading/Democratic , {{party shortname linked, Democratic Party (United States) , First openly bisexual governor and first openly LGBT elected governor.
Elevated from Secretary of State.
Later elected in her own right. , Serving , ''{{ayd, 2015, 2, 18'' , , - bgcolor=#E6E6AA , , {{sortname, Kay, Ivey
{{small, (born 1944) , {{flagicon, Alabama Alabama , {{dts, format=mdy, 2017, 4, 10 , Incumbent , {{Party shading/Republican , {{party shortname linked, Republican Party (United States) , Elevated from
Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
.
Later elected in her own right. , Serving , ''{{ayd, 2017, 4, 10'' , , - bgcolor=#E6E6AA , , {{sortname, Kim, Reynolds
{{small, (born 1959) , {{flagicon, Iowa Iowa , {{dts, format=mdy, 2017, 5, 24 , Incumbent , {{Party shading/Republican , {{party shortname linked, Republican Party (United States) , First woman as
Governor of Iowa 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 ...
.
Elevated from
Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
.
Later elected in her own right. , Serving , ''{{ayd, 2017, 5, 24'' , , - bgcolor=#E6E6AA , , {{sortname, Gretchen, Whitmer
{{small, (born 1971) , {{flagicon, Michigan Michigan , {{dts, format=mdy, 2019, 1, 1 , Incumbent , {{Party shading/Democratic , {{party shortname linked, Democratic Party (United States) , , Serving , ''{{ayd, 2019, 1, 1'' , , - bgcolor=#E6E6AA , , {{sortname, Michelle, Lujan Grisham
{{small, (born 1959) , {{flagicon, New Mexico New Mexico , {{dts, format=mdy, 2019, 1, 1 , Incumbent , {{Party shading/Democratic , {{party shortname linked, Democratic Party (United States) , , Serving , ''{{ayd, 2019, 1, 1'' , , - bgcolor=#E6E6AA , , {{sortname, Janet, Mills
{{small, (born 1947) , {{flagicon, Maine Maine , {{dts, format=mdy, 2019, 1, 2 , Incumbent , {{Party shading/Democratic , {{party shortname linked, Democratic Party (United States) , First woman as Governor of Maine. , Serving , ''{{ayd, 2019, 1, 2'' , , - bgcolor=#E6E6AA , , {{sortname, Kristi, Noem
{{small, (born 1971) , {{flagicon, South Dakota South Dakota , {{dts, format=mdy, 2019, 1, 5 , Incumbent , {{Party shading/Republican , {{party shortname linked, Republican Party (United States) , First woman as Governor of South Dakota. , Serving , ''{{ayd, 2019, 1, 5'' , , - bgcolor=#E6E6AA , , {{sortname, Laura, Kelly
{{small, (born 1950) , {{flagicon, Kansas Kansas , {{dts, format=mdy, 2019, 1, 14 , Incumbent , {{Party shading/Democratic , {{party shortname linked, Democratic Party (United States) , , Serving , ''{{ayd, 2019, 1, 14'' , , - bgcolor=#E6E6AA , , {{sortname, Kathy, Hochul
{{small, (born 1958) , {{flagicon, New York
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, {{dts, format=mdy, 2021, 8, 24 , Incumbent , {{Party shading/Democratic , {{party shortname linked, Democratic Party (United States) , First woman as
Governor of New York The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has ...
.
Elevated from
Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
. Later elected in her own right. , Serving , ''{{ayd, 2021, 8, 24'' , , - , , {{sortname, Katie, Hobbs
{{small, (born 1969) , {{flagicon, Arizona Arizona , ''{{dts, format=mdy, 2023, 1, 2'' , , {{Party shading/Democratic , {{party shortname linked, Democratic Party (United States) , , Incoming , ''{{ayd, 2023, 1, 2'' , , - , , {{sortname, Maura, Healey
{{small, (born 1971) , {{flagicon, Massachusetts Massachusetts , ''{{dts, format=mdy, 2023, 1, 5'' , , {{Party shading/Democratic , {{party shortname linked, Democratic Party (United States) , First woman as Governor-elect of Massachusetts. First openly lesbian governor. , Incoming , ''{{ayd, 2023, 1, 5'' , , - , , {{sortname, Tina, Kotek
{{small, (born 1966) , {{flagicon, Oregon Oregon , ''{{dts, format=mdy, 2023, 1, 9'' , , {{Party shading/Democratic , {{party shortname linked, Democratic Party (United States) , Governor-elect of Oregon.
First openly LGBT governor to succeed another openly LGBT governor. , Incoming , ''{{ayd, 2023, 1, 9'' , , - , , {{sortname, Sarah, Huckabee Sanders
{{small, (born 1982) , {{flagicon, Arkansas Arkansas , ''{{dts, format=mdy, 2023, 1, 10'' , , {{Party shading/Republican , {{party shortname linked, Republican Party (United States) , First woman as Governor-elect of Arkansas. , Incoming , ''{{ayd, 2023, 1, 10'' ,


Number of female governors by party

{, class="wikitable sortable" , - !Party !Total number !Number of incumbents , - , {{Party shading/Democratic , {{party shortname linked, Democratic Party (United States) , align="center" , 27 , align="center" , 6 , - , {{Party shading/Republican , {{party shortname linked, Republican Party (United States) , align="center" , 18 , align="center" , 3 , - , Total: , align="center" , 45 , align="center" , 9


Number of female governors per state

{, class="wikitable sortable" , - !Number !States , - , align="center" , 5 , Arizona , - , align="center" , 3 , Kansas, New Hampshire, Oregon , - , align="center" , 2 , Alabama, Connecticut, Michigan, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Texas, Washington , - , align="center" , 1 , Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, North Carolina, Ohio,
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Wyoming , - , align="center" , 0 , California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin


Pregnancy

{, class="wikitable" border="" cellpadding="3" ! colspan="5" , Governors who have been pregnant while in office , - ! Governor ! State ! Date of delivery ! Mother's age ! Notes , - ,
Jane Swift Jane Maria Swift (born February 24, 1965) is an American politician and nonprofit executive who served as the 69th lieutenant governor of Massachusetts from 1999 to 2003 and, concurrently, as acting governor from April 2001 to January 2003. She wa ...
, Massachusetts , May 14, 2001 , align="center" , 36 , First sitting governor or acting governor to give birth while in office. Gave birth to twin girls one month into her tenure as acting governor. , - ,
Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin (; Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, author, and reality television personality who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 R ...
, Alaska , April 18, 2008 , align="center" , 44 , First elected sitting governor to give birth while in office. Gave birth to son, Trig while in office.{{cite web , date=September 20, 2010 , title=Palin confirms baby has Down syndrome (04/21/08): Gov. Sarah Palin family - adn.com , url=http://www.adn.com/2008/04/21/382560/palin-confirms-baby-has-down-syndrome.html , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920195152/http://www.adn.com/2008/04/21/382560/palin-confirms-baby-has-down-syndrome.html , archive-date=September 20, 2010


Territories and the District of Columbia

{, class="wikitable sortable" , - !Portrait !Name
(lifespan) !Jurisdiction !Term start !Term end !Party !Notes !Departure , - , , {{sortname, Sharon, Pratt, Sharon Pratt Kelly
{{small, (born 1944) , {{nowrap, {{flagicon, Washington, D.C. District of Columbia , {{dts, format=mdy, 1991, 1, 2 , {{dts, format=mdy, 1995, 1, 2 , {{Party shading/Democratic , {{party shortname linked, Democratic Party (United States) , First African American woman elected mayor of a major city.
First woman as
Mayor of the District of Columbia The mayor of the District of Columbia is the head of the executive branch of the government of the District of Columbia, in the United States. The mayor has the duty to enforce district laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed ...
. , {{nowrap, Lost renomination , - , , {{nowrap, {{sortname, Sila, Calderón, Sila María Calderón
{{small, (born 1942) , {{flagicon, Puerto Rico Puerto Rico , {{dts, format=mdy, 2001, 1, 2 , {{dts, format=mdy, 2005, 1, 2 , {{Party shading/Democratic , {{nowrap, {{party shortname linked, Popular Democratic Party (Puerto Rico)/
{{party shortname linked, Democratic Party (United States) , First woman as
Governor of Puerto Rico The governor of Puerto Rico ( es, gobernador de Puerto Rico) is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and commander-in-chief of the Puerto Rico National Guard. The governor has a duty ...
.
First Hispanic American woman as governor. , Retired , - bgcolor=#E6E6AA , , {{nowrap, {{sortname, Muriel, Bowser
{{small, (born 1972) , {{nowrap, {{flagicon, Washington, D.C. District of Columbia , {{dts, format=mdy, 2015, 1, 2 , Incumbent , {{Party shading/Democratic , {{party shortname linked, Democratic Party (United States) , , Serving , - bgcolor=#E6E6AA , , {{sortname, Lou Leon, Guerrero
{{small, (born 1950) , {{nowrap, {{flagicon, Guam Guam , {{dts, format=mdy, 2019, 1, 7 , Incumbent , {{Party shading/Democratic , {{party shortname linked, Democratic Party (United States) , First and only woman as
Governor of Guam The governor of Guam ( ch, I Maga'låhen / ) is the head of government of Guam and the commander-in-chief of the Guam National Guard, whose responsibilities also include making the annual State of the Island (formerly the State of the Territor ...
.
First Pacific Islander American woman as governor. , Serving , - , , {{nowrap, {{sortname, Wanda, Vázquez Garced, Wanda Vázquez Garced
{{small, (born 1960) , {{flagicon, Puerto Rico Puerto Rico , {{dts, format=mdy, 2019, 8, 7 , {{dts, format=mdy, 2021, 1, 2 , {{Party shading/Republican , {{party shortname linked, New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico)/
{{party shortname linked, Republican Party (United States) , Elevated from Secretary of Justice when Pedro Pierluisi was removed '' quo warranto''. , Lost renomination


Number by party

{, class="wikitable sortable" , - !Party !Total number !Number of incumbents , - , {{Party shading/Democratic , {{party shortname linked, Democratic Party (United States) , align="center" , 4 , align="center" , 2 , - , {{Party shading/Republican , {{party shortname linked, Republican Party (United States) , align="center" , 1 , align="center" , 0 , - , Total: , align="center" , 5 , align="center" , 2


Timeline of women serving as governors

{{#tag:timeline, ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:12 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:30 right:120 left:20 AlignBars = early DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1925 till:{{#time:d/m/Y TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal Colors = id:canvas value:rgb(0.97,0.97,0.97) id:D value:blue id:R value:red id:lightline value:rgb(0.8, 0.8, 0.8) id:lighttext value:rgb(0.5, 0.5, 0.5) ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightline unit:year increment:1 start:1926 ScaleMajor = gridcolor:lighttext unit:year increment:5 start:1925 Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas BarData = bar:Ross bar:Ferguson barset:Governors PlotData= width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5, -4) anchor:till bar:Ross from:05/01/1925 till:03/01/1927 color:D text:" Nellie Ross" bar:Ferguson from:20/01/1925 till:17/01/1927 color:D text: from:17/01/1933 till:15/01/1935 color:D text:"
Miriam A. Ferguson Miriam Amanda Wallace "Ma" Ferguson (June 13, 1875 – June 25, 1961) was an American politician who served two non-consecutive terms as the governor of Texas: from 1925 to 1927, and from 1933 to 1935. She was the first female governor of Texas, ...
" barset:Governors from:16/01/1967 till:07/05/1968 color:D text:"
Lurleen Wallace Lurleen Burns Wallace (born Lurleen Brigham Burns; September 19, 1926 – May 7, 1968) was the List of Governors of Alabama, 46th governor of Alabama for 15 months from January 1967 until her death. She was the first wife of Alabama governor Georg ...
" from:08/01/1975 till:31/12/1980 color:D text:"
Ella T. Grasso Ella Rosa Giovianna Oliva Grasso (née Tambussi; May 10, 1919 – February 5, 1981) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the 83rd Governor of Connecticut from January 8, 1975, to December 31, 1980, after re ...
" from:12/01/1977 till:14/01/1981 color:D text:"
Dixy Lee Ray Dixy Lee Ray (September 3, 1914 – January 2, 1994) was an American politician who served as the 17th governor of Washington from 1977 to 1981. Variously described as idiosyncratic and "ridiculously smart," she was the state's first female gover ...
" from:30/12/1982 till:06/01/1983 color:R text:" Vesta M. Roy" from:13/12/1983 till:08/12/1987 color:D text:" Martha Collins" from:10/01/1985 till:10/01/1989 color:D text:"
Madeleine Kunin Madeleine Kunin (née May; born September 28, 1933) is a Swiss-born American diplomat, author and politician. She served as the 77th governor of Vermont from 1985 until 1991, as a member of the Democratic Party. She also served as United States ...
" from:09/01/1987 till:09/01/1991 color:R text:"
Kay Orr Kay Avonne Orr (née Stark; January 2, 1939) is an American politician who served as the 36th governor of Nebraska from 1987 to 1991. A member of the Republican Party, she was the state's first and to date only female governor. Early life and e ...
" from:04/04/1988 till:06/03/1991 color:D text:" Rose Mofford" from:02/01/1991 till:02/01/1995 color:D text:" Sharon Pratt" from:14/01/1991 till:09/01/1995 color:D text:"
Joan Finney Joan Marie Finney (née McInroy; February 12, 1925 – July 28, 2001) was an American politician who served as the 42nd governor of Kansas from 1991 to 1995. Prior to her tenure as governor, Finney served four terms as the Kansas state treasurer ...
" from:14/01/1991 till:09/01/1995 color:D text:" Barbara Roberts" from:15/01/1991 till:17/01/1995 color:D text:" Ann Richards" from:18/01/1994 till:31/01/2001 color:R text:" Christine Todd-Whitman" from:09/01/1997 till:09/01/2003 color:D text:" Jeanne Shaheen" from:05/09/1997 till:06/01/2003 color:R text:" Jane Dee Hull" from:31/12/1998 till:11/01/1999 color:R text:" Nancy Hollister" from:01/01/2001 till:03/01/2005 color:R text:"
Judy Martz Judith Helen Martz (née Morstein; July 28, 1943 – October 30, 2017) was an American Republican Party politician, businesswoman, and Olympian speed skater who served as the 22nd governor of Montana from 2001 to 2005. She was the first and only ...
" from:02/01/2001 till:02/01/2005 color:D text:" Sila Calderón" from:03/01/2001 till:20/01/2009 color:D text:"
Ruth Ann Minner Ruth Ann Minner (née Coverdale; January 17, 1935 – November 4, 2021) was an American politician and businesswoman from Milford, in Kent County, Delaware. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as the 72nd (and, to date, only female) gov ...
" from:10/04/2001 till:02/01/2003 color:R text:"
Jane Swift Jane Maria Swift (born February 24, 1965) is an American politician and nonprofit executive who served as the 69th lieutenant governor of Massachusetts from 1999 to 2003 and, concurrently, as acting governor from April 2001 to January 2003. She wa ...
" from:02/12/2002 till:06/12/2010 color:R text:" Linda Lingle" from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2011 color:D text:" Jennifer Granholm" from:06/01/2003 till:21/01/2009 color:D text:" Janet Napolitano" from:13/01/2003 till:28/04/2009 color:D text:" Kathleen Sebelius" from:05/11/2003 till:03/01/2005 color:R text:"
Olene Walker Olene Walker (née Smith; November 15, 1930 – November 28, 2015) was an American politician who served as the 15th governor of Utah from 2003 to 2005, succeeding the governorship after Mike Leavitt's resignation. A member of the Republican P ...
" from:12/01/2004 till:14/01/2008 color:D text:"
Kathleen Blanco Kathleen Marie Blanco (née Babineaux; December 15, 1942 – August 18, 2019) was an American politician who served as the 54th Governor of Louisiana from January 2004 to January 2008. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the first and, t ...
" from:01/07/2004 till:05/01/2011 color:R text:"
Jodi Rell Mary Carolyn "Jodi" Rell (née Reavis; born June 16, 1946) is an American former Republican politician and the 87th governor of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. Rell also served as the state's 105th lieutenant governor of Connecticut. Rell was C ...
" from:12/01/2005 till:12/01/2013 color:D text:" Christine Gregoire" from:04/12/2006 till:26/07/2009 color:R text:"
Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin (; Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, author, and reality television personality who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 R ...
" from:10/01/2009 till:05/01/2013 color:D text:"
Bev Perdue Beverly Eaves Perdue (born Beverly Marlene Moore; January 14, 1947) is an American businesswoman, politician, and member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party who served as the List of governors of North Carolina, 73rd Govern ...
" from:21/01/2009 till:05/01/2015 color:R text:" Jan Brewer" from:01/01/2011 till:01/01/2019 color:R text:" Susana Martinez" from:10/01/2011 till:14/01/2019 color:R text:" Mary Fallin" from:12/01/2011 till:24/01/2017 color:R text:"
Nikki Haley Nimrata Nikki Haley (née Randhawa; born January 20, 1972) is an American diplomat and politician who served as the 116th and first female governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017, and as the 29th United States ambassador to the United Na ...
" from:02/01/2013 till:03/01/2017 color:D text:" Maggie Hassan" from:02/01/2015 till:{{#time:d/m/Y color:D text:" Muriel Bowser" from:06/01/2015 till:02/03/2021 color:D text:" Gina Raimondo" from:18/02/2015 till:{{#time:d/m/Y color:D text:" Kate Brown" from:10/04/2017 till:{{#time:d/m/Y color:R text:" Kay Ivey" from:24/05/2017 till:{{#time:d/m/Y color:R text:" Kim Reynolds" from:01/01/2019 till:{{#time:d/m/Y color:D text:" Gretchen Whitmer" from:01/01/2019 till:{{#time:d/m/Y color:D text:" Michelle Lujan Grisham" from:02/01/2019 till:{{#time:d/m/Y color:D text:" Janet Mills " from:05/01/2019 till:{{#time:d/m/Y color:R text:" Kristi Noem" from:07/01/2019 till:{{#time:d/m/Y color:D text:" Lou Leon Guerrero" from:14/01/2019 till:{{#time:d/m/Y color:D text:"
Laura Kelly Laura Jeanne Kelly (born January 24, 1950)"Laura Kelly,"
''Kansapedia,''
" from:07/08/2019 till:01/02/2021 color:R text:"
Wanda Vázquez Garced Wanda Emilia Vázquez Garced (born July 9, 1960) is a Puerto Rican politician and attorney who served as Governor of Puerto Rico from 2019 to 2021. Prior to her tenure as governor, she served as the 19th secretary of Justice, from 2017 to 201 ...
" from:24/08/2021 till:{{#time:d/m/Y color:D text:" Kathy Hochul" barset:skip


Elections with two female major party nominees

Incumbent governors are in bold. {, class="wikitable" border="" cellpadding="3" ! colspan="5" , Elections with two female major party nominees , - ! Election year ! State ! Winner ! Second place finisher ! Other female candidate(s) , - , align="center" ,
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...
, Nebraska , {{Party shading/Republican , {{sortname, Kay A., Orr , {{Party shading/Democratic ,
Helen Boosalis Helen G. Boosalis (August 28, 1919 - June 15, 2009) was an American Democratic Party politician from Nebraska. Early life Helen Boosalis was born as Helen Geankoplis in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Greek immigrant parents, where she grew up working ...
, , - , align="center" ,
2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
, Hawaii , {{Party shading/Republican , {{sortname, Linda, Lingle , {{Party shading/Democratic , Mazie Hirono , , - , rowspan="2" align="center" ,
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
, New Mexico , {{Party shading/Republican , Susana Martinez , {{Party shading/Democratic ,
Diane Denish Diane Daniels Denish ( ; born March 7, 1949) is an American politician, who was the 28th Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico, lieutenant governor of New Mexico. She was elected in 2002, running on the same ticket as Governor Bill Richardson, and wa ...
, , - ,
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
, {{Party shading/Republican , Mary Fallin , {{Party shading/Democratic ,
Jari Askins Jari Askins (born April 27, 1953) is an American judge, lawyer and Democratic politician from the US state of Oklahoma. She was the 15th lieutenant governor of Oklahoma, being the second woman and the first female Democratic Party member to hol ...
, , - , rowspan="5" align="center" ,
2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
, Alabama , {{Party shading/Republican , Kay Ivey , {{Party shading/Democratic , Yolanda Flowers , , - , Arizona , {{Party shading/Democratic , Katie Hobbs , {{Party shading/Republican , Kari Lake , , - , Iowa , {{Party shading/Republican , Kim Reynolds , {{Party shading/Democratic , Deidre DeJear , , - , Michigan , {{Party shading/Democratic , Gretchen Whitmer , {{Party shading/Republican ,
Tudor Dixon Tudor Dixon (; born May 5, 1977) is an American businesswoman and conservative political commentator. A member of the Republican Party, Dixon was the party's nominee for Governor of Michigan in the 2022 election. She lost to incumbent Democra ...
, , - , Oregon , {{Party shading/Democratic , Tina Kotek , {{Party shading/Republican ,
Christine Drazan Christine Renee Drazan ( Deboy; born May 28, 1972) is an American politician who served in the Oregon House of Representatives from the 39th district from 2019 to 2022, as a member of the Republican Party. During her tenure in the state house s ...
, {{Party shading/Independent ,
Betsy Johnson Elizabeth Katharine Johnson (born January 12, 1951) is an American aviator, entrepreneur, and politician who served in the Oregon House of Representatives from the 1st and 31st House districts from 2001 to 2005, and in the Oregon Senate from ...


See also

* List of first gentlemen in the United States * List of female lieutenant governors in the United States


Notes

{{Notelist


References

{{reflist, 30em


External links


"History of Women Governors"
Center for American Women and Politics, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey {{Women in U.S. Government {{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Female State Governors In The United States Articles which contain graphical timelines Governour Female * United States United States