List of governors of Indiana facts for kids

The Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis, which houses the office of the governor

The governor of Indiana is the head of government 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.

While a territory, Indiana had two governors appointed by the president of the United States. Since statehood in 1816, it has had 49 governors, serving 51 distinct terms; Isaac P. Gray and Henry F. Schricker are the only governors to have served non-consecutive terms. Four governors have served two four-year terms; territorial governor William Henry Harrison served for 11 years. The shortest-serving governor is Henry S. Lane, who served two days before resigning to become a U.S. senator. The current governor is Eric Holcomb, who took office on January 9, 2017.

List of governors

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 Indiana Territory

No.	Governor		Term in office	Appointed by
1		William Henry Harrison (1773–1841)	May 13, 1800 – December 28, 1812 (successor appointed)	Adams, JohnJohn Adams
				Jefferson, ThomasThomas Jefferson
				Madison, JamesJames Madison
2		Thomas Posey (1750–1818)	March 3, 1813 – November 7, 1816 (lost election)	Madison, JamesJames Madison

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. 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. Governors were allowed to serve for four years in any eight-year period, but a 1972 amendment permitted governors to serve for eight years in any twelve-year period. Should the office of governor become vacant, the lieutenant governor becomes governor. If the office of lieutenant governor is vacant, the president pro tempore of the Indiana Senate becomes governor; this has happened once, when James B. Ray succeeded William Hendricks.

Governors of the State of Indiana

No.	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor
1			Jonathan Jennings (1784–1834)	November 7, 1816 – September 12, 1822 (resigned)	Democratic- Republican	1816		Harrison, ChristopherChristopher Harrison (resigned December 18, 1818)
							Vacant
						1819		Boon, RatliffRatliff Boon
2			Ratliff Boon (1781–1844)	September 12, 1822 – December 4, 1822 (successor took office)	Democratic- Republican	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
3			William Hendricks (1782–1850)	December 4, 1822 – February 12, 1825 (resigned)	Democratic- Republican	1822		Boon, RatliffRatliff Boon (resigned January 30, 1824)
							Vacant
4			James B. Ray (1794–1848)	February 12, 1825 – December 7, 1831 (term-limited)	Democratic- Republican	Succeeded from president of the Senate
						1825		Thompson, John H.John H. Thompson
						1828		Stapp, MiltonMilton Stapp
5			Noah Noble (1794–1844)	December 7, 1831 – December 6, 1837 (term-limited)	National Republican	1831		Wallace, DavidDavid Wallace
					Whig	1834
6			David Wallace (1799–1859)	December 6, 1837 – December 9, 1840 (did not run)	Whig	1837		Hillis, DavidDavid Hillis
7			Samuel Bigger (1802–1846)	December 9, 1840 – December 6, 1843 (lost election)	Whig	1840		Hall, SamuelSamuel Hall
8			James Whitcomb (1795–1852)	December 6, 1843 – December 27, 1848 (resigned)	Democratic	1843		Bright, Jesse D.Jesse D. Bright (resigned December 8, 1845)
							Vacant
						1846		Dunning, Paris C.Paris C. Dunning
9			Paris C. Dunning (1806–1884)	December 27, 1848 – December 5, 1849 (did not run)	Democratic	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
10			Joseph A. Wright (1810–1867)	December 5, 1849 – January 12, 1857 (term-limited)	Democratic	1849		Lane, JimJim Lane
						1852		Willard, Ashbel P.Ashbel P. Willard
11			Ashbel P. Willard (1820–1860)	January 12, 1857 – October 4, 1860 (died in office)	Democratic	1856		Hammond, Abram A.Abram A. Hammond
12			Abram A. Hammond (1814–1874)	October 4, 1860 – January 14, 1861 (successor took office)	Democratic	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
13			Henry S. Lane (1811–1881)	January 14, 1861 – January 16, 1861 (resigned)	Republican	1860		Morton, Oliver P.Oliver P. Morton
14			Oliver P. Morton (1823–1877)	January 16, 1861 – January 24, 1867 (resigned)	Republican	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
						1864		Baker, ConradConrad Baker
15			Conrad Baker (1817–1885)	January 24, 1867 – January 13, 1873 (term-limited)	Republican	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
						1868		Cumback, WilliamWilliam Cumback (resigned January 11, 1871)
							Vacant
16			Thomas A. Hendricks (1819–1885)	January 13, 1873 – January 8, 1877 (term-limited)	Democratic	1872		Sexton, LeonidasLeonidas Sexton
17			James D. Williams (1808–1880)	January 8, 1877 – November 20, 1880 (died in office)	Democratic	1876		Gray, Isaac P.Isaac P. Gray
18			Isaac P. Gray (1828–1895)	November 20, 1880 – January 10, 1881 (successor took office)	Democratic	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
19			Albert G. Porter (1824–1897)	January 10, 1881 – January 12, 1885 (term-limited)	Republican	1880		Hanna, ThomasThomas Hanna
20			Isaac P. Gray (1828–1895)	January 12, 1885 – January 14, 1889 (term-limited)	Democratic	1884		Manson, Mahlon DickersonMahlon Dickerson Manson (resigned July 1886)
							Vacant
21			Alvin Peterson Hovey (1821–1891)	January 14, 1889 – November 23, 1891 (died in office)	Republican	1888		Chase, Ira JoyIra Joy Chase
22			Ira Joy Chase (1834–1895)	November 23, 1891 – January 9, 1893 (lost election)	Republican	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
23			Claude Matthews (1845–1898)	January 9, 1893 – January 11, 1897 (term-limited)	Democratic	1892		Nye, MortimerMortimer Nye
24			James A. Mount (1843–1901)	January 11, 1897 – January 14, 1901 (term-limited)	Republican	1896		Haggard, William S.William S. Haggard
25			Winfield T. Durbin (1847–1928)	January 14, 1901 – January 9, 1905 (term-limited)	Republican	1900		Gilbert, Newton W.Newton W. Gilbert
26			Frank Hanly (1863–1920)	January 9, 1905 – January 11, 1909 (term-limited)	Republican	1904		Miller, Hugh ThomasHugh Thomas Miller
27			Thomas R. Marshall (1854–1925)	January 11, 1909 – January 13, 1913 (term-limited)	Democratic	1908		Hall, Frank J.Frank J. Hall
28			Samuel M. Ralston (1857–1925)	January 13, 1913 – January 8, 1917 (term-limited)	Democratic	1912		O'Neill, William P.William P. O'Neill
29			James P. Goodrich (1864–1940)	January 8, 1917 – January 10, 1921 (term-limited)	Republican	1916		Bush, Edgar D.Edgar D. Bush
30			Warren T. McCray (1865–1938)	January 10, 1921 – April 30, 1924 (resigned)	Republican	1920		Branch, Emmett ForestEmmett Forest Branch
31			Emmett Forest Branch (1874–1932)	April 30, 1924 – January 12, 1925 (did not run)	Republican	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
32			Edward L. Jackson (1873–1954)	January 12, 1925 – January 14, 1929 (term-limited)	Republican	1924		Van Orman, F. HaroldF. Harold Van Orman
33			Harry G. Leslie (1878–1937)	January 14, 1929 – January 9, 1933 (term-limited)	Republican	1928		Bush, Edgar D.Edgar D. Bush
34			Paul V. McNutt (1891–1955)	January 9, 1933 – January 11, 1937 (term-limited)	Democratic	1932		Townsend, M. CliffordM. Clifford Townsend
35			M. Clifford Townsend (1884–1954)	January 11, 1937 – January 13, 1941 (term-limited)	Democratic	1936		Schricker, Henry F.Henry F. Schricker
36			Henry F. Schricker (1883–1966)	January 13, 1941 – January 8, 1945 (term-limited)	Democratic	1940		Dawson, Charles M.Charles M. Dawson
37			Ralph F. Gates (1893–1978)	January 8, 1945 – January 10, 1949 (term-limited)	Republican	1944		James, Richard T.Richard T. James (resigned April 1, 1948)
							Vacant
								Alexander, Rue J.Rue J. Alexander (appointed April 14, 1948) (died January 2, 1949)
							Vacant
38			Henry F. Schricker (1883–1966)	January 10, 1949 – January 12, 1953 (term-limited)	Democratic	1948		Watkins, John A.John A. Watkins
39			George N. Craig (1909–1992)	January 12, 1953 – January 14, 1957 (term-limited)	Republican	1952		Handley, Harold W.Harold W. Handley
40			Harold W. Handley (1909–1972)	January 14, 1957 – January 9, 1961 (term-limited)	Republican	1956		Parker, Crawford F.Crawford F. Parker
41			Matthew E. Welsh (1912–1995)	January 9, 1961 – January 11, 1965 (term-limited)	Democratic	1960		Ristine, Richard O.Richard O. Ristine
42			Roger D. Branigin (1902–1975)	January 11, 1965 – January 13, 1969 (term-limited)	Democratic	1964		Rock, Robert L.Robert L. Rock
43			Edgar Whitcomb (1917–2016)	January 13, 1969 – January 8, 1973 (did not run)	Republican	1968		Folz, Richard E.Richard E. Folz
44			Otis Bowen (1918–2013)	January 8, 1973 – January 12, 1981 (term-limited)	Republican	1972		Orr, Robert D.Robert D. Orr
						1976
45			Robert D. Orr (1917–2004)	January 12, 1981 – January 9, 1989 (term-limited)	Republican	1980		Mutz, JohnJohn Mutz
						1984
46			Evan Bayh (b. 1955)	January 9, 1989 – January 13, 1997 (term-limited)	Democratic	1988		O'Bannon, FrankFrank O'Bannon
						1992
47			Frank O'Bannon (1930–2003)	January 13, 1997 – September 13, 2003 (died in office)	Democratic	1996		Kernan, JoeJoe Kernan
						2000
48			Joe Kernan (1946–2020)	September 13, 2003 – January 10, 2005 (lost election)	Democratic	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
								Davis, KathyKathy Davis (appointed October 20, 2003)
49			Mitch Daniels (b. 1949)	January 10, 2005 – January 14, 2013 (term-limited)	Republican	2004		Skillman, BeckyBecky Skillman
						2008
50			Mike Pence (b. 1959)	January 14, 2013 – January 9, 2017 (withdrew)	Republican	2012		Ellspermann, SueSue Ellspermann (resigned March 2, 2016)
							Vacant
								Holcomb, EricEric Holcomb (appointed March 3, 2016)
51			Eric Holcomb (b. 1968)	January 9, 2017 – Incumbent	Republican	2016		Crouch, SuzanneSuzanne Crouch
						2020

See also

• Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Indiana