The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the New Jersey Legislature, to convene the legislature, and to grant pardons, except in cases of treason or impeachment.
| Governor of New Jersey | |
|---|---|
Incumbent since January 16, 2018Phil Murphy | |
| Style |
|
| Status |
|
| Residence | Drumthwacket |
| Seat | Trenton, New Jersey |
| Term length | Four years, renewable once consecutively |
| Constituting instrument | New Jersey Constitution of 1776 |
| Precursor | Governor of New Jersey (Great Britain) |
| Inaugural holder | William Livingston |
| Formation | August 31, 1776 |
| Succession | Line of succession |
| Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey |
| Website | www |
The first New Jersey State Constitution, ratified in 1776, provided that a governor be elected annually by the state legislature, the members of which were selected by the several counties. Under this constitution, the governor was president of the upper house of the legislature, then called the Legislative Council. The 1844 constitution provided for a popular vote to elect the governor, who no longer presided over the upper house of the legislature, now called the Senate. The 1844 constitution also lengthened the governor's term to three years, set to start on the third Tuesday in January following an election, and barred governors from succeeding themselves. The 1947 constitution extended terms to four years, and limits governors from being elected to more than two consecutive terms, though they can run again after a third term has passed. Joseph Bloomfield, Peter Dumont Vroom, Daniel Haines, Joel Parker, Leon Abbett, and Walter Evans Edge each served two non-consecutive stints as governor while A. Harry Moore served three non-consecutive stints. Foster McGowan Voorhees, James Fairman Fielder, and Richard Codey each served two non-consecutive stints, one as acting governor and one as official governor.
The 1776 constitution provided that the vice-president of the Legislative Council would act as governor (who was president of the council) should that office be vacant. The 1844 constitution placed the president of the Senate first in the line of succession, as did the subsequent 1947 constitution. A constitutional amendment in 2006 created the office of lieutenant governor, to be elected on the same ticket for the same term as the governor, and if the office of governor is vacant, the lieutenant governor becomes governor. This office was first filled in 2010.
There have been 56 official governors of New Jersey, 1 of whom was female, with several others acting as governor for a time. In the official numbering, governors are counted only once each, and traditionally, only elected governors were included. However, legislation signed on January 10, 2006, allowed acting governors who had served at least 180 days to be considered full governors. The law was retroactive to January 1, 2001; it therefore changed the titles of Donald DiFrancesco and Richard Codey, affecting Jim McGreevey's numbering. The first and longest-serving governor of New Jersey was William Livingston, who served from August 31, 1776, to July 25, 1790. A. Harry Moore remains the longest-serving popularly elected governor. The current and 56th governor is Phil Murphy, a Democrat who assumed office on January 16, 2018.
Governors
New Jersey was one of the original Thirteen Colonies and was admitted as a state on December 18, 1787. Before it declared its independence, New Jersey was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain.
Prior to 2010, unlike most other states, New Jersey did not have the office of lieutenant governor. Until 2010, when the office of governor was vacant or the governor was unable to fulfill their duties, the president of the State Senate served as the acting governor. The Senate president continued in the legislative role during their tenure as the state's acting chief executive, thus giving the person both executive and legislative authority. The acting governor served either until a special election was held (which would occur if the governor died, resigned, or was removed from office with more than 16 months before the end of the term), until the governor recovered from their injuries, or, if the governor died, resigned, or was removed from office less than 16 months before end of the term, until the end of the term.
Following the resignation of Christine Todd Whitman in 2001 to become EPA Administrator, Donald DiFrancesco assumed the acting governor's post. Following Whitman's resignation and DiFrancesco's departure, John O. Bennett served as acting governor for three and a half days. During that time, he signed a few bills into law, gave a State of the State Address, and held parties at Drumthwacket, the New Jersey governor's mansion. Similarly, Richard J. Codey served as acting governor during January 2002 as well. Because control of the New Jersey State Senate was split, resulting in two Senate co-presidents, Codey and Bennett, each held the office of acting governor for three days. Richard Codey served as governor of New Jersey from November 2004 until January 2006, following the resignation of Jim McGreevey. Spurred by the chaotic transfers of the governorship, New Jersey voters approved a state constitutional amendment in 2005 to create the office of lieutenant governor of New Jersey effective with the 2009 state elections.
| No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Livingston (1723–1790) | August 31, 1776 – July 25, 1790 (died in office) | Federalist | 1776 | Office did not exist | |||
| 1777 | ||||||||
| 1778 | ||||||||
| 1779 | ||||||||
| 1780 | ||||||||
| 1781 | ||||||||
| 1782 | ||||||||
| 1783 | ||||||||
| 1784 | ||||||||
| 1785 | ||||||||
| 1786 | ||||||||
| 1787 | ||||||||
| 1788 | ||||||||
| 1789 | ||||||||
| — | Elisha Lawrence (1746–1799) | July 25, 1790 – October 29, 1790 (successor took office) | Federalist | Vice-president of the Legislative Council acting | ||||
| 2 | William Paterson (1745–1806) | October 29, 1790 – May 27, 1793 (resigned) | Federalist | 1790 | ||||
| 1791 | ||||||||
| 1792 | ||||||||
| — | Thomas Henderson (1743–1824) | May 27, 1793 – June 3, 1793 (successor took office) | Federalist | Vice-president of the Legislative Council acting | ||||
| 3 | Richard Howell (1754–1802) | June 3, 1793 – October 31, 1801 (did not run) | Federalist | 1793 | ||||
| 1794 | ||||||||
| 1795 | ||||||||
| 1796 | ||||||||
| 1797 | ||||||||
| 1798 | ||||||||
| 1799 | ||||||||
| 1800 | ||||||||
| 4 | Joseph Bloomfield (1753–1823) | October 31, 1801 – October 28, 1802 (deadlocked election) | Democratic- Republican | 1801 | ||||
| — | John Lambert (1746–1823) | October 28, 1802 – October 27, 1803 (successor took office) | Democratic- Republican | 1802 | ||||
| 4 | Joseph Bloomfield (1753–1823) | October 27, 1803 – October 29, 1812 (did not run) | Democratic- Republican | 1803 | ||||
| 1804 | ||||||||
| 1805 | ||||||||
| 1806 | ||||||||
| 1807 | ||||||||
| 1808 | ||||||||
| 1809 | ||||||||
| 1810 | ||||||||
| 1811 | ||||||||
| 5 | Aaron Ogden (1756–1839) | October 29, 1812 – October 29, 1813 (lost election) | Federalist | 1812 | ||||
| 6 | William Sanford Pennington (1757–1826) | October 29, 1813 – June 19, 1815 (resigned) | Democratic- Republican | 1813 | ||||
| 1814 | ||||||||
| — | William Kennedy (1775–1826) | June 19, 1815 – October 26, 1815 (successor took office) | Democratic- Republican | Vice-president of the Legislative Council acting | ||||
| 7 | Mahlon Dickerson (1770–1853) | October 26, 1815 – February 1, 1817 (resigned) | Democratic- Republican | 1815 | ||||
| 1816 | ||||||||
| 8 | Isaac Halstead Williamson (1767–1844) | February 6, 1817 – October 30, 1829 (lost election) | Democratic- Republican | 1817 | ||||
| 1818 | ||||||||
| 1819 | ||||||||
| 1820 | ||||||||
| 1821 | ||||||||
| 1822 | ||||||||
| 1823 | ||||||||
| 1824 | ||||||||
| 1825 | ||||||||
| 1826 | ||||||||
| 1827 | ||||||||
| 1828 | ||||||||
| — | Garret D. Wall (1783–1850) | October 30, 1829 – November 2, 1829 (declined) | Democratic | 1829 | ||||
| 9 | Peter Dumont Vroom (1791–1873) | November 6, 1829 – October 26, 1832 (lost election) | Democratic | |||||
| 1830 | ||||||||
| 1831 | ||||||||
| 10 | Samuel L. Southard (1787–1842) | October 26, 1832 – February 27, 1833 (resigned) | Whig | 1832 | ||||
| 11 | Elias P. Seeley (1791–1846) | February 27, 1833 – October 25, 1833 (lost election) | Whig | |||||
| 9 | Peter Dumont Vroom (1791–1873) | October 25, 1833 – November 3, 1836 (resigned) | Democratic | 1833 | ||||
| 1834 | ||||||||
| 1835 | ||||||||
| 12 | Philemon Dickerson (1788–1862) | November 3, 1836 – October 27, 1837 (lost election) | Democratic | 1836 | ||||
| 13 | William Pennington (1796–1862) | October 27, 1837 – October 27, 1843 (did not run) | Whig | 1837 | ||||
| 1838 | ||||||||
| 1839 | ||||||||
| 1840 | ||||||||
| 1841 | ||||||||
| 1842 | ||||||||
| 14 | Daniel Haines (1801–1877) | October 27, 1843 – January 21, 1845 (did not run) | Democratic | 1843 | ||||
| 15 | Charles C. Stratton (1796–1859) | January 21, 1845 – January 18, 1848 (term-limited) | Whig | 1844 | ||||
| 14 | Daniel Haines (1801–1877) | January 18, 1848 – January 21, 1851 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1847 | ||||
| 16 | George Franklin Fort (1809–1872) | January 21, 1851 – January 17, 1854 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1850 | ||||
| 17 | Rodman M. Price (1816–1894) | January 17, 1854 – January 20, 1857 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1853 | ||||
| 18 | William A. Newell (1817–1901) | January 20, 1857 – January 17, 1860 (term-limited) | Republican | 1856 | ||||
| 19 | Charles Smith Olden (1799–1876) | January 17, 1860 – January 20, 1863 (term-limited) | Republican | 1859 | ||||
| 20 | Joel Parker (1816–1888) | January 20, 1863 – January 16, 1866 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1862 | ||||
| 21 | Marcus Lawrence Ward (1812–1884) | January 16, 1866 – January 19, 1869 (term-limited) | Republican | 1865 | ||||
| 22 | Theodore Fitz Randolph (1826–1883) | January 19, 1869 – January 16, 1872 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1868 | ||||
| 20 | Joel Parker (1816–1888) | January 16, 1872 – January 19, 1875 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1871 | ||||
| 23 | Joseph D. Bedle (1831–1894) | January 19, 1875 – January 15, 1878 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1874 | ||||
| 24 | George B. McClellan (1826–1885) | January 15, 1878 – January 18, 1881 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1877 | ||||
| 25 | George C. Ludlow (1830–1900) | January 18, 1881 – January 15, 1884 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1880 | ||||
| 26 | Leon Abbett (1836–1894) | January 15, 1884 – January 18, 1887 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1883 | ||||
| 27 | Robert Stockton Green (1831–1895) | January 18, 1887 – January 21, 1890 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1886 | ||||
| 26 | Leon Abbett (1836–1894) | January 21, 1890 – January 17, 1893 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1889 | ||||
| 28 | George Theodore Werts (1846–1910) | January 17, 1893 – January 21, 1896 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1892 | ||||
| 29 | John W. Griggs (1849–1927) | January 21, 1896 – January 31, 1898 (resigned) | Republican | 1895 | ||||
| — | Foster McGowan Voorhees (1856–1927) | January 31, 1898 – October 18, 1898 (resigned) | Republican | President of the Senate acting | ||||
| — | David Ogden Watkins (1862–1938) | October 18, 1898 – January 17, 1899 (successor took office) | Republican | Speaker of the Assembly acting | ||||
| 30 | Foster McGowan Voorhees (1856–1927) | January 17, 1899 – January 21, 1902 (term-limited) | Republican | 1898 | ||||
| 31 | Franklin Murphy (1846–1920) | January 21, 1902 – January 17, 1905 (term-limited) | Republican | 1901 | ||||
| 32 | Edward C. Stokes (1860–1942) | January 17, 1905 – January 21, 1908 (term-limited) | Republican | 1904 | ||||
| 33 | John Franklin Fort (1852–1920) | January 21, 1908 – January 17, 1911 (term-limited) | Republican | 1907 | ||||
| 34 | Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) | January 17, 1911 – March 1, 1913 (resigned) | Democratic | 1910 | ||||
| — | James Fairman Fielder (1867–1954) | March 1, 1913 – October 28, 1913 (resigned) | Democratic | President of the Senate acting | ||||
| — | Leon Rutherford Taylor (1883–1924) | October 28, 1913 – January 20, 1914 (successor took office) | Democratic | Speaker of the Assembly acting | ||||
| 35 | James Fairman Fielder (1867–1954) | January 20, 1914 – January 16, 1917 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1913 | ||||
| 36 | Walter Evans Edge (1873–1956) | January 16, 1917 – May 16, 1919 (resigned) | Republican | 1916 | ||||
| — | William Nelson Runyon (1871–1931) | May 16, 1919 – January 13, 1920 (senate term expired) | Republican | President of the Senate acting | ||||
| — | Clarence E. Case (1877–1961) | January 13, 1920 – January 20, 1920 (successor took office) | Republican | President of the Senate acting | ||||
| 37 | Edward I. Edwards (1863–1931) | January 20, 1920 – January 15, 1923 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1919 | ||||
| 38 | George Sebastian Silzer (1870–1940) | January 15, 1923 – January 19, 1926 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1922 | ||||
| 39 | A. Harry Moore (1877–1952) | January 19, 1926 – January 15, 1929 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1925 | ||||
| 40 | Morgan Foster Larson (1882–1961) | January 15, 1929 – January 19, 1932 (term-limited) | Republican | 1928 | ||||
| 39 | A. Harry Moore (1877–1952) | January 19, 1932 – January 3, 1935 (resigned) | Democratic | 1931 | ||||
| — | Clifford Ross Powell (1893–1973) | January 3, 1935 – January 8, 1935 (senate term expired) | Republican | President of the Senate acting | ||||
| — | Horace Griggs Prall (1881–1951) | January 8, 1935 – January 15, 1935 (successor took office) | Republican | President of the Senate acting | ||||
| 41 | Harold G. Hoffman (1896–1954) | January 15, 1935 – January 18, 1938 (term-limited) | Republican | 1934 | ||||
| 39 | A. Harry Moore (1877–1952) | January 18, 1938 – January 21, 1941 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1937 | ||||
| 42 | Charles Edison (1890–1969) | January 21, 1941 – January 18, 1944 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1940 | ||||
| 36 | Walter Evans Edge (1873–1956) | January 18, 1944 – January 21, 1947 (term-limited) | Republican | 1943 | ||||
| 43 | Alfred E. Driscoll (1902–1975) | January 21, 1947 – January 19, 1954 (term-limited) | Republican | 1946 | ||||
| 1949 | ||||||||
| 44 | Robert B. Meyner (1908–1990) | January 19, 1954 – January 16, 1962 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1953 | ||||
| 1957 | ||||||||
| 45 | Richard J. Hughes (1909–1992) | January 16, 1962 – January 20, 1970 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1961 | ||||
| 1965 | ||||||||
| 46 | William T. Cahill (1912–1996) | January 20, 1970 – January 15, 1974 (lost nomination) | Republican | 1969 | ||||
| 47 | Brendan Byrne (1924–2018) | January 15, 1974 – January 19, 1982 (term-limited) | Democratic | 1973 | ||||
| 1977 | ||||||||
| 48 | Thomas Kean (b. 1935) | January 19, 1982 – January 16, 1990 (term-limited) | Republican | 1981 | ||||
| 1985 | ||||||||
| 49 | James Florio (1937–2022) | January 16, 1990 – January 18, 1994 (lost election) | Democratic | 1989 | ||||
| 50 | Christine Todd Whitman (b. 1946) | January 18, 1994 – January 31, 2001 (resigned) | Republican | 1993 | ||||
| 1997 | ||||||||
| 51 | Donald DiFrancesco (b. 1944) | January 31, 2001 – January 8, 2002 (senate term expired) | Republican | Succeeded from president of the Senate | ||||
| — | John Farmer Jr. (b. 1957) | January 8, 2002 – January 8, 2002 (successor took office) | Republican | Attorney general acting | ||||
| — | John O. Bennett (b. 1948) | January 8, 2002 – January 12, 2002 (successor took office) | Republican | President of the Senate acting | ||||
| — | Richard Codey (b. 1946) | January 12, 2002 – January 15, 2002 (successor took office) | Democratic | President of the Senate acting | ||||
| 52 | Jim McGreevey (b. 1957) | January 15, 2002 – November 15, 2004 (resigned) | Democratic | 2001 | ||||
| 53 | Richard Codey (b. 1946) | November 16, 2004 – January 17, 2006 (did not run) | Democratic | Succeeded from president of the Senate | ||||
| 54 | Jon Corzine (b. 1947) | January 17, 2006 – January 19, 2010 (lost election) | Democratic | 2005 | ||||
| 55 | Chris Christie (b. 1962) | January 19, 2010 – January 16, 2018 (term-limited) | Republican | 2009 | Kim Guadagno | |||
| 2013 | ||||||||
| 56 | Phil Murphy (b. 1957) | January 16, 2018 – Incumbent | Democratic | 2017 | Sheila Oliver (died August 1, 2023) | |||
| 2021 | ||||||||
| Vacant | ||||||||
| Tahesha Way (appointed September 8, 2023) | ||||||||
Governor-elect
| No. | Governor-elect | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor-elect | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57 | Mikie Sherrill (b. 1972) | Taking office January 20, 2026 | Democratic | 2025 | Dale Caldwell | |||
See also
- Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States (New Jersey)
- List of New Jersey state legislatures
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