The governor of Washington is the head of government of Washington and commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The officeholder has a duty to enforce state laws, the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Washington Legislature and line-item veto power to cancel specific provisions in spending bills. The Washington governor may also convene the legislature on "extraordinary occasions".
| Governor of Washington | |
|---|---|
Seal of the governor | |
Incumbent since January 15, 2025Bob Ferguson | |
| Style |
|
| Status |
|
| Residence | Washington Governor's Mansion |
| Term length | Four years, no term limit |
| Inaugural holder | Elisha P. Ferry |
| Formation | November 11, 1889 |
| Succession | Line of succession |
| Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of Washington |
| Salary | $218,744 |
| Website | governor |
Washington Territory had 14 territorial governors from its organization in 1853 until the formation of the state of Washington in 1889. Territorial governors were appointed by the president of the United States. Elisha P. Ferry had the longest term of eight years and went on to become the state's first governor. William H. Wallace was appointed governor but never took office due to being elected as the territory's congressional delegate. George Edward Cole was appointed governor and took office, but his appointment was never ratified by the U.S. Senate and he was replaced as governor after four months.
Twenty-two individuals have held the office of Governor of Washington since the state's admission to the Union, with Arthur B. Langlie serving non-consecutive terms. Populist Party candidate John Rankin Rogers is the only non-Democratic or Republican nominee to win office. The most recent governor to be from Eastern Washington was Clarence D. Martin, elected in 1932. The current governor is Democrat Bob Ferguson, who took office on January 15, 2025.
List of governors
Territory of Washington
Washington Territory was organized on March 2, 1853, from the northern half of Oregon Territory.
| No. | Governor | Term in office | Appointing President | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaac Stevens (1818–1862) | March 17, 1853 – August 11, 1857 (resigned) | Franklin Pierce | |
| 2 | Fayette McMullen (1805–1880) | May 13, 1857 – March 5, 1859 (successor appointed) | James Buchanan | |
| 3 | Richard D. Gholson (1804–1862) | March 5, 1859 – February 14, 1861 (resigned) | James Buchanan | |
| — | William H. Wallace (1811–1879) | April 9, 1861 – July 8, 1861 (resigned before taking office) | Abraham Lincoln | |
| 4 | William Pickering (1798–1873) | December 19, 1861 – November 21, 1866 (removed) | Abraham Lincoln | |
| Andrew Johnson | ||||
| 5 | George Edward Cole (1826–1906) | November 21, 1866 – March 4, 1867 (rejected by Senate) | Andrew Johnson | |
| 6 | Marshall F. Moore (1829–1870) | April 20, 1867 – April 5, 1869 (successor appointed) | Andrew Johnson | |
| 7 | Alvan Flanders (1825–1894) | April 5, 1869 – March 14, 1870 (successor appointed) | Ulysses S. Grant | |
| 8 | Edward S. Salomon (1836–1913) | March 14, 1870 – April 26, 1872 (resigned) | Ulysses S. Grant | |
| 9 | Elisha P. Ferry (1825–1895) | April 26, 1872 – April 26, 1880 (successor appointed) | Ulysses S. Grant | |
| 10 | William A. Newell (1817–1901) | April 26, 1880 – July 2, 1884 (successor appointed) | Rutherford B. Hayes | |
| 11 | Watson C. Squire (1838–1926) | July 2, 1884 – April 9, 1887 (successor appointed) | Chester A. Arthur | |
| 12 | Eugene Semple (1840–1908) | April 9, 1887 – March 23, 1889 (successor appointed) | Grover Cleveland | |
| 13 | Miles Conway Moore (1845–1919) | March 23, 1889 – November 18, 1889 (statehood) | Benjamin Harrison | |
State of Washington
Washington was admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889. The term for governor is four years, commencing on the second Monday in the January following the election. If the office of governor is vacant or the governor is unable to discharge their duties, the lieutenant governor assumes the duties of governor, though still officially retains the office of lieutenant governor. If both the offices of governor and lieutenant governor are unable to fulfill their duties, the secretary of state is next in line, and then the treasurer. There is no limit to the number of terms a governor may serve. The office of lieutenant governor is not elected on the same ticket as the governor.
| No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elisha P. Ferry (1825–1895) | November 18, 1889 – January 11, 1893 (did not run) | Republican | 1889 | Charles E. Laughton | |||
| 2 | John McGraw (1850–1910) | January 11, 1893 – January 13, 1897 (did not run) | Republican | 1892 | F. H. Luce | |||
| 3 | John Rankin Rogers (1838–1901) | January 13, 1897 – December 26, 1901 (died in office) | Populist | 1896 | Thurston Daniels | |||
| Democratic | 1900 | Henry McBride | ||||||
| 4 | Henry McBride (1856–1937) | December 26, 1901 – January 11, 1905 (lost nomination) | Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor | Vacant | |||
| 5 | Albert E. Mead (1861–1913) | January 11, 1905 – January 27, 1909 (lost nomination) | Republican | 1904 | Charles E. Coon | |||
| 6 | Samuel G. Cosgrove (1847–1909) | January 27, 1909 – March 28, 1909 (died in office) | Republican | 1908 | Marion E. Hay | |||
| 7 | Marion E. Hay (1865–1933) | March 28, 1909 – January 15, 1913 (lost election) | Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor | Vacant | |||
| 8 | Ernest Lister (1870–1919) | January 15, 1913 – June 14, 1919 (died in office) | Democratic | 1912 | Louis F. Hart | |||
| 1916 | ||||||||
| 9 | Louis F. Hart (1862–1929) | June 14, 1919 – January 14, 1925 (did not run) | Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor | Vacant | |||
| 1920 | William J. Coyle | |||||||
| 10 | Roland H. Hartley (1864–1952) | January 14, 1925 – January 11, 1933 (lost nomination) | Republican | 1924 | W. Lon Johnson | |||
| 1928 | John Arthur Gellatly | |||||||
| 11 | Clarence D. Martin (1886–1955) | January 11, 1933 – January 15, 1941 (lost nomination) | Democratic | 1932 | Victor Aloysius Meyers | |||
| 1936 | ||||||||
| 12 | Arthur B. Langlie (1900–1966) | January 15, 1941 – January 10, 1945 (lost election) | Republican | 1940 | ||||
| 13 | Monrad Wallgren (1891–1961) | January 10, 1945 – January 12, 1949 (lost election) | Democratic | 1944 | ||||
| 14 | Arthur B. Langlie (1900–1966) | January 12, 1949 – January 16, 1957 (did not run) | Republican | 1948 | ||||
| 1952 | Emmett T. Anderson | |||||||
| 15 | Albert Rosellini (1910–2011) | January 16, 1957 – January 13, 1965 (lost election) | Democratic | 1956 | John Cherberg | |||
| 1960 | ||||||||
| 16 | Daniel J. Evans (1925–2024) | January 13, 1965 – January 12, 1977 (did not run) | Republican | 1964 | ||||
| 1968 | ||||||||
| 1972 | ||||||||
| 17 | Dixy Lee Ray (1914–1994) | January 12, 1977 – January 14, 1981 (lost nomination) | Democratic | 1976 | ||||
| 18 | John Spellman (1926–2018) | January 14, 1981 – January 16, 1985 (lost election) | Republican | 1980 | ||||
| 19 | Booth Gardner (1936–2013) | January 16, 1985 – January 13, 1993 (did not run) | Democratic | 1984 | ||||
| 1988 | Joel Pritchard | |||||||
| 20 | Mike Lowry (1939–2017) | January 13, 1993 – January 15, 1997 (did not run) | Democratic | 1992 | ||||
| 21 | Gary Locke (b. 1950) | January 15, 1997 – January 12, 2005 (did not run) | Democratic | 1996 | Brad Owen | |||
| 2000 | ||||||||
| 22 | Christine Gregoire (b. 1947) | January 12, 2005 – January 16, 2013 (did not run) | Democratic | 2004 | ||||
| 2008 | ||||||||
| 23 | Jay Inslee (b. 1951) | January 16, 2013 – January 15, 2025 (did not run) | Democratic | 2012 | ||||
| 2016 | Cyrus Habib | |||||||
| 2020 | Denny Heck | |||||||
| 24 | Bob Ferguson (b. 1965) | January 15, 2025 – Incumbent | Democratic | 2024 | ||||
Timeline
| Timeline of Washington governors |
| |
Electoral history (1952–)
| Year | Democratic nominee | Republican nominee | Socialist Labor nominee | Socialist Workers nominee | Libertarian nominee | Other candidate | Other candidate | Other candidate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | # | % | Candidate | # | % | Candidate | # | % | Candidate | # | % | Candidate | # | % | Candidate | # | % | Candidate | # | % | Candidate | # | % | |||||||||
| 1952 | Hugh Mitchell | 510,675 | 47.35% | Arthur B. Langlie | 567,822 | 52.65% | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1956 | Albert Rosellini | 616,773 | 54.63% | Emmett T. Anderson | 508,041 | 45.00% | Henry Killman | 4,163 | 0.37% | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1960 | Albert Rosellini | 611,987 | 50.34% | Lloyd J. Andrews | 594,122 | 48.87% | Henry Killman | 8,647 | 0.71% | Jack W. Wright | 992 | 0.08% | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||||||||
| 1964 | Albert Rosellini | 548,692 | 43.89% | Daniel J. Evans | 697,256 | 55.77% | Henry Killman | 4,326 | 0.35% | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1968 | John J. O'Connell | 560,262 | 44.28% | Daniel J. Evans | 692,378 | 54.72% | Henry Killman | 1,113 | 0.09% | – | – | Ken Chriswell (Conservative) | 11,602 | 0.92% | – | – | ||||||||||||||||
| 1972 | Albert Rosellini | 630,613 | 42.82% | Daniel J. Evans | 747,825 | 50.78% | Henry Killman | 2,709 | 0.18% | Robin David | 4,552 | 0.31% | – | Vic Gould (Taxpayers) | 86,843 | 5.90% | – | – | ||||||||||||||
| 1976 | Dixy Lee Ray | 821,797 | 53.14% | John Spellman | 687,039 | 44.43% | Henry Killman | 4,137 | 0.27% | Patricia A. Bethard | 3,106 | 0.20% | Maurice Willey | 4,133 | 0.27% | Art Manning (American Independent) | 12,406 | 0.80% | Red Kelly (OWL) | 12,400 | 0.80% | Evelyn Olafson (U.S. Labor) | 1,364 | 0.09% | ||||||||
| 1980 | Jim McDermott | 749,813 | 43.32% | John Spellman | 981,083 | 56.68% | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1984 | Booth Gardner | 1,006,993 | 53.31% | John Spellman | 881,994 | 46.69% | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988 | Booth Gardner | 1,166,448 | 62.21% | Bob Williams | 708,481 | 37.79% | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992 | Mike Lowry | 1,184,315 | 52.16% | Ken Eikenberry | 1,086,216 | 47.84% | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996 | Gary Locke | 1,296,492 | 57.96% | Ellen Craswell | 940,538 | 42.04% | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Gary Locke | 1,441,973 | 58.38% | John Carlson | 980,060 | 39.68% | – | – | Steve LePage | 47,819 | 1.94% | – | – | – | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Christine Gregoire | 1,373,361 | 48.87% | Dino Rossi | 1,373,228 | 48.87% | – | – | Ruth Bennett | 63,464 | 2.26% | – | – | – | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Christine Gregoire | 1,598,738 | 53.24% | Dino Rossi | 1,404,124 | 46.76% | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Jay Inslee | 1,582,802 | 51.54% | Rob McKenna | 1,488,245 | 48.46% | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Jay Inslee | 1,760,520 | 54.25% | Bill Bryant | 1,476,346 | 45.49% | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Jay Inslee | 2,294,243 | 56.56% | Loren Culp | 1,749,066 | 43.12% | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | Bob Ferguson | 2,143,368 | 55.51% | Dave Reichert | 1,709,818 | 44.28% | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||||||||||||
See also
- List of Washington state legislatures
- Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Washington
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