The Governor of Michigan is the head of the executive branch of Michigan's state government and is the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces .[ 2]
The governor has a duty to enforce state laws. He or she is also empowered to reorganize the executive branch of the state government.[ 3]
In 1805, the Michigan Territory was created, and five men were territorial governors, until Michigan was granted statehood in 1837. Forty-eight individuals have held the position of state governor. The first female governor, Jennifer Granholm , was elected in 2003.
Parties Democratic (19) Whig (2) Republican (28)
# Governor Took office Left office Party Lt. Governor Notes 1 Stevens T. Mason November 3, 1835 January 7, 1840 Democratic Edward Mundy 2 William Woodbridge January 7, 1840 February 23, 1841 Whig James Wright Gordon [ a] 3 James Wright Gordon February 23, 1841 January 3, 1842 Whig Thomas J. Drake [ b] 4 John S. Barry January 3, 1842 January 5, 1846 Democratic Origen D. Richardson 5 Alpheus Felch January 5, 1846 March 3, 1847 Democratic William L. Greenly [ a] 6 William L. Greenly March 4, 1847 January 3, 1848 Democratic Charles P. Bush [ b] 7 Epaphroditus Ransom January 3, 1848 January 7, 1850 Democratic William M. Fenton 8 John S. Barry January 7, 1850 January 1, 1852 Democratic William M. Fenton 9 Robert McClelland [ c] January 1, 1852 March 7, 1853 Democratic Calvin Britain [ d] Andrew Parsons 10 Andrew Parsons March 8, 1853 January 3, 1855 Democratic George Griswold [ b] 11 Kinsley S. Bingham January 3, 1855 January 5, 1859 Republican George Coe 12 Moses Wisner January 5, 1859 January 2, 1861 Republican Edmund B. Fairfield 13 Austin Blair January 2, 1861 January 3, 1865 Republican James M. Birney Joseph R. Williams Henry T. Backus Charles S. May 14 Henry H. Crapo January 3, 1865 January 6, 1869 Republican Ebenezer Grosvenor Dwight May 15 Henry P. Baldwin January 6, 1869 January 1, 1873 Republican Morgan Bates 16 John J. Bagley January 1, 1873 January 3, 1877 Republican Henry H. Holt 17 Charles Croswell January 3, 1877 January 1, 1881 Republican Alonzo Sessions 18 David Jerome January 1, 1881 January 1, 1883 Republican Moreau S. Crosby 19 Josiah Begole January 1, 1883 January 1, 1885 Democratic Moreau S. Crosby (Republican ) 20 Russell Alger January 1, 1885 January 1, 1887 Republican Archibald Buttars 21 Cyrus G. Luce January 1, 1887 January 1, 1891 Republican James H. MacDonald William Ball 22 Edwin B. Winans January 1, 1891 January 1, 1893 Democratic John Strong 23 John T. Rich January 1, 1893 January 1, 1897 Republican J. Wight Giddings Alfred Milnes Joseph R. McLaughlin 24 Hazen S. Pingree January 1, 1897 January 1, 1901 Republican Thomas B. Dunstan Orrin W. Robinson 25 Aaron T. Bliss January 1, 1901 January 1, 1905 Republican Orrin W. Robinson Alexander Maitland 26 Fred M. Warner January 1, 1905 January 2, 1911 Republican Alexander Maitland Patrick H. Kelley 27 Chase Osborn January 2, 1911 January 1, 1913 Republican John Q. Ross 28 Woodbridge Nathan Ferris January 1, 1913 January 1, 1917 Democratic John Q. Ross (Republican ) Luren Dickinson (Republican ) 29 Albert Sleeper January 1, 1917 January 1, 1921 Republican Luren Dickinson 30 Alex Groesbeck January 1, 1921 January 1, 1927 Republican Thomas Read George W. Welsh 31 Fred W. Green January 1, 1927 January 1, 1931 Republican Luren Dickinson 32 Wilber M. Brucker January 1, 1931 January 1, 1933 Republican Luren Dickinson 33 William Comstock January 1, 1933 January 1, 1935 Democratic Allen E. Stebbins 34 Frank Fitzgerald January 1, 1935 January 1, 1937 Republican Thomas Read 35 Frank Murphy January 1, 1937 January 1, 1939 Democratic Leo J. Nowicki 36 Frank Fitzgerald January 1, 1939 March 16, 1939 Republican Luren Dickinson [ e] 37 Luren Dickinson March 16, 1939 January 1, 1941 Republican Matilda Dodge Wilson [ b] 38 Murray Van Wagoner January 1, 1941 January 1, 1943 Democratic Frank Murphy 39 Harry Kelly January 1, 1943 January 1, 1947 Republican Eugene C. Keyes Vernon J. Brown 40 Kim Sigler January 1, 1947 January 1, 1949 Republican Eugene C. Keyes 41 G. Mennen Williams January 1, 1949 January 1, 1961 Democratic John W. Connolly William C. Vandenberg (Republican ) Clarence A. Reid (Republican ) Philip A. Hart John B. Swainson 42 John Swainson January 1, 1961 January 1, 1963 Democratic T. John Lesinski 43 George W. Romney January 1, 1963 January 22, 1969 Republican T. John Lesinski (Democratic ) [ f] William Milliken 44 William Milliken January 22, 1969 January 1, 1983 Republican Thomas F. Schweigert [ g] James H. Brickley James Damman James H. Brickley 45 James Blanchard January 1, 1983 January 1, 1991 Democratic Martha Griffiths 46 John Engler January 1, 1991 January 1, 2003 Republican Connie Binsfeld [ h] Dick Posthumus 47 Jennifer Granholm January 1, 2003 January 1, 2011 Democratic John D. Cherry, Jr. 48 Rick Snyder January 1, 2011 January 1, 2019 Republican Brian Calley 49 Gretchen Whitmer January 1, 2019 Present Democratic Garlin Gilchrist
As of September 2024, there are four living former governors of Michigan. The most recent death of a former governor was that of William Milliken on October 18, 2019. The state's living former governors are:
Governor Gubernatorial term Date of birth (and age) James Blanchard 1983–1991 (1942-08-08 ) August 8, 1942 (age 82) John Engler 1991–2003 (1948-10-12 ) October 12, 1948 (age 75) Jennifer Granholm 2003–2011 (1959-02-05 ) February 5, 1959 (age 65) Rick Snyder 2011–2019 (1958-08-19 ) August 19, 1958 (age 66)
↑ Macomb, Alex (1837). "No. 20: Letter from Major General Macomb, to His Excellency the Governor of Michigan, Accompanying a Copy of Military Tactics" . Documents Accompanying the Journal of the Senate . Detroit: John S. Bagg, State Printer. p. 167. ↑ 1963 Michigan Constitution, Article 5, Section 12 ↑ 1963 Michigan Constitution, Article 5, Section 2 ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Dunbar, Willis F. & May, George S. (1995). Michigan: A History of the Wolverine State (Third Revised ed.). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. pp. 276 –78. ISBN 978-0-8028-7055-1 . ↑ Gardner, Washington (1913). History of Calhoun County, Michigan . Lewis Pub. Co. p. 220. ↑ "Former Lieutenant Governors" . State of Michigan. Archived from the original on April 3, 2013. Retrieved March 25, 2013 .