The governor of Oregon is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oregon and the highest-ranking official in the state.

List of governors The Oregon Country was obtained by the United States on January 30, 1819, as a shared region with the United Kingdom. The Oregon Treaty ended the sharing and formally established the borders on June 15, 1846.

The Champoeg Meetings, including a constitutional committee, held from February 1841 until May 1843, served as a de facto government before the government was officially established. While early attempts at establishing a government had been unsuccessful because of discontent between English American and French Canadian settlers over the question of whom they should choose as governor, several other officers were elected at these meetings, including Ira Babcock as Supreme Judge. For lack of a government, the Supreme Judge also received executive and legislative duties.DR. IRA L. BABCOCK, biography from Oregon Government, retrieved 15 May 2017A History of Oregon, 1792-1849, retrieved 15 May 2017

The meetings at Champoeg led up to the first constitution of the Oregon Country and several petitions for U.S. territorial status. The resulting acts created a provisional government on July 5, 1843. The first leaders of this government were an elected three-person Executive Committee. Later, George Abernethy was elected governor, and served from June 3, 1845, to March 3, 1849, though this government was never recognized by the federal government.

Oregon Territory

The region was organized as Oregon Territory on August 14, 1848. During its history it had five governors appointed by the president of the United States.

+ Governors of the Territory of OregonGovernorTerm in officeAppointed by1Joseph LaneAugust 18, 1848–October 2, 18492John P. GainesOctober 2, 1849–May 16, 18533Joseph LaneMay 16, 1853–May 18, 18534John Wesley DavisSeptember 6, 1853–August 1, 18545George Law CurryNovember 1, 1854–July 8, 1858

State of Oregon The state of Oregon was admitted to the Union on February 14, 1859.

The 1857 Constitution of Oregon provided for the election of a governor every four years, to serve no more than eight out of any twelve years.OR Const. art. V, § 1 This length and limit have never been changed. It is one of the few states without a lieutenant governor. The office would devolve upon the secretary of state upon vacancyOR Const. art. V, § 8, orig. until a 1920 amendment put the president of the Senate first in the line of succession, and a 1972 amendment returned the secretary of state to the front.

+ Governors of the State of OregonGovernorTerm in officePartyElection1 John WhiteakerJuly 8, 1858–September 10, 1862Democratic18582 A. C. GibbsSeptember 10, 1862–September 12, 1866Republican18623George Lemuel WoodsSeptember 12, 1866–September 14, 1870Republican18664La Fayette GroverSeptember 14, 1870–February 1, 1877Democratic187018745Stephen F. ChadwickFebruary 1, 1877–September 11, 1878Democratic6W. W. ThayerSeptember 11, 1878–September 13, 1882Democratic18787Zenas Ferry MoodySeptember 13, 1882–January 12, 1887Republican18828Sylvester PennoyerJanuary 12, 1887–January 16, 1895Democratic188618909William Paine LordJanuary 16, 1895–January 10, 1899Republican189410Theodore Thurston GeerJanuary 10, 1899–January 14, 1903Republican189811George Earle ChamberlainJanuary 14, 1903–March 1, 1909Democratic1902190612Frank W. BensonMarch 1, 1909–June 16, 1910Republican13Jay BowermanJune 16, 1910–January 10, 1911Republican14Oswald WestJanuary 10, 1911–January 12, 1915Democratic191015James WithycombeJanuary 12, 1915–March 3, 1919Republican1914191816Ben W. OlcottMarch 3, 1919–January 8, 1923Republican17Walter M. PierceJanuary 8, 1923–January 10, 1927Democratic192218I. L. PattersonJanuary 10, 1927–December 21, 1929Republican192619Albin Walter Norblad Sr.December 21, 1929–January 12, 1931Republican20Julius MeierJanuary 12, 1931–January 14, 1935Independent193021Charles MartinJanuary 14, 1935–January 9, 1939Democratic193422Charles A. SpragueJanuary 9, 1939–January 13, 1943Republican193823Earl SnellJanuary 13, 1943–October 28, 1947Republican1942194624John Hubert HallOctober 28, 1947–January 10, 1949Republican25Douglas McKayJanuary 10, 1949–December 17, 1952Republican1948195026Paul L. PattersonDecember 17, 1952–January 31, 1956Republican195427Elmo SmithJanuary 31, 1956–January 14, 1957Republican28Robert D. HolmesJanuary 14, 1957–January 12, 1959Democratic195629 Mark HatfieldJanuary 12, 1959–January 9, 1967Republican1958196230Tom McCallJanuary 9, 1967–January 13, 1975Republican1966197031Robert W. StraubJanuary 13, 1975–January 8, 1979Democratic197432Victor AtiyehJanuary 8, 1979–January 12, 1987Republican1978198233Neil GoldschmidtJanuary 12, 1987–January 14, 1991Democratic198634Barbara RobertsJanuary 14, 1991–January 9, 1995Democratic199035John KitzhaberJanuary 9, 1995–January 13, 2003Democratic1994199836Ted KulongoskiJanuary 13, 2003–January 10, 2011Democratic20022006 37John KitzhaberJanuary 10, 2011–February 18, 2015Democratic20102014 38Kate BrownFebruary 18, 2015–January 9, 2023Democratic2016201839Tina KotekJanuary 9, 2023–IncumbentDemocratic2022

Electoral history (1950–) YearDemocratic nomineeRepublican nomineeIndependent candidateLibertarian nomineePacific Green nomineeConstitution nomineeOther candidateOther candidateOther candidateCandidate#%Candidate#%Candidate#%Candidate#%Candidate#%Candidate#%Candidate#%Candidate#%Candidate#% 1950 Austin F. Flegel 171,750 33.95% Douglas McKay 334,160 66.05% – – – – – – – 1954 Joseph K. Carson 244,170 43.09% Paul L. Patterson 322,522 56.91% – – – – – – – 1956 Robert D. Holmes 369,439 50.52% Elmo Smith 361,840 49.48% – – – – – – – 1958 Robert D. Holmes 267,934 44.66% Mark Hatfield 331,900 55.32% – – – – – – – 1962 Robert Y. Thornton 265,359 41.63% Mark Hatfield 345,497 54.20% Robert H. Wampler 26,142 4.10% – – – – – – 1966 Robert W. Straub 305,008 44.67% Tom McCall 377,346 55.26% – – – – – – – 1970 Robert W. Straub 292,892 44.30% Tom McCall 369,964 55.52% – – – – – – – 1974 Robert W. Straub 444,812 57.73% Victor Atiyeh 324,751 42.14% – – – – – – – 1978 Robert W. Straub 409,411 45.10% Victor Atiyeh 498,452 54.90% – – – – – – – 1982 Ted Kulongoski 374,316 35.92% Victor Atiyeh 639,841 61.41% – Paul Cleveland 27,394 2.63% – – – – – 1986 Neil Goldschmidt 549,456 51.85% Norma Paulus 506,989 47.85% – – – – – – – 1990 Barbara Roberts 508,749 45.75% David B. Frohnmayer 444,646 39.98% Al Mobley 144,062 12.95% Fred Oerther 14,583 1.31% – – – – – 1994 John Kitzhaber 622,083 50.95% Denny Smith 517,874 42.41% – Danford D. 20,183 1.65% – – Ed Hickam(American) 58,449 4.79% – – 1998 John Kitzhaber 717,061 64.42% Bill Sizemore 334,001 30.01% – Richard P. Burke 20,200 1.81% Blair Bobier 15,843 1.42% – 10,144 0.91% 7,823 0.70% 5,772 0.52% 2002 Ted Kulongoski 618,004 49.03% Kevin Mannix 581,785 46.16% – Tom Cox 57,760 4.58% – – – – – 2006 Ted Kulongoski 699,786 50.73% Ron Saxton 589,748 42.75% – Richard Morley 16,798 1.22% Joe Keating 20,030 1.45% Richard Morley 50,229 3.64% – – – 2010 John Kitzhaber 716,525 49.29% Chris Dudley 694,287 47.76% – Wes Wagner 19,048 1.31% – Greg Kord 20,475 1.41% – – – 2014 John Kitzhaber 733,230 49.89% Dennis Richardson 648,542 44.13% – Paul Grad 21,903 1.49% Jason Levin 29,561 2.01% Aaron Auer 15,929 1.08% 13,898 0.95% – – 2016 Kate Brown 985,027 50.62% Bud Pierce 845,609 43.45% Cliff Thomason 47,481 2.44% James Foster 45,191 2.32% – Aaron Auer 19,400 1.00% – – – 2018 Kate Brown 934,498 50.05% Knute Buehler 814,988 43.65% Patrick Starnes 53,392 2.86% Nick Chen 28,927 1.55% – Aaron Auer 21,145 1.13% 11,013 0.59% – – 2022 Tina Kotek 917,074 46.96% Christine Drazan 850,347 43.54% Betsy Johnson 168,431 8.63% R. Leon Noble 6,867 0.35% – Donice Smith 8,051 0.41% – – –

See also List of Oregon Legislative Assemblies

Notes

References General

Specific

External links

Office of the Governor of Oregon