List of governors of North Carolina

The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the U.S. state of North Carolina and commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.

There have been 70 governors of North Carolina, with six serving non-consecutive terms, totaling 76 terms. The current governor is Democrat Josh Stein, who took office on January 1, 2025.

Governors

Presidents of the Council Prior to declaring its independence, North Carolina was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain. The 13-member Provincial Council, renamed the Council of Safety in April 1776, was essentially the executive authority during the second year of the revolution, and was appointed by the Provincial Congress. The Presidency of the Council and the Presidency of the Congress could each be considered the highest offices in the state during this time, but the council was supreme when the congress was not in session.

Cornelius Harnett served as the first president from October 18, 1775, to August 21, 1776. Samuel Ashe then served until September 27, 1776, and Willie Jones until October 25, 1776, at which time a state government had been formed.

State governors

North Carolina was one of the original Thirteen Colonies, and was admitted as a state on November 21, 1789. It seceded from the Union on May 20, 1861, and joined the Confederate States of America on May 21, 1861. Following the end of the American Civil War, North Carolina during Reconstruction was part of the Second Military District, which exerted some control over governor appointments and elections. North Carolina was readmitted to the Union on July 4, 1868.Act authorizing readmission on ratification of 14th amendment: . Proclamation of North Carolina's ratification: .

The first constitution of 1776 created the office of governor, to be chosen by the legislature annually, and whom may only serve up to three out of every six years.1776 Const. art. XV An amendment in 1835 changed this to popular election for a term of two years, allowing them to succeed themselves once. The 1868 constitution lengthened terms to four years, to commence on the first day of January after the election,1868 Const. art. III, § 1 but they could not succeed themselves,1868 Const. art. III, § 2 a limit that was changed in 1977 to allow them to succeed themselves once.

The office of lieutenant governor was created in 1868, to act as governor when that office is vacant;1868 Const. art. III, § 12 in 1971 this was changed so that the lieutenant governor becomes governor.NC Const. art. III, § 3 Before the office was created, the speaker of the senate would act as governor should it be vacant.1776 Const. art. XIX The governor and the lieutenant governor are not officially elected on the same ticket.

+ Governors of the State of North CarolinaGovernorTerm in officePartyElectionLt. Governor1 Richard CaswellDecember 23, 1776–April 21, 1780No partiesOffice did not exist1777177817792Abner NashApril 21, 1780–June 26, 178117803Thomas BurkeJune 26, 1781Minutes of the North Carolina House of Commons, Volume 17, 26 June 1781, 897. Documenting the American South, University Library, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Accessed May 16, 2023.–April 22, 178217814Alexander MartinApril 22, 1782Minutes of the North Carolina House of Commons, Volume 16, 22 April 1782, 40. Documenting the American South, University Library, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Accessed May 22, 2023.–May 13, 17851782178317845Richard CaswellMay 13, 1785–December 20, 1787178517866Samuel JohnstonDecember 20, 1787–December 17, 1789Federalist1787178817897Alexander MartinDecember 17, 1789–December 14, 1792Federalist1789179017918Richard Dobbs SpaightDecember 14, 1792–November 19, 1795Federalist1792179317949Samuel AsheNovember 19, 1795–December 7, 1798Democratic-Republican17951796179710William Richardson DavieDecember 7, 1798–November 23, 1799Federalist179811Benjamin WilliamsNovember 23, 1799–December 6, 1802Federalist179918001801—John Baptista AsheDied beforetaking officeDemocratic-Republican180212James TurnerDecember 6, 1802–December 10, 1805Democratic-Republican18021803180413Nathaniel AlexanderDecember 10, 1805–December 1, 1807Democratic-Republican1805180614Benjamin WilliamsDecember 1, 1807–December 12, 1808Federalist180715David StoneDecember 12, 1808–December 5, 1810Democratic-Republican1808180916Benjamin SmithDecember 5, 1810–December 9, 1811Democratic-Republican181017William HawkinsDecember 9, 1811–December 7, 1814Democratic-Republican18111812181318William MillerDecember 7, 1814–December 6, 1817Democratic-Republican18141815181619John BranchDecember 6, 1817–December 7, 1820Democratic-Republican18171818181920Jesse FranklinDecember 7, 1820–December 7, 1821Democratic-Republican182021Gabriel HolmesDecember 7, 1821–December 7, 1824Democratic-Republican18211822182322Hutchins Gordon BurtonDecember 7, 1824–December 8, 1827Democratic-Republican18241825182623James Iredell Jr.December 8, 1827–December 12, 1828Democratic-Republican182724John OwenDecember 12, 1828–December 18, 1830 Democratic-Republican1828182925Montfort StokesDecember 18, 1830–December 6, 1832Democratic-Republican1830183126David Lowry SwainDecember 6, 1832–December 10, 1835NationalRepublican18321833183427Richard Dobbs Spaight Jr.December 10, 1835–December 31, 1836Democratic183528Edward Bishop DudleyDecember 31, 1836–January 1, 1841Whig1836183829John Motley MoreheadJanuary 1, 1841–January 1, 1845Whig1840184230William Alexander GrahamJanuary 1, 1845–January 1, 1849Whig1844184631Charles ManlyJanuary 1, 1849–January 1, 1851Whig184832David Settle ReidJanuary 1, 1851–December 6, 1854Democratic1850185233Warren WinslowDecember 6, 1854–January 1, 1855Democratic34Thomas BraggJanuary 1, 1855–January 1, 1859Democratic1854185635John Willis EllisJanuary 1, 1859–July 7, 1861Democratic1858186036Henry Toole ClarkJuly 7, 1861–September 8, 1862Democratic37Zebulon Baird VanceSeptember 8, 1862–May 13, 1865Conservative18621864—VacantMay 13, 1865–May 29, 186538William Woods HoldenMay 29, 1865–December 15, 186539Jonathan WorthDecember 15, 1865–July 1, 1868Conservative1865186640William Woods HoldenJuly 1, 1868–March 22, 1871Republican1868 41Tod Robinson CaldwellMarch 22, 1871–July 11, 1874RepublicanActing as governor187242Curtis Hooks BrogdenJuly 11, 1874–January 1, 1877RepublicanActing as governor43Zebulon Baird VanceJanuary 1, 1877–February 5, 1879Democratic187644Thomas Jordan JarvisFebruary 5, 1879–January 21, 1885DemocraticActing as governor188045Alfred Moore ScalesJanuary 21, 1885–January 17, 1889Democratic188446Daniel Gould FowleJanuary 17, 1889–April 7, 1891Democratic188847Thomas Michael HoltApril 7, 1891–January 18, 1893DemocraticActing as governor48Elias CarrJanuary 18, 1893–January 12, 1897Democratic189249Daniel Lindsay RussellJanuary 12, 1897–January 15, 1901Republican189650Charles Brantley AycockJanuary 15, 1901–January 11, 1905Democratic190051Robert Broadnax GlennJanuary 11, 1905–January 12, 1909Democratic190452William Walton KitchinJanuary 12, 1909–January 15, 1913Democratic190853Locke CraigJanuary 15, 1913–January 11, 1917Democratic191254Thomas Walter BickettJanuary 11, 1917–January 12, 1921Democratic191655Cameron A. MorrisonJanuary 12, 1921–January 14, 1925Democratic192056Angus Wilton McLeanJanuary 14, 1925–January 11, 1929Democratic192457Oliver Max GardnerJanuary 11, 1929–January 5, 1933Democratic192858John C. B. EhringhausJanuary 5, 1933–January 7, 1937Democratic193259Clyde R. HoeyJanuary 7, 1937–January 9, 1941Democratic193660J. Melville BroughtonJanuary 9, 1941–January 4, 1945Democratic194061R. Gregg CherryJanuary 4, 1945–January 6, 1949Democratic194462W. Kerr ScottJanuary 6, 1949–January 8, 1953Democratic194863William B. UmsteadJanuary 8, 1953–November 7, 1954Democratic195264Luther H. HodgesNovember 7, 1954–January 5, 1961DemocraticActing as governor195665Terry SanfordJanuary 5, 1961–January 8, 1965Democratic1960Vacant66Dan K. MooreJanuary 8, 1965–January 3, 1969Democratic196467Robert W. ScottJanuary 3, 1969–January 5, 1973Democratic196868James HolshouserJanuary 5, 1973–January 8, 1977Republican197269Jim HuntJanuary 8, 1977–January 5, 1985Democratic1976198070James G. MartinJanuary 5, 1985–January 9, 1993Republican1984198871Jim HuntJanuary 9, 1993–January 6, 2001Democratic1992199672Mike EasleyJanuary 6, 2001–January 10, 2009Democratic2000200473Bev PerdueJanuary 10, 2009–January 5, 2013Democratic200874Pat McCroryJanuary 5, 2013–January 1, 2017Republican201275Roy CooperJanuary 1, 2017–January 1, 2025Democratic2016202076Josh SteinJanuary 1, 2025–IncumbentDemocratic2024

See also List of first ladies and gentlemen of North Carolina List of North Carolina state legislatures

Notes

References

General

Specific

External links

Office of the Governor of North Carolina