The governor of Maine is the head of government of MaineME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 1. and the commander-in-chief of its military forces.ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 7. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws,ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 12. and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Maine Legislature,ME Const. art. IV (Pt. III), § 3. to convene the legislature at any time,ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 13. and, except in cases of impeachment, to grant pardons.ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 11.
There have been 71 governors of Maine since statehood, serving 75 distinct terms. Four governors served multiple non-consecutive terms (Edward Kent, John Fairfield, John W. Dana, and Burton M. Cross).Governors of Maine. Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library. The longest-serving governor was Joseph E. Brennan, who served two terms from 1979 to 1987. The shortest-serving governors were Nathaniel M. Haskell and Richard H. Vose, who each served only one day. John W. Dana also served for one day in 1844, after the incumbent governor resigned, but was later elected to the governorship. The current governor is Democrat Janet Mills, who took office on January 2, 2019.
Governors The District of Maine of Massachusetts was admitted to the Union on March 15, 1820, as the State of Maine. The Maine Constitution of 1820 originally established a gubernatorial term of one year,ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 2, orig. to begin on the first Wednesday of January; constitutional amendments expanded this to two years in 1879ME Const. Amend. 23. and to four years in 1957. The 1957 amendment also prohibited governors from succeeding themselves after serving two terms.ME Const. Amend. 84. The constitution does not establish an office of lieutenant governor; a vacancy in the office of governor is filled by the president of the Maine Senate.ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 14. Prior to an amendment in 1964, the president of the senate only acted as governor.ME Const. Amend. 97.ME Const. art. V (Pt. I), § 14, orig.
+ Governors of the State of MaineGovernorTerm in officePartyElection1 William KingMay 31, 1820–May 28, 1821Democratic–Republican18202William D. WilliamsonMay 28, 1821–December 25, 1821Democratic–Republican3Benjamin AmesDecember 25, 1821–January 2, 1822Democratic–Republican4Daniel RoseJanuary 2, 1822–January 4, 1822Democratic–Republican5Albion ParrisJanuary 4, 1822–January 3, 1827Democratic–Republican182118221823182418256Enoch LincolnJanuary 3, 1827–October 8, 1829Democratic–Republican1826182718287Nathan CutlerOctober 8, 1829–February 5, 1830Democratic–Republican8Joshua HallFebruary 5, 1830–February 10, 1830Democratic–Republican9Jonathan G. HuntonFebruary 10, 1830–January 8, 1831NationalRepublican182910Samuel E. SmithJanuary 8, 1831–January 2, 1834Democratic18301831183211Robert P. DunlapJanuary 2, 1834–January 3, 1838Democratic183318341835183612Edward KentJanuary 19, 1838–January 2, 1839Whig183713John FairfieldJanuary 2, 1839–January 12, 1841Democratic1838183914Richard H. VoseJanuary 12, 1841–January 13, 1841Whig15Edward KentJanuary 13, 1841–January 5, 1842Whig184016John FairfieldJanuary 5, 1842–March 7, 1843Democratic1841184217Edward KavanaghMarch 7, 1843–January 1, 1844Democratic18David DunnJanuary 1, 1844–January 3, 1844Democratic19John W. DanaJanuary 3, 1844–January 5, 1844Democratic20Hugh J. AndersonJanuary 5, 1844–May 18, 1847Democratic18431844184521John W. DanaMay 18, 1847–May 13, 1850Democratic18461847184822John HubbardMay 13, 1850–January 18, 1853Democratic1849185023William G. CrosbyJanuary 18, 1853–January 6, 1855Whig1852185324Anson MorrillJanuary 6, 1855–January 4, 1856Republican185425Samuel WellsJanuary 4, 1856–January 8, 1857Democratic185526Hannibal HamlinJanuary 8, 1857–February 26, 1857Republican185627Joseph H. WilliamsFebruary 26, 1857–January 8, 1858Republican28Lot M. MorrillJanuary 8, 1858–January 3, 1861Republican18571858185929Israel Washburn Jr.January 3, 1861–January 8, 1863Republican1860186130Abner CoburnJanuary 8, 1863–January 7, 1864Republican186231Samuel ConyJanuary 7, 1864–January 3, 1867Republican18631864186532Joshua ChamberlainJanuary 3, 1867–January 5, 1871Republican186618671868186933Sidney PerhamJanuary 5, 1871–January 8, 1874Republican18701871187234Nelson Dingley Jr.January 8, 1874–January 6, 1876Republican1873187435Seldon ConnorJanuary 6, 1876–January 8, 1879Republican18751876187736Alonzo GarcelonJanuary 8, 1879–January 17, 1880Democratic187837Daniel F. DavisJanuary 17, 1880–January 13, 1881Republican187938Harris M. PlaistedJanuary 13, 1881–January 4, 1883Greenback188039Frederick RobieJanuary 4, 1883–January 6, 1887Republican1882188440Joseph R. BodwellJanuary 6, 1887–December 15, 1887Republican188641Sebastian Streeter MarbleDecember 15, 1887–January 3, 1889Republican42Edwin C. BurleighJanuary 3, 1889–January 5, 1893Republican1888189043Henry B. CleavesJanuary 5, 1893–January 7, 1897Republican1892189444Llewellyn PowersJanuary 7, 1897–January 3, 1901Republican1896189845John Fremont HillJanuary 3, 1901–January 5, 1905Republican1900190246William T. CobbJanuary 5, 1905–January 7, 1909Republican1904190647Bert M. FernaldJanuary 7, 1909–January 5, 1911Republican190848Frederick W. PlaistedJanuary 5, 1911–January 2, 1913Democratic191049William T. HainesJanuary 2, 1913–January 7, 1915Republican191250Oakley C. CurtisJanuary 7, 1915–January 4, 1917Democratic191451Carl MillikenJanuary 4, 1917–January 6, 1921Republican1916191852Frederic Hale ParkhurstJanuary 6, 1921–January 31, 1921Republican192053Percival P. BaxterJanuary 31, 1921–January 8, 1925Republican192254Ralph Owen BrewsterJanuary 8, 1925–January 3, 1929Republican1924192655William Tudor GardinerJanuary 3, 1929–January 5, 1933Republican1928193056Louis J. BrannJanuary 5, 1933–January 7, 1937Democratic1932193457Lewis O. BarrowsJanuary 7, 1937–January 2, 1941Republican1936193858Sumner SewallJanuary 2, 1941–January 4, 1945Republican1940194259Horace HildrethJanuary 4, 1945–January 6, 1949Republican1944194660Frederick G. PayneJanuary 6, 1949–December 25, 1952Republican19481950—Burton M. CrossDecember 26, 1952–January 7, 1953Republican—Nathaniel M. HaskellJanuary 7, 1953–January 8, 1953Republican61Burton M. CrossJanuary 8, 1953–January 6, 1955Republican195262Edmund MuskieJanuary 6, 1955–January 2, 1959Democratic1954195663Robert HaskellJanuary 3, 1959–January 8, 1959Republican64Clinton ClausonJanuary 8, 1959–December 30, 1959Democratic195865John H. ReedDecember 30, 1959–January 5, 1967Republican1960196266Kenneth M. CurtisJanuary 5, 1967–January 2, 1975Democratic1966197067James B. LongleyJanuary 2, 1975–January 3, 1979Independent197468Joseph E. BrennanJanuary 4, 1979–January 8, 1987Democratic1978198270John R. McKernan Jr.January 8, 1987–January 5, 1995Republican1986199071Angus KingJanuary 5, 1995–January 8, 2003Independent1994199872John BaldacciJanuary 8, 2003–January 5, 2011Democratic2002200673Paul LePageJanuary 5, 2011–January 2, 2019Republican2010201474Janet MillsJanuary 2, 2019–IncumbentDemocratic20182022
See also
List of Maine state legislatures
Notes
References General
Specific
External links
Office of the Governor of Maine