List of governors of Rhode Island

The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government of Rhode Island and serves as commander-in-chief of the U.S. state's Army National Guard and Air National Guard. The current governor is Dan McKee.

Governors

Rhode Island was one of the original Thirteen Colonies and was admitted as a state on May 29, 1790. Before it declared its independence, Rhode Island was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain.

The state initially continued operating under the provisions of its 1663 charter, which simply said that the governor and deputy-governor would be elected from time to time. The 1842 constitution formalized the terms for governor and lieutenant governor to be one year, beginning on the first Tuesday of May after the election.1842 Const. art. 8, § 1 Amendment XVI, taking effect in 1911, changed the term to be two years beginning from the first Tuesday in the January after the election."Annotated Constitution of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations" (1988). Library Archive. 26. Page 16. Accessed June 13, 2023 Terms were lengthened to four years in 1992, but governors were now limited to succeeding themselves only once. A former governor can run again after a four year break. Should the office of governor be vacant, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.RI Const. art. 9, § 9 The governor and the lieutenant governor are not officially elected on the same ticket.

+ Governors of the State of Rhode IslandGovernorTerm in officePartyElectionLt. Governor1 Nicholas CookeNovember 7, 1775–May 6, 1778No parties1776 17772William Greene Jr.May 6, 1778–May 3, 1786177817791780178117821783178417853John CollinsMay 3, 1786–May 5, 179017861787178817894Arthur FennerMay 5, 1790–October 15, 1805Country1790179117921793179417951796179717981799180018011802180318041805Vacant5Henry SmithOctober 15, 1805–May 7, 1806Democratic-Republican6Isaac WilbourMay 7, 1806–May 6, 1807Democratic-Republican1806Acting as governor7James FennerMay 6, 1807–May 1, 1811Democratic-Republican18071808180918108William JonesMay 1, 1811–May 7, 1817Federalist1811181218131814181518169Nehemiah R. KnightMay 7, 1817–January 9, 1821Democratic-Republican181718181819182010Edward WilcoxJanuary 9, 1821–May 2, 1821Democratic-RepublicanVacant11William C. GibbsMay 2, 1821–May 5, 1824Democratic-Republican18211822182312James FennerMay 5, 1824–May 4, 1831Democratic-Republican182418251826182718281829183013Lemuel H. ArnoldMay 4, 1831–May 1, 1833NationalRepublican1831183214John Brown FrancisMay 1, 1833–May 2, 1838Democratic-Republican/Anti-Masonic1833Democratic183418351836183715William Sprague IIIMay 2, 1838–May 2, 1839Whig183816Samuel Ward KingMay 2, 1839–May 2, 1843Whig183918401841184217James FennerMay 2, 1843–May 6, 1845Law and Order1843184418Charles JacksonMay 6, 1845–May 6, 1846Liberation184519Byron DimanMay 6, 1846–May 4, 1847Law and Order184620Elisha HarrisMay 4, 1847–May 1, 1849Whig1847184821Henry B. AnthonyMay 1, 1849–May 6, 1851Whig1849185022Philip AllenMay 6, 1851–July 20, 1853Democratic18511852185323Francis M. DimondJuly 20, 1853–May 2, 1854DemocraticVacant24William W. HoppinMay 2, 1854–May 26, 1857Whig18541855185625Elisha DyerMay 26, 1857–May 31, 1859Republican1857185826Thomas G. TurnerMay 31, 1859–May 29, 1860Republican185927William Sprague IVMay 29, 1860–March 3, 1863Democratic186018611862 Vacant28William C. CozzensMarch 3, 1863–May 26, 1863Democratic29James Y. SmithMay 26, 1863–May 29, 1866Republican186318641865 30Ambrose BurnsideMay 29, 1866–May 25, 1869Republican186618671868 31Seth PadelfordMay 25, 1869–May 27, 1873Republican186918701871187232Henry HowardMay 27, 1873–May 25, 1875Republican1873187433Henry LippittMay 25, 1875–May 29, 1877Republican1875187634Charles C. Van ZandtMay 29, 1877–May 25, 1880Republican18771878187935Alfred H. LittlefieldMay 25, 1880–May 29, 1883Republican18801881188236Augustus O. BournMay 29, 1883–May 26, 1885Republican1883188437George P. WetmoreMay 26, 1885–May 31, 1887Republican1885188638John W. DavisMay 31, 1887–May 29, 1888Democratic188739Royal C. TaftMay 29, 1888–May 28, 1889Republican188840Herbert W. LaddMay 28, 1889–May 27, 1890Republican188941John W. DavisMay 27, 1890–May 26, 1891Democratic189042Herbert W. LaddMay 26, 1891–May 31, 1892Republican189143Daniel Russell BrownMay 31, 1892–May 29, 1895Republican18921893189444Charles W. LippittMay 29, 1895–May 25, 1897Republican1895189645Elisha Dyer Jr.May 25, 1897–May 29, 1900Republican18971898189946William GregoryMay 29, 1900–December 16, 1901Republican190047Charles D. KimballDecember 16, 1901–January 6, 1903RepublicanVacant190148Lucius F. C. GarvinJanuary 6, 1903–January 3, 1905Democratic19021903 49George H. UtterJanuary 3, 1905–January 1, 1907Republican19041905 50James H. HigginsJanuary 1, 1907–January 5, 1909Democratic1906190751Aram J. PothierJanuary 5, 1909–January 5, 1915Republican1908190919101911191252Robert Livingston BeeckmanJanuary 5, 1915–January 4, 1921Republican19141916191853Emery J. San SouciJanuary 4, 1921–January 2, 1923Republican192054William S. FlynnJanuary 2, 1923–January 6, 1925Democratic192255Aram J. PothierJanuary 6, 1925–February 4, 1928Republican1924192656Norman S. CaseFebruary 4, 1928–January 3, 1933RepublicanVacant1928193057Theodore F. GreenJanuary 3, 1933–January 5, 1937Democratic1932193458Robert E. QuinnJanuary 5, 1937–January 3, 1939Democratic193659William Henry Vanderbilt IIIJanuary 3, 1939–January 7, 1941Republican193860J. Howard McGrathJanuary 7, 1941–October 6, 1945Democratic19401942194461John PastoreOctober 6, 1945–December 19, 1950Democratic1946194862John S. McKiernanDecember 19, 1950–January 2, 1951DemocraticVacant63Dennis J. RobertsJanuary 2, 1951–January 6, 1959Democratic195019521954195664Christopher Del SestoJanuary 6, 1959–January 3, 1961Republican195865John A. Notte Jr.January 3, 1961–January 1, 1963Democratic196066John ChafeeJanuary 1, 1963–January 7, 1969Republican19621964196667Frank LichtJanuary 7, 1969–January 2, 1973Democratic1968197068Philip NoelJanuary 2, 1973–January 4, 1977Democratic1972197469J. Joseph GarrahyJanuary 4, 1977–January 1, 1985Democratic1976197819801982 70Edward D. DiPreteJanuary 1, 1985–January 1, 1991Republican19841986198871Bruce SundlunJanuary 1, 1991–January 3, 1995Democratic1990199272Lincoln AlmondJanuary 3, 1995–January 7, 2003Republican1994199873Donald CarcieriJanuary 7, 2003–January 4, 2011Republican2002200674Lincoln ChafeeJanuary 4, 2011–January 6, 2015Independent201075Gina RaimondoJanuary 6, 2015–March 2, 2021Democratic2014201876Dan McKeeMarch 2, 2021–IncumbentDemocratic2022

List of governors of Rhode Island

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