The United States has 50 states and 5 territories that each elect a governor to serve as chief executive of the state or territorial government. The sole federal district, the District of Columbia, elects a mayor to oversee its government in a similar manner. In the event of a vacancy, the governor is succeeded by the second-highest-ranking state official; in 45 states and 4 territories, the lieutenant governor is the first in the line of succession.

, there are 26 states with Republican governors and 24 states with Democratic governors. The Democratic Party controls two territorial governorships, the Republican Party controls one, and one is an independent. Jenniffer González-Colón of Puerto Rico is a member of the New Progressive Party, although she is also affiliated with the Republican Party. The federal District of Columbia is governed by a Democratic mayor.

The current gubernatorial term ends and new term begins in January for most states and territories, two months after their election; in Alaska, Hawaii, North Dakota, and Kentucky, the term begins in December. Governors serve four-year terms in most states and all territories; New Hampshire and Vermont have two-year terms for their governors. Most states and all but one territory also have term limits that generally allow for two consecutive terms to be served by a candidate. To run for governor, a candidate must generally be a U.S. citizen with prior state residence who meets the minimum age requirement—set at 30 years old in 35 states.

All 55 governors are members of the National Governors Association, a non-partisan organization which represents states and territories in discussions with the federal government. Other organizations for governors include the partisan Democratic Governors Association and Republican Governors Association; and the three regional associations: Midwestern, Northeastern, and Western.

State governors

The longest-serving incumbent U.S. governor is Greg Abbott of Texas, who took office on January 20, 2015. The most recently inaugurated governor is Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, who took office on January 20, 2026. A total of 15 current governors previously served as lieutenant governor, while 13 previously served in the United States House of Representatives. The governor's office has term limits in 37 states and 4 territories; these terms are four years except in New Hampshire and Vermont, where governors serve two-year terms.

The average age of governors at the time of their inauguration was about 59 years old. Alabama governor Kay Ivey (born 1944) is the oldest current governor, and Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (born 1982) is the youngest. As of January 2026, there are 14 female state governors serving. Of the 50 state governors, 47 are non-Hispanic white, one is Hispanic (Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico), one is Black (Wes Moore of Maryland), and one is Native American (Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma).

The notation "(term limits)" after the year indicates that the governor is ineligible to seek re-election in that year; the notation "(retiring)" indicates that the governor has announced their intention not to seek re-election at the end of the term nor to run for another office.

+ Current state governors of the United States StateImage GovernorParty Born Prior public experience Term start Term end Alabama (list) RepublicanLieutenant GovernorState Treasurer2027 (term limits)Alaska (list) RepublicanAlaska Senate2026 (term limits)Arizona (list) DemocraticSecretary of StateMinority Leader of the Arizona SenateArizona House2027Arkansas (list) RepublicanWhite House Press Secretary2027California (list) DemocraticLieutenant GovernorMayor of San FranciscoSan Francisco Board of Supervisors2027 (term limits)Colorado (list) DemocraticU.S. HouseColorado State Board of Education2027 (term limits)Connecticut (list) DemocraticChair of the State Investment Advisory CouncilGreenwich Board of Estimate and TaxationGreenwich Board of Selectmen2027Delaware (list) Democratic Executive of New Castle County2029Florida (list) RepublicanU.S. House2027 (term limits)Georgia (list) RepublicanSecretary of StateGeorgia Senate2027 (term limits)Hawaii (list) DemocraticLieutenant GovernorHawaii SenateHawaii House2026Idaho (list) RepublicanLieutenant GovernorIdaho Senate2027Illinois (list) DemocraticChair of the Illinois Human Rights Commission2027Indiana (list) RepublicanU.S. Senate Indiana House2029Iowa (list) RepublicanLieutenant GovernorIowa SenateClarke County Treasurer2027 (retiring)Kansas (list) DemocraticKansas Senate2027 (term limits)Kentucky (list) DemocraticState Attorney General2027 (term limits)Louisiana (list) Jeff LandryRepublicanState Attorney GeneralU.S. House2028Maine (list) DemocraticState Attorney GeneralMaine House2027 (term limits)Maryland (list) DemocraticNo prior public experience2027Massachusetts (list) DemocraticState Attorney General2027Michigan (list) DemocraticMinority Leader of the Michigan SenateMichigan House2027 (term limits)Minnesota (list) Democratic–Farmer–LaborU.S. House2027 (retiring)Mississippi (list) RepublicanLieutenant GovernorState Treasurer2028 (term limits)Missouri (list) RepublicanLieutenant GovernorMajority Leader of the Missouri Senate2029Montana (list) RepublicanU.S. House2029 (term limits)Nebraska (list) RepublicanNo prior public experience2027Nevada (list) RepublicanClark County Sheriff2027New Hampshire (list) RepublicanU.S. SenateAttorney General2027New Jersey (list) DemocraticU.S. House2030New Mexico (list) DemocraticU.S. HouseBernalillo County CommissionState Secretary of Health2027 (term limits)New York (list) DemocraticLieutenant GovernorU.S. HouseErie County Clerk2026North Carolina (list) DemocraticState Attorney GeneralNorth Carolina Senate2029North Dakota (list) RepublicanU.S. HouseChair of the North Dakota Republican PartyNorth Dakota Senate2028Ohio (list) RepublicanState Attorney GeneralU.S. SenateLieutenant GovernorU.S. HouseOhio SenateGreene County Prosecutor2027 (term limits)Oklahoma (list) RepublicanNo prior public experience2027 (term limits)Oregon (list) DemocraticSpeaker of the Oregon House2027Pennsylvania (list) DemocraticState Attorney GeneralMontgomery County Board of CommissionersPennsylvania House2027Rhode Island (list) DemocraticLieutenant Governor 2027South Carolina (list) RepublicanLieutenant GovernorState Attorney General2027 (term limits)South Dakota (list) RepublicanLieutenant GovernorSecretary of AgricultureSouth Dakota HouseSouth Dakota Senate2027Tennessee (list) RepublicanNo prior public experience 2027 (term limits)Texas (list) RepublicanState Attorney GeneralAssociate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court2027Utah (list) RepublicanLieutenant GovernorUtah HouseSanpete County Commission2029 (retiring)Vermont (list) RepublicanLieutenant GovernorVermont Senate2027Virginia (list) DemocraticU.S. House2030 (term limits)Washington (list) DemocraticState Attorney GeneralChair of the King County Council2029West Virginia (list) RepublicanState Attorney General2029Wisconsin (list) DemocraticState Superintendent of Public Instruction2027 (retiring)Wyoming (list) RepublicanState Treasurer2027 (term limits)

Territory governors

+ Current territorial governors of the United States TerritoryImage GovernorParty Born Prior public experience Term start Term end American Samoa (list) RepublicanDirector of the Office of Insular Affairs2029Guam (list) DemocraticGuam Legislature2027 (term limits)Northern Mariana Islands (list) IndependentLieutenant GovernorMayor of SaipanNorthern Mariana Islands House2027Puerto Rico (list) RepublicanResident Commissioner of Puerto RicoSpeaker of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico2029U.S. Virgin Islands (list) DemocraticCommissioner of the Virgin Islands Department of Labor2027 (term limits)

Federal district mayor

The District of Columbia is a federal district that elects a mayor that has similar powers to those of a state or territorial governor. The cities of Washington and Georgetown within the district elected their own mayors until 1871, when their governments were consolidated into a reorganized District of Columbia by a congressional act. The district's chief executive from 1871 to 1874 was a governor appointed by the president of the United States; the office was replaced by a board of commissioners with three members appointed by the president—two residents and a representative from the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The Board of Commissioners was originally a temporary body but was made permanent in 1878 with one member selected to serve as the Board President, in effect the city's chief executive. The system was replaced in 1967 by a single mayor–commissioner and home rule in the District of Columbia was fully restored in 1975 under a reorganized government led by an elected mayor.

+ Current federal district mayors of the United States Federal districtImage MayorParty Born Prior public experience Term start Term endDistrict of Columbia (list) DemocraticD.C. CouncilAdvisory Neighborhood Commission2027 (retiring)

See also Flags of governors of the U.S. states List of current United States first spouses List of current United States governors by age List of current United States lieutenant governors List of longest-serving United States governors List of female governors in the United States List of gubernatorial residences in the United States List of minority governors and lieutenant governors in the United States List of United States state legislatures List of U.S. state governors born outside the United States Seals of governors of the U.S. states

Notes

References

External links

National Governors Association

id:Daftar gubernur di Amerika Serikat he:מושל (ארצות הברית)