The following is the planned order of succession for the governorships of the 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and the five organized territories of the United States, according to the constitutions (and supplemental laws, if any) of each. Some states make a distinction whether the succeeding individual is acting as governor or becomes governor.
From 1980 to 1999, there were 13 successions of governorships. From 2000 to 2019 this number increased to 29. The only instance since at least 1980 in which the second in line reached a state governorship was on January 8, 2002, when New Jersey Attorney General John Farmer Jr. acted as governor for 90 minutes between Donald DiFrancesco and John O. Bennett's terms in that capacity as president of the Senate following governor Christine Todd Whitman's resignation.Staff. "N.J.'S LINE OF SUCCESSION / A SIMPLE FIX", The Press of Atlantic City, November 11, 2002. Retrieved June 22, 2012. "Thanks to an unusual set of circumstances and a flaw in the state constitution, New Jersey had five different governors over eight days at the beginning of the year. Even for New Jersey, this was pretty bizarre." In 2019, Secretary of Justice of Puerto Rico Wanda Vázquez Garced became governor when both the governor and secretary of state resigned in Telegramgate.
From 1945 to 2016, 39 of those who succeeded to the governorship ran for and won election to a full term.
States Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming__NOTOC__
Alabama Established by Article V, Section 127 of the Constitution of Alabama.
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of AlabamaKay Ivey (R)1Lieutenant GovernorWill Ainsworth (R)2President pro tempore of the SenateGarlan Gudger (R)3Speaker of the House of RepresentativesNathaniel Ledbetter (R)4Attorney GeneralSteve Marshall (R)5AuditorAndrew Sorrell (R)6Secretary of StateWes Allen (R)7TreasurerYoung Boozer (R)
Alaska Established by Article III, Section 10 of the Constitution of Alaska.
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of AlaskaMike Dunleavy (R)1Lieutenant GovernorNancy Dahlstrom (R)
Arizona Established by Article V, Section 6 of the Constitution of Arizona.
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of ArizonaKatie Hobbs (D)1Secretary of StateAdrian Fontes (D)2Attorney GeneralKris Mayes (D)3TreasurerKimberly Yee (R)4Superintendent of Public InstructionTom Horne (R)
Arkansas Established by Article VI, Section 5 of the Constitution of Arkansas as amended.
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of ArkansasSarah Huckabee Sanders (R)1Lieutenant GovernorLeslie Rutledge (R)2President pro tempore of the SenateBart Hester (R)3Speaker of the House of RepresentativesBrian S. Evans (R)
California Established by Article V, Section 10 of the Constitution of California and Title 2, Division 3, Part 2, Chapter 1, Articles 5.5 and 6 of the California Government Code.
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of CaliforniaGavin Newsom (D)1Lieutenant GovernorEleni Kounalakis (D)2President pro tempore of the SenateMonique Limón (D)3Speaker of the AssemblyRobert Rivas (D)4Secretary of State Shirley Weber (D)5Attorney General Rob Bonta (D)6TreasurerFiona Ma (D)7ControllerMalia Cohen (D)8Superintendent of Public InstructionTony Thurmond (NP/D)9Insurance CommissionerRicardo Lara (D)10Chair of the Board of EqualizationSally Lieber (D)11List of 4–7 people named by the governor(subject to confirmation by the Senate)in the case of war or enemy-caused disaster.
Colorado Established by Article IV, Section 13(7) of the Constitution of Colorado.
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of ColoradoJared Polis (D)1Lieutenant GovernorDianne Primavera (D)2President of the SenateJames Coleman (D)3Speaker of the House of RepresentativesJulie McCluskie (D)4Minority Leader of the SenateCleave Simpson (R)5Minority Leader of the HouseJarvis Caldwell (R)
Connecticut Established by Article IV, Sections 18–21 of the Constitution of Connecticut.
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of ConnecticutNed Lamont (D)1Lieutenant GovernorSusan Bysiewicz (D)2President pro tempore of the SenateMartin Looney (D)
Delaware Established by Article III, Section 20 of the Constitution of Delaware.
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of DelawareMatt Meyer (D)1Lieutenant GovernorKyle Evans Gay (D)2Secretary of StateCharuni Patibanda-Sanchez (D)3Attorney GeneralKathy Jennings (D)4President pro tempore of the SenateDavid Sokola (D)5Speaker of the House of RepresentativesMelissa Minor-Brown (D)
Florida
Established by Article IV, Section 3 of the Constitution of Florida and Florida Statute 14.055.
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of FloridaRon DeSantis (R)1Lieutenant GovernorJay Collins (R)2Attorney GeneralJames Uthmeier (R)3Chief Financial OfficerBlaise Ingoglia (R)4Commissioner of AgricultureWilton Simpson (R)
Georgia
Established by Article V, Section 1, Paragraph V of the Constitution of Georgia.
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of GeorgiaBrian Kemp (R)1Lieutenant GovernorBurt Jones (R)2Speaker of the House of RepresentativesJon Burns (R)
Hawaii Established by Article V, Section 4 of the Constitution of Hawaii and Title 4 §26-2 of the Hawaii code.
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of HawaiiJosh Green (D)1Lieutenant GovernorSylvia Luke (D)2President of the SenateRon Kouchi (D)3Speaker of the House of RepresentativesNadine Nakamura (D)4Attorney GeneralAnne E. Lopez (D)5Director of FinanceLuis Salaveria6ComptrollerKeith Regan7Director of TaxationGary Suganuma8Director of Human Resources DevelopmentBrenna Hashimoto
Idaho Established by Article IV, Sections 12–14 of the Constitution of Idaho.
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of IdahoBrad Little (R)1Lieutenant GovernorScott Bedke (R)2President pro tempore of the SenateKelly Anthon (R)
Illinois
Established by Article V, Section 6 of the Constitution of Illinois and the Governor Succession Act
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of IllinoisJ. B. Pritzker (D)1Lieutenant GovernorJuliana Stratton (D)2Attorney GeneralKwame Raoul (D)3Secretary of StateAlexi Giannoulias (D)4ComptrollerSusana Mendoza (D)5TreasurerMike Frerichs (D)6President of the SenateDon Harmon (D)7Speaker of the House of RepresentativesChris Welch (D)
Indiana
Established by Article V, Section 10 of the Constitution of Indiana.
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of IndianaMike Braun (R)1Lieutenant GovernorMicah Beckwith (R)2Speaker of the House of RepresentativesTodd Huston (R)3President pro tempore of the SenateRodric Bray (R)4Treasurer Daniel Elliott (R)5AuditorElise Nieshalla (R)6Secretary of StateDiego Morales (R)
Iowa Established by Article IV, Sections 17–19 of the Constitution of Iowa.
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of IowaKim Reynolds (R)1Lieutenant GovernorChris Cournoyer (R)2President of the SenateAmy Sinclair (R)3Speaker of the House of RepresentativesPat Grassley (R)
Kansas Established by KSA Statute 75–125 and the Emergency Interim Executive and Judicial Succession Act of 1994.
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of KansasLaura Kelly (D)1Lieutenant GovernorDavid Toland (D)2President of the SenateTy Masterson (R)3Speaker of the House of RepresentativesDan Hawkins (R)Eligible to serve as emergency interim governor if 1–3 are vacant4Secretary of StateScott Schwab (R)5Attorney GeneralKris Kobach (R)
Kentucky
Established by Sections 84, 85 and 87 of the Kentucky Constitution.
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of KentuckyAndy Beshear (D)1Lieutenant GovernorJacqueline Coleman (D)2President of the SenateRobert Stivers (R)3Attorney GeneralRussell Coleman (R)4Auditor of Public AccountsAllison Ball (R)
Louisiana Established by Article IV, Section 14 of the Constitution of Louisiana.
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of LouisianaJeff Landry (R)1Lieutenant GovernorBilly Nungesser (R)2Secretary of StateNancy Landry (R)3Attorney GeneralLiz Murrill (R)4TreasurerJohn Fleming (R)5President of the SenateCameron Henry (R)6Speaker of the House of RepresentativesPhillip DeVillier (R)
Maine Established by Article V, Part 1, Section 14 of the Constitution of Maine.
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of MaineJanet Mills (D)1President of the SenateMattie Daughtry (D)2Speaker of the House of RepresentativesRyan Fecteau (D)3Secretary of StateShenna Bellows (D)
Maryland Established by Article II, Section 6 of the Constitution of Maryland. # Office Current officeholderGovernor of MarylandWes Moore (D)1Lieutenant GovernorAruna Miller (D)2President of the SenateBill Ferguson (D)
Massachusetts
Established by Article LV of the Constitution of Massachusetts.
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of MassachusettsMaura Healey (D)1Lieutenant GovernorKim Driscoll (D)2Secretary of the CommonwealthWilliam F. Galvin (D)3Attorney GeneralAndrea Campbell (D)4Treasurer and Receiver-GeneralDeb Goldberg (D)5AuditorDiana DiZoglio (D)
Michigan Established by Article V, Section 26 of the Constitution of Michigan, Section 10.2 of the Revised Statutes of 1846 and the Emergency Interim Executive Succession Act (PA 202 of 1959, Section 31.4)
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of MichiganGretchen Whitmer (D)1Lieutenant GovernorGarlin Gilchrist (D)2Secretary of StateJocelyn Benson (D)3Attorney GeneralDana Nessel (D)4President pro tempore of the SenateJeremy Moss (D)5Speaker of the House of RepresentativesMatt Hall (R)Eligible to serve as emergency interim governor if 1–5 are vacant6List of 5 people named by the governorState Treasurer Rachael Eubanks7Fmr. Lieutenant Governor John Cherry (D)8Wayne County Exec. Warren Evans (D)9Businessman Gary Torgow10Fmr. U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D)
Minnesota
Established by Article V, Section 5 of the Minnesota Constitution and Minnesota Statute 4.06.
# Office Current officeholderGovernor of MinnesotaTim Walz (DFL)1Lieutenant GovernorPeggy Flanagan (DFL)2President of the SenateBobby Joe Champion (DFL)3Speaker of the House of RepresentativesLisa Demuth (R)4Secretary of StateSteve Simon (DFL)5AuditorJulie Blaha (DFL)6Attorney GeneralKeith Ellison (DFL)
Mississippi Established by Article V, Section 131 of the Constitution of Mississippi. # Office Current officeholderGovernor of MississippiTate Reeves (R)1Lieutenant GovernorDelbert Hosemann (R)2President pro tempore of the SenateDean Kirby (R)3Speaker of the House of RepresentativesJason White (R)
Missouri Established by Article IV, Section 11(a) of the Constitution of Missouri. # Office Current officeholderGovernor of MissouriMike Kehoe (R)1Lieutenant GovernorDavid Wasinger (R)2President pro tempore of the SenateCindy O'Laughlin (R)3Speaker of the House of RepresentativesJonathan Patterson (R)4Secretary of StateDenny Hoskins (R)5AuditorScott Fitzpatrick (R)6TreasurerVivek Malek (R)7Attorney GeneralCatherine Hanaway (R)
Montana Established by Article VI, Section 6 of the Constitution of Montana and Montana Code 2-16-511 to 2-16-513. # Office Current officeholderGovernor of MontanaGreg Gianforte (R)1Lieutenant GovernorKristen Juras (R)2President of the SenateMatt Regier (R)3Speaker of the House of RepresentativesBrandon Ler (R)4Most senior member of the Montana Legislature State Sen. Keith Regier (R)
Nebraska Established by Article IV, Section 16 of the Constitution of Nebraska and Nebraska Revised Statutes 84-120 and 84-121.