List of governors of Kansas

Kansas Territory was organized on May 30, 1854, from land that had previously been part of Missouri Territory.^[7] Despite existing only for six years, it had six governors appointed by the president of the United States.

Governors of Kansas Territory

No.	Governor		Term in office[a]	Appointed by
1		Andrew Horatio Reeder (1807–1864) [8]	June 29, 1854[b] – July 31, 1855 (removed)[c]	Franklin Pierce
2		Wilson Shannon (1802–1877) [11]	August 10, 1855[d] – August 18, 1856 (resigned)[e]	Franklin Pierce
3		John W. Geary (1819–1873) [14]	July 31, 1856[f] – March 4, 1857 (resigned)[g]	Franklin Pierce
4		Robert J. Walker (1801–1869) [17]	March 30, 1857[h] – December 17, 1857 (resigned)[i]	James Buchanan
5		James W. Denver (1817–1892) [18]	February 24, 1858[j] – November 8, 1858 (resigned)[k]	James Buchanan
6		Samuel Medary (1801–1864) [21]	November 23, 1858[l] – December 20, 1860 (resigned)[m]	James Buchanan

The eastern bulk of Kansas Territory was admitted to the Union as Kansas on January 29, 1861.^[25] The Kansas Constitution provided that a governor and lieutenant governor be elected every 2 years, for a term commencing on the second Monday in the January after the election.^[26] An amendment in 1972 increased terms to four years, with a limit that a governor could not serve more than two terms in a row, and provided that the governor and lieutenant governor are elected on the same ticket.^[27] In the original constitution, should the office of governor be vacant, the powers would devolve upon the lieutenant governor, who nonetheless would remain in that office;^[28] the 1972 amendment changed it so that, in such an event, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.^[29]

Until 2018, there was no age or residency requirement to run for the office; in 2017, three teenagers were doing so.^[30] In 2018, a law was passed establishing the age to run for governor and lieutenant governor at 25.^[31]

Governors of the State of Kansas

No.	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor[n]
1			Charles L. Robinson (1818–1894) [24][32][33]	February 9, 1861[34] – January 12, 1863 (lost nomination)[24]	Republican[35]	1859		Joseph Pomeroy Root
2			Thomas Carney (1824–1888) [36][37][38]	January 12, 1863[39] – January 9, 1865 (lost nomination)[36]	Republican[35]	1862		Thomas A. Osborn
3			Samuel J. Crawford (1835–1913) [40][41][42]	January 9, 1865[43] – November 4, 1868 (resigned)[o]	Republican[35]	1864		James McGrew
						1866		Nehemiah Green
4			Nehemiah Green (1837–1890) [44][45]	November 4, 1868[46] – January 11, 1869 (successor took office)	Republican[35]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
5			James M. Harvey (1833–1894) [47][48][49]	January 11, 1869[50] – January 13, 1873 (did not run)[47]	Republican[35]	1868		Charles Vernon Eskridge
						1870		Peter Percival Elder
6			Thomas A. Osborn (1836–1898) [51][52][53]	January 13, 1873[54] – January 8, 1877 (did not run)	Republican[35]	1872		Elias S. Stover
						1874		Melville J. Salter
7			George T. Anthony (1824–1896) [55][56][57]	January 8, 1877[58] – January 13, 1879 (lost nomination)[55]	Republican[35]	1876
								Lyman U. Humphrey
8			John St. John (1833–1916) [59][60][61]	January 13, 1879[62] – January 8, 1883 (lost election)	Republican[35]	1878
						1880		David Wesley Finney[p]
9			George Washington Glick (1827–1911) [63][64][65]	January 8, 1883[66] – January 12, 1885 (lost election)	Democratic[35]	1882
10			John Martin (1839–1889) [67][68][69]	January 12, 1885[70] – January 14, 1889 (did not run)[67]	Republican[35]	1884		Alexander P. Riddle
						1886
11			Lyman U. Humphrey (1844–1915) [71][72][73]	January 14, 1889[74] – January 9, 1893 (did not run)[q]	Republican[35]	1888		Andrew Jackson Felt
						1890
12			Lorenzo D. Lewelling (1846–1900) [75][76][77]	January 9, 1893[78] – January 14, 1895 (lost election)	Populist[35]	1892		Percy Daniels
13			Edmund Needham Morrill (1834–1909) [79][80][81]	January 14, 1895[82] – January 11, 1897 (lost election)	Republican[35]	1894		James Armstrong Troutman
14			John W. Leedy (1849–1935) [83][84][85]	January 11, 1897[86] – January 9, 1899 (lost election)	Populist[35]	1896		Alexander Miller Harvey
15			William Eugene Stanley (1844–1910) [87][88][89]	January 9, 1899[90] – January 12, 1903 (did not run)[87]	Republican[35]	1898		Harry E. Richter
						1900
16			Willis J. Bailey (1854–1932) [91][92][93]	January 12, 1903[94] – January 9, 1905 (lost nomination)[91]	Republican[35]	1902		David John Hanna
17			Edward W. Hoch (1849–1925) [95][96][97]	January 9, 1905[98] – January 11, 1909 (did not run)[95]	Republican[35]	1904
						1906		William James Fitzgerald
18			Walter R. Stubbs (1858–1929) [99][100][101]	January 11, 1909[102] – January 13, 1913 (did not run)[r]	Republican[35]	1908
						1910		Richard Joseph Hopkins
19			George H. Hodges (1866–1947) [103][104][105]	January 13, 1913[106] – January 11, 1915 (lost election)	Democratic[35]	1912		Sheffield Ingalls[p]
20			Arthur Capper (1865–1951) [107][108][109]	January 11, 1915[110] – January 13, 1919 (did not run)[s]	Republican[35]	1914		William Yoast Morgan
						1916
21			Henry Justin Allen (1868–1950) [111][112][113]	January 13, 1919[114] – January 8, 1923 (did not run)[111]	Republican[35]	1918		Charles Solomon Huffman
						1920
22			Jonathan M. Davis (1871–1943) [115][116][117]	January 8, 1923[118] – January 12, 1925 (lost election)	Democratic[35]	1922		Benjamin S. Paulen[p]
23			Benjamin S. Paulen (1869–1961) [119][120][121]	January 12, 1925[122] – January 14, 1929 (did not run)[119]	Republican[35]	1924		De Lanson Alson Newton Chase
						1926
24			Clyde M. Reed (1871–1949) [123][124][125]	January 14, 1929[126] – January 12, 1931 (lost nomination)[t]	Republican[35]	1928		Jacob W. Graybill[p]
25			Harry Hines Woodring (1887–1967) [127][128][129]	January 12, 1931[130] – January 9, 1933 (lost election)	Democratic[35]	1930
26			Alf Landon (1887–1987) [131][132][133]	January 9, 1933[134] – January 11, 1937 (did not run)[u]	Republican[35]	1932		Charles W. Thompson
						1934
27			Walter A. Huxman (1887–1972) [135][136][137]	January 11, 1937[138] – January 9, 1939 (lost election)	Democratic[35]	1936		William M. Lindsay
28			Payne Ratner (1896–1974) [139][140][141]	January 9, 1939[142] – January 11, 1943 (did not run)	Republican[35]	1938		Carl E. Friend
						1940
29			Andrew Frank Schoeppel (1894–1962) [143][144][145]	January 11, 1943[146] – January 13, 1947 (did not run)[143]	Republican[35]	1942		Jess C. Denious
						1944
30			Frank Carlson (1893–1987) [147][148][149]	January 13, 1947[150] – November 28, 1950 (resigned)[v]	Republican[35]	1946		Frank L. Hagaman
						1948
31			Frank L. Hagaman (1894–1966) [151][152]	November 28, 1950[153] – January 8, 1951 (successor took office)[w]	Republican[35]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
32			Edward F. Arn (1906–1998) [154][155][156]	January 8, 1951[157] – January 10, 1955 (did not run)[154]	Republican[35]	1950		Fred Hall
						1952
33			Fred Hall (1916–1970) [158][159][160]	January 10, 1955[161] – January 3, 1957 (resigned)[x]	Republican[35]	1954		John McCuish
34			John McCuish (1906–1962) [162][163]	January 3, 1957[164] – January 14, 1957 (successor took office)	Republican[35]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
35			George Docking (1904–1964) [165][166][167]	January 14, 1957[168] – January 9, 1961 (lost election)	Democratic[35]	1956		Joseph W. Henkle Sr.
						1958
36			John Anderson Jr. (1917–2014) [169][170][171]	January 9, 1961[172] – January 11, 1965 (did not run)[169]	Republican[35]	1960		Harold H. Chase
						1962
37			William H. Avery (1911–2009) [173][174][175]	January 11, 1965[176] – January 9, 1967 (lost election)	Republican[35]	1964		John Crutcher[p]
38			Robert Docking (1925–1983) [177][178][179]	January 9, 1967[180] – January 13, 1975 (term-limited)[y]	Democratic[35]	1966
						1968		James H. DeCoursey Jr.
						1970		Reynolds Shultz[p]
						1972		Dave Owen[p]
39			Robert Frederick Bennett (1927–2000) [182][183][184]	January 13, 1975[185] – January 8, 1979 (lost election)	Republican[35]	1974[z]		Shelby Smith
40			John W. Carlin (b. 1940) [186][187]	January 8, 1979[188] – January 12, 1987 (term-limited)[y]	Democratic[186]	1978		Paul Dugan
						1982		Thomas Docking
41			Mike Hayden (b. 1944) [189][190]	January 12, 1987[191] – January 14, 1991 (lost election)	Republican[189]	1986		Jack D. Walker
42			Joan Finney (1925–2001) [192][193]	January 14, 1991[194] – January 9, 1995 (did not run)	Democratic[192]	1990		Jim Francisco
43			Bill Graves (b. 1953) [195][196]	January 9, 1995[197] – January 13, 2003 (term-limited)[y]	Republican[195]	1994		Sheila Frahm (resigned June 11, 1996)
							Vacant
								Gary Sherrer (appointed July 18, 1996)
						1998
44			Kathleen Sebelius (b. 1948) [198][199]	January 13, 2003[200] – April 28, 2009 (resigned)[aa]	Democratic[198]	2002		John E. Moore
						2006		Mark Parkinson
45			Mark Parkinson (b. 1957) [201][202]	April 28, 2009[203] – January 10, 2011 (did not run)	Democratic[201]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
								Troy Findley (appointed May 15, 2009)
46			Sam Brownback (b. 1956) [204][205]	January 10, 2011[206] – January 31, 2018 (resigned)[ab]	Republican[204]	2010		Jeff Colyer
						2014
47			Jeff Colyer (b. 1960) [207][208]	January 31, 2018[209] – January 14, 2019 (lost nomination)[ac]	Republican[207]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
								Tracey Mann (appointed February 14, 2018)
48			Laura Kelly (b. 1950) [210][211]	January 14, 2019[212] – Incumbent[ad]	Democratic[210]	2018		Lynn Rogers (resigned January 2, 2021)
								David Toland (appointed January 2, 2021)
						2022

• List of Kansas state legislatures
• Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Kansas