List of governors of Maine

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The governor of Maine is the head of government of Maine^[1] and the commander-in-chief of its military forces.^[2] The governor has a duty to enforce state laws,^[3] and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Maine Legislature,^[4] to convene the legislature at any time,^[5] and, except in cases of impeachment, to grant pardons.^[6]

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).^[7] 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.

The District of Maine of Massachusetts was admitted to the Union on March 15, 1820, as the State of Maine.^[8] The Maine Constitution of 1820 originally established a gubernatorial term of one year,^[9] to begin on the first Wednesday of January; constitutional amendments expanded this to two years in 1879^[10] and to four years in 1957.^[11] The 1957 amendment also prohibited governors from succeeding themselves after serving two terms.^[11] 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.^[12] Prior to an amendment in 1964, the president of the senate only acted as governor.^[13][14]

Governors of the State of Maine

No.[a]	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election
1			William King (1768–1852) [15][16]	May 31, 1820[17] – May 28, 1821 (resigned)[b]	Democratic– Republican[18]	1820
2			William D. Williamson (1779–1846) [19][20]	May 28, 1821[21] – December 25, 1821 (resigned)[c]	Democratic– Republican[22]	President of the Senate acting
3			Benjamin Ames (1778–1835) [19][23]	December 25, 1821[22] – January 2, 1822 (resigned)[d]	Democratic– Republican[22]	Speaker of the House acting
4			Daniel Rose (1772–1833) [25][26]	January 2, 1822[24] – January 4, 1822 (successor took office)	Democratic– Republican[22]	President of the Senate acting
5			Albion Parris (1788–1857) [25][27]	January 4, 1822[28] – January 3, 1827 (did not run)[e]	Democratic– Republican[30]	1821
						1822
						1823
						1824
						1825
6			Enoch Lincoln (1788–1829) [31][32]	January 3, 1827[33] – October 8, 1829 (died in office)	Democratic– Republican[34]	1826
						1827
						1828
7			Nathan Cutler (1775–1861) [35][36]	October 8, 1829[37] – February 5, 1830 (presidency expired)[f]	Democratic– Republican[g]	President of the Senate acting
8			Joshua Hall (1768–1862) [38][40]	February 5, 1830[22] – February 10, 1830 (successor took office)	Democratic– Republican[39]	Speaker of the House acting
9			Jonathan G. Hunton (1781–1851) [38][41]	February 10, 1830[42] – January 8, 1831 (lost election)	National Republican[34]	1829
10			Samuel E. Smith (1788–1860) [43][44]	January 8, 1831[45] – January 2, 1834 (did not run)	Democratic[h]	1830
						1831
						1832
11			Robert P. Dunlap (1794–1859) [48][49]	January 2, 1834[50] – January 3, 1838 (did not run)	Democratic[51]	1833
						1834
						1835
						1836
12			Edward Kent (1802–1877) [52][53]	January 19, 1838[i] – January 2, 1839 (lost election)	Whig[55]	1837
13			John Fairfield (1797–1847) [56][57]	January 2, 1839[22] – January 12, 1841 (lost election)[j]	Democratic[55]	1838
						1839
14			Richard H. Vose (1803–1864) [60][61]	January 12, 1841[j] – January 13, 1841 (successor took office)	Whig[39]	President of the Senate acting
15			Edward Kent (1802–1877) [52][53]	January 13, 1841[62] – January 5, 1842 (lost election)	Whig[63]	1840
16			John Fairfield (1797–1847) [56][57]	January 5, 1842[64] – March 7, 1843 (resigned)[k]	Democratic[63]	1841
						1842
17			Edward Kavanagh (1795–1844) [65][66]	March 7, 1843[67] – January 1, 1844 (resigned)[l]	Democratic[39]	President of the Senate acting
18			David Dunn (1811–1894) [69][70]	January 1, 1844[71] – January 3, 1844 (resigned)[m]	Democratic[39]	Speaker of the House acting
19			John W. Dana (1808–1867) [73][74]	January 3, 1844[22] – January 5, 1844 (successor took office)	Democratic[39]	President of the Senate acting
20			Hugh J. Anderson (1801–1881) [75][76]	January 5, 1844[77] – May 18, 1847 (did not run)	Democratic[78]	1843
						1844
						1845
21			John W. Dana (1808–1867) [73][74]	May 18, 1847[79] – May 13, 1850 (did not run)	Democratic[80]	1846
						1847
						1848
22			John Hubbard (1794–1869) [81][82]	May 13, 1850[83] – January 18, 1853 (lost election)	Democratic[80]	1849
						1850
23			William G. Crosby (1805–1881) [84][85]	January 18, 1853[86] – January 6, 1855 (did not run)	Whig[87]	1852
						1853
24			Anson Morrill (1803–1887) [88][89]	January 6, 1855[90] – January 4, 1856 (lost election)	Republican[n]	1854
25			Samuel Wells (1801–1868) [91][92]	January 4, 1856[93] – January 8, 1857 (lost election)	Democratic[94]	1855
26			Hannibal Hamlin (1809–1891) [95][96]	January 8, 1857[97] – February 26, 1857 (resigned)[o]	Republican[94]	1856
27			Joseph H. Williams (1814–1896) [99][100]	February 26, 1857[101] – January 8, 1858 (successor took office)	Republican[22]	President of the Senate acting
28			Lot M. Morrill (1813–1883) [102][103]	January 8, 1858[104] – January 3, 1861 (did not run)	Republican[105]	1857
						1858
						1859
29			Israel Washburn Jr. (1813–1883) [106][107]	January 3, 1861[108] – January 8, 1863 (did not run)[106]	Republican[105]	1860
						1861
30			Abner Coburn (1803–1885) [109][110]	January 8, 1863[111] – January 7, 1864 (did not run)	Republican[22]	1862
31			Samuel Cony (1811–1870) [112][113]	January 7, 1864[114] – January 3, 1867 (did not run)	Republican[22]	1863
						1864
						1865
32			Joshua Chamberlain (1828–1914) [115][116]	January 3, 1867[117] – January 5, 1871 (did not run)	Republican[22]	1866
						1867
						1868
						1869
33			Sidney Perham (1819–1907) [118][119]	January 5, 1871[120] – January 8, 1874 (did not run)	Republican[22]	1870
						1871
						1872
34			Nelson Dingley Jr. (1832–1899) [121][122]	January 8, 1874[123] – January 6, 1876 (did not run)	Republican[22]	1873
						1874
35			Seldon Connor (1839–1917) [124][125]	January 6, 1876[126] – January 8, 1879 (lost election)	Republican[22]	1875
						1876
						1877
36			Alonzo Garcelon (1813–1906) [127][128]	January 8, 1879[129] – January 17, 1880 (did not run)	Democratic[22]	1878
37			Daniel F. Davis (1843–1897) [130][131]	January 17, 1880[p] – January 13, 1881 (lost election)	Republican[22]	1879
38			Harris M. Plaisted (1828–1898) [134][135]	January 13, 1881[136] – January 4, 1883 (lost election)	Greenback/ Democratic[q]	1880
39			Frederick Robie (1822–1912) [139][140]	January 4, 1883[141] – January 6, 1887 (did not run)	Republican[22]	1882
						1884
40			Joseph R. Bodwell (1818–1887) [142][143]	January 6, 1887[144] – December 15, 1887 (died in office)	Republican[22]	1886
41			Sebastian Streeter Marble (1817–1902) [145][146]	December 15, 1887[147] – January 3, 1889 (lost nomination)[145]	Republican[22]	President of the Senate acting
42			Edwin C. Burleigh (1843–1916) [148][149]	January 3, 1889[150] – January 5, 1893 (did not run)	Republican[22]	1888
						1890
43			Henry B. Cleaves (1840–1912) [151][152]	January 5, 1893[153] – January 7, 1897 (did not run)	Republican[22]	1892
						1894
44			Llewellyn Powers (1836–1908) [154][155]	January 7, 1897[156] – January 3, 1901 (did not run)	Republican[22]	1896
						1898
45			John Fremont Hill (1855–1912) [157][158]	January 3, 1901[159] – January 5, 1905 (did not run)	Republican[22]	1900
						1902
46			William T. Cobb (1857–1937) [160][161]	January 5, 1905[162] – January 7, 1909 (did not run)	Republican[22]	1904
						1906
47			Bert M. Fernald (1858–1926) [163][164]	January 7, 1909[165] – January 5, 1911 (lost election)	Republican[22]	1908
48			Frederick W. Plaisted (1865–1943) [166][167]	January 5, 1911[168] – January 2, 1913 (lost election)	Democratic[22]	1910
49			William T. Haines (1854–1919) [169][170]	January 2, 1913[171] – January 7, 1915 (lost election)	Republican[22]	1912
50			Oakley C. Curtis (1865–1924) [172][173]	January 7, 1915[174] – January 4, 1917 (lost election)	Democratic[22]	1914
51			Carl Milliken (1877–1961) [175][176]	January 4, 1917[177] – January 6, 1921 (lost nomination)[178]	Republican[22]	1916
						1918
52			Frederic Hale Parkhurst (1864–1921) [179][180]	January 6, 1921[181] – January 31, 1921 (died in office)	Republican[22]	1920
53			Percival P. Baxter (1876–1969) [182][183]	January 31, 1921[184] – January 8, 1925 (did not run)[182]	Republican[22]	President of the Senate acting
						1922
54			Ralph Owen Brewster (1888–1961) [185][186]	January 8, 1925[187] – January 3, 1929 (did not run)	Republican[22]	1924
						1926
55			William Tudor Gardiner (1892–1953) [188][189]	January 3, 1929[190] – January 5, 1933 (did not run)	Republican[22]	1928
						1930
56			Louis J. Brann (1876–1948) [191][192]	January 5, 1933[193] – January 7, 1937 (did not run)[r]	Democratic[22]	1932
						1934
57			Lewis O. Barrows (1893–1967) [194][195]	January 7, 1937[196] – January 2, 1941 (did not run)	Republican[22]	1936
						1938
58			Sumner Sewall (1897–1965) [197][198]	January 2, 1941[199] – January 4, 1945 (did not run)	Republican[22]	1940
						1942
59			Horace Hildreth (1902–1988) [200][201]	January 4, 1945[202] – January 6, 1949 (did not run)[s]	Republican[22]	1944
						1946
60			Frederick G. Payne (1904–1978) [203][204]	January 6, 1949[205] – December 25, 1952 (resigned)[t]	Republican[22]	1948
						1950
—			Burton M. Cross (1902–1998) [206][207]	December 26, 1952[u] – January 7, 1953 (presidency expired)[u]	Republican[22]	President of the Senate acting
—			Nathaniel M. Haskell (1912–1983)	January 7, 1953[u] – January 8, 1953 (successor took office)[u]	Republican[22]	President of the Senate acting
61			Burton M. Cross (1902–1998) [206][207]	January 8, 1953[210] – January 6, 1955 (lost election)	Republican[22]	1952
62			Edmund Muskie (1914–1996) [211][212]	January 6, 1955[213] – January 2, 1959 (resigned)[v]	Democratic[22]	1954
						1956
63			Robert Haskell (1903–1987) [214][215]	January 3, 1959[216] – January 8, 1959 (successor took office)	Republican[22]	President of the Senate acting
64			Clinton Clauson (1895–1959) [217][218]	January 8, 1959[219] – December 30, 1959 (died in office)	Democratic[22]	1958
65			John H. Reed (1921–2012) [220][221]	December 30, 1959[222] – January 5, 1967 (lost election)	Republican[22]	President of the Senate acting
						1960 (special)
						1962
66			Kenneth M. Curtis (b. 1931) [223][224]	January 5, 1967[225] – January 2, 1975 (term-limited)[w]	Democratic[22]	1966
						1970
67			James B. Longley (1924–1980) [227][228]	January 2, 1975[229] – January 3, 1979 (did not run)	Independent[22]	1974
68			Joseph E. Brennan (1934–2024) [230]	January 4, 1979[231] – January 8, 1987 (term-limited)[w]	Democratic[230]	1978
						1982
70[a]			John R. McKernan Jr. (b. 1948) [233]	January 8, 1987[234] – January 5, 1995 (term-limited)[w]	Republican[233]	1986
						1990
71			Angus King (b. 1944) [235]	January 5, 1995[236] – January 8, 2003 (term-limited)[w]	Independent[235]	1994
						1998
72			John Baldacci (b. 1955) [237]	January 8, 2003[238] – January 5, 2011 (term-limited)[w]	Democratic[237]	2002
						2006
73			Paul LePage (b. 1948) [239]	January 5, 2011[240] – January 2, 2019 (term-limited)[w]	Republican[239]	2010
						2014
74			Janet Mills (b. 1947) [241]	January 2, 2019[242] – Incumbent[x]	Democratic[241]	2018
						2022

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• Office of the Governor of Maine