List of governors of Washington

The governor of Washington is the head of the executive branch of the government of the State of Washington and commander-in-chief of the state’s military forces. The officeholder has a duty to enforce state laws, the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Washington Legislature and line-item veto power to cancel specific provisions in spending bills. The Washington Governor may also convene the legislature on “extraordinary occasions”.

Washington Territory had 14 territorial governors from its organization in 1853 until the formation of the state of Washington in 1889. Territorial governors were appointed by the President of the United States. Elisha P. Ferry had the longest term of eight years and went on to become the state’s first governor. William H. Wallace was appointed governor but never took office due to being elected as the territory’s congressional delegate. George Edward Cole was appointed governor and took office, but his appointment was never ratified by the U.S. Senate and he was replaced as governor after four months.

Twenty-two individuals have held the office of Governor of Washington since the state’s admission to the Union, with Arthur B. Langlieserving non-consecutive terms. Populist Party candidate John Rankin Rogers is the only non-Democratic or Republican nominee to win office. The most recent governor to be from Eastern Washington was Clarence Martin, elected in 1932. The current governor is Democrat Jay Inslee, who took office on January 16, 2013, and was reelected in 2016 and 2020; his term will expire on January 13, 2025. Washington has had the longest current streak of Democratic governors in the nation, with the last Republican to hold the office was John Spellman in 1985.

With the re-election of Inslee in 2020, Langlie, Daniel J. Evans and Inslee are the only three Washington Governors to be elected to three terms.

Governors

Governors of the Territory of Washington

For the period before Washington Territory was formed, see the List of Governors of Oregon Territory.

Washington Territory was created on March 2, 1853, from the northern half of Oregon Territory. At this point, Washington Territory also included the northern panhandle of modern Idaho and parts of Montana. The southern half of Idaho was assigned to the Washington Territory in 1859 after Oregon was admitted as a state. Idaho Territory was split from Washington Territory in 1863 giving Washington Territory its final borders.

Due to the long distance between Washington, D.C., and Olympia, there was often a lengthy gap between a governor being appointed and his arrival in the territory.

Governor			Took office	Left office	Appointed by	Notes
		Isaac Stevens	December 3, 1853	August 11, 1857	Franklin Pierce
		Fayette McMullen	September 10, 1857	July 1858	James Buchanan
		Richard D. Gholson	July 15, 1859	February 14, 1861
		William H. Wallace	Appointed April 9, 1861	—	Abraham Lincoln
		William Pickering	June 1862	January 8, 1867
		George Edward Cole	January 8, 1867	March 4, 1867	Andrew Johnson
		Marshall F. Moore	August 26, 1867	1869
		Alvan Flanders	April 5, 1869	March 14, 1870	Ulysses S. Grant
		Edward S. Salomon	Appointed March 4, 1870	April 1872
		Elisha P. Ferry	Appointed April 26, 1872	November 1, 1880
		William A. Newell	November 1, 1880	1884	Rutherford B. Hayes
		Watson C. Squire	Appointed July 2, 1884	April 1887	Chester A. Arthur
		Eugene Semple	Appointed April 9, 1887	1889	Grover Cleveland
		Miles Conway Moore	April 9, 1889	November 11, 1889	Benjamin Harrison

Governors of the State of Washington

Washington was admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889. The term for governor is four years, commencing on the second Monday in the January following the election. If the office of governor is vacant or the governor is unable to discharge their duties, the lieutenant governor assumes the duties of governor, though still officially retains the office of lieutenant governor. If both the offices of governor and lieutenant governor are unable to fulfill their duties, the secretary of state is next in line, and then the treasurer. There is no limit to the number of terms a governor may serve. The office of lieutenant governor is not elected on the same ticket as the governor.

Parties

  Democratic (11)   Populist (1)   Republican (12)
(above numbering includes one governor twice)

#	Governor			Took office	Left office	Office Prior to Ascension	Party	Election	Terms
1			Elisha P. Ferry August 9, 1825 – October 14, 1895 (aged 70)	November 11, 1889	January 9, 1893	10th Governor of the Washington Territory	Republican	1889	1
2			John McGraw October 4, 1850 – June 23, 1910 (aged 59)	January 9, 1893	January 11, 1897	King County Sheriff		1892	1
3			John Rankin Rogers September 4, 1838 – December 26, 1901 (aged 63)	January 11, 1897	December 26, 1901	Washington House of Representatives	Populist	1896	​1 1⁄2
							Democratic
4			Henry McBride February 7, 1856 – October 7, 1937 (aged 81)	December 26, 1901	January 9, 1905	Lieutenant Governor of Washington	Republican	1900	​1⁄2
5			Albert E. Mead December 14, 1861 – March 19, 1913 (aged 51)	January 9, 1905	January 27, 1909	Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney		1904	1
6			Samuel G. Cosgrove April 10, 1847 – March 28, 1909 (aged 61)	January 27, 1909	March 28, 1909	Mayor of Pomeroy		1908	​1⁄2
7			Marion E. Hay December 9, 1865 – November 21, 1933 (aged 67)	March 28, 1909	January 11, 1913	Lieutenant Governor of Washington		Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor	​1⁄2
8			Ernest Lister June 15, 1870 – June 14, 1919 (aged 48)	January 11, 1913	February 13, 1919	Chairman of the State Board of Control	Democratic	1912	​1 1⁄2
								1916
9			Louis F. Hart January 4, 1862 – December 4, 1929 (aged 67)	February 13, 1919	January 12, 1925	Lieutenant Governor of Washington	Republican	1920	​1 1⁄2
10			Roland H. Hartley June 26, 1864 – September 21, 1952 (aged 88)	January 12, 1925	January 9, 1933	Washington House of Representatives		1924	2
								1928
11			Clarence D. Martin June 29, 1886 – August 11, 1955 (aged 69)	January 9, 1933	January 13, 1941	Mayor of Cheney	Democratic	1932	2
								1936
12			Arthur B. Langlie July 25, 1900 – July 24, 1966 (aged 65)	January 13, 1941	January 8, 1945	Mayor of Seattle	Republican	1940	1
13			Monrad Wallgren April 17, 1891 – September 18, 1961 (aged 70)	January 8, 1945	January 12, 1949	U.S. Senator from Washington	Democratic	1944	1
14			Arthur B. Langlie July 25, 1900 – July 24, 1966 (aged 65)	January 12, 1949	January 14, 1957	12th Governor of Washington	Republican	1948	2
								1952
15			Albert Rosellini January 21, 1910 – October 10, 2011 (aged 101)	January 14, 1957	January 11, 1965	Washington State Senate	Democratic	1956	2
								1960
16			Daniel J. Evans October 16, 1925(age 95)	January 11, 1965	January 12, 1977	Washington House of Representatives	Republican	1964	3
								1968
								1972
17			Dixy Lee Ray September 3, 1914 – January 2, 1994 (aged 79)	January 12, 1977	January 14, 1981	Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs	Democratic	1976	1
18			John Spellman December 29, 1926 – January 15, 2018 (aged 91)	January 14, 1981	January 16, 1985	King County Executive	Republican	1980	1
19			Booth Gardner August 21, 1936 – March 15, 2013 (aged 76)	January 16, 1985	January 13, 1993	Pierce County Executive	Democratic	1984	2
								1988
20			Mike Lowry March 8, 1939 – May 1, 2017 (aged 78)	January 13, 1993	January 15, 1997	U.S. Representative from WA-7th		1992	1
21			Gary Locke January 21, 1950(age 71)	January 15, 1997	January 12, 2005	King County Executive		1996	2
								2000
22			Christine Gregoire March 24, 1947 (age 74)	January 12, 2005	January 16, 2013	Attorney General of Washington		2004	2
								2008
23			Jay Inslee February 9, 1951 (age 70)	January 16, 2013	Incumbent	U.S. Representative from WA-1st		2012	3
								2016
								2020

Succession

Other high offices held

Six of Washington’s territorial governors and four of its state governors have served higher federal or confederate offices, or as governors of other states. Three represented Washington Territory as delegates to the U.S. House, and one additionally represented Idaho Territory in the same fashion, as well as serving as Governor of Idaho Territory. Two territorial governors represented eastern states, one as a representative from, and governor of, New Jersey, and one represented Virginia both in the United States and ConfederateHouses. Three governors represented the state in the U.S. Senate, and two represented the state in the House. One governor has served in the United States Cabinet. Two of the territorial governors (marked with *) resigned their office to serve as territorial delegates.