Governors of Texas
| Name | Party | Terms * | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greg Abbott |
Republican |
January 20, 2015–present; 84th–89th Legislatures | |
| Rick Perry |
Republican |
December 21, 2000–January 20, 2015; 76th–84th Legislatures | Sworn in after Bush resignation. |
| George W. Bush |
Republican |
January 17, 1995–December 21, 2000; 74th–76th Legislatures | Resigned 12/21/2000 to become U.S. President. |
| Ann W. Richards |
Democrat |
January 15, 1991–January 17, 1995; 72nd–74th Legislatures | |
| Mark White |
Democrat |
January 18, 1983–January 20, 1987; 68th–70th Legislatures | |
| William P. Clements, Jr. |
Republican |
January 20, 1987–January 15, 1991; 70th–72nd Legislatures January 16, 1979–January 18, 1983; 66th–68th Legislatures | |
| Dolph Briscoe |
Democrat |
January 16, 1973–January 16, 1979; 63rd–66th Legislatures | |
| Preston Smith |
Democrat |
January 21, 1969–January 16, 1973; 61st–63rd Legislatures | |
| John Connally |
Democrat |
January 15, 1963–January 21, 1969; 58th–61st Legislatures | |
| Price Daniel |
Democrat |
January 15, 1957–January 15, 1963; 55th–58th Legislatures | |
| Allan Shivers |
Democrat |
July 11, 1949–January 15, 1957; 51st–55th Legislatures | Succeeded upon Jester's death. Elected in 1950, re-elected in 1952 and 1954. |
| Beauford H. Jester |
Democrat |
January 21, 1947–July 11, 1949; 50th–51st Legislatures | Died in office. |
| Coke R. Stevenson |
Democrat |
August 4, 1941–January 21, 1947; 47th–50th Legislatures | |
| W. Lee O'Daniel |
Democrat |
January 17, 1939–August 4, 1941; 46th–47th Legislatures | Resigned to become U.S. Senator. |
| James V Allred |
Democrat |
January 15, 1935–January 17, 1939; 44th–46th Legislatures | |
| Ross S. Sterling |
Democrat |
January 20, 1931–January 17, 1933; 42nd–43rd Legislatures | |
| Dan Moody |
Democrat |
January 17, 1927–January 20, 1931; 40th–42nd Legislatures | |
| Miriam A. Ferguson |
Democrat |
January 17, 1933–January 15, 1935; 43rd–44th Legislatures January 20, 1925–January 17, 1927; 39th–40th Legislatures | |
| Pat M. Neff |
Democrat |
January 18, 1921–January 20, 1925; 37th–39th Legislatures | |
| William Pettus Hobby |
Democrat |
September 25, 1917–January 18, 1921; 35th–37th Legislatures | Hobby served as acting governor during the James E. Ferguson impeachment proceedings from 8/25/1917 to 9/25/1917. Hobby succeeded to the governorship following Ferguson's removal from office on 9/25/1917. |
| James E. Ferguson |
Democrat |
January 19, 1915–September 24, 1917; 34th–35th Legislatures | On August 24, 1917 the House of Representatives filed articles of impeachment against Governor Ferguson. The Senate resolved itself into a court of impeachment to consider the charges. On September 24, 1917, Governor Ferguson filed notice of his immediate resignation with the Secretary of State. On September 25, 1917, the Senate rendered its judgment, removing Ferguson from office and disqualifying him from holding any future state office (114 Tex. 85). |
| Oscar Branch Colquitt |
Democrat |
January 17, 1911–January 19, 1915; 32nd–34th Legislatures | |
| Thomas Mitchell Campbell |
Democrat |
January 15, 1907–January 17, 1911; 30th–32nd Legislatures | |
| S.W.T. Lanham |
Democrat |
January 20, 1903–January 15, 1907; 28th–30th Legislatures | |
| Joseph D. Sayers |
Democrat |
January 17, 1899–January 20, 1903; 26th–28th Legislatures | |
| Charles A. Culberson |
Democrat |
January 15, 1895–January 17, 1899; 24th–26th Legislatures | |
| James Stephen Hogg |
Democrat |
January 20, 1891–January 15, 1895; 22nd–24th Legislatures | |
| Lawrence Sullivan Ross |
Democrat |
January 18, 1887–January 20, 1891; 20th–22nd Legislatures | |
| John Ireland |
Democrat |
January 16, 1883–January 18, 1887; 18th–20th Legislatures | |
| Oran M. Roberts |
Democrat |
January 21, 1879–January 16, 1883; 16th–18th Legislatures | |
| Richard B. Hubbard |
Democrat |
December 1, 1876–January 21, 1879; 16th Legislature | |
| Richard Coke |
Democrat |
January 15, 1874–December 1, 1876; 14th–15th Legislatures | Resigned to enter U.S. Senate. |
| Edmund J. Davis |
Republican |
January 8, 1870–January 15, 1874; 12th–14th Legislatures | |
| James W. Throckmorton |
Democrat |
August 19, 1866–August 8, 1867; 11th Legislature | Throckmorton was removed from office by General Philip Sheridan by an order dated July 30, 1867 on the grounds that he was "an impediment to the reconstruction". The same order appointed Pease governor of Texas. Pease took office on August 8, 1867. |
| Andrew Jackson Hamilton |
Democrat |
June 17, 1865–August 9, 1866; 11th Legislature | Hamilton received a commission as Military Governor of Texas from President Abraham Lincoln on 11/14/1862. He appears to have served in that capacity continuously until his reappointment as Provisional Governor by President Andrew Johnson on 6/17/1865. Apparently Johnson used the term "reappointment" because Hamilton was already serving as military governor. Hamilton arrived in Galveston on July 22, 1865 and received as Provisional Governor of Texas in Austin on August 2, 1865. |
| Pendleton Murrah |
Democrat |
November 5, 1863–June 17, 1865; 10th Legislature | Administration terminated by fall of Confederacy. On June 12, 1865, Murrah vacated his office. Fearing retribution from the Federal Government, Murrah left Austin the next day and fled to Mexico with other Confederate leaders. Lieutenant Governor Stockdale served as acting governor until June 17, 1865, when Andrew J. Hamilton was appointed Provisional Governor of Texas by President Andrew Johnson. |
| Francis Richard Lubbock |
Democrat |
November 7, 1861–November 5, 1863; 9th–10th Legislatures | Resigned to serve in Confederate Army. |
| Edward Clark |
Democrat |
March 16, 1861–November 7, 1861; 8th Legislature | |
| Sam Houston |
Democrat |
December 21, 1859–March 16, 1861; 8th Legislature | Refused to take an oath of loyalty to the Confederate States, after which the the Office of the Governor was declared vacant. |
| Hardin Richard Runnels |
Democrat |
December 21, 1857–December 21, 1859; 7th–8th Legislatures | |
| Elisha Marshall Pease |
Unionist |
August 8, 1867–September 30, 1869; 11th Legislature December 21, 1853–December 21, 1857; 5th–7th Legislatures | Appointed provisional governor by General Philip Sheridan in an order dated July 30, 1867. Pease took office on August 8, 1867. Resigned on September 30, 1869. |
| James W. Henderson |
Democrat |
November 23, 1853–December 21, 1853; 5th Legislature | |
| Peter Hansbrough Bell |
Democrat |
December 21, 1849–November 23, 1853; 3rd–5th Legislatures | Resigned to occupy vacant U.S. Congress seat. |
| George T. Wood |
Democrat |
December 21, 1847–December 21, 1849; 2nd–3rd Legislatures | |
| J. Pinckney Henderson |
Democrat |
February 19, 1846–December 21, 1847; 1st Legislature |
Notes
* As specified in Article IV, Section 4 of the Texas Constitution, new governors are sworn in to office on first Tuesday after the beginning of the regular session of the legislature. The legislaturs listed in the terms column include outgoing governors' service between beginning of a legislative session and inauguration of new governor.
Sources
Colossal Hamilton of Texas. El Paso, Tex.: Texas Western Press, University of Texas at El Paso, 1968.Dallas Herald. Dallas, Tex.: Vol. 12, No. 42, Ed. 1 Saturday, July 1, 1865.
Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845, Members of the Texas Legislature 1846 – 1992. Austin, Tex.: Senate Engrossing and Enrolling, Senate Reproduction, 1992.
Presiding Officers of the Texas Legislature 1846 – 2002. Austin, Tex.: Texas Legislative Council, 2002.
Republicanism in Reconstruction Texas. Austin, Tex.: University of Texas Press, 1980.
Seventh Star of the Confederacy. Denton, Tex.: University of North Texas Press, 2009.
Ramos, Mary G., ed. Texas Almanac 2002 – 2003. Dallas: The Dallas Morning News, L.P., 2001.