List of governors of Rhode Island

Governor of Rhode Island
Governor of Rhode Island
	Seal of the Governor
	Flag of the Governor
	Incumbent; Dan McKee; since March 2, 2021
Style	Governor; (informal); The Honorable; (formal);
Status	Head of State; Head of Government;
Term length	Four years, renewable once
Inaugural holder	Nicholas Cooke
Formation	November 7, 1775; (247 years ago)
Deputy	Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island
Salary	$128,210 (2013)
Website	governor.ri.gov

The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government of Rhode Island and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's Army National Guard and Air National Guard. The current governor is Dan McKee. John W. Davis, Herbert W. Ladd, and Aram J. Pothier each served two non-consecutive stints, while James Fenner served three non-consecutive stints as governor.

Party affiliation[edit]

Number of governors of Rhode Island by party affiliation^[a]
Party	Governors
Republican	32
Democratic	22
Democratic-Republican	4
Independent	4
Whig	4
Country	3
Law and Order	2
Dorr Rebellion	1
Federalist	1
Know Nothing	1
Rhode Island Party	1

Colonial Rhode Island, 1640–1775[edit]

List of governors of Rhode Island, 1775–present[edit]

Parties

Country Democratic Federalist Democratic-Republican Dorr Rebellion No party Whig Law and Order Republican Know Nothing Rhode Island Party

Governors of the State of Rhode Island
No.		Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor
1	Nicholas Cooke	November 7, 1775 – May 4, 1778	None	1776	None
1	Nicholas Cooke	November 7, 1775 – May 4, 1778	None	1777
2	William Greene	May 4, 1778 – May 3, 1786	None	1778
				1779
				1780
				1781
				1782
				1783
				1784
				1785
3	John Collins	May 3, 1786 – May 5, 1790	None	1786
				1787
				1788
				1789
4	Arthur Fenner	May 5, 1790 – October 15, 1805 (died)^[b]	Country Party	1790		Samuel J. Potter
				1791
				1792
				1793
				1794
				1795
				1796
				1797
				1798
				1799		George Brown
				1800		Samuel J. Potter
				1801
				1802
				1803		Paul Mumford
				1804
				1805
5	Henry Smith	October 15, 1805 – May 7, 1806	Country Party	Succeeded from President of the Senate	None
6	Isaac Wilbour	May 7, 1806 – May 6, 1807	Country Party	1806		Isaac Wilbour
7	James Fenner	May 6, 1807 – May 1, 1811	Democratic-Republican	1807		Constant Taber
				1808		Simeon Martin
				1809		Simeon Martin
				1810		Isaac Wilbour
8	William Jones	May 1, 1811 – May 7, 1817	Federalist	1811		Simeon Martin
				1812
				1813
				1814
				1815
				1816		Jeremiah Thurston
9	Nehemiah R. Knight	May 7, 1817 – May 2, 1821	Democratic-Republican	1817		Edward Wilcox
				1818
				1819
				1820
10	William C. Gibbs	May 2, 1821 – May 5, 1824	Democratic-Republican	1821		Caleb Earle
				1822
				1823
11	James Fenner	May 5, 1824 – May 4, 1831	Democratic-Republican	1824		Charles Collins
				1825
				1826
				1827
				1828
				1829
				1830
12	Lemuel H. Arnold	May 4, 1831 – May 1, 1833	National Republican	1831
12	Lemuel H. Arnold	May 4, 1831 – May 1, 1833	National Republican	1832
13	John B. Francis	May 1, 1833 – May 2, 1838	Democratic	1833		Jeffrey Hazard
				1834		Jeffrey Hazard
				1835		George Engs
				1836		Jeffrey Hazard
				1837		Benjamin B. Thurston
14	William Sprague III	May 2, 1838 – May 2, 1839	Whig	1838		Joseph Childs
15	Samuel Ward King	May 2, 1839 – May 2, 1843	Rhode Island Party	1839		Byron Diman
				1840
				1841
				1842		Nathaniel Bullock
16	Thomas Dorr	May 1, 1842 – January 23, 1843	Extralegal Dorr Rebellion	1842	None
17	James Fenner	May 2, 1843 – May 6, 1845	Law and Order	1843		Byron Diman
17	James Fenner	May 2, 1843 – May 6, 1845	Law and Order	1844
18	Charles Jackson	May 6, 1845 – May 6, 1846	Whig,^[2] Liberation Party^[3]	1845
19	Byron Diman	May 6, 1846 – May 4, 1847	Law and Order	1846		Elisha Harris
20	Elisha Harris	May 4, 1847 – May 1, 1849	Whig	1847		Edward W. Lawton
20	Elisha Harris	May 4, 1847 – May 1, 1849	Whig	1848		Edward W. Lawton
21	Henry B. Anthony	May 1, 1849 – May 6, 1851	Whig	1849		Thomas Whipple
21	Henry B. Anthony	May 1, 1849 – May 6, 1851	Whig	1850		Thomas Whipple
22	Philip Allen	May 6, 1851 – July 20, 1853	Democratic	1851		William Beach Lawrence
				1852		Samuel G. Arnold
				1853		Francis M. Dimond
23	Francis M. Dimond	July 20, 1853 – May 2, 1854	Democratic	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor		Francis M. Dimond
24	William W. Hoppin	May 2, 1854 – May 26, 1857	Whig	1854		John J. Reynolds
				1855		Anderson C. Rose
				1856		Nicholas Brown III
25	Elisha Dyer	May 26, 1857 – May 31, 1859 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1857		Thomas G. Turner
25	Elisha Dyer	May 26, 1857 – May 31, 1859 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1858		Thomas G. Turner
26	Thomas G. Turner	May 31, 1859 – May 29, 1860 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1859		Isaac Saunders
27	William Sprague IV	May 29, 1860 – March 3, 1863 (resigned)^[c]	Republican	1860		J. Russell Bullock
				1861		J. Russell Bullock
				1862		Samuel G. Arnold
28	William C. Cozzens	March 3, 1863 – May 26, 1863 (lost election)	Democratic	Succeeded from President of the Senate	None
29	James Y. Smith	May 26, 1863 – May 29, 1866 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1863		Seth Padelford
				1864		Seth Padelford
				1865		Duncan Pell
30	Ambrose Everett Burnside	May 29, 1866 – May 25, 1869 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1866		William Greene
				1867		William Greene
				1868		Pardon Stevens
31	Seth Padelford	May 25, 1869 – May 27, 1873 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1869
				1870
				1871
				1872		Charles Cutler
32	Henry Howard	May 27, 1873 – May 25, 1875 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1873		Charles C. Van Zandt
32	Henry Howard	May 27, 1873 – May 25, 1875 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1874		Charles C. Van Zandt
33	Henry Lippitt	May 25, 1875 – May 29, 1877 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1875		Henry Tillinghast Sisson
33	Henry Lippitt	May 25, 1875 – May 29, 1877 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1876		Henry Tillinghast Sisson
34	Charles C. Van Zandt	May 29, 1877 – May 25, 1880 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1877		Albert C. Howard
				1878
				1879
35	Alfred H. Littlefield	May 25, 1880 – May 29, 1883 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1880		Henry Fay
				1881
				1882
36	Augustus O. Bourn	May 29, 1883 – May 26, 1885 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1883		Oscar Rathbun
36	Augustus O. Bourn	May 29, 1883 – May 26, 1885 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1884		Oscar Rathbun
37	George P. Wetmore	May 26, 1885 – May 29, 1887 (lost election)	Republican	1885		Lucius B. Darling
37	George P. Wetmore	May 26, 1885 – May 29, 1887 (lost election)	Republican	1886		Lucius B. Darling
38	John W. Davis	May 29, 1887 – May 29, 1888 (lost election)	Democratic	1887		Samuel R. Honey
39	Royal C. Taft	May 29, 1888 – May 28, 1889 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1888		Enos Lapham
40	Herbert W. Ladd	May 28, 1889 – May 27, 1890 (lost election)	Republican	1889		Daniel Littlefield
41	John W. Davis	May 27, 1890 – May 26, 1891 (lost election)	Democratic	1890		William T. C. Wardwell
42	Herbert W. Ladd	May 26, 1891 – May 31, 1892 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1891		Henry A. Stearns
43	D. Russell Brown	May 31, 1892 – May 29, 1895 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1892		Melville Bull
				1893		Melville Bull
				1894		Edwin Allen
44	Charles W. Lippitt	May 29, 1895 – May 25, 1897 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1895
44	Charles W. Lippitt	May 29, 1895 – May 25, 1897 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1896
45	Elisha Dyer, Jr.	May 25, 1897 – May 29, 1900 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1897		Aram J. Pothier
				1898		William Gregory
				1899		William Gregory
46	William Gregory	May 29, 1900 – December 16, 1901 (died)	Republican	1900		Charles D. Kimball
46	William Gregory	May 29, 1900 – December 16, 1901 (died)	Republican	1901		Charles D. Kimball
47	Charles D. Kimball	December 16, 1901 – January 3, 1903 (lost election)	Republican	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor	None
47	Charles D. Kimball	December 16, 1901 – January 3, 1903 (lost election)	Republican	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor		George L. Shepley
48	Lucius F. C. Garvin	January 3, 1903 – January 3, 1905 (lost election)	Democratic	1902		Adelard Archambault
48	Lucius F. C. Garvin	January 3, 1903 – January 3, 1905 (lost election)	Democratic	1903		George H. Utter
49	George H. Utter	January 3, 1905 – January 1, 1907 (lost election)	Republican	1904		Frederick H. Jackson
49	George H. Utter	January 3, 1905 – January 1, 1907 (lost election)	Republican	1905
50	James H. Higgins	January 1, 1907 – January 5, 1909 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1906
50	James H. Higgins		Democratic	1907		Ralph Watrous
51	Aram J. Pothier	January 5, 1909 – January 5, 1915 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1908		Arthur W. Dennis
				1909		Emery J. San Souci
				1910
				1911
				1912		Rosewell Burchard
52	R. Livingston Beeckman	January 5, 1915 – January 4, 1921 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1914		Emery J. San Souci
				1916
				1918
53	Emery J. San Souci	January 4, 1921 – January 2, 1923 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1920		Harold Gross
54	William S. Flynn	January 2, 1923 – January 6, 1925 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1922		Felix A. Toupin
55	Aram J. Pothier	January 6, 1925 – February 4, 1928 (died)	Republican	1924		Nathaniel W. Smith
55	Aram J. Pothier	January 6, 1925 – February 4, 1928 (died)	Republican	1926		Norman S. Case
56	Norman S. Case	February 4, 1928 – January 3, 1933 (lost election)	Republican	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor	None
				1928		James G. Connelly
				1930		James G. Connelly
57	Theodore Francis Green	January 3, 1933 – January 5, 1937 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1932		Robert E. Quinn
57	Theodore Francis Green		Democratic	1934		Robert E. Quinn
58	Robert E. Quinn	January 5, 1937 – January 3, 1939 (lost election)	Democratic	1936		Raymond E. Jordan
59	William Henry Vanderbilt III	January 3, 1939 – January 7, 1941 (lost election)	Republican	1938		James O. McManus
60	J. Howard McGrath	January 7, 1941 – October 6, 1945 (resigned)^[d]	Democratic	1940		Louis W. Cappelli
				1942		Louis W. Cappelli
				1944		John Pastore
61	John Pastore	October 6, 1945 – December 19, 1950 (resigned)^[c]	Democratic	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor		John S. McKiernan
				1946
				1948
62	John S. McKiernan	December 19, 1950 – January 2, 1951 (successor took office)	Democratic	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor	None
63	Dennis J. Roberts	January 2, 1951 – January 6, 1959 (lost election)	Democratic	1950		John S. McKiernan
				1952
				1954
				1956		Armand H. Cote
64	Christopher Del Sesto	January 6, 1959 – January 3, 1961 (lost election)	Republican	1958		John A. Notte, Jr.
65	John A. Notte, Jr.	January 3, 1961 – January 1, 1963 (lost election)	Democratic	1960		Edward P. Gallogly
66	John Chafee	January 1, 1963 – January 7, 1969 (lost election)	Republican	1962		Edward P. Gallogly
				1964		Giovanni Folcarelli
				1966		Joseph O'Donnell, Jr.
67	Frank Licht	January 7, 1969 – January 2, 1973 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1968		J. Joseph Garrahy
67	Frank Licht		Democratic	1970
68	Philip W. Noel	January 2, 1973 – January 4, 1977 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1972
68	Philip W. Noel		Democratic	1974
69	J. Joseph Garrahy	January 4, 1977 – January 1, 1985 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1976		Thomas R. DiLuglio
				1978
				1980
				1982
70	Edward D. DiPrete	January 1, 1985 – January 1, 1991 (lost election)	Republican	1984		Richard A. Licht
				1986		Richard A. Licht
				1988		Roger N. Begin
71	Bruce Sundlun	January 1, 1991 – January 3, 1995 (lost renomination)	Democratic	1990		Roger N. Begin
71	Bruce Sundlun	January 1, 1991 – January 3, 1995 (lost renomination)	Democratic	1992		Robert Weygand
72	Lincoln Almond	January 3, 1995 – January 7, 2003 (term limited)^[e]	Republican	1994		Robert Weygand
				1994		Bernard Jackvony
				1998		Charles J. Fogarty
73	Donald Carcieri	January 7, 2003 – January 4, 2011 (term limited)	Republican	2002		Charles J. Fogarty
73	Donald Carcieri	January 7, 2003 – January 4, 2011 (term limited)	Republican	2006		Elizabeth H. Roberts
74	Lincoln Chafee	January 4, 2011 – January 6, 2015 (not candidate for election)	Independent^[f]	2010
74	Lincoln Chafee		Democratic^[f]	2010
75	Gina Raimondo	January 6, 2015 – March 2, 2021 (resigned)^[g]	Democratic	2014		Dan McKee
75	Gina Raimondo	January 6, 2015 – March 2, 2021 (resigned)^[g]	Democratic	2018		Dan McKee
76	Dan McKee	March 2, 2021 – Incumbent^[h]	Democratic	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor		Sabina Matos
76	Dan McKee	March 2, 2021 – Incumbent^[h]	Democratic	2022		Sabina Matos

Succession[edit]

Notes[edit]

^ Table does not include governors from the colonial period, when there were no organized parties in Rhode Island, and governors were generally appointed rather than elected. It also does not include acting governors.
^ Rhode Island ratified the U.S. Constitution on May 29, 1790.
^ ^a ^b Resigned to take an elected seat in the U.S. Senate.
^ Resigned to become United States Solicitor General.
^ First governor to serve a four-year term.
^ ^a ^b Chafee served in prior offices as a Republican, but ran for governor as an independent. On May 30, 2013, while in office, he switched his party affiliation to Democratic.^[4]
^ Resigned to become United States Secretary of Commerce.
^ McKee's first full term began on January 3, 2023 and will expire January 5, 2027.

References[edit]

^ "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries". The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
^ "Rhode Island Governor Charles Jackson". National Governors Association. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
^ "Rhode Island Governors 1640 – Present". Rhode Island Secretary of State. State of Rhode Island. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
^ Burns, Alexander (May 29, 2013). "Lincoln Chafee switches affiliation to Democrat". Politico. Archived from the original on June 9, 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-30.

External links[edit]

Governor's digitized records from the Rhode Island State Archives
Governor of Rhode Island: Proclamations Issued from the Rhode Island State Archives
Governor's Executive Orders from the Rhode Island State Archives
Guide to the Governor's Executive Orders from the Rhode Island State Archives
Guide to the Tavares Collection from the Rhode Island State Archives

[2] Table does not include governors from the colonial period, when there were no organized parties in Rhode Island, and governors were generally appointed rather than elected. It also does not include acting governors.

[3] Rhode Island ratified the U.S. Constitution on May 29, 1790.

[Senate-6] Resigned to take an elected seat in the U.S. Senate.

[7] Resigned to become United States Solicitor General.

[8] First governor to serve a four-year term.

[Chafee-10] Chafee served in prior offices as a Republican, but ran for governor as an independent. On May 30, 2013, while in office, he switched his party affiliation to Democratic.^[4]

[11] Resigned to become United States Secretary of Commerce.

[12] McKee's first full term began on January 3, 2023 and will expire January 5, 2027.

[1] "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries". The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2014.

[4] "Rhode Island Governor Charles Jackson". National Governors Association. Retrieved 25 March 2015.

[5] "Rhode Island Governors 1640 – Present". Rhode Island Secretary of State. State of Rhode Island. Retrieved 25 March 2015.

[9] Burns, Alexander (May 29, 2013). "Lincoln Chafee switches affiliation to Democrat". Politico. Archived from the original on June 9, 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-30.

[1]

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Governor of Rhode Island
Seal of the Governor
Flag of the Governor
Incumbent Dan McKee since March 2, 2021
Style	Governor (informal) The Honorable (formal)
Status	Head of State Head of Government
Term length	Four years, renewable once
Inaugural holder	Nicholas Cooke
Formation	November 7, 1775 (247 years ago) (1775-11-07)
Deputy	Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island
Salary	$128,210 (2013)^[1]
Website	governor.ri.gov