List of governors of Illinois

Governor of Illinois
	Seal of the State of Illinois
	Flag of Illinois
	Incumbent; J. B. Pritzker; since January 14, 2019
Residence	Illinois Governor's Mansion
Term length	Four years, no term limits
Inaugural holder	Shadrach Bond
Formation	October 6, 1818
Salary	$177,412 (2015)[1]^α
Website	www2.illinois.gov/gov/

The Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Illinois. The governor is the head of the executive branch of Illinois's state government and is charged with enforcing state laws. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Illinois Legislature, to convene the legislature, and to grant pardons, except in cases of impeachment.[2] The governor is also the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.

Since becoming a state in 1818, 43 people have served as governor of Illinois; before statehood, it had only 1 territorial governor, Ninian Edwards. The longest-serving governor was James R. Thompson, who was elected to four terms lasting 14 years, from 1977 to 1991. Only one governor, Richard J. Oglesby, has served multiple separate terms, having been elected in 1864, 1872, and 1884.

One governor, Rod Blagojevich, was impeached and removed from office in 2009. Unique among the states is the notable fact that four of Illinois' seven governors between 1961 and 2009 were imprisoned for various forms of corruption while in office.[3][4] The current governor is J. B. Pritzker, who took office on January 14, 2019.[5]

Governors

Governor of the Territory of Illinois

Illinois Territory was formed on March 1, 1809, from Indiana Territory. It had only one governor appointed by the President of the United States before it became a state, Ninian Edwards. From March to June 1809, Territorial Secretary Nathaniel Pope served as acting governor until Edwards arrived in Illinois.[6]

Governor of the Territory of Illinois
Portrait	Governor	Term in office	Appointed by
	Ninian Edwards	March 1, 1809 – October 6, 1818	James Madison

Governors of the State of Illinois

Illinois was admitted to the Union on December 3, 1818, consisting of the southern portion of Illinois Territory; the remainder was assigned to Michigan Territory.[7]

The first Illinois Constitution, ratified in 1818, provided that a governor be elected every 4 years[8] for a term starting on the first Monday in the December following an election.[9] The constitution of 1848 moved the start of the term to the second Monday in January starting in 1849, thus shortening the term won in the 1844 election to 2 years.[10] Governors were not allowed to succeed themselves[11] until the 1870 constitution, which removed this limit.

The office of lieutenant governor was created in the first constitution,[12] to exercise the power of governor if that office becomes vacant.[13] The 1848 constitution changed this to say the power "devolves" upon the lieutenant governor in case of a vacancy.[14] The current constitution of 1970 made it so that, in the event of a vacancy, the lieutenant becomes governor,[15] and the governor and lieutenant governor are now elected on the same ticket.[16] If the governor feels seriously impeded in performing their job, they can inform the secretary of state and the next in the line of succession, who becomes acting governor until the governor can resume office.[15]

Governors of the State of Illinois
No.[lower-alpha 1]		Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor[lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3]
1	Shadrach Bond	October 6, 1818 – December 5, 1822 (term limited)	Independent	1818		Pierre Menard
2	Edward Coles	December 5, 1822 – December 6, 1826 (term limited)	Independent	1822		Adolphus Hubbard
3	Ninian Edwards	December 6, 1826 – December 6, 1830 (term limited)	Adams-Clay Republican	1826		William Kinney
4	John Reynolds	December 6, 1830 – November 17, 1834 (resigned)[lower-alpha 4]	National Republican	1830		Zadok Casey (resigned March 1, 1833)
4	John Reynolds		National Republican	1830		William Lee D. Ewing (acting)
5	William Lee D. Ewing	November 17, 1834 – December 3, 1834 (successor took office)	Democratic	Lieutenant Governor acting as Governor	Vacant
6	Joseph Duncan	December 3, 1834 – December 7, 1838 (term limited)	Whig	1834		Alexander M. Jenkins[lower-alpha 5] (resigned December 9, 1836)
6	Joseph Duncan	December 3, 1834 – December 7, 1838 (term limited)	Whig	1834		William H. Davidson[lower-alpha 5] (acting)
7	Thomas Carlin	December 7, 1838 – December 8, 1842 (term limited)	Democratic	1838		Stinson Anderson
8	Thomas Ford	December 8, 1842 – December 9, 1846 (term limited)	Democratic	1842		John Moore
9	Augustus C. French	December 9, 1846 – January 10, 1853 (term limited)	Democratic	1846[lower-alpha 6]		Joseph Wells
9	Augustus C. French	December 9, 1846 – January 10, 1853 (term limited)	Democratic	1848		William McMurtry
10	Joel Aldrich Matteson	January 10, 1853 – January 12, 1857 (term limited)	Democratic	1852		Gustav Koerner
11	William Henry Bissell	January 12, 1857 – March 18, 1860 (died in office)	Republican	1856		John Wood
12	John Wood	March 18, 1860 – January 14, 1861 (not candidate for election)	Republican	Lieutenant Governor acting as Governor		Thomas Marshall[lower-alpha 5] (acting)
13	Richard Yates	January 14, 1861 – January 16, 1865 (term limited)	Republican	1860		Francis Hoffmann
14	Richard J. Oglesby	January 16, 1865 – January 11, 1869 (term limited)	Republican	1864		William Bross
15	John M. Palmer	January 11, 1869 – January 13, 1873 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1868		John Dougherty
14	Richard J. Oglesby	January 13, 1873 – January 23, 1873 (resigned)[lower-alpha 7]	Republican	1872		John Lourie Beveridge
16	John Lourie Beveridge	January 23, 1873 – January 8, 1877 (not candidate for election)	Republican	Lieutenant Governor acting as Governor		John Early (acting) (term ended January 8, 1875)
16	John Lourie Beveridge		Republican	Lieutenant Governor acting as Governor		Archibald A. Glenn[lower-alpha 5] (acting)
17	Shelby Moore Cullom	January 8, 1877 – February 5, 1883 (resigned)[lower-alpha 8]	Republican	1876		Andrew Shuman
17	Shelby Moore Cullom		Republican	1880		John Marshall Hamilton
18	John Marshall Hamilton	February 5, 1883 – January 30, 1885 (not candidate for election)	Republican	Lieutenant Governor acting as Governor		William J. Campbell (acting)
14	Richard J. Oglesby	January 30, 1885 – January 14, 1889 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1884		John C. Smith
19	Joseph W. Fifer	January 14, 1889 – January 10, 1893 (lost election)	Republican	1888		Lyman Beecher Ray
20	John Peter Altgeld	January 10, 1893 – January 11, 1897 (lost election)	Democratic	1892		Joseph B. Gill
21	John Riley Tanner	January 11, 1897 – January 14, 1901 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1896		William Northcott
22	Richard Yates Jr.	January 14, 1901 – January 9, 1905 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1900		William Northcott
23	Charles S. Deneen	January 9, 1905 – February 3, 1913 (lost election)	Republican	1904		Lawrence Yates Sherman
23	Charles S. Deneen	January 9, 1905 – February 3, 1913 (lost election)	Republican	1908		John G. Oglesby
24	Edward Fitzsimmons Dunne	February 3, 1913 – January 8, 1917 (lost election)	Democratic	1912		Barratt O'Hara
25	Frank Orren Lowden	January 8, 1917 – January 10, 1921 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1916		John G. Oglesby
26	Len Small	January 10, 1921 – January 14, 1929 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1920		Fred E. Sterling
26	Len Small		Republican	1924
27	Louis Lincoln Emmerson	January 14, 1929 – January 9, 1933 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1928
28	Henry Horner	January 9, 1933 – October 6, 1940 (died in office)	Democratic	1932		Thomas Donovan
28	Henry Horner	January 9, 1933 – October 6, 1940 (died in office)	Democratic	1936		John Henry Stelle
29	John Henry Stelle	October 6, 1940 – January 13, 1941 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	Lieutenant Governor acting as Governor	Vacant
30	Dwight H. Green	January 13, 1941 – January 10, 1949 (lost election)	Republican	1940		Hugh W. Cross
30	Dwight H. Green	January 13, 1941 – January 10, 1949 (lost election)	Republican	1944		Hugh W. Cross
31	Adlai Stevenson II	January 10, 1949 – January 12, 1953 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1948		Sherwood Dixon
32	William Stratton	January 12, 1953 – January 9, 1961 (lost election)	Republican	1952		John William Chapman
32	William Stratton	January 12, 1953 – January 9, 1961 (lost election)	Republican	1956		John William Chapman
33	Otto Kerner Jr.	January 9, 1961 – May 21, 1968 (resigned)[lower-alpha 9]	Democratic	1960		Samuel H. Shapiro
33	Otto Kerner Jr.	January 9, 1961 – May 21, 1968 (resigned)[lower-alpha 9]	Democratic	1964		Samuel H. Shapiro
34	Samuel H. Shapiro	May 21, 1968 – January 13, 1969	Democratic	Lieutenant Governor acting as Governor	Vacant
35	Richard B. Ogilvie	January 13, 1969 – January 8, 1973 (lost election)	Republican	1968		Paul Simon[lower-alpha 5]
36	Dan Walker	January 8, 1973 – January 10, 1977 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1972		Neil Hartigan
37	James R. Thompson	January 10, 1977 – January 14, 1991 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1976[lower-alpha 10]		Dave O'Neal (resigned July 31, 1981)
				1978		Dave O'Neal (resigned July 31, 1981)
				1978	Vacant
				1982		George Ryan
				1986		George Ryan
38	Jim Edgar	January 14, 1991 – January 11, 1999 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1990		Bob Kustra (resigned July 1, 1998)
				1994		Bob Kustra (resigned July 1, 1998)
				1994	Vacant
39	George Ryan	January 11, 1999 – January 13, 2003 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1998		Corinne Wood
40	Rod Blagojevich	January 13, 2003 – January 29, 2009 (impeached and removed)[lower-alpha 11]	Democratic	2002		Pat Quinn
40	Rod Blagojevich		Democratic	2006		Pat Quinn
41	Pat Quinn	January 29, 2009 – January 12, 2015 (lost election)	Democratic	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor	Vacant
41	Pat Quinn	January 29, 2009 – January 12, 2015 (lost election)	Democratic	2010		Sheila Simon
42	Bruce Rauner	January 12, 2015 – January 14, 2019 (lost election)	Republican	2014		Evelyn Sanguinetti
43	J. B. Pritzker	January 14, 2019 – present[lower-alpha 12]	Democratic	2018		Juliana Stratton

Notes

Based on the official site labeling Bruce Rauner as the 42nd governor,[17] it is assumed the official numbering includes repeat governors only once; subsequent terms are marked with their original number italicized.
Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
When the lieutenant governor is serving as governor, the Illinois Blue Book considers the president pro tempore of the senate to be acting lieutenant governor. However, this only applies to acting lieutenant governors before 1883; after that, there are no acting lieutenant governors noted, and instead these are marked vacant. It is unknown why this changed; the constitution does not appear to have any relevant changes around that time.[18]
Reynolds resigned to take elected seat in the United States House of Representatives.[19]
Represented the Democratic Party
The election schedule was shifted after this term, shortening it to two years.[10]
Oglesby resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[20][21]
Cullom resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[22]
Kerner resigned to take seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.[23][24]
The schedule for the 1970 constitution provided that the 1976 election would be for a two-year term, shifting the election schedule away from presidential election years.[25]
Blagojevich was impeached and removed from office on charges of corruption.[26][27]
Pritzker's first term expires on January 9, 2023.

References

General

"Illinois: Past Governors Bios". National Governors Association. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
"Illinois Blue Book" (PDF). Illinois Secretary of State. pp. 359–360. Retrieved April 26, 2018.

Constitutions

"Constitution of the State of Illinois". 1818.
"Constitution of the State of Illinois". 1848.
"Constitution of the State of Illinois". 1870.
"Constitution of the State of Illinois". 1970.

Specific

"Governors' Salaries, 2015". The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
IL Const. art. V
"4 of Illinois' last 7 governors went to prison". Kankakee Daily Journal. 2013-01-30. Retrieved 2019-06-15.
"4 out of previous 7 Illinois governors (Kerner, Walker, Ryan and Blagojevich) went to prison". WLS-TV Eyewitness News. 2013-01-13. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
"Election Results". Elections.il.gov. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
Robert P. Howard (1988), Mostly Good and Competent Men: Illinois Governors, 1818–1988, Illinois Issues and the Illinois State Historical Society, 39–40.
3 Stat. 536
1818 Const. art. III, § 2
1818 Const. art. III, § 3
1848 Const. art. IV, § 3
1818 Const. art. III, § 3
1818 Const. art. III, § 13
1818 Const. art. III, § 18
1848 Const. art. IV, § 19
IL Const. art. V, § 6
IL Const. art. V, § 4
"About the Governor". State of Illinois. Archived from the original on 2018-04-26. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
Illinois Blue Book, p. 360
"John Reynolds". National Governors Association. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
"Richard James Oglesby". National Governors Association. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
"Nomination of Gov. Oglesby for United States Senator". The New York Times. January 10, 1873. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
"Shelby Moore Cullom". National Governors Association. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
"Otto Kerner". National Governors Association. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
"Otto Kerner Goes to Jail Today, His Once‐Shining Career at End". The New York Times. July 29, 1974. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
Lousin, Ann (2011). The Illinois State Constitution. Oxford University Press. p. 130. ISBN 9780199766925.
"Rod R. Blagojevich". National Governors Association. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
"Blagojevich Ousted by Illinois State Senate". The New York Times. January 29, 2009. Retrieved June 1, 2018.

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[18] Based on the official site labeling Bruce Rauner as the 42nd governor,[17] it is assumed the official numbering includes repeat governors only once; subsequent terms are marked with their original number italicized.

[19] Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.

[21] When the lieutenant governor is serving as governor, the Illinois Blue Book considers the president pro tempore of the senate to be acting lieutenant governor. However, this only applies to acting lieutenant governors before 1883; after that, there are no acting lieutenant governors noted, and instead these are marked vacant. It is unknown why this changed; the constitution does not appear to have any relevant changes around that time.[18]

[23] Reynolds resigned to take elected seat in the United States House of Representatives.[19]

[lt-dem-24] Represented the Democratic Party

[25] The election schedule was shifted after this term, shortening it to two years.[10]

[28] Oglesby resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[20][21]

[30] Cullom resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[22]

[33] Kerner resigned to take seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.[23][24]

[35] The schedule for the 1970 constitution provided that the 1976 election would be for a two-year term, shifting the election schedule away from presidential election years.[25]

[38] Blagojevich was impeached and removed from office on charges of corruption.[26][27]

[39] Pritzker's first term expires on January 9, 2023.

[1] "Governors' Salaries, 2015". The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2016.

[2] IL Const. art. V

[3] "4 of Illinois' last 7 governors went to prison". Kankakee Daily Journal. 2013-01-30. Retrieved 2019-06-15.

[4] "4 out of previous 7 Illinois governors (Kerner, Walker, Ryan and Blagojevich) went to prison". WLS-TV Eyewitness News. 2013-01-13. Retrieved 2019-06-14.

[5] "Election Results". Elections.il.gov. Retrieved January 1, 2021.

[6] Robert P. Howard (1988), Mostly Good and Competent Men: Illinois Governors, 1818–1988, Illinois Issues and the Illinois State Historical Society, 39–40.

[7] 3 Stat. 536

[8] 1818 Const. art. III, § 2

[9] 1818 Const. art. III, § 3

[1848const-art4-sec3-10] 1848 Const. art. IV, § 3

[11] 1818 Const. art. III, § 3

[12] 1818 Const. art. III, § 13

[13] 1818 Const. art. III, § 18

[14] 1848 Const. art. IV, § 19

[const-art5sec6-15] IL Const. art. V, § 6

[16] IL Const. art. V, § 4

[17] "About the Governor". State of Illinois. Archived from the original on 2018-04-26. Retrieved April 25, 2018.

[20] Illinois Blue Book, p. 360

[22] "John Reynolds". National Governors Association. Retrieved June 1, 2018.

[26] "Richard James Oglesby". National Governors Association. Retrieved June 1, 2018.

[27] "Nomination of Gov. Oglesby for United States Senator". The New York Times. January 10, 1873. Retrieved June 1, 2018.

[29] "Shelby Moore Cullom". National Governors Association. Retrieved June 1, 2018.

[31] "Otto Kerner". National Governors Association. Retrieved June 1, 2018.

[32] "Otto Kerner Goes to Jail Today, His Once‐Shining Career at End". The New York Times. July 29, 1974. Retrieved June 1, 2018.

[34] Lousin, Ann (2011). The Illinois State Constitution. Oxford University Press. p. 130. ISBN 9780199766925.

[36] "Rod R. Blagojevich". National Governors Association. Retrieved June 1, 2018.

[37] "Blagojevich Ousted by Illinois State Senate". The New York Times. January 29, 2009. Retrieved June 1, 2018.

Governors of Illinois
Colonial administrators	List of commandants of the Illinois Country
Territorial Governors	Edwards
Governors	Bond Coles Edwards Reynolds Ewing Duncan Carlin Ford French Matteson Bissell Wood Yates (father) Oglesby (1st time) Palmer Oglesby (2nd time) Beveridge Cullom Hamilton Oglesby (3rd time) Fifer Altgeld Tanner Yates (son) Deneen Dunne Lowden Small Emmerson Horner Stelle Green Stevenson Stratton Kerner Shapiro Ogilvie Walker Thompson Edgar Ryan Blagojevich Quinn Rauner Pritzker

State of Illinois
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