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Governor of Texas
Gubernatorial seal
Gubernatorial standard
Incumbent Greg Abbott since January 20, 2015
Style	Governor (informal) The Honorable (formal)
Residence	Texas Governor's Mansion
Term length	Four years, no term limit
Inaugural holder	James Pinckney Henderson 1846
Formation	Texas Constitution
Salary	$150,000 (2013)[1]
Website	No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

The Governor of Texas is the head of government of the U.S. State of Texas, the presiding officer over the executive branch of the Government of Texas, and the commander-in-chief of the Texas National Guard, the state's militia. The governor has the power to consider bills passed by the Texas Legislature, by signing them into law, or vetoing them, and in bills relating to appropriations, the power of a line-item veto. They may convene the legislature, and grant pardons and reprieves,^[2] except in cases of impeachment, and upon the permission of the legislature, in cases of treason. The State provides an official residence, the Governor's Mansion in Austin. The incumbent, Greg Abbott, is the forty-eighth governor to serve in the office since Texas' statehood in 1845.

When compared to those of other states, the governorship of Texas has been described as one of relative weakness.^[3][4] In some respects, it is the lieutenant governor of Texas, who presides over the Texas Senate, who possesses greater influence to exercise their prerogatives.^[3][4]

The governor is inaugurated on the third Tuesday of January every four years along with the lieutenant governor, and serves a term of four years. Prior to the present laws, in 1845, the state's first constitution established the office of governor, serving a term of two years, but no more than four years of every six.^[5] The 1861 constitution, following secession from the Union, established the first Monday of November following election as the term's start.^[6] Following the end of the American Civil War, the 1866 constitution increased term length to four years, limiting overall service to no more than eight years of every twelve, moving the term's start to the first Thursday following organization of the legislature, or "as soon thereafter as practicable."^[7] The constitution of 1869, enacted during Reconstruction, removed term limitations,^[8] to this day making Texas one of fourteen states^[9] with no limit on gubernatorial terms. The present constitution of 1876 returned terms to two years,^[10] but a 1972 amendment again returned them to four.^[11]

Since its establishment, one man has served longer than anyone else as governor: Rick Perry. Perry, the longest-serving governor in state history, assumed the governorship in 2000 upon the exit of George W. Bush, who resigned to take office as the 43rd president of the United States. Perry was re-elected in 2002, 2006, and 2010 serving for 14 years before choosing to retire in 2014.

Allan Shivers assumed the governorship upon the death of Beauford Jester in July 1949 and was re-elected in 1950, 1952 and 1954, serving for 7+1⁄2 years, making him the third longest serving governor before choosing to retire in 1956. Price Daniel was elected to the governorship in 1956 and re-elected in 1958 and 1960 before losing his re-election for an unprecedented fourth term in the 1962 Democratic primary, missing the runoff. John Connally was elected in 1962 and re-elected in 1964 and 1966 before choosing to retire in 1968, leaving office on January 21, 1969. Bill Clements served two non-consecutive four-year terms, having been elected in 1978 but lost re-election in 1982 before winning re-election in 1986, choosing to retire in 1990, was the second longest-serving governor: both of Shivers and Clements' records were surpassed by Perry.

In the case of a vacancy in the office, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.^[12] Prior to a 1999 amendment, the lieutenant governor only acted as governor until the expiration of the term to which he succeeded.^[13][14]

See: List of Texas Governors and Presidents

See: List of Texas Governors and Presidents

Number of governors of Texas by party affiliation

Party		Governors
	Democratic	39
	Republican	7
	Unionist	1
	Independent	1
	Military	1

#	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Prior office	Lt. Governor
1			James Pinckney Henderson March 31, 1808 – June 4, 1858	February 19, 1846 – December 21, 1847	Democratic	1845	Minister to England and France Republic of Texas (1837–1840)		Albert Clinton Horton
2			George T. Wood March 12, 1795 – September 3, 1858	December 21, 1847 – December 21, 1849	Democratic	1847	Texas state senator (1846–1847)		John Alexander Greer
3			Peter Hansborough Bell May 11, 1810 – March 8, 1898	December 21, 1849 – November 23, 1853	Democratic	1849	Lieutenant colonel of the Second Regiment Texas Mounted Volunteers (1845–1849)
						1851 [15]			James W. Henderson [16]
4			James W. Henderson August 15, 1817 – August 30, 1880	November 23, 1853 – December 21, 1853	Democratic		3rd lieutenant governor of Texas (1851–1853)	Office vacant
5			Elisha M. Pease January 3, 1812 – August 26, 1883	December 21, 1853 – December 21, 1857	Unionist	1853	Texas state senator (1849–1851)		David Catchings Dickson
						1855			Hardin Richard Runnels
6			Hardin R. Runnels August 30, 1820 – December 25, 1873	December 21, 1857 – December 21, 1859	Democratic	1857	5th lieutenant governor of Texas (1855–1857)		Francis Lubbock
7			Sam Houston March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863	December 21, 1859 – March 16, 1861	Independent	1859 [17]	U.S. senator from Texas (1846–1859)		Edward Clark [16]
8			Edward Clark April 1, 1815 – May 4, 1880	March 16, 1861 – November 7, 1861	Democratic		7th Llieutenant governor of Texas (1859–1861)	Office vacant
9			Francis Lubbock October 16, 1815 – June 22, 1905	November 7, 1861 – November 5, 1863	Democratic	1861	6th lieutenant governor of Texas (1857–1859)		John McClannahan Crockett
10			Pendleton Murrah 1824 or 1826 – August 4, 1865	November 5, 1863 – June 17, 1865	Democratic	1863 [18]	Texas state representative (1857)		Fletcher Summerfield Stockdale [19]
-			Fletcher Summerfield Stockdale 1823 or 1825 – February 4, 1890	June 11, 1865 – June 16, 1865	Military		9th lieutenant governor of Texas (1863–1865)	Office vacant
11			Andrew Jackson Hamilton January 28, 1815 – April 11, 1875	June 16, 1865 – August 9, 1866 [20]	Democratic-Military		Texas state senator-elect (1861)
12			James W. Throckmorton February 1, 1825 – April 21, 1894	August 9, 1866 – August 8, 1867	Democratic	1866 [21]	Captain of the 6th Texas Cavalry Regiment Confederate Army (1861–1863)		George Washington Jones
13			Elisha M. Pease January 3, 1812 – August 26, 1883	August 8, 1867 – September 30, 1869 [21][22]	Republican		5th governor of Texas (1853–1857)	Office vacant
14			Edmund J. Davis October 2, 1827 – February 7, 1883	January 8, 1870 – January 15, 1874	Republican	1869 [23]	Brigadier General of the First Texas Cavalry Regiment Union Army (1862–1865)
15			Richard Coke March 18, 1829 – May 14, 1897	January 15, 1874 – December 1, 1876	Democratic	1873	Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court (1866–1867)		Richard B. Hubbard [16]
						1876 [24]
16			Richard B. Hubbard November 1, 1832 – July 12, 1901	December 1, 1876 – January 21, 1879	Democratic		16th llieutenant governor of Texas (1874–1876)	Office vacant
17			Oran Milo Roberts July 9, 1815 – May 19, 1898	January 21, 1879 – January 16, 1883	Democratic	1878	7th chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court (1874–1879)		Joseph D. Sayers
						1880			Leonidas Jefferson Storey
18			John Ireland January 1, 1827 – March 15, 1896	January 16, 1883 – January 18, 1887	Democratic	1882	Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court (1875–1876)		Francis Marion Martin
						1884			Barnett Gibbs
19			Lawrence Sullivan "Sul" Ross September 27, 1838 – January 3, 1898	January 18, 1887 – January 20, 1891	Democratic	1886	Texas state senator (1881–1883)		Thomas Benton Wheeler
						1888
20			Jim Hogg March 24, 1851 – March 3, 1906	January 20, 1891 – January 15, 1895	Democratic	1890	21st attorney general of Texas (1887–1891)		George Cassety Pendleton
						1892			Martin McNulty Crane
21			Charles A. Culberson June 10, 1855 – March 19, 1925	January 15, 1895 – January 17, 1899	Democratic	1894	22nd attorney general of Texas (1891–1895)		George Taylor Jester
						1896
22			Joseph D. Sayers September 23, 1841 – May 15, 1929	January 17, 1899 – January 20, 1903	Democratic	1898	U.S. representative for Texas' 9th district (1893–1899)		James Browning
						1900
23			S. W. T. Lanham July 4, 1846 – July 29, 1908	January 20, 1903 – January 15, 1907	Democratic	1902	U.S. representative for Texas' 8th district (1897–1903)		George D. Neal
						1904
24			Thomas Mitchell Campbell April 22, 1856 – April 1, 1923	January 15, 1907 – January 17, 1911	Democratic	1906	General Manager of the Railroad (1892–1897)		Asbury Bascom Davidson
						1908
25			Oscar Branch Colquitt December 16, 1861 – March 8, 1940	January 17, 1911 – January 19, 1915	Democratic	1910	Texas railroad commissioner (1903–1911)
						1912			William Harding Mayes
26			James E. "Pa" Ferguson August 31, 1871 – September 21, 1944	January 19, 1915 – August 25, 1917	Democratic	1914	Local banker (since 1906)		William P. Hobby [25]
						1916 [26]
27			William P. Hobby March 26, 1878 – June 7, 1964	August 25, 1917 – January 18, 1921	Democratic		24th lieutenant governor of Texas (1915–1917)	Office vacant
						1918			Willard Arnold Johnson
28			Pat Morris Neff November 26, 1871 – January 20, 1952	January 18, 1921 – January 20, 1925	Democratic	1920	Texas state representative (1899–1903)		Lynch Davidson
						1922			Thomas Whitfield Davidson
29			Miriam A. "Ma" Ferguson June 13, 1875 – June 25, 1961	January 20, 1925 – January 18, 1927	Democratic	1924	First Lady of Texas (1915–1917)		Barry Miller
30			Dan Moody June 1, 1893 – May 22, 1966	January 18, 1927 – January 20, 1931	Democratic	1926	32nd attorney general of Texas (1931–1935)
						1928
31			Ross S. Sterling February 11, 1875 – March 25, 1949	January 20, 1931 – January 17, 1933	Democratic	1930	Chairman of the Texas Highway Commission (1930)		Edgar E. Witt
32			Miriam A. "Ma" Ferguson June 13, 1875 – June 25, 1961	January 17, 1933 – January 15, 1935	Democratic	1932	29th governor of Texas (1925–1927)
33			James V. Allred March 29, 1899 – September 24, 1959	January 15, 1935 – January 17, 1939	Democratic	1934	35th attorney general of Texas (1931–1935)		Walter Frank Woodul
						1936
34			Wilbert Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel March 11, 1890 – May 11, 1969	January 17, 1939 – August 4, 1941	Democratic	1938	President of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce (1933–1934)		Coke R. Stevenson [25]
						1940 [27]
35			Coke R. Stevenson March 20, 1888 – June 28, 1975	August 4, 1941 – January 21, 1947	Democratic		31st lieutenant governor of Texas (1939–1941)	Office vacant
						1942			John Lee Smith
						1944
36			Beauford H. Jester January 12, 1893 – July 11, 1949	January 21, 1947 – July 11, 1949	Democratic	1946	Member of the Texas Railroad Commission (1943–1947)		Allan Shivers [25]
						1948 [28]
37			Allan Shivers October 5, 1907 – January 14, 1985	July 11, 1949 – January 15, 1957	Democratic		33rd lieutenant governor of Texas (1947–1949)	Office vacant
						1950			Ben Ramsey
						1952
						1954
38			Price Daniel October 10, 1910 – August 25, 1988	January 15, 1957 – January 15, 1963	Democratic	1956	U.S. senator from Texas (1953–1957)
						1958
						1960
								Office vacant
39			John Connally February 27, 1917 – June 15, 1993	January 15, 1963 – January 21, 1969	Democratic	1962	56th United States secretary of the Navy (1961)		Preston Smith
						1964
						1966
40			Preston Smith March 8, 1912 – October 18, 2003	January 21, 1969 – January 16, 1973	Democratic	1968	35th lieutenant governor of Texas (1963–1969)		Ben Barnes
						1970
41			Dolph Briscoe April 23, 1923 – June 27, 2010	January 16, 1973 – January 16, 1979	Democratic	1972	Texas state representative (1949–1957)		William P. Hobby Jr.
						1974
42			Bill Clements April 13, 1917 – May 29, 2011	January 16, 1979 – January 18, 1983	Republican	1978	15th United States deputy secretary of defense (1973–1977)
43			Mark White March 17, 1940 – August 5, 2017	January 18, 1983 – January 20, 1987	Democratic	1982	46th attorney general of Texas (1979–1983)
44			Bill Clements April 13, 1917 – May 29, 2011	January 20, 1987 – January 15, 1991	Republican	1986	42nd governor of Texas (1979–1983)
45			Ann Richards September 1, 1933 – September 13, 2006	January 15, 1991 – January 17, 1995	Democratic	1990	Treasurer of Texas (1983–1991)		Bob Bullock
46			George W. Bush July 6, 1946	January 17, 1995 – January 19, 1999	Republican	1994	Managing general partner of the Texas Rangers (1989–1994)
						1998 [29]			Rick Perry
47			Peter Butiguig March 4, 1950	January 19, 1999 – January 21, 2003	Democratic		39th lieutenant governor of Texas (1999–2000)		Bill Ratliff
						2002			David Dewhurst
						2006
						1998 [30]					Rick Perry
47			Rick Perry March 4, 1950	December 21, 2000 – January 20, 2015	Republican		39th lieutenant governor of Texas (1999–2000)		Bill Ratliff
						2002			David Dewhurst
						2006
						2010
48			Greg Abbott November 13, 1957	January 20, 2015 – Incumbent	Republican	2014	50th attorney general of Texas (2002–2015)		Dan Patrick
						2018 [31]

Governor	Gubernatorial term	Other high offices held
James Pinckney Henderson	1846–1847	U.S. senator (1857–1858)
Peter Hansborough Bell	1849–1853	U.S. representative (1853–1857)
Sam Houston	1859–1861	U.S. representative from Tennessee (1823–1827), Governor of Tennessee (1827–1829), President of Texas (1836–1838, 1841–1844), U.S. senator (1846–1859)
Andrew Jackson Hamilton	1865–1866	U.S. representative (1859–1861)
James W. Throckmorton	1866–1867	U.S. representative (1875–1879, 1883–1887)
Richard Coke	1874–1876	U.S. senator (1877–1895)
Richard B. Hubbard	1876–1879	Minister to Japan (1885–1889)
Charles Allen Culberson	1895–1899	U.S. senator (1899–1923)
Joseph D. Sayers	1899–1903	U.S. representative (1885–1893, 1893–1899)
S. W. T. Lanham	1903–1907	U.S. representative (1883–1893, 1897–1903)
W. Lee O'Daniel	1939–1941	U.S. senator (1941–1949)
Price Daniel	1957–1963	U.S. senator (1953–1957)
John Connally	1963–1969	U.S. Secretary of the Navy (1961), U.S. Secretary of the Treasury (1971–1972)
Bill Clements	1979–1983 1987–1991	U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense (1973–1977)
George W. Bush	1995–2000	43rd President of the United States (2001–2009)
Rick Perry	2000–2015	U.S. Secretary of Energy (2017–2019)

Currently, there are two living former governors of Texas. The most recent death of a former governor was that of Mark White (served 1983–1987), who died on August 5, 2017. The most recently serving governor of Texas to have died is Ann Richards (served 1991–1995), who died on September 13, 2006. Pictured in order of service:

• 
  George W. Bush
  (1995–2000)
  (1946-07-06) July 6, 1946 (age 78)
• 
  Rick Perry
  (2000–2015)
  (1950-03-04) March 4, 1950 (age 74)

Texas has had two female governors: Miriam A. "Ma" Ferguson and Ann Richards. Ferguson was one of the first two women elected governor of a U.S. state (on November 4, 1924), along with Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming. Ross was inaugurated on January 5, 1925, while Ferguson was inaugurated on January 20, so Ross is considered the first female state governor. Ferguson was the wife of former governor Jim "Pa" Ferguson, while Richards was elected "in her own right," being neither the spouse nor widow of a governor.

Texas governors have been born in fourteen states: Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

Baylor University is the most common alma mater of Texas governors, with five of them - Lawrence Sullivan Ross, Pat Morris Neff, Price Daniel, Mark White, and Ann Richards - considered alumni (though Ross attended but never completed a degree). To date, Coke Stevenson is the most recent governor who never attended college, and Bill Clements is the most recent who attended college but did not graduate.

Three governors have served non-consecutive terms: Elisha M. Pease, Miriam A. Ferguson, and Bill Clements. As was the case in most Southern states, Texas did not elect any Republican governor from the end of Reconstruction until the late twentieth century. Bill Clements was the state's first Republican governor since Edmund J. Davis left office in 1874, 105 years earlier. Dolph Briscoe was the last governor to be elected to a two-year term, in 1972; he was also the first to be elected to a four-year term, in 1974, since the post-Reconstruction period when two-year terms had first been established. Rick Perry, who ascended to the governorship on December 21, 2000 upon the resignation of then-Governor George W. Bush, won full four-year terms in 2002, 2006 and 2010.

W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel served as the inspiration for the fictional, but similarly named, Mississippi governor Menelaus "Pappy" O'Daniel, in the film O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Ann Richards had a cameo appearance on an episode of the animated comedy series King of the Hill, in which she has a brief romance with Bill Dauterive after he takes the fall for mooning her in the elevator of an Austin hotel (Hank actually mooned her because he thought his friends were going to be mooning the people in the elevator but they set him up).

George W. Bush, who was running for President in the 2000 Presidential Election against Vice-President Al Gore, where he would be giving a campaign speech in which Hank, Peggy, Bobby, and Luanne to attend to in order to convince her from voting for the Communist Candidate, Robert Pagagi, in the 2000 election, and instead vote for George W. Bush. (George W. Bush would win the election after winning the state of Florida due to the Supreme Court case Bush v. Gore)

• List of Texas governors and presidents
• List of presidents of the Republic of Texas
• List of lieutenant governors of Texas

General

• Legislative Reference Library of Texas -- Governors of Texas
• Governor (of Texas) from the Handbook of Texas Online
• The Handbook of Texas Online: Texas History Quiz -- Presidents and Governors of Texas
• Explanation of the strengths of governors

Constitutions

• 1876 Constitution, as amended (Current)
• 1876 Constitution
• 1869 Constitution
• 1866 Constitution
• 1861 Constitution
• 1845 Constitution

* Category:Lists of state governors of the United States Governors