Incumbents
Federal government President: Barack Obama (D-Illinois) Vice President: Joe Biden (D-Delaware) Chief Justice: John Roberts (Maryland) Speaker of the House of Representatives: John Boehner (R-Ohio) (until October 29) Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) (starting October 29) Senate Majority Leader: Harry Reid (D-Nevada) (until January 3) Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) (starting January 3) Congress: 113th (until January 3), 114th (starting January 3)
State governments Governors and lieutenant governors Governors Alabama: Robert J. Bentley (Republican) Alaska: Bill Walker (Independent) Arizona: Jan Brewer (Republican) (until January 5), Doug Ducey (Republican) (starting January 5) Arkansas: Mike Beebe (Democratic) (until January 13), Asa Hutchinson (Republican) (starting January 13) California: Jerry Brown (Democratic) Colorado: John Hickenlooper (Democratic) Connecticut: Dan Malloy (Democratic) Delaware: Jack Markell (Democratic) Florida: Rick Scott (Republican) Georgia: Nathan Deal (Republican) Hawaii: David Ige (Democratic) Idaho: Butch Otter (Republican) Illinois: Pat Quinn (Democratic) (until January 12), Bruce Rauner (Republican) (starting January 12) Indiana: Mike Pence (Republican) Iowa: Terry Branstad (Republican) Kansas: Sam Brownback (Republican) Kentucky: Steve Beshear (Democratic) (until December 8), Matt Bevin (Republican) (starting December 8) Louisiana: Bobby Jindal (Republican) Maine: Paul LePage (Republican) Maryland: Martin O'Malley (Democratic) (until January 21), Larry Hogan (Republican) (starting January 21) Massachusetts: Deval Patrick (Democratic) (until January 8), Charlie Baker (Republican) (starting January 8) Michigan: Rick Snyder (Republican) Minnesota: Mark Dayton (Democratic) Mississippi: Phil Bryant (Republican) Missouri: Jay Nixon (Democratic) Montana: Steve Bullock (Democratic) Nebraska: Dave Heineman (Republican) (until January 8), Pete Ricketts (Republican) (starting January 8) Nevada: Brian Sandoval (Republican) New Hampshire: Maggie Hassan (Democratic) New Jersey: Chris Christie (Republican) New Mexico: Susana Martinez (Republican) New York: Andrew Cuomo (Democratic) North Carolina: Pat McCrory (Republican) North Dakota: Jack Dalrymple (Republican) Ohio: John Kasich (Republican) Oklahoma: Mary Fallin (Republican) Oregon: John Kitzhaber (Democratic) (until February 18), Kate Brown (Democratic) (starting February 18) Pennsylvania: Tom Corbett (Republican) (until January 20), Tom Wolf (Democratic) (starting January 20) Rhode Island: Lincoln Chafee (Democratic) (until January 6), Gina Raimondo (Democratic) (starting January 6) South Carolina: Nikki Haley (Republican) South Dakota: Dennis Daugaard (Republican) Tennessee: Bill Haslam (Republican) Texas: Rick Perry (Republican) (until January 20), Greg Abbott (Republican) (starting January 20) Utah: Gary Herbert (Republican) Vermont: Peter Shumlin (Democratic) Virginia: Terry McAuliffe (Democratic) Washington: Jay Inslee (Democratic) West Virginia: Earl Ray Tomblin (Democratic) Wisconsin: Scott Walker (Republican) Wyoming: Matt Mead (Republican)
Lieutenant governors Alabama: Kay Ivey (Republican) Alaska: Byron Mallott (Independent) Arkansas: vacant (until January 13), Tim Griffin (Republican) (starting January 13) California: Gavin Newsom (Democratic) Colorado: Joseph Garcia (Democratic) Connecticut: Nancy Wyman (Democratic) Delaware: Matthew Denn (Democratic) (until January 6), vacant (starting January 6) Florida: Carlos Lopez-Cantera (Republican) Georgia: Casey Cagle (Republican) Hawaii: Shan Tsutsui (Democratic) Idaho: Brad Little (Republican) Illinois: Sheila Simon (Democratic) (until January 12), Evelyn Sanguinetti (Republican) (starting January 12) Indiana: Sue Ellspermann (Republican) Iowa: Kim Reynolds (Republican) Kansas: Jeff Colyer (Republican) Kentucky: Crit Luallen (Democratic) (until December 8), Jenean Hampton (Republican) (starting December 8) Louisiana: Jay Dardenne (Republican) Maryland: Anthony Brown (Democratic) (until January 21), Boyd Rutherford (Republican) (starting January 21) Massachusetts: vacant (until January 8), Karyn Polito (Republican) (starting January 8) Michigan: Brian Calley (Republican) Minnesota: Yvonne Prettner Solon (Republican) (until January 5), Tina Smith (Democratic) (starting January 5) Mississippi: Tate Reeves (Republican) Missouri: Peter Kinder (Republican) Montana: Angela McLean (Democratic) Nebraska: John E. Nelson (Republican) (until January 8), Mike Foley (Republican) (starting January 8) Nevada: Brian Krolicki (Republican) (until January 5), Mark Hutchison (Republican) (starting January 5) New Jersey: Kim Guadagno (Republican) New Mexico: John Sanchez (Republican) New York: Kathy Hochul (Democratic) (starting January 1) North Carolina: Dan Forest (Republican) North Dakota: Drew Wrigley (Republican) Ohio: Mary Taylor (Republican) Oklahoma: Todd Lamb (Republican) Pennsylvania: Jim Cawley (Republican) (until January 20), Michael J. Stack III (Democratic) (starting January 20) Rhode Island: Elizabeth Roberts (Democratic) (until January 6), Daniel McKee (Democratic) (starting January 6) South Carolina: Yancey McGill (Democratic) (until January 14), Henry McMaster (Republican) (starting January 14) South Dakota: Matt Michels (Republican) Tennessee: Ron Ramsey (Republican) Texas: David Dewhurst (Republican) (until January 20), Dan Patrick (Republican) (starting January 20) Utah: Spencer Cox (Republican) Vermont: Phil Scott (Republican) Virginia: Ralph Northam (Democratic) Washington: Brad Owen (Democratic) Wisconsin: Rebecca Kleefisch (Republican)
Events
January January 1 New laws that go into effect on January 1: Under Provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services begins using the Medicare fee schedule to give larger payments to physicians who provide high-quality care compared with cost. California's affirmative consent law goes into effect. California bans revenge porn. Louisiana's law allowing 16- and 17-year-old people to register to vote. New York bans photography with big cats. Nevada schools can now deny driver's licenses to students who skip classes. Illinois requires e-cigarettes to be sold behind-the-counter. Several states raise their minimum wages; Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Maryland, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Restaurant chain Chick-fil-A reveals that credit card information from up to 9,000 transactions in five states may have been stolen. January 3 – The 114th Congress begins, and, as per the 2014 elections, the Republican Party holds majority control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. January 5 – Groundbreaking and construction begin on the $68 billion California High-Speed Rail System, with the new transportation line planning to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco by 2029, reaching speeds of up to 200 mph (320 km/h). January 6 Federal judge James R. Spencer sentences former Governor of Virginia Bob McDonnell to two years in prison on federal corruption charges. A gunman fatally shoots a doctor at a VA hospital in El Paso, Texas, before committing suicide. January 12 The Ohio State Buckeyes defeat the Oregon Ducks to win the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, by a score of 42–20. A federal judge rules that South Dakota's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, and immediately stays the ruling. Bruce Rauner is sworn in as the 42nd governor of Illinois, replacing Pat Quinn. January 14 The FBI arrests an Ohioan man for threatening to stage an ISIS-inspired attack on the United States Capitol. A collision between a train and a prison transport bus near Penwell, Texas leaves at least eight prisoners and two corrections officers dead. January 15 – The nominations for the 87th Academy Awards are announced at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California. The nominees for Best Picture are American Sniper, Birdman, Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, Selma, The Theory of Everything, and Whiplash. January 16 – The Supreme Court announces it will hear four appellate rulings whether there is a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. Oral arguments will take place in April and a ruling may occur by June. January 18 – K.C. Undercover and Star vs. the Forces of Evil debuts on Disney Channel and Disney XD. January 20 – President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union Address to the United States Congress.http://bigstory.ap.org/article/59521b2ecebd4215b1f125ecaa42b364/state-union-obama-aims-influence-2016-debate APhttp://bigstory.ap.org/article/a5cfd192b18b498e96675aa977478685/obama-state-union-america-turning-page AP January 23 The U.S. Southern District of Alabama strikes down the state ban on same-sex marriage in Alabama, saying it has violated equal protection and due process rights. The Supreme Court announces it will review the lethal injection protocol used by Oklahoma, which inmates suggest violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. January 26–27 – A blizzard hits the Northeast, shutting down major cities including New York City and Boston, with up to 60 million people affected.
February February 1 – Amid accusations of cheating, the New England Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks 28–24 in Super Bowl XLIX at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. February 3 A collision between a commuter train and a passenger vehicle kills six in Valhalla, New York.http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/02/03/metro-north-train-hits-car-in-valhalla-service-snagged-on-harlem-line/ CBS Local The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals refuses to stay a judge's ruling overturning the banning of same-sex marriage in Alabama, but Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore states the next day that the state is not required to issue same-sex marriage licenses. February 5 – American electronics retail store franchise RadioShack files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after 11 consecutive quarterly losses. February 10 U.S. officials announce that in light of the Houthi takeover of the Yemeni capital city of Sana'a and the resignation of Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, the United States will be closing its embassy in Yemen. All American diplomats working in Yemen are advised to evacuate. NBC announces that NBC Nightly News host Brian Williams has been suspended for six months due to revelations that he greatly embellished stories of his role in a helicopter incident in Iraq on the air. February 11 Police arrest suspected shooter Craig Stephen Hicks for killing a Muslim family of three in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Police state that the shooting was motivated by a long-standing neighbor dispute over parking.http://bigstory.ap.org/article/5675a9eee93c40bbb169c875c93314ad/man-arrested-after-3-shot-death-north-carolina AP The New England Journal of Medicine publishes research from the American Cancer Society that mortality due to cigarette smoking in the United States may be substantially greater than previously thought when adding in associations with diseases that have not been formally established as caused by smoking. February 13 – Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber announces his resignation (effective February 18) amid allegations his fiancée used taxpayer resources to aid her green-energy consulting business. Kate Brown moves up to Governor from being the Secretary of State.http://bigstory.ap.org/article/d2b8cb51c03947df859fe26b583bd0f3/oregon-governor-resists-mounting-pressure-resign APhttp://bigstory.ap.org/article/96019f6a849a414eaa5d797f4bb20abd/timeline-ethics-issues-surrounding-oregon-governor AP