List of third-party and independent United States governors

This is a list of third party and independent United States governors. It includes governors who have not been members of the Democratic, Republican, Whig, National Republican, Democratic-Republican, or Federalist parties.

Since its founding, the United States has been a two-party system, and it is rare for independents or members of third parties to be elected to high offices such as the governorship. However, it has happened on several occasions, which are documented below. The most recent-serving independent governor is Bill Walker of Alaska, who served 2014–2018. The most recent member of a third party (not an independent) elected to a governorship is Jesse Ventura, a member of the Independence Party of Minnesota who was elected Governor of Minnesota in 1998.

While there have been few third parties that have gained traction at the national level, several states have been three-party systems at one point or another. These include Minnesota with the Farmer–Labor Party from 1918–1944, North Dakota with the Nonpartisan League from 1915–1956, Wisconsin with the Progressive Party from 1934–1946, Nevada with the Silver Party from 1892–1911, Virginia with the Readjuster Party from 1877–1895, and South Carolina with the Nullifier Party from 1828–1839.

Not included are governors who were elected before the state's ratification of the United States Constitution or governors of U.S. territories prior to their admission to the Union. Also not included are military or appointed governors of former Confederate states after the American Civil War.

Pre-Reconstruction (1787–1865) StatePortraitGovernorPartyStart of termEnd of termNotesMassachusettsJohn HancockIndependentMay 30, 1787October 8, 1793Massachusetts ratified the U.S. Constitution on February 6, 1788, died in officeGeorgiaGeorge HandleyIndependentJanuary 26, 1788January 7, 1789PennsylvaniaThomas MifflinIndependentNovember 5, 1788December 17, 1799Titled "President" 1788–90VirginiaBeverley RandolphIndependentDecember 1, 1788December 1, 1791DelawareJehu DavisIndependentMarch 29, 1789June 2, 1789Titled "President"Rhode IslandArthur FennerCountryMay 5, 1790October 15, 1805Rhode Island ratified the U.S. Constitution on May 29, 1790, died in officeMassachusettsSamuel AdamsIndependentOctober 8, 1793June 2, 1797Acting Governor from 1793–94Rhode IslandHenry SmithCountryOctober 15, 1805May 7, 1806Rhode IslandIsaac WilbourCountryMay 7, 1806May 6, 1807Acting governorVermontThomas ChittendenIndependentMarch 4, 1791August 25, 1797Governor of the Vermont Republic 1778–89; 90–91, died in officeMarylandGeorge PlaterIndependentNovember 14, 1791February 10, 1792Died in officeMassachusettsMoses GillIndependentJune 7, 1799May 20, 1800Acting Governor, died in officeVirginiaHardin BurnleyIndependentDecember 7, 1799December 11, 1799Acting governorVirginiaJohn Pendleton Jr.IndependentDecember 11, 1799December 19, 1799Acting governorConnecticutOliver Wolcott Jr.TolerationMay 8, 1817May 2, 1827IllinoisShadrach BondIndependentOctober 6, 1818December 5, 1822IllinoisEdward ColesIndependentDecember 5, 1822December 6, 1826North CarolinaHutchins Gordon BurtonIndependentDecember 7, 1824December 8, 1827IndianaJames B. RayIndependentFebruary 12, 1825December 7, 1831South CarolinaStephen Decatur MillerNullifierDecember 10, 1828December 9, 1830South CarolinaJames Hamilton Jr.NullifierDecember 9, 1830December 10, 1832VermontWilliam A. PalmerAnti-MasonicOctober 18, 1831November 2, 1835South CarolinaRobert Y. HayneNullifierDecember 10, 1832December 9, 1834PennsylvaniaJoseph RitnerAnti-MasonicDecember 15, 1835January 15, 1839Rhode IslandSamuel Ward KingRhode Island PartyMay 2, 1839May 2, 1843Governorship disputed 1842–43, see Dorr RebellionRhode IslandThomas Wilson DorrDorr RebellionMay 1, 1842January 23, 1843Extralegal governor, disputed with Samuel Ward King, see Dorr RebellionRhode IslandJames FennerLaw and OrderMay 2, 1843May 6, 1845AlabamaJoshua L. MartinIndependentDecember 10, 1845December 16, 1847Rhode IslandByron DimanLaw and OrderMay 6, 1846May 4, 1847GeorgiaHowell CobbConstitutional UnionNovember 5, 1851November 9, 1853MississippiHenry S. FooteUnionJanuary 10, 1852January 5, 1854MassachusettsHenry GardnerAmericanJanuary 4, 1855January 7, 1858ConnecticutWilliam T. MinorAmericanMay 2, 1855May 6, 1857New HampshireRalph MetcalfAmericanJune 7, 1855June 4, 1857KentuckyCharles S. MoreheadAmericanSeptember 4, 1855August 30, 1859CaliforniaJ. Neely JohnsonAmericanJanuary 6, 1856January 8, 1858MarylandThomas Holliday HicksAmericanJanuary 13, 1858January 8, 1862TexasSam HoustonIndependentDecember 31, 1859March 28, 1861Previously served as President of the Republic of Texas 1836–1838; 1841–1844 and Governor of Tennessee from 1827–1829MarylandAugustus BradfordUnionJanuary 8, 1862January 10, 1866OhioJohn BroughUnionJanuary 11, 1864August 29, 1865Died in office

Post-Reconstruction (1865–present) StatePortraitGovernorPartyStart of termEnd of termNotesAlabamaRobert M. PattonIndependentDecember 13, 1865July 24, 1868Had been a Whig prior to the Civil WarMissouriBenjamin Gratz BrownLiberal RepublicanJanuary 4, 1871January 3, 1873West VirginiaJohn J. JacobPeople's Independent PartyMarch 4, 1871March 4, 1877Jacob was elected as a Democrat, and reelected under the umbrella of the People's Independent Party in 1872 after failing to win the Democratic nomination.MaineHarris M. PlaistedGreenbackJanuary 13, 1881January 3, 1883Also endorsed by the DemocratsVirginiaWilliam E. CameronReadjusterJanuary 1, 1882January 1, 1886North DakotaEli ShortridgeDemocratic-IndependentJanuary 3, 1893January 10, 1895KansasLorenzo D. LewellingPopulistJanuary 9, 1893January 14, 1895WashingtonJohn Rankin RogersPopulistJanuary 11, 1897December 26, 1901Also endorsed by the Democrats, became a Democrat in 1900, died in officeColoradoDavis Hanson WaitePopulistJanuary 10, 1893January 8, 1895NebraskaSilas A. HolcombPopulistJanuary 3, 1895January 5, 1899Also endorsed by the DemocratsNevadaJohn Edward JonesSilverJanuary 7, 1895April 10, 1896Died in officeNevadaReinhold SadlerSilverApril 10, 1896January 5, 1903Succeeded to the governorship after the death of JonesNevadaJohn SparksSilverJanuary 5, 1903May 22, 1908Also endorsed by the Democrats, died in officeNevadaDenver S. DickersonSilverMay 22, 1908January 2, 1911Also endorsed by the Democrats, succeeded to the governorship after the death of SparksSouth DakotaAndrew E. LeePopulistJanuary 1, 1897January 8, 1901KansasJohn W. LeedyPopulistJanuary 11, 1897January 9, 1899NebraskaWilliam A. PoynterPopulistJanuary 5, 1899January 3, 1901Also endorsed by the DemocratsWyomingJoseph M. CareyProgressiveJanuary 2, 1911January 4, 1915Elected as a Republican, became a Progressive in 1912CaliforniaHiram JohnsonProgressiveJanuary 3, 1911March 15, 1917Elected as a Republican, became a Progressive in 1912, resigned in 1917 in order to become a U.S. SenatorFloridaSidney Johnston CattsProhibitionJanuary 2, 1917January 4, 1921North DakotaLynn FrazierNonpartisan LeagueFor a time, the Republican Party of North Dakota was split between the progressive Nonpartisan League and the conservative Independent Voters Association. All Republican governors between 1917 and 1939 were affiliated with either one of those parties, and all are listed here.January 3, 1917November 23, 1921RecalledNorth DakotaRagnvald NestosIndependent Voters AssociationNovember 23, 1921January 7, 1925Won the recall electionNorth DakotaArthur G. SorlieNonpartisan LeagueJanuary 7, 1925August 28, 1928Died in officeNorth DakotaWalter MaddockNonpartisan LeagueAugust 28, 1928January 9, 1929Succeeded to the governorship after the death of SorlieNorth DakotaGeorge F. ShaferIndependent Voters AssociationJanuary 9, 1929December 31, 1932MinnesotaFloyd B. OlsonFarmer–LaborJanuary 6, 1931August 22, 1936Died in officeOregonJulius MeierIndependentJanuary 12, 1931January 14, 1935North DakotaWilliam LangerNonpartisan LeagueDecember 31, 1932June 21, 1934Removed from office in 1934, elected again in 1936North DakotaOle H. OlsonNonpartisan LeagueJune 21, 1934January 7, 1935Succeeded to the governorship after the removal of LangerNorth DakotaWalter WelfordNonpartisan LeagueFebruary 2, 1935January 6, 1937Succeeded to the governorship after the removal of Thomas H. Moodie due to ineligibilityMinnesotaHjalmar PetersenFarmer–LaborAugust 22, 1936January 4, 1937Succeeded to the governorship after the death of OlsonMinnesotaElmer Austin BensonFarmer–LaborJanuary 4, 1937January 2, 1939WisconsinPhilip La FolletteProgressiveJanuary 7, 1935January 2, 1939WisconsinOrland Steen LoomisProgressiveN/AN/ADied a month before he was to take officeMaineJames B. LongleyIndependentJanuary 2, 1975January 3, 1979AlaskaWally HickelAlaskan IndependenceDecember 3, 1990December 5, 1994Previously served as a Republican from 1966–1969, became a Republican in April 1994ConnecticutLowell P. WeickerA Connecticut PartyJanuary 9, 1991January 4, 1995MaineAngus KingIndependentJanuary 5, 1995January 8, 2003MinnesotaJesse VenturaReform/IndependenceJanuary 4, 1999January 6, 2003Elected as Reform, later switched to the Independence Party of Minnesota in 2000FloridaCharlie CristIndependentJanuary 2, 2007January 4, 2011Elected as a Republican, became an independent on May 13, 2010Rhode IslandLincoln ChafeeIndependentJanuary 4, 2011January 6, 2015Switched to the Democratic Party on May 30, 2013AlaskaBill WalkerIndependentDecember 1, 2014December 3, 2018Also endorsed by the Democrats

See also Third party officeholders in the United States List of current United States governors List of third party performances in United States elections

References