List of Governors of New Jersey

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Governor of New Jersey
Seal of New Jersey.svg
Chris Christie 2011 Shankbone.JPG
Incumbent
Chris Christie

since January 19, 2010
Style The Honorable
Residence Drumthwacket
Term length Four years
Inaugural holder William Livingston
Formation August 31, 1776
Deputy Kim Guadagno
Salary $175,000 (2013)[1]
Website www.state.nj.us/governor

The Governor of New Jersey is the head of the executive branch of New Jersey's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the New Jersey Legislature, to convene the legislature, and to grant pardons, except in cases of treason or impeachment.[2]

There have been 55 official governors of New Jersey, with several others acting as governor for a time.[note 1] In the official numbering, governors are counted only once each, and traditionally, only elected governors were included. However, legislation signed on January 10, 2006, allowed acting governors who had served at least 180 days to be considered full governors. The law was retroactive to January 1, 2001; it therefore changed the titles of Donald DiFrancesco and Richard Codey, affecting Jim McGreevey's numbering.[3] The current governor is Chris Christie, who took office on January 19, 2010.

Governors

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Head and shoulders of a dignified and serious man.
William Livingston, 1st Governor of New Jersey and signer of the United States Constitution
Portrait of aging, silver-haired man in judge's robes.
William Paterson, 2nd Governor of New Jersey, signer of the United States Constitution, and Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
Portrait of brown-haired man, slightly smirking, dressed in a black coat and white cravat
Mahlon Dickerson, 7th Governor of New Jersey and 10th U.S. Secretary of the Navy
Middle-aged, thick-haired man wearing a suit and tie, gazing forward, his right hand touching the side of his face thoughtfully.
John W. Griggs, 29th Governor of New Jersey and 44th U.S. Attorney General
Bespectacled middle-aged man wearing a suit and tie, gazing forward.
Woodrow Wilson, 34th Governor of New Jersey and 28th President of the United States
Bespectacled man with neatly combed dark hair, wearing a suit and tie.
Walter Evans Edge, 36th Governor of New Jersey
Middle-aged man with neatly combed hair, wearing a suit and tie.
Charles Edison, 42nd Governor of New Jersey and 46th U.S. Secretary of the Navy
Smiling, middle-aged man with graying hair, wearing a suit and tie.
James Florio, 49th Governor of New Jersey
Smiling, middle-aged woman, looking forward, wearing a red jacket.
Christine Todd Whitman, 50th Governor of New Jersey and 9th EPA Administrator
Three-quarter photographic portrait of a white man in his 50s, dressed in a suit and tie. He is balding but has a grayish beard, and he is wearing glasses.
Jon Corzine, 54th Governor of New Jersey
For the period before independence, see the list of colonial governors of New Jersey.

New Jersey was one of the original thirteen colonies and was admitted as a state on December 18, 1787. Prior to declaring its independence, New Jersey was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain.

The first New Jersey State Constitution, ratified in 1776, provided that a governor be elected annually by the state legislature, the members of which were selected by the several counties.[4] Under this constitution, the governor was president of the upper house of the legislature, then called the Legislative Council.[4] The 1844 constitution provided for a popular vote to elect the governor,[5] who no longer presided over the upper house of the legislature, now called the Senate. The 1844 constitution also lengthened the governor's term to three years, set to start on the third Tuesday in January following an election, and barred governors from succeeding themselves.[6] The 1947 constitution extended terms to four years, and limits governors from being elected to more than two consecutive terms, though they can run again after a third term has passed.[7]

The 1776 constitution provided that the vice-president of the Legislative Council would act as governor (who was president of the Council) should that office be vacant.[4] The 1844 constitution placed the president of the Senate first in the line of succession,[8] as did the subsequent 1947 constitution.[9] A constitutional amendment in 2006 created the office of lieutenant governor,[10] to be elected on the same ticket for the same term as the governor,[11] and if the office of governor is vacant, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.[12] This office was first filled in 2010.

Parties

      Federalist (4)       Democratic-Republican (3)       Democratic (27)       Whig (4)       Republican (17)
(official numbering, does not include repeat or acting governors)

#
[note 2]
Governor Term start Term end Party Lt. Governor
[13]
Terms
[note 3]
1 William Livingston August 31, 1776 July 25, 1790 Federalist None 13 12
[note 4]
Elisha Lawrence July 25, 1790 October 29, 1790 Federalist 12
[note 5]
2 William Paterson October 29, 1790 March 30, 1793 Federalist 2 12
[note 6]
[note 7]
Thomas Henderson March 30, 1793 June 3, 1793 Federalist 12
[note 5]
3 Richard Howell June 3, 1793 October 31, 1801 Federalist 8
[note 8]
4 Joseph Bloomfield October 31, 1801 October 28, 1802 Democratic-
Republican
1
John Lambert October 28, 1802 October 29, 1803 Democratic-
Republican
1
[note 9]
4 Joseph Bloomfield October 29, 1803 October 29, 1812 Democratic-
Republican
9
[note 10]
5 Aaron Ogden October 29, 1812 October 29, 1813 Federalist 1
6 William Sanford Pennington October 29, 1813 June 19, 1815 Democratic-
Republican
1 12
[note 11]
William Kennedy June 19, 1815 October 26, 1815 Democratic-
Republican
12
[note 5]
[note 12]
7 Mahlon Dickerson October 26, 1815 February 1, 1817 Democratic-
Republican
1 12
[note 13]
8 Isaac Halstead Williamson February 6, 1817 October 30, 1829 Federalist 12 12
[note 14]
[note 15]
[note 16]
Garret D. Wall Democratic
[note 17]
9 Peter Dumont Vroom November 6, 1829 October 26, 1832 Democratic 3
10 Samuel L. Southard October 26, 1832 February 27, 1833 Whig 12
[note 13]
11 Elias P. Seeley February 27, 1833 October 25, 1833 Whig 12
[note 18]
9 Peter Dumont Vroom October 25, 1833 November 3, 1836 Democratic 3
12 Philemon Dickerson November 3, 1836 October 27, 1837 Democratic 1
13 William Pennington October 27, 1837 October 27, 1843 Whig 6
14 Daniel Haines October 27, 1843 January 21, 1845 Democratic 1
[note 19]
15 Charles C. Stratton January 21, 1845 January 18, 1848 Whig 1
[note 20]
14 Daniel Haines January 18, 1848 January 21, 1851 Democratic 1
16 George F. Fort January 21, 1851 January 17, 1854 Democratic 1
17 Rodman M. Price January 17, 1854 January 20, 1857 Democratic 1
18 William A. Newell January 20, 1857 January 17, 1860 Republican 1
19 Charles Smith Olden January 17, 1860 January 20, 1863 Republican 1
20 Joel Parker January 20, 1863 January 16, 1866 Democratic 1
21 Marcus Lawrence Ward January 16, 1866 January 19, 1869 Republican 1
22 Theodore Fitz Randolph January 19, 1869 January 16, 1872 Democratic 1
20 Joel Parker January 16, 1872 January 19, 1875 Democratic 1
23 Joseph D. Bedle January 19, 1875 January 15, 1878 Democratic 1
24 George B. McClellan January 15, 1878 January 18, 1881 Democratic 1
25 George C. Ludlow January 18, 1881 January 15, 1884 Democratic 1
26 Leon Abbett January 15, 1884 January 18, 1887 Democratic 1
27 Robert Stockton Green January 18, 1887 January 21, 1890 Democratic 1
26 Leon Abbett January 21, 1890 January 17, 1893 Democratic 1
28 George Theodore Werts January 17, 1893 January 21, 1896 Democratic 1
29 John W. Griggs January 21, 1896 January 31, 1898 Republican 13
[note 21]
Foster MacGowan Voorhees January 31, 1898 October 18, 1898 Republican 13
[note 22]
David Ogden Watkins October 18, 1898 January 17, 1899 Republican 13
[note 23]
30 Foster MacGowan Voorhees January 17, 1899 January 21, 1902 Republican 1
[note 24]
31 Franklin Murphy January 21, 1902 January 17, 1905 Republican 1
[note 25]
32 Edward C. Stokes January 17, 1905 January 21, 1908 Republican 1
33 John Franklin Fort January 21, 1908 January 17, 1911 Republican 1
[note 26]
34 Woodrow Wilson January 17, 1911 March 1, 1913 Democratic 13
[note 27]
[note 28]
James Fairman Fielder March 1, 1913 October 28, 1913 Democratic 13
[note 29]
Leon R. Taylor October 28, 1913 January 20, 1914 Democratic 13
[note 23]
35 James Fairman Fielder January 20, 1914 January 16, 1917 Democratic 1
[note 30]
[note 31]
36 Walter Evans Edge January 16, 1917 May 16, 1919 Republican 13
[note 13]
[note 31]
[note 32]
William Nelson Runyon May 16, 1919 January 13, 1920 Republican 13
[note 33]
Clarence E. Case January 13, 1920 January 20, 1920 Republican 13
[note 34]
37 Edward I. Edwards January 20, 1920 January 15, 1923 Democratic 1
38 George Sebastian Silzer January 15, 1923 January 19, 1926 Democratic 1
39 A. Harry Moore January 19, 1926 January 15, 1929 Democratic 1
40 Morgan Foster Larson January 15, 1929 January 19, 1932 Republican 1
39 A. Harry Moore January 19, 1932 January 3, 1935 Democratic 13
[note 13]
Clifford Ross Powell January 3, 1935 January 8, 1935 Republican 13
[note 33]
Horace Griggs Prall January 8, 1935 January 15, 1935 Republican 13
[note 34]
41 Harold G. Hoffman January 15, 1935 January 18, 1938 Republican 1
39 A. Harry Moore January 18, 1938 January 21, 1941 Democratic 1
42 Charles Edison January 21, 1941 January 18, 1944 Democratic 1
36 Walter Evans Edge January 18, 1944 January 21, 1947 Republican 1
43 Alfred E. Driscoll January 21, 1947 January 19, 1954 Republican 2
[note 35]
44 Robert B. Meyner January 19, 1954 January 16, 1962 Democratic 2
45 Richard J. Hughes January 16, 1962 January 20, 1970 Democratic 2
46 William T. Cahill January 20, 1970 January 15, 1974 Republican 1
47 Brendan Byrne January 15, 1974 January 19, 1982 Democratic 2
48 Thomas Kean January 19, 1982 January 16, 1990 Republican 2
49 James Florio January 16, 1990 January 18, 1994 Democratic 1
50 Christine Todd Whitman January 18, 1994 January 31, 2001 Republican 1 15
[note 36]
51 Donald DiFrancesco January 31, 2001 January 8, 2002 Republican 15
[note 33]
[note 37]
John Farmer, Jr. January 8, 2002 January 8, 2002 Republican 15
[note 38]
John O. Bennett January 8, 2002 January 12, 2002 Republican 15
[note 39]
Richard Codey January 12, 2002 January 15, 2002 Democratic 15
[note 39]
52 Jim McGreevey January 15, 2002 November 15, 2004 Democratic 12
[note 40]
53 Richard Codey November 15, 2004 January 17, 2006 Democratic 12
[note 34]
[note 37]
54 Jon Corzine January 17, 2006 January 19, 2010 Democratic 1
[note 41]
55 Chris Christie January 19, 2010 incumbent Republican Kim Guadagno 2
[46]
[note 42]

Acting governor

Prior to 2010, unlike most other states, New Jersey did not have the office of lieutenant governor. Until 2010, when the office of governor was vacant or the governor was unable to fulfill his/her duties through injury, the President of the State Senate served as the acting governor. The Senate President continued in the legislative role during his/her tenure as the state's acting chief executive, thus giving the person control over executive and legislative authority. The acting governor served either until the next general election, until the governor recovered from his/her injuries, or, if the governor died or resigned less than 16 months before end of the term, until the end of the term. Richard Codey served as acting governor of New Jersey until January 2006, following the resignation of Jim McGreevey in late 2004. Following the resignation of Christine Todd Whitman in 2001 to become EPA Administrator, Donald DiFrancesco assumed the acting governor's post. The position of Lieutenant Governor was created in the 2005 state election effective with the 2009 election.

Following Whitman's resignation and DiFrancesco's departure, John O. Bennett served as acting governor for three and a half days. During that time, he signed a few bills into law, gave a State of the State Address, and held parties at Drumthwacket, the New Jersey Governor's Mansion. Similarly, Richard J. Codey served as acting governor as well. Because control of the New Jersey State Senate was split, resulting in two Senate co-Presidents, Codey and Bennett, each held the office of acting governor for three days. Perhaps this spectacle as much as any other factor led to the voters' decision to amend the state constitution to create the office of Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey.

Other high offices held

This is a table of congressional seats, other federal offices, and other governorships held by governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented New Jersey. Acting governors are included only when they filled a vacancy in the office of governor, not when they acted for a time when the governor was out of state or unable to serve.

Denotes an office for which the governor resigned the governorship, in order to assume the noted office.
† Denotes an office that the person resigned, to become governor.
Governor Gubernatorial term U.S. Congress Other offices held Source
U.S. House U.S. Senate
William Livingston 1776–1790 Continental Delegate (1774–1776) [47]
William Paterson 1790–1793 S† Continental Delegate, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court* [48]
Thomas Henderson 1793 H Elected as a Continental Delegate but declined [49]
Joseph Bloomfield 1801–1802
1803–1812
H [50]
John Lambert 1802–1803 S [51]
Aaron Ogden 1812–1813 S [52]
Mahlon Dickerson 1815–1817 S* U.S. Secretary of the Navy (1834–1838) [53][54]
Peter Dumont Vroom 1829–1832
1833–1836
H Minister to Prussia [55]
Samuel L. Southard 1832–1833 S* President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, U.S. Secretary of the Navy [56]
Philemon Dickerson 1836–1837 H† [57]
William Pennington 1837–1843 H Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (Feb. 1, 1860 – Mar. 3, 1861) [58]
Charles C. Stratton 1845–1848 H [59]
Rodman M. Price 1854–1857 H [60]
William A. Newell 1857–1860 H Governor of the Territory of Washington (1880–1884) [61]
Marcus Lawrence Ward 1866–1869 H [62]
Theodore Fitz Randolph 1869–1872 S [63]
Robert Stockton Green 1887–1890 H† [64]
John W. Griggs 1896–1898 U.S. Attorney General* [65]
Woodrow Wilson 1911–1913 President of the United States* [66]
Walter Evans Edge 1917–1919
1944–1947
S* Ambassador to France (1929–1933) [67]
Edward I. Edwards 1920–1923 S [68]
A. Harry Moore 1926–1929
1932–1935
1938–1941
S†* [69][70]
Harold G. Hoffman 1935–1938 H [71]
Charles Edison 1941–1944 U.S. Secretary of the Navy [72]
William T. Cahill 1970–1973 H† [73]
James Florio 1990–1994 H† [74]
Christine Todd Whitman 1994–2001 Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency* [75]
Jon Corzine 2006–2010 S† [76]
  • Note: Garret D. Wall, who was elected to be governor in 1829 but declined, served as a U.S. Senator (1835–1841).[77]
  • Note: Gov. William Pennington (1837–1843) was appointed Governor of the Territory of Minnesota by President Millard Fillmore (1850–1853), but declined.

Living former U.S. governors of New Jersey

As of May 2015, there are eight former U.S. governors of New Jersey and two former acting U.S. governors of New Jersey who are currently living at this time, the oldest U.S. governor of New Jersey being Brendan Byrne (1974–1982, born 1924). The most recent U.S. governor of New Jersey to die and the most recently serving U.S. governor of New Jersey to have died was William T. Cahill (1970–1974), on July 1, 1996.

Governor Gubernatorial term Date of birth (and age)
Brendan Byrne 1974–1982 (1924-04-01) April 1, 1924 (age 100)
Thomas Kean 1982–1990 (1935-04-21) April 21, 1935 (age 89)
James Florio 1990–1994 (1937-08-29) August 29, 1937 (age 87)
Christine Todd Whitman 1994–2001 (1946-09-26) September 26, 1946 (age 78)
Donald DiFrancesco 2001–2002 (1944-11-20) November 20, 1944 (age 80)
John Farmer, Jr. 2002 (acting) (1957-06-24) June 24, 1957 (age 67)
John O. Bennett 2002 (acting) (1948-08-06) August 6, 1948 (age 76)
Richard Codey 2002 (acting)
2004–2006
(1946-11-27) November 27, 1946 (age 78)
Jim McGreevey 2002–2004 (1957-08-06) August 6, 1957 (age 67)
Jon Corzine 2006–2010 (1947-01-01) January 1, 1947 (age 78)

Notes

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References

General
  • Biographies of New Jersey Governors, New Jersey State Library
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Constitutions
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Specific

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External links

  1. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. NJ Constitution article V
  3. 3.0 3.1 New Jersey Legislature. P.L.2005, c. 282.: Provides title of person who serves as Acting Governor for continuous period of at least 180 days will be "Governor of the State of New Jersey" for official and historical purposes. Approved January 9, 2006, retroactive to January 1, 2001. Accessed January 6, 2008.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 1776 Constitution article 7
  5. 1844 Constitution article V, § 2
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 1844 Constitution article V, § 3
  7. 7.0 7.1 NJ Constitution article V, § 1, cl. 5
  8. 1844 Constitution article V , § 12
  9. NJ Constitution article V, § 1, cl. 6, original
  10. NJ Constitution article XI, § 7
  11. NJ Constitution article V, § 1, cl. 4
  12. NJ Constitution article V, § 1, cl. 6, as amended
  13. The office of lieutenant governor was created in 2006 and was first filled in 2010.
  14. Report p. 122
  15. Report p. 123
  16. Lee pp. 155–156
  17. Report p. 124
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  19. Report pp. 125–126
  20. Lee pp. 160–161
  21. Lundy et al. (1921) p. 127
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  25. Lee pp. 377–378
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  28. 28.0 28.1 Lundy et al. (1905) p. 16
  29. 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 Lundy et al. (1921) p. 22
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  31. Lundy et al. (1905) p. 284
  32. Lundy et al. (1921) p. 252
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  34. Lundy et al. (1921) p. 262
  35. Kerney p. 140
  36. 36.0 36.1 Kerney p. 141
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  38. Lundy et al. (1921) p. 361
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  46. http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/01/chris_christie_officially_begins_second_term_with_passionate_speech_that_dodges_scandals.html#incart_river_default
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