Governor of Idaho | |
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![]() Seal of the State of Idaho
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Residence | The Idaho House |
Term length | Four years, no term limit |
Inaugural holder | George L. Shoup |
Formation | July 3, 1890 |
Deputy | Brad Little |
Salary | $117,000 (2013)[1] |
Website | gov.idaho.gov |
The Governor of Idaho is the head of the executive branch of Idaho's state government[2] and commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.[3] The governor has the duty to see state laws are executed, power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Idaho Legislature.[3]
Idaho Territory had 16 territorial governors appointed by the President of the United States from the territory's organization in 1863 until the formation of the state of Idaho in 1890. Four of these never took office, resigning before reaching the territory.
Thirty individuals have held the office of governor of Idaho since the state's admission to the Union in 1890, two of whom—C. A. Bottolfsen and Cecil D. Andrus—served non-consecutive terms. The state's first governor, George Laird Shoup, had the shortest term of three months, and Cecil D. Andrus served as governor the longest at 14 years. Four governors resigned, but none have died while in office. There have been 20 Republican and 12 Democratic governors. The current governor is Republican C. L. "Butch" Otter, who took office on January 1, 2007.[4]
Idaho Territory was created from Dakota Territory, Nebraska Territory, and Washington Territory on March 4, 1863. Initially, the territory included all of modern-day Idaho and Montana, and most of Wyoming. On May 26, 1864, Montana Territory was split from Idaho Territory, and most of the Wyoming portion was reassigned to Dakota Territory. The portion east of the 111th meridian was split off as part of the new Wyoming Territory on July 25, 1868, giving Idaho Territory its final borders.[5]
Due to the long distance between Washington, D.C. and Boise, there was often a lengthy gap between a governor being appointed and his arrival in the territory; four resigned before even arriving.
No. | Portrait | Governor | Term in office | Appointed by | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
Wallace, William H.William H. Wallace | July 1863[6][7] – December 1863[6] |
Lincoln, AbrahamAbraham Lincoln | [a] |
2 | ![]() |
Lyon, CalebCaleb Lyon | August 1, 1864[6][7] – April 1866[9] |
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3 | ![]() |
Ballard, David W.David W. Ballard | June 14, 1866[10] – July 1870[11] |
Johnson, AndrewAndrew Johnson | |
— | ![]() |
Bard, SamuelSamuel Bard | [12] | Appointed March 30, 1870Grant, Ulysses S.Ulysses S. Grant | [b] |
— | ![]() |
Marston, GilmanGilman Marston | [12] | Appointed June 7, 1870[c] | |
— | ![]() |
Conner, Alexander H.Alexander H. Conner | [12] | Appointed January 12, 1871[d] | |
4 | ![]() |
Bowen, Thomas M.Thomas M. Bowen | July 1871[13] – August 15, 1871[13] |
[e] | |
5 | ![]() |
Bennett, Thomas W.Thomas W. Bennett | December 1871[14] – December 4, 1875[15] |
[f] | |
6 | ![]() |
Thompson, David P.David P. Thompson | April 1876[17] – May 1876[17] |
[g] | |
7 | ![]() |
Brayman, MasonMason Brayman | July 1876[18] – July 24, 1880[19] |
[h] | |
— | ![]() |
Hoyt, John P.John P. Hoyt | [21] Appointed August 7, 1878[22] |
Appointed June 8, 1878Hayes, Rutherford B.Rutherford B. Hayes | [i] |
8 | ![]() |
Neil, John BaldwinJohn Baldwin Neil | August 3, 1880[23] – March 2, 1883[24] |
||
9 | ![]() |
Irwin, John N.John N. Irwin | April 1883[25] – December 20, 1883[25] |
Arthur, Chester A.Chester A. Arthur | [j] |
10 | ![]() |
Bunn, William M.William M. Bunn | June 26, 1884[27] – July 3, 1885[28] |
[k] | |
11 | Stevenson, Edward A.Edward A. Stevenson | September 29, 1885[29] – April 1, 1889[30] |
Cleveland, GroverGrover Cleveland | ||
12 | ![]() |
Shoup, George LairdGeorge Laird Shoup | April 30, 1889[31] – July 3, 1890 |
Harrison, BenjaminBenjamin Harrison |
Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890. Since then, the state has had 32 governors, two of whom served non-consecutive terms. The terms for governor and lieutenant governor are four years, commencing on the first Monday in the January following the election. Prior to 1946, the offices were elected to terms of two years.[32] If the office of governor is vacant or the governor is out of state or unable to discharge his duties, the lieutenant governor acts as governor until such time as the disability is removed.[33] If both the offices of governor and lieutenant governor are vacant or both those officers are unable to fulfill their duties, the President pro tempore of the Idaho Senate is next in line, and then the Speaker of the Idaho House of Representatives.[34] After the change to four-year terms, self-succession (re-election) was not initially allowed; newly elected Governor Robert E. Smylie, formerly the state's attorney general, successfully lobbied the 1955 legislature to propose an amendment to the state constitution to allow gubernatorial re-election, which was approved by voters in the 1956 general election.[35][36] There is no limit to the number of terms a governor may serve.[37]
No. | Portrait | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor[l] | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
Shoup, George LairdGeorge Laird Shoup | October 1, 1890 – December 18, 1890 |
Republican | 1890 [m] |
N. B. Willey | ||
2 | ![]() |
Willey, N. B.N. B. Willey | December 18, 1890 – January 2, 1893 |
Republican | John S. Gray | |||
3 | ![]() |
McConnell, William J.William J. McConnell | January 2, 1893 – January 4, 1897 |
Republican | 1892 | F. B. Willis | ||
1894 | F. J. Mills | |||||||
4 | ![]() |
Steunenberg, FrankFrank Steunenberg | January 4, 1897 – January 7, 1901 |
Democratic[n] | 1896 | George F. Moore[n] | ||
1898 | J. H. Hutchinson[n] | |||||||
5 | Hunt, Frank W.Frank W. Hunt | January 7, 1901 – January 5, 1903 |
Democratic | 1900 | Thomas F. Terrell | |||
6 | ![]() |
Morrison, John T.John T. Morrison | January 5, 1903 – January 2, 1905 |
Republican | 1902 | James M. Stevens | ||
7 | ![]() |
Gooding, Frank R.Frank R. Gooding | January 2, 1905 – January 4, 1909 |
Republican | 1904 | Burpee L. Steeves | ||
1906 | Ezra A. Burrell | |||||||
8 | ![]() |
Brady, James H.James H. Brady | January 4, 1909 – January 2, 1911 |
Republican | 1908 | Lewis H. Sweetser | ||
9 | ![]() |
Hawley, James H.James H. Hawley | January 2, 1911 – January 6, 1913 |
Democratic | 1910 | |||
10 | ![]() |
Haines, John M.John M. Haines | January 6, 1913 – January 4, 1915 |
Republican | 1912 | Herman H. Taylor[o] | ||
11 | ![]() |
Alexander, MosesMoses Alexander | January 4, 1915 – January 6, 1919 |
Democratic | 1914 | |||
1916 | Ernest L. Parker | |||||||
12 | ![]() |
Davis, D. W.D. W. Davis | January 6, 1919 – January 1, 1923 |
Republican | 1918 | Charles C. Moore | ||
1920 | ||||||||
13 | ![]() |
Moore, Charles C.Charles C. Moore | January 1, 1923 – January 3, 1927 |
Republican | 1922 | H. C. Baldridge | ||
1924 | ||||||||
14 | ![]() |
Baldridge, H. C.H. C. Baldridge | January 3, 1927 – January 5, 1931 |
Republican | 1926 | O. E. Hailey | ||
1928 | W. B. Kinne (died October 1, 1929) |
|||||||
Vacant | ||||||||
O. E. Hailey (appointed October 25, 1929) |
||||||||
15 | ![]() |
Ross, C. BenC. Ben Ross | January 5, 1931 – January 4, 1937 |
Democratic | 1930 | G. P. Mix | ||
1932 | George E. Hill | |||||||
1934 | G. P. Mix | |||||||
16 | ![]() |
Clark, Barzilla W.Barzilla W. Clark | January 4, 1937 – January 2, 1939 |
Democratic | 1936 | Charles C. Gossett | ||
17 | ![]() |
Bottolfsen, C. A.C. A. Bottolfsen | January 2, 1939 – January 6, 1941 |
Republican | 1938 | Donald S. Whitehead | ||
18 | ![]() |
Clark, Chase A.Chase A. Clark | January 6, 1941 – January 4, 1943 |
Democratic | 1940 | Charles C. Gossett | ||
19 | ![]() |
Bottolfsen, C. A.C. A. Bottolfsen | January 4, 1943 – January 1, 1945 |
Republican | 1942 | Edwin Nelson | ||
20 | ![]() |
Gossett, Charles C.Charles C. Gossett | January 1, 1945 – November 17, 1945 |
Democratic | 1944 [p] |
Arnold Williams | ||
21 | ![]() |
Williams, ArnoldArnold Williams | November 17, 1945 – January 6, 1947 |
Democratic | Vacant | |||
A. R. McCabe (appointed March 20, 1946) |
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22 | ![]() |
Robins, C. A.C. A. Robins | January 6, 1947 – January 1, 1951 |
Republican | 1946 [q] |
Donald S. Whitehead | ||
23 | ![]() |
Jordan, Leonard B.Leonard B. Jordan | January 1, 1951 – January 3, 1955 |
Republican | 1950 | Edson H. Deal | ||
24 | ![]() |
Smylie, Robert E.Robert E. Smylie | January 3, 1955 – January 2, 1967 |
Republican | 1954 | J. Berkeley Larsen | ||
1958 | W. E. Drevlow[r] | |||||||
1962 | ||||||||
25 | ![]() |
Samuelson, DonDon Samuelson | January 2, 1967 – January 4, 1971 |
Republican | 1966 | Jack M. Murphy[o] | ||
26 | ![]() |
Andrus, Cecil D.Cecil D. Andrus | January 4, 1971 – January 24, 1977 |
Democratic | 1970 | |||
1974 [s] |
John V. Evans | |||||||
27 | ![]() |
Evans, John V.John V. Evans | January 24, 1977 – January 5, 1987 |
Democratic | Vacant | |||
William J. Murphy (appointed January 28, 1977) |
||||||||
1978 | Phil Batt[o] | |||||||
1982 | David H. Leroy[o] | |||||||
28 | ![]() |
Andrus, Cecil D.Cecil D. Andrus | January 5, 1987 – January 2, 1995 |
Democratic | 1986 | C.L. "Butch" Otter[o] (resigned January 3, 2001) |
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1990 | ||||||||
29 | ![]() |
Batt, PhilPhil Batt | January 2, 1995 – January 4, 1999 |
Republican | 1994 | |||
30 | ![]() |
Kempthorne, DirkDirk Kempthorne | January 4, 1999 – May 26, 2006 |
Republican | 1998 | |||
Vacant | ||||||||
Jack Riggs (appointed January 30, 2001) |
||||||||
2002 [t] |
Jim Risch | |||||||
31 | ![]() |
Risch, JimJim Risch | May 26, 2006 – January 1, 2007 |
Republican | Vacant | |||
Mark Ricks (appointed June 15, 2006) |
||||||||
32 | ![]() |
Otter, ButchButch Otter | January 1, 2007 – Present |
Republican | 2006 | Jim Risch (resigned January 3, 2009) |
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Vacant | ||||||||
Brad Little (appointed January 6, 2009) |
||||||||
2010 | ||||||||
2014 [u] |
There are three living former governors of Idaho, the oldest being Phil Batt (served 1995–1999, born 1927). The most recent death of a former governor was that of Cecil D. Andrus (served 1971–1977 and 1987–1995, born 1931), at age 85 on August 24, 2017.
Governor | Gubernatorial term | Date of birth (and age) |
---|---|---|
Phil Batt | 1995–1999 | March 4, 1927 |
Dirk Kempthorne | 1999–2006 | October 29, 1951 |
Jim Risch | 2006–2007 | May 3, 1943 |
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