The Governor of Idaho is the head of the executive branch of Idaho's government[2] and commander-in-chief of the state's militia.[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]
| Governor of Idaho |
|
|---|---|
| Residence | The Idaho House |
| Term length | Four years |
| Inaugural holder | George L. Shoup |
| Formation | July 3, 1890 |
| Deputy | Brad Little |
| Salary | $110,734 (2011)[1] |
| Website | gov.idaho.gov |
The Governor of Idaho is the head of the executive branch of Idaho's government[2] and commander-in-chief of the state's militia.[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 has died while in office. There have been 20 Republican and 12 Democratic governors. The current governor is C. L. "Butch" Otter, who took office on January 1, 2007; his current term will expire in January 2015.[4]
Contents |
Governors[edit]
Governors of the Territory of Idaho[edit]
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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.
| Governor | Took office | Left office | Appointed by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William H. Wallace | July 1863[6][7] | December 1863[6] | Abraham Lincoln | Resigned. [a] |
| Caleb Lyon | August 1, 1864[6][7] | April 1866[9] | Abraham Lincoln | |
| David W. Ballard | June 14, 1866[10] | July 1870[11] | Andrew Johnson | |
| Samuel Bard | Appointed March 30, 1870[12] | — | Ulysses S. Grant | Resigned without serving. [b] |
| Gilman Marston | Appointed June 7, 1870[12] | — | Ulysses S. Grant | Resigned without serving. [c] |
| Alexander H. Conner | Appointed January 12, 1871[12] | — | Ulysses S. Grant | Appointed, but declined the offer.[d] |
| Thomas M. Bowen | July 1871[13] | August 15, 1871[13] | Ulysses S. Grant | Resigned. [e] |
| Thomas W. Bennett | December 1871[14] | December 4, 1875[15] | Ulysses S. Grant | Resigned. [f] |
| David P. Thompson | April 1876[17] | May 1876[17] | Ulysses S. Grant | Resigned. [g] |
| Mason Brayman | July 1876[18] | July 24, 1880[19] | Ulysses S. Grant | Suspended in June 1878 pending appointment of Hoyt; allowed to serve remainder of term after Hoyt declined the appointment. [h] |
| John P. Hoyt | Appointed June 8, 1878[21] Appointed August 7, 1878[22] |
— | Rutherford B. Hayes | Initial appointment overturned after Hoyt took too long to respond to the offer. Second appointment declined by Hoyt. [i] |
| John Baldwin Neil | August 3, 1880[23] | March 2, 1883[24] | Rutherford B. Hayes | |
| John N. Irwin | April 1883[25] | Dec 20, 1883[25] | Chester A. Arthur | Effectively resigned in July, 1883. [j] |
| William M. Bunn | June 26, 1884[27] | July 3, 1885[28] | Chester A. Arthur | Resigned. [k] |
| Edward A. Stevenson | September 29, 1885[29] | April 1, 1889[30] | Grover Cleveland | [l] |
| George Laird Shoup | April 30, 1889[31] | July 3, 1890 | Benjamin Harrison |
Governors of the State of Idaho[edit]
Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890. Since then, the state has had 30 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 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] There is no limit to the number of terms a governor may serve.[35]
Democratic (12) Republican (20)
|
| #[m] | Governor | Took office | Left office | Party | Lt. Governor | Terms[n] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Laird Shoup | October 1, 1890 | December 18, 1890 | Republican | N. B. Willey | 1⁄2[o] | ||
| 2 | N. B. Willey | December 18, 1890 | January 2, 1893 | Republican | John S. Gray | 1⁄2[p] | ||
| 3 | William J. McConnell | January 2, 1893 | January 4, 1897 | Republican | F. B. Willis | 2 | ||
| F. J. Mills | ||||||||
| 4 | Frank Steunenberg | January 4, 1897 | January 7, 1901 | Democratic | George F. Moore[q] | 2[r] | ||
| J. H. Hutchinson[s] | ||||||||
| 5 | Frank W. Hunt | January 7, 1901 | January 5, 1903 | Democratic | Thomas F. Terrell | 1 | ||
| 6 | John T. Morrison | January 5, 1903 | January 2, 1905 | Republican | James M. Stevens | 1 | ||
| 7 | Frank R. Gooding | January 2, 1905 | January 4, 1909 | Republican | Burpee L. Steeves | 2 | ||
| Ezra A. Burrell | ||||||||
| 8 | James H. Brady | January 4, 1909 | January 2, 1911 | Republican | Lewis H. Sweetser | 1 | ||
| 9 | James H. Hawley | January 2, 1911 | January 6, 1913 | Democratic | Lewis H. Sweetser | 1 | ||
| 10 | John M. Haines | January 6, 1913 | January 4, 1915 | Republican | Herman H. Taylor | 1 | ||
| 11 | Moses Alexander | January 4, 1915 | January 6, 1919 | Democratic | Herman H. Taylor[t] | 2 | ||
| Ernest L. Parker | ||||||||
| 12 | D. W. Davis | January 6, 1919 | January 1, 1923 | Republican | Charles C. Moore | 2 | ||
| 13 | Charles C. Moore | January 1, 1923 | January 3, 1927 | Republican | H. C. Baldridge | 2 | ||
| 14 | H. C. Baldridge | January 3, 1927 | January 5, 1931 | Republican | O. E. Hailey | 2 | ||
| W. B. Kinne[u] | ||||||||
| O. E. Hailey | ||||||||
| 15 | C. Ben Ross | January 5, 1931 | January 4, 1937 | Democratic | G. P. Mix | 3 | ||
| George E. Hill | ||||||||
| G. P. Mix | ||||||||
| 16 | Barzilla W. Clark | January 4, 1937 | January 2, 1939 | Democratic | Charles C. Gossett | 1 | ||
| 17 | C. A. Bottolfsen | January 2, 1939 | January 6, 1941 | Republican | Donald S. Whitehead | 1 | ||
| 18 | Chase A. Clark | January 6, 1941 | January 4, 1943 | Democratic | Charles C. Gossett | 1 | ||
| 19 | C. A. Bottolfsen | January 4, 1943 | January 1, 1945 | Republican | Edwin Nelson | 1 | ||
| 20 | Charles C. Gossett | January 1, 1945 | November 17, 1945 | Democratic | Arnold Williams | 1⁄2[v] | ||
| 21 | Arnold Williams | November 17, 1945 | January 6, 1947 | Democratic | A. R. McCabe | 1⁄2[p] | ||
| 22 | C. A. Robins | January 6, 1947 | January 1, 1951 | Republican | Donald S. Whitehead | 1[w] | ||
| 23 | Leonard B. Jordan | January 1, 1951 | January 3, 1955 | Republican | Edson H. Deal | 1 | ||
| 24 | Robert E. Smylie | January 3, 1955 | January 2, 1967 | Republican | J. Berkeley Larsen | 3 | ||
| W. E. Drevlow[x] | ||||||||
| 25 | Don Samuelson | January 2, 1967 | January 4, 1971 | Republican | Jack M. Murphy | 1 | ||
| 26 | Cecil D. Andrus | January 4, 1971 | January 24, 1977 | Democratic | Jack M. Murphy[t] | 11⁄2[y] | ||
| John V. Evans | ||||||||
| 27 | John V. Evans | January 24, 1977 | January 5, 1987 | Democratic | William J. Murphy | 21⁄2[z] | ||
| Phil Batt[t] | ||||||||
| David H. Leroy[t] | ||||||||
| 28 | Cecil D. Andrus | January 5, 1987 | January 2, 1995 | Democratic | C.L. "Butch" Otter[t] | 2 | ||
| 29 | Phil Batt | January 2, 1995 | January 4, 1999 | Republican | C.L. "Butch" Otter | 1 | ||
| 30 | Dirk Kempthorne | January 4, 1999 | May 26, 2006 | Republican | C.L. "Butch" Otter[aa] | 11⁄2[ab] | ||
| Jack Riggs | ||||||||
| Jim Risch | ||||||||
| 31 | Jim Risch | May 26, 2006 | January 1, 2007 | Republican | Mark Ricks | 1⁄2[p] | ||
| 32 | C.L. "Butch" Otter | January 1, 2007 | Incumbent | Republican | Jim Risch | 2[ac] | ||
| Brad Little | ||||||||
Other high offices held[edit]
Sixteen of Idaho's governors have served higher federal offices or as governors of other states. Nine have served in the U.S. Senate, eight of those representing Idaho, and three have served in the U.S. House, one representing Idaho, one New York, and one the territories of Idaho and Washington. Idaho shares a governor with Arizona Territory, and one was appointed to Washington Territory but never took office. Two governors have been U.S. Secretaries of the Interior, and one served as ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. Six governors (marked with *) resigned to take a new office, including both territorial delegates, both Secretaries of the Interior, and two senators.
In addition, two people who were appointed governor of Idaho Territory but never took office held other high offices. Gilman Marston, appointed governor in 1870, was a representative and senator from New Hampshire,[42] and John Philo Hoyt, appointed in 1878, was Governor of Arizona Territory.[43]
All representatives and senators mentioned represented Idaho except where noted.
| Name | Gubernatorial term | Other offices held | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| William H. Wallace | 1863–1864 | Delegate from Idaho Territory*, Delegate from Washington Territory, appointed Governor of Washington Territory but did not take office |
[8] |
| Caleb Lyon | 1864–1866 | Representative from New York | [44] |
| Thomas M. Bowen | 1871 | Senator from Colorado | [45] |
| Thomas W. Bennett | 1871–1875 | Delegate from Idaho Territory* | [16] |
| David P. Thompson | 1875–1876 | Minister to the Ottoman Empire | [46] |
| John N. Irwin | 1883 | Governor of Arizona Territory | [47] |
| George Laird Shoup | 1889–1890 | Senator* | [37] |
| William J. McConnell | 1893–1897 | Senator | [48] |
| Frank R. Gooding | 1905–1909 | Senator | [49] |
| James H. Brady | 1909–1911 | Senator | [50] |
| Charles C. Gossett | 1945 | Senator* | [51] |
| Leonard B. Jordan | 1951–1955 | Senator | [52] |
| Cecil D. Andrus | 1971–1977, 1987–1995 | Secretary of the Interior* | [39] |
| Dirk Kempthorne | 1999–2006 | Senator, Secretary of the Interior* | [41] |
| Jim Risch | 2006–2007 | Senator | [53] |
| C.L. "Butch" Otter | 2007–present | Representative | [40] |
Living former governors[edit]
As of March 2013[update], five former governors were alive. The most recent death of a former governor was that of Robert E. Smylie (1955–1967), who died at age 89 on July 17, 2004. The most recently serving governor to pass away was Don Samuelson (1967–1971), at age 86 on January 13, 2000.
| Name | Term of office | Date of birth |
|---|---|---|
| Cecil D. Andrus | 1971–1977 1987–1995 |
August 25, 1931 |
| John V. Evans | 1977–1987 | January 18, 1925 |
| Phil Batt | 1995–1999 | March 4, 1927 |
| Dirk Kempthorne | 1999–2006 | October 29, 1951 |
| Jim Risch | 2006–2007 | May 3, 1943 |
Notes[edit]
- ^ Resigned to take an elected seat as delegate from Idaho Territory.[8]
- ^ Appointed governor but resigned in April 1870 to become postmaster of Atlanta, Georgia, before arriving in Idaho.[11]
- ^ Appointed governor but resigned in December 1870 before arriving in Idaho.[11]
- ^ Appointed governor but declined the offer.[11]
- ^ Upon arriving in Idaho, Bowen did not like the looks of the landscape, so he decided to stay only a few weeks.[13]
- ^ Resigned to take an elected seat as delegate from Idaho Territory.[16]
- ^ Thompson left Idaho in May 1876 to attend the Republican National Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. He resigned in Cincinnati after he learned federal officers couldn't hold government contracts.[17]
- ^ Brayman was suspended by President Hayes on June 8, 1878 and John P. Hoyt was appointed Governor of Idaho. After Hoyt refused the appointment, Brayman was allowed to serve out the remainder of his term.[20]
- ^ Appointed governor on June 8, 1878, but was rejected by the United States Senate for taking too long to respond to the offer. Appointed again on August 7, 1878, but declined the offer after researching the suspension of Governor Brayman. He ended up accepting a position on the Washington Territorial Supreme Court.[20]
- ^ Irwin left Idaho Territory in May 1883, never to return. He returned his paychecks from July 1883 through December 1883 to the U.S. Treasury.[26]
- ^ Bunn left Idaho on April 17, 1885 for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he subsequently resigned on July 3, 1885.[25]
- ^ Stevenson was a resident of Idaho when President Cleveland called him to Washington, D.C. for an interview and to personally witness his appointment.[29]
- ^ Based on C.L. "Butch" Otter saying he would be the 32nd governor of the state,[36] the official count includes repeat governors.
- ^ The fractional terms of some governors are not to be understood absolutely literally; rather, they are meant to show single terms during which multiple governors served, due to resignations, deaths and the like.
- ^ Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.[37]
- ^ a b c As lieutenant governor, acted as governor for unexpired term.
- ^ Moore was part of a fusion ticket that was also endorsed by the Populist Party.[22]
- ^ Steunenberg was part of a fusion ticket that was also endorsed by the Populist Party.[22]
- ^ Hutchinson was part of a fusion ticket that was also endorsed by the Silver Republican Party.[22]
- ^ a b c d e Represented the Republican Party.
- ^ Died in office.[22]
- ^ Gossett resigned to let Lieutenant Governor Williams succeed him and then appoint him to the United States Senate.[38]
- ^ Robins served the first term after terms were lengthened to four years.
- ^ Represented the Democratic Party.
- ^ Resigned to be United States Secretary of the Interior.[39]
- ^ As lieutenant governor, acted as governor for unexpired term, and was subsequently elected in his own right.
- ^ Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States House of Representatives.[40]
- ^ Resigned to be United States Secretary of the Interior.[41]
- ^ Governor Otter's second term expires on January 5, 2015.
References[edit]
- General
- "Governors of Idaho". National Governors Association. Archived from the original on September 2, 2010. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
- Brosnan, C. J. (1918). History of the State of Idaho. Charles Scribner's Sons. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
- "Executive Branch" (PDF). Idaho Bluebook. State of Idaho. pp. 70–72. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
- Hailey, John (1910). History of Idaho. Boise, Idaho: Syms-York Company. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
- Limbaugh, Ronald H. (1982). Rocky Mountain Carpetbaggers: Idaho's Territorial Governors, 1863–1890. Moscow, Idaho: University Press of Idaho. ISBN 0-89301-082-0. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
- Constitution
- "Constitution of the State of Idaho". Idaho State Legislature. 1890. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
- Specific
- ^ "Idaho Senate approves initial pay cuts, then raises for governor and other top officers". San Francisco Examiner. March 29, 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2010.[dead link]
- ^ ID Const. art. IV, § 5
- ^ a b ID Const. art. IV, § 4
- ^ "Election 2010: Idaho's governors race pits well-known governor against a relative unknown". Idaho Statesman (Boise). August 31, 2010. Retrieved September 6, 2010.[dead link]
- ^ Brosnan, Cornelius James (1918). History of the State of Idaho. Charles Scribner's Sons. pp. 117–128. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ a b c Limbaugh p. 47
- ^ a b Hailey p. 166
- ^ a b "Wallace, William Henson". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ Limbaugh p. 65
- ^ "Territorial Government in Idaho, 1863–1869" (PDF). Idaho State Historical Society. 1963. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Limbaugh p. 90
- ^ a b c Hailey p. 165
- ^ a b c Limbaugh p. 92
- ^ Limbaugh p. 103
- ^ Poore, Perley (1875). Congressional Directory. Washington D.C.: Congressional Printing Office. p. 71. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ a b "Bennett, Thomas Warren". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ a b c Limbaugh p. 106
- ^ Limbaugh p. 114
- ^ Limbaugh p. 130
- ^ a b Limbaugh pp. 127–129
- ^ "Territorial Governors who did not server" (PDF). Idaho State Historical Society. 1988. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e "Executive Branch" (PDF). Idaho Bluebook. State of Idaho. pp. 70–71. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
- ^ Limbaugh p. 139
- ^ Limbaugh p. 147
- ^ a b c Limbaugh p. 148
- ^ "Notes from Washington". The New York Times. December 28, 1883. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
- ^ Donaldson, Thomas (1941). Idaho of Yesterday. Caldwell, Idaho: Caxton Printers, Ltd. p. 271. OCLC 100976.
- ^ "Resignation of Gov. Bunn". The New York Times. July 14, 1885. p. 4. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
- ^ a b Limbaugh p. 172
- ^ Limbaugh pp. 179–180
- ^ Limbaugh p. 181
- ^ "Idaho Constitutional Amendment History". Idaho Secretary of State. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
- ^ ID Const. art. IV, § 12
- ^ ID Const. art. IV, § 14
- ^ "Idaho Makes Term Limits History". National Conference of State Legislatures. February 1, 2002. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
- ^ "Otter uses on-duty firefighters for 9/11 campaign event: Candidate holds press conference after state ceremony.". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. September 12, 2006. Archived from the original
|archiveurl=requires|url=(help) on September 12, 2006. - ^ a b "Shoup, George Laird". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ "Idaho Shake-Up Draws Criticism". Spokane Daily Chronicle. November 30, 1945. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
- ^ a b "Idaho Governor Cecil Dale Andrus". National Governors Association. Archived from the original on September 3, 2010. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
- ^ a b "Otter, C. L. (Butch)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ a b "Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne". National Governor's Association. Archived from the original on September 3, 2010. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
- ^ "Martson, Gilman". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
- ^ "Hoyt, John Philo". The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Volume XI. New York City: James T. White & Company. 1901. p. 556. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
- ^ "Lyon, Caleb". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ "Bowen, Thomas Mead". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ "Chiefs of Mission between 1778 to 2008". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ Goff, John S. (1978). Arizona Territorial Officials Volume II: The Governors 1863–1912. Arizona: Black Mountain Press. pp. 118–119. OCLC 5100411.
- ^ "McConnell, William John". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ "Gooding, Frank Robert". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ "Brady, James Henry". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ "Gossett, Charles Clinton". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ "Jordan, Leonard Beck". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ "Risch, James". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
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