Governors of Texas, 1846 – present Search documents

Governor Party Years in Office Legislatures as Governor*
Greg Abbott Republican January 20, 2015 - January 19, 2027 84th – 88th
Rick Perry 1 Republican December 21, 2000 - January 20, 2015 76th – 84th
George W. Bush 2 Republican January 17, 1995 - December 21, 2000 74th – 76th
Ann W. Richards Democrat January 15, 1991 - January 17, 1995 72nd – 74th
Mark W. White, Jr. Democrat January 18, 1983 - January 20, 1987 68th – 70th
William P. Clements Republican January 20, 1987 - January 15, 1991
January 16, 1979 - January 18, 1983
 70th - 72nd
66th - 68th
Dolph Briscoe Democrat January 16, 1973 - January 16, 1979 63rd – 66th
Preston Smith Democrat January 21, 1969 - January 16, 1973 61st – 63rd
John B. Connally, Jr. Democrat January 15, 1963 - January 21, 1969 58th – 61st
Price Daniel, Sr. Democrat January 15, 1957 - January 15, 1963 55th – 58th
Robert Allan Shivers 3 Democrat July 11, 1949 - January 15, 1957 51st – 55th
Beauford H. Jester 4 Democrat January 21, 1947 - July 11, 1949 50th – 51st
Coke R. Stevenson Democrat August 4, 1941 - January 21, 1947 47th – 50th
W. Lee O'Daniel 5 Democrat January 17, 1939 - August 4, 1941 46th – 47th
James V Allred Democrat January 15, 1935 - January 17, 1939 44th – 46th
Ross S. Sterling Democrat January 20, 1931 - January 17, 1933 42nd – 43rd
Daniel J. Moody, Jr. Democrat January 17, 1927 - January 20, 1931 40th – 42nd
Miriam Ferguson Democrat January 17, 1933 - January 15, 1935
January 20, 1925 - January 17, 1927
 43rd - 44th
39th - 40th
Pat M. Neff Democrat January 18, 1921 - January 20, 1925 37th – 39th
William P. Hobby 6 Democrat September 25, 1917 - January 18, 1921 35th – 37th
James E. Ferguson 7 Democrat January 19, 1915 - September 24, 1917 34th – 35th
Oscar Branch Colquitt Democrat January 17, 1911 - January 19, 1915 32nd – 34th
Thomas Mitchell Campbell Democrat January 15, 1907 - January 17, 1911 30th – 32nd
S.W.T. Lanham Democrat January 20, 1903 - January 15, 1907 28th – 30th
Joseph D. Sayers Democrat January 17, 1899 - January 20, 1903 26th – 28th
Charles A. Culberson Democrat January 15, 1895 - January 17, 1899 24th – 26th
James Stephen Hogg Democrat January 20, 1891 - January 15, 1895 22nd – 24th
Lawrence Sullivan Ross Democrat January 18, 1887 - January 20, 1891 20th – 22nd
John Ireland Democrat January 16, 1883 - January 18, 1887 18th – 20th
Oran M. Roberts Democrat January 21, 1879 - January 16, 1883 16th – 18th
Richard B. Hubbard Democrat December 1, 1876 - January 21, 1879 15th – 16th
Richard Coke 8 Democrat January 15, 1874 - December 1, 1876 14th – 15th
Edmund J. Davis Republican January 8, 1870 - January 15, 1874 11th – 14th
James W. Throckmorton 9 Democrat August 9, 1866 - August 8, 1867 11th
Andrew J. Hamilton 10 Democrat June 17, 1865 - August 9, 1866 10th – 11th
Pendleton Murrah 11 Democrat November 5, 1863 - June 17, 1865 10th
Francis R. Lubbock 12 Democrat November 7, 1861 - November 5, 1863 9th – 10th
Edward Clark Democrat March 16, 1861 - November 7, 1861 8th – 9th
Sam Houston 13 Democrat December 21, 1859 - March 16, 1861 8th
Hardin R. Runnels Democrat December 21, 1857 - December 21, 1859 7th – 8th
Elisha M. Pease 14 Republican
Unionist
 August 8, 1867 - September 30, 1869
December 21, 1853 - December 21, 1857
 11th
5th - 7th
James W. Henderson Democrat November 23, 1853 - December 21, 1853 5th
Peter Hansbrough Bell 15 Democrat December 21, 1849 - November 23, 1853 3rd – 5th
George T. Wood Democrat December 21, 1847 - December 21, 1849 2nd – 3rd
J. Pinckney Henderson Democrat February 19, 1846 - December 21, 1847 1st – 2nd
*Includes outgoing service between beginning of legislative session and inauguration of new governor.

1. Sworn in after Bush resignation.
2. Resigned 12/21/2000 to become U.S. President.
3. Succeeded upon Jester's death. Elected in 1950, re-elected in 1952 and 1954.
4. Died in office.
5. Resigned to become U.S. Senator.
6. Hobby served as acting governor during the James E. Ferguson impeachment proceedings from 8/25/1917 to 9/25/1917. Hobby succeeded to the governorship following Ferguson's removal from office on 9/25/1917.
7. On August 24, 1917 the House of Representatives filed articles of impeachment against Governor Ferguson. The Senate resolved itself into a court of impeachment to consider the charges. On September 24, 1917, Governor Ferguson filed notice of his immediate resignation with the Secretary of State. On September 25, 1917, the Senate rendered its judgment, removing Ferguson from office and disqualifying him from holding any future state office (114 Tex. 85).
8. Resigned to enter U.S. Senate.
9. Throckmorton was removed from office by General Philip Sheridan by an order dated July 30, 1867 on the grounds that he was "an impediment to the reconstruction". The same order appointed Pease governor of Texas. Pease took office on August 8, 1867.
10. Hamilton received a commission as Military Governor of Texas from President Abraham Lincoln on 11/14/1862. He appears to have served in that capacity continuously until his reappointment as Provisional Governor by President Andrew Johnson on 6/17/1865. Apparently Johnson used the term "reappointment" because Hamilton was already serving as military governor. Hamilton arrived in Galveston on July 22, 1865 and received as Provisional Governor of Texas in Austin on August 2, 1865.
11. Administration terminated by fall of Confederacy. On June 12, 1865, Murrah vacated his office. Fearing retribution from the Federal Government, Murrah left Austin the next day and fled to Mexico with other Confederate leaders. Lieutenant Governor Stockdale served as acting governor until June 17, 1865, when Andrew J. Hamilton was appointed Provisional Governor of Texas by President Andrew Johnson.
12. Resigned to serve in Confederate Army.
13.  Refused to take an oath of loyalty to the Confederate States, after which the the Office of the Governor was declared vacant.
14. Appointed provisional governor by General Philip Sheridan in an order dated July 30, 1867. Pease took office on August 8, 1867. Resigned on September 30, 1869.
15. Resigned to occupy vacant U.S. Congress seat.

Sources:
Colossal Hamilton of Texas. El Paso, Tex.: Texas Western Press, University of Texas at El Paso, 1968.
Dallas Herald. Dallas, Tex.: Vol. 12, No. 42, Ed. 1 Saturday, July 1, 1865.
Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845, Members of the Texas Legislature 1846 – 1992. Austin, Tex.: Senate Engrossing and Enrolling, Senate Reproduction, 1992.
Presiding Officers of the Texas Legislature 1846 – 2002. Austin, Tex.: Texas Legislative Council, 2002.
Republicanism in Reconstruction Texas. Austin, Tex.: University of Texas Press, 1980.
Seventh Star of the Confederacy. Denton, Tex.: University of North Texas Press, 2009.
Ramos, Mary G., ed. Texas Almanac 2002 – 2003. Dallas: The Dallas Morning News, L.P., 2001.