| Governor of Florida | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the State of Florida | |
 Flag of the State of Florida | |
.jpg) | |
| Executive branch of the Florida government | |
| Style |
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| Type | |
| Residence | Florida Governor's Mansion |
| Seat | Tallahassee, Florida |
| Appointer | Popular vote |
| Term length | Four years, renewable once consecutively |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of Florida |
| Precursor | Governor of theFlorida Territory |
| Formation | June 25, 1845 (179 years ago) (1845-06-25) |
| First holder | William Dunn Moseley |
| Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of Florida |
| Salary | $134,181 (2023)[1] |
| Website | flgov.com |
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Thegovernor of Florida is thehead of government of theU.S. state ofFlorida. Thegovernor is the head of theexecutive branch of thegovernment of Florida and is thecommander-in-chief of theFlorida National Guard.[2]
Established in theConstitution of Florida, the governor's responsibilities include ensuring the enforcement ofstate laws, the power to either approve orveto bills passed by theFlorida Legislature,[3] overseeingstate agencies, issuingexecutive orders, proposing and overseeing thestate budget, and making key appointments to state offices. The governor also has the power to callspecial sessions of the legislature[4] and grantpardons, except in cases of impeachment.[5]
When Florida was first acquired by the United States, future presidentAndrew Jackson served as its military governor.Florida Territory was established in 1822 and five people served as governor over 6 distinct terms. The first territorial governor,William Pope Duval, served 12 years, the longest of any Florida governor to date.
Since statehood in 1845, there have been 45 people who have served as governor, one of whom served two distinct terms. Four state governors have served two full four-year terms:William D. Bloxham, in two stints, as well asReubin Askew,Jeb Bush andRick Scott who each served their terms consecutively.Bob Graham almost served two full terms but resigned with three days left in his term in order to take a seat in the United States Senate.[6] The shortest term in office belongs toWayne Mixson, who served three days following Graham's resignation.
The current officeholder isRon DeSantis, a member of theRepublican Party who took office on January 8, 2019.
Article IV, Section 5(b), of theFlorida Constitution states that, for a person to serve as governor, they must:[7]
Governors of Florida are directly elected by registered voters in Florida and serve terms of four years, renewable once consecutively. Before executing the powers of the office, a governor is required torecite the oath of office as found in Article II, Section 5 of the Constitution of Florida:
I,_____________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support, protect, and defend the Constitution and Government of the United States and of the State of Florida; that I am duly qualified to hold office under the Constitution of the state; and that I will well and faithfully perform the duties of Governor on which I am now about to enter. So help me God.
The governor can beimpeached by theState House of Representatives for committing treason, bribery, or any other high crime or misdemeanor. Once the governor is impeached, the case is forwarded to theState Senate for trial. A two-thirds majority vote in the Senate is required to remove the governor from office. Unlike other states, Florida does not have a provision in the state constitution that allows voters to petition for arecall election to remove the governor.[8]
The official residence of the governor of Florida is theFlorida Governor's Mansion, inTallahassee. The mansion was built in 1956, was designed to resembleAndrew Jackson'sHermitage, and since July 20, 2006 is part of theU.S. National Register of Historic Places. It is also one of the official workplaces for the governor.
The governor's primary official workplace is located within theFlorida State Capitol in Tallahassee.
The governor of Florida line of succession is set by Article IV, Section 3 of the Constitution of Florida[9] and Florida Statute 14.055.[10]
| No. | Office | Current officeholder | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lieutenant Governor | Vacant | |||
| 2 | Attorney General | James Uthmeier | Republican | ||
| 3 | Chief Financial Officer | Jimmy Patronis | Republican | ||
| 4 | Commissioner of Agriculture | Wilton Simpson | Republican | ||
The followingtimeline depicts the progression of the governors of Florida and their political affiliation at the time of assuming office.
| Military(1821) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Territorial(1822–1845) | ||
| State(since 1845) | ||
Statewide political officials ofFlorida | ||
|---|---|---|
| U.S. senators |  | |
| State government | ||
| Senate |
| |
| House |
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| Supreme Court (appointed) | ||
