Thegovernor of Massachusetts is thehead of government ofMassachusetts. Thegovernor is thehead of the state cabinet and thecommander-in-chief of the commonwealth'smilitary forces.

Since 1780, 65 people have been elected governor, six to non-consecutive terms (John Hancock,Caleb Strong,Marcus Morton,John Davis,John Volpe, andMichael Dukakis), and sevenlieutenant governors have acted as governor without subsequently being elected governor.Thomas Talbot served a stint as acting governor, but was elected governor several years later. Prior to 1918 constitutional reforms, both the governor's office and that of lieutenant governor were vacant on one occasion, when the state was governed by theGovernor's Council.

The colonial history of Massachusetts begins with the founding first of thePlymouth Colony in 1620, and then theMassachusetts Bay Colony in 1628. TheDominion of New England combined these and otherNew England colonies into a single unit in 1686, but collapsed in 1689. In 1692 theProvince of Massachusetts Bay was established, merging Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay, which then included the territory of present-dayMaine.

Colonial governors of Plymouth and the Massachusetts Bay Colony were elected annually by a limited subset of the male population (known asfreemen), while Dominion officials and those of the 1692 province were appointed by the British crown. In 1774 GeneralThomas Gage became the last royally appointed governor of Massachusetts. He was recalled to England after theBattle of Bunker Hill in June 1775, by which time theMassachusetts Provincial Congress exercisedde facto control of Massachusetts territory outside British-occupiedBoston. Between 1775 and the establishment of theMassachusetts State Constitution in 1780 the state was governed by the provincial congress and an executive council.

The constitution of Massachusetts created the offices of governor^[1] and lieutenant governor,^[2] to be elected annually.^[3] Terms were lengthened to two years in 1918, to last until their successor was inaugurated, which would be at least the first Wednesday in the January after their election.^[4] This was changed to the Thursday following the first Wednesday in the January after the election in 1950,^[5] and terms were lengthened to four years in 1966.^[6]

Governors of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

No.	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor[a]
1			John Hancock (1737–1793) [7][8]	October 25, 1780[9][10] – February 18, 1785 (resigned)[b]	None[14]	1780		Thomas Cushing
						1781
						1782
						1783
						1784
—			Thomas Cushing (1725–1788) [15]	February 18, 1785[9] – May 27, 1785 (lost election)	None[14]	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
2			James Bowdoin (1726–1790) [16]	May 27, 1785[9] – June 1, 1787 (lost election)	None[14]	1785		Thomas Cushing
						1786
3			John Hancock (1737–1793) [7][8]	June 1, 1787[c] – October 8, 1793 (died in office)	None[14]	1787
						1788		Benjamin Lincoln
						1789		Samuel Adams
						1790
						1791
						1792
						1793
4			Samuel Adams (1722–1803) [17][18]	October 8, 1793[9] – June 2, 1797 (did not run)	None[14]	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
					Democratic- Republican[14]	1794		Moses Gill[d]
						1795
						1796
5			Increase Sumner (1746–1799) [19][20]	June 2, 1797[9] – June 7, 1799 (died in office)	Federalist[14]	1797
						1798
						1799
—			Moses Gill (1733–1800) [21]	June 7, 1799[9] – May 20, 1800 (died in office)	Federalist[22]	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
—			Governor's Council chaired byThomas Dawes [23]	May 20, 1800[9] – May 30, 1800	—	Governor's Council acting	Vacant
6			Caleb Strong (1745–1819) [24][25]	May 30, 1800[9][26] – May 29, 1807 (lost election)	Federalist[14]	1800
						1801		Samuel Phillips Jr.
						1802		Edward Robbins[e]
						1803
						1804
						1805
						1806
7			James Sullivan (1744–1808) [27][28]	May 29, 1807[9][29] – December 10, 1808 (died in office)	Democratic- Republican[14]	1807		Levi Lincoln Sr.
						1808
—			Levi Lincoln Sr. (1749–1820) [30][31]	December 10, 1808[9] – June 3, 1809 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican[22]	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
8			Christopher Gore (1758–1827) [32][33]	June 3, 1809[9][34] – June 2, 1810 (lost election)	Federalist[14]	1809		David Cobb
9			Elbridge Gerry (1744–1814) [35][36]	June 2, 1810[37] – May 30, 1812 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican[14]	1810		William Gray
						1811
10			Caleb Strong (1745–1819) [24][25]	May 30, 1812[9][38] – June 1, 1816 (did not run)[24]	Federalist[14]	1812		William Phillips Jr.[e]
						1813
						1814
						1815
11			John Brooks (1752–1825) [39][40]	June 1, 1816[41] – May 30, 1823 (did not run)[39]	Federalist[14]	1816
						1817
						1818
						1819
						1820
						1821
						1822
12			William Eustis (1753–1825) [42][43]	May 30, 1823[44] – February 6, 1825 (died in office)	Democratic- Republican[45]	1823		Marcus Morton
						1824
—			Marcus Morton (1784–1864) [46][47]	February 6, 1825[48] – May 27, 1825 (successor took office)	Democratic- Republican[22]	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
13			Levi Lincoln Jr. (1782–1868) [49][50]	May 27, 1825[51] – January 21, 1834 (did not run)[49]	Democratic- Republican[45]	1825		Thomas L. Winthrop[e]
						1826
						1827
						1828
					National Republican[45]	1829
						1830
						Apr. 1831
						Nov. 1831
						1832
14			John Davis (1787–1854) [52][53]	January 21, 1834[54] – March 3, 1835 (resigned)[f]	National Republican[45]	1833		Samuel Turell Armstrong[g]
					Whig[45]	1834
—			Samuel Turell Armstrong (1784–1850) [55][56]	March 3, 1835[57] – January 13, 1836 (lost election)[h]	Whig[22]	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
15			Edward Everett (1794–1865) [58][59]	January 13, 1836[60] – January 18, 1840 (lost election)	Whig[45]	1835		George Hull[g]
						1836
						1837
						1838
16			Marcus Morton (1784–1864) [46][47]	January 18, 1840[61] – January 9, 1841 (lost election)	Democratic[45]	1839
17			John Davis (1787–1854) [52][53]	January 9, 1841[62] – January 18, 1843 (lost election)	Whig[45]	1840
						1841
18			Marcus Morton (1784–1864) [46][47]	January 18, 1843[63] – January 9, 1844 (lost election)	Democratic[45]	1842		Henry H. Childs
19			George N. Briggs (1796–1861) [64][65]	January 9, 1844[66] – January 13, 1851 (lost election)	Whig[45]	1843		Henry W. Cushman
						1844
						1845
						1846
						1847
						1848
						1849
20			George S. Boutwell (1818–1905) [67][68]	January 13, 1851[69] – January 14, 1853 (did not run)[67]	Democratic[45]	1850
						1851
21			John H. Clifford (1809–1876) [70][71]	January 14, 1853[72] – January 12, 1854 (did not run)[70]	Whig[45]	1852		William C. Plunkett
22			Emory Washburn (1800–1877) [73][74]	January 12, 1854[75] – January 9, 1855 (lost election)	Whig[45]	1853
23			Henry Gardner (1819–1892) [76][77]	January 9, 1855[78] – January 2, 1858 (lost election)	Know Nothing[45]	1854		Simon Brown
						1855		Henry Wetherby Benchley[i]
						1856
24			Nathaniel P. Banks (1816–1894) [79][80]	January 2, 1858[81] – January 2, 1861 (did not run)[79]	Republican[45]	1857		Eliphalet Trask
						1858
						1859
25			John Albion Andrew (1818–1867) [82][83]	January 2, 1861[84] – January 6, 1866 (did not run)[82]	Republican[45]	1860		John Z. Goodrich
						1861		John Nesmith
						1862		Joel Hayden
						1863
						1864
26			Alexander Bullock (1816–1882) [85][86]	January 6, 1866[87] – January 9, 1869 (did not run)[85]	Republican[88]	1865		William Claflin
						1866
						1867
27			William Claflin (1818–1905) [89][90]	January 9, 1869[91] – January 5, 1872 (did not run)[89]	Republican[88]	1868		Joseph Tucker
						1869
						1870
28			William B. Washburn (1820–1887) [92][93]	January 5, 1872[94] – April 30, 1874 (resigned)[j]	Republican[88]	1871
						1872		Thomas Talbot
						1873
—			Thomas Talbot (1818–1885) [95][96]	April 30, 1874[97] – January 7, 1875 (lost election)	Republican[98]	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
29			William Gaston (1820–1894) [99][100]	January 7, 1875[101] – January 6, 1876 (lost election)	Democratic[88]	1874		Horatio G. Knight[i]
30			Alexander H. Rice (1818–1895) [102][103]	January 6, 1876[104] – January 2, 1879 (did not run)[102]	Republican[88]	1875
						1876
						1877
31			Thomas Talbot (1818–1885) [95][96]	January 2, 1879[105] – January 8, 1880 (did not run)[95]	Republican[88]	1878		John Davis Long
32			John Davis Long (1838–1915) [106][107]	January 8, 1880[108] – January 4, 1883 (did not run)[106]	Republican[88]	1879		Byron Weston
						1880
						1881
33			Benjamin Butler (1818–1893) [109][110]	January 4, 1883[111] – January 3, 1884 (lost election)	Democratic[88]	1882		Oliver Ames[i]
34			George D. Robinson (1834–1896) [112][113]	January 3, 1884[114] – January 6, 1887 (did not run)[112]	Republican[88]	1883
						1884
						1885
35			Oliver Ames (1831–1895) [115][116]	January 6, 1887[117] – January 2, 1890 (did not run)[115]	Republican[88]	1886		John Q. A. Brackett
						1887
						1888
36			John Q. A. Brackett (1842–1918) [118][119]	January 2, 1890[120] – January 8, 1891 (lost election)	Republican[88]	1889		William H. Haile[i]
37			William E. Russell (1857–1896) [121][122]	January 8, 1891[123] – January 4, 1894 (did not run)[121]	Democratic[88]	1890
						1891
						1892		Roger Wolcott[i]
38			Frederic T. Greenhalge (1842–1896) [124][125]	January 4, 1894[126] – March 5, 1896 (died in office)	Republican[88]	1893
						1894
						1895
39			Roger Wolcott (1847–1900) [127][128]	March 5, 1896[129] – January 4, 1900 (did not run)[127]	Republican[88]	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
						1896		Winthrop M. Crane
						1897
						1898
40			Winthrop M. Crane (1853–1920) [130][131]	January 4, 1900[132] – January 8, 1903 (did not run)[130]	Republican[88]	1899		John L. Bates
						1900
						1901
41			John L. Bates (1859–1946) [133][134]	January 8, 1903[135] – January 5, 1905 (lost election)	Republican[88]	1902		Curtis Guild Jr.[i]
						1903
42			William Lewis Douglas (1845–1924) [136][137]	January 5, 1905[138] – January 4, 1906 (did not run)[136]	Democratic[88]	1904
43			Curtis Guild Jr. (1860–1915) [139][140]	January 4, 1906[141] – January 7, 1909 (did not run)[139]	Republican[88]	1905		Eben Sumner Draper
						1906
						1907
44			Eben Sumner Draper (1858–1914) [142][143]	January 7, 1909[144] – January 5, 1911 (lost election)	Republican[145]	1908		Louis A. Frothingham[i]
						1909
45			Eugene Foss (1858–1939) [146][147]	January 5, 1911[148] – January 8, 1914 (lost election)	Democratic[145]	1910
						1911		Robert Luce[i]
						1912		David I. Walsh
46			David I. Walsh (1872–1947) [149][150]	January 8, 1914[151] – January 6, 1916 (lost election)	Democratic[145]	1913		Edward P. Barry
						1914		Grafton D. Cushing[i]
47			Samuel W. McCall (1851–1923) [152][153]	January 6, 1916[154] – January 2, 1919 (did not run)[152]	Republican[145]	1915		Calvin Coolidge
						1916
						1917
48			Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933) [155][156]	January 2, 1919[157] – January 6, 1921 (did not run)[k]	Republican[145]	1918		Channing H. Cox
						1919
49			Channing H. Cox (1879–1968) [158][159]	January 6, 1921[160] – January 8, 1925 (did not run)	Republican[145]	1920		Alvan T. Fuller
						1922
50			Alvan T. Fuller (1878–1958) [161][162]	January 8, 1925[163] – January 3, 1929 (did not run)	Republican[145]	1924		Frank G. Allen
						1926
51			Frank G. Allen (1874–1950) [164][165]	January 3, 1929[166] – January 8, 1931 (lost election)	Republican[145]	1928		William S. Youngman[i]
52			Joseph B. Ely (1881–1956) [167][168]	January 8, 1931[169] – January 3, 1935 (did not run)[167]	Democratic[145]	1930
						1932		Gaspar G. Bacon[i]
53			James Michael Curley (1874–1958) [170][171]	January 3, 1935[172] – January 7, 1937 (did not run)[l]	Democratic[145]	1934		Joseph L. Hurley
54			Charles F. Hurley (1893–1946) [173][174]	January 7, 1937[175] – January 5, 1939 (lost nomination)	Democratic[145]	1936		Francis E. Kelly
55			Leverett Saltonstall (1892–1979) [176][177]	January 5, 1939[178] – January 4, 1945 (did not run)[m]	Republican[145]	1938		Horace T. Cahill
						1940
						1942
56			Maurice J. Tobin (1901–1953) [179][180]	January 4, 1945[181] – January 2, 1947 (lost election)	Democratic[145]	1944		Robert F. Bradford[i]
57			Robert F. Bradford (1902–1983) [182][183]	January 2, 1947[184] – January 6, 1949 (lost election)	Republican[145]	1946		Arthur W. Coolidge
58			Paul A. Dever (1903–1958) [185][186]	January 6, 1949[187] – January 8, 1953 (lost election)	Democratic[145]	1948		Charles F. Sullivan
						1950
59			Christian Herter (1895–1966) [188][189]	January 8, 1953[190] – January 3, 1957 (did not run)[188]	Republican[145]	1952		Sumner G. Whittier
						1954
60			Foster Furcolo (1911–1995) [191][192]	January 3, 1957[193] – January 5, 1961 (did not run)[n]	Democratic[145]	1956		Robert F. Murphy
						1958
							Vacant
61			John A. Volpe (1908–1994) [194][195]	January 5, 1961[196] – January 3, 1963 (lost election)	Republican[145]	1960		Edward F. McLaughlin Jr.[o]
62			Endicott Peabody (1920–1997) [197][198]	January 3, 1963[199] – January 7, 1965 (lost nomination)	Democratic[145]	1962		Francis Bellotti
63			John A. Volpe (1908–1994) [194][195]	January 7, 1965[200] – January 22, 1969 (resigned)[p]	Republican[145]	1964		Elliot Richardson
						1966		Francis Sargent
64			Francis Sargent (1915–1998) [201][202]	January 22, 1969[203] – January 2, 1975 (lost election)	Republican[145]	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
						1970		Donald Dwight
65			Michael Dukakis (b. 1933) [204][205]	January 2, 1975[206] – January 4, 1979 (lost nomination)	Democratic[145]	1974		Thomas P. O'Neill III
66			Edward J. King (1925–2006)	January 4, 1979[207] – January 6, 1983 (lost nomination)	Democratic[145]	1978
67			Michael Dukakis (b. 1933) [204][205]	January 6, 1983[208] – January 3, 1991 (did not run)	Democratic[205]	1982		John Kerry
							Vacant
						1986		Evelyn Murphy
68			Bill Weld (b. 1945) [209]	January 3, 1991[210] – July 29, 1997 (resigned)[q]	Republican[209]	1990		Paul Cellucci
						1994
69			Paul Cellucci (1948–2013) [211]	July 29, 1997[212] – April 10, 2001 (resigned)[r]	Republican[211]	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
						1998		Jane Swift
—			Jane Swift (b. 1965) [213]	April 10, 2001[214] – January 2, 2003 (did not run)	Republican[213]	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
70			Mitt Romney (b. 1947) [215]	January 2, 2003[216] – January 4, 2007 (did not run)	Republican[215]	2002		Kerry Healey
71			Deval Patrick (b. 1956) [217]	January 4, 2007[218] – January 8, 2015 (did not run)	Democratic[217]	2006		Tim Murray
						2010
							Vacant
72			Charlie Baker (b. 1956) [219]	January 8, 2015[220] – January 5, 2023 (did not run)	Republican[219]	2014		Karyn Polito
						2018
73			Maura Healey (b. 1971) [221]	January 5, 2023[222] – Incumbent[s]	Democratic[221]	2022		Kim Driscoll

• Official website

• Governors of Massachusetts
• Lists of state governors of the United States
• Lists of Massachusetts politicians
• Massachusetts history-related lists

• Harv and Sfn no-target errors
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles with hCards