| Governor of the State of Alabama | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the governor | |
 Standard of the governor | |
.jpg) | |
| Government of Alabama | |
| Style |
|
| Status | |
| Residence | Alabama Governor's Mansion |
| Term length | Four years, renewable once consecutively |
| Precursor | Governor ofAlabama Territory |
| Inaugural holder | William Wyatt Bibb |
| Formation | December 14, 1819 (205 years ago) (1819-12-14) |
| Succession | Line of succession |
| Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of Alabama |
| Salary | $127,833 (2022)[1] |
| Website | governor |
Thegovernor of Alabama is thehead of government of theU.S. state ofAlabama. Thegovernor is the head of theexecutive branch ofAlabama's state government and is charged with enforcing state laws.Kay Ivey is the 54th and current governor since 2017.[2]
The office of governor was created by the first Constitution of Alabama in 1819. The 1819 constitution provided the governor with a two-year term, which lasted until 1901 when it was extended to four years.[3] Prior to the 1819 constitution, Alabama had a single territorial governor,William W. Bibb, who also served as the first state governor.[4] Bibb died in office and his brother,Thomas Bibb, succeeded as the state's second governor. Thomas Bibb had been the first to settle the territory, but lacked his brother's political abilities and was viewed as a caretaker governor.[5]
In 1861, Alabamaseceded from the Union and joined theConfederate States of America. The governor at the time,Andrew B. Moore, had been elected as an anti-secessionist and was initially resistant to the idea untilAbraham Lincoln's victory in the1860 United States presidential election. In January 1861, Moore ordered the Alabama militia to seize federal institutions in the state, and signed an ordinance which formalized the state's secession.[6] The next governor,John Gill Shorter, took office in 1861 and was the first governor elected under the Confederacy. In 1862, Shorter signed a law requiring conscription of Alabama men into the Confederate military. Later that year, he also signed a bill requiring the conscription of slaves, much to the anger of slaveholders.[7]Thomas Hill Watts was the final Confederate governor, withLewis E. Parsons being named provisional governor by PresidentAndrew Johnson at the war's end.[8] During this time,Wager Swayne also served as the state's de facto military governor, overseeing Parsons and his elected successor,Robert M. Patton.[9]
From the end ofReconstruction until 1987, all governors were members of the Democratic Party. In 1986,Guy Hunt became the first Republican elected to office.[10] Since then, almost all of the states governors have been Republicans.[11] In the mid-20th centuryGeorge Wallace, the state's 45th and longest-serving governor, was among the leading voices in the pro-segregation movement and was an unsuccessful presidential candidate multiple times over.[12]
The governor is elected for a four-year term and may be re-elected once. Any candidate for the governor of Alabama must meet the following qualifications:[13]
Gubernatorial elections take place alongside elections for the offices oflieutenant governor,attorney general,state auditor,secretary of state,state treasurer, and thecommissioner of agriculture and industries. These elections occur during themidterm elections (ie. years with no presidential election).[14]
Section 113 of theAlabama Constitution describes the office of governor as follows:[14]
The supreme executive power of the state shall be vested in a chief magistrate, who shall be styled "The Governor of the State of Alabama".
The governor has a variety of powers ranging from executive to legislative in nature. The governor signs or vetos bills passed by theLegislature, and ensures the proper execution of laws. The governor appoints a variety of state officers, including members of their Cabinet and at least one member of over 450 boards or commissions. The governor also chairs several of those boards or commissions. The governor is the commander-in-chief of theAlabama militia and has oversight of the state's finances. Finally, the governor has a variety of special powers including calling special sessions of the Legislature, filling vacancies in elected and local offices, and the power to grantclemency.[15]
The office ofLieutenant Governor of Alabama was created in 1868 and is first in the gubernatorial line of succession. Prior to then, the president of the Alabama Senate was first in line. Section 127 of the current constitution provides for the following line of succession, with all those after the lieutenant governor instead becoming acting governor:[14]
 Alabama statewide elected officials | |
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