| Governor of Wisconsin | |
|---|---|
 Gubernatorial seal | |
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| Residence | Wisconsin Governor's Mansion |
| Term length | Four years, no term limits |
| Inaugural holder | Nelson Dewey |
| Formation | June 7, 1848 (1848-06-07) |
| Succession | Line of succession |
| Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin |
| Salary | $152,756 (2022)[1] |
| Website | governor |
Thegovernor of Wisconsin is thehead of government ofWisconsin[2] and thecommander-in-chief of the state'sarmy andair forces.[3] The governor has a duty to enforce state laws,[3] and the power to either approve orvetobills passed by theWisconsin Legislature,[4] to convene the legislature,[3] and to grantpardons, except in cases of treason and impeachment.[5]
Forty-four individuals have held the office of governor of Wisconsin since the state's admission to theUnion in 1848, one of whom—Philip La Follette—served non-consecutive terms.Nelson Dewey, the first governor, took office on June 7, 1848. The longest-serving governor wasTommy Thompson, who took office on January 5, 1987, and resigned on February 1, 2001, a total of 14 years and 28 days.Arthur MacArthur Sr. had the shortest term: he was governor for a total of just 5 days—from March 21 to 25, 1856.[6] The current governor isTony Evers, aDemocrat who took office on January 7, 2019.[6]
Initially after theAmerican Revolution, parts of the area now known as Wisconsin were claimed byVirginia,Massachusetts andConnecticut; however, Virginia ceded its claim in 1784, Massachusetts in 1785 and Connecticut in 1786.[7] On July 13, 1787, theNorthwest Territory, including the area now called Wisconsin, was formed; Wisconsin remained part of the territory until 1800.[8] The territorial governor during this period wasArthur St. Clair.[9] As parts of the Northwest Territory were admitted to theUnion as states, Wisconsin became part of first theIndiana Territory (1800–1809), then theIllinois Territory (1809–1818), and then theMichigan Territory (1818–1836);[8] see the lists of governorsof Indiana,of Illinois, andof Michigan for these periods.
Wisconsin Territory was formed on July 3, 1836. During the time of its existence, the Wisconsin Territory had three people appointed governor by the President of the United States, one of whom served non-consecutive terms.
When most of Wisconsin Territory was admitted as the state of Wisconsin, the remainder became unorganized territory. However, the citizens of the region maintained a territorial government, and even elected a delegate to the United States House of Representatives, essentially making it ade facto continuation of Wisconsin Territory.[10] As the region no longer had an official governor, Territorial SecretaryJohn Catlin acted as governor of the region.[11]
| No. | Governor | Term in office[a] | Appointing President | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Henry Dodge (1782–1867) [12] | April 30, 1836[b] – September 13, 1841 (successor appointed) | Andrew Jackson |
| Martin Van Buren | ||||
| 2 |  | James Duane Doty (1799–1865) [16] | September 13, 1841[c] – June 15, 1844 (successor appointed) | John Tyler |
| 3 |  | Nathaniel P. Tallmadge (1795–1864) [19] | June 15, 1844[d] – April 8, 1845 (successor appointed) | John Tyler |
| 4 |  | Henry Dodge (1782–1867) [12] | April 8, 1845[e] – June 23, 1848 (statehood) | James K. Polk |
Wisconsin was admitted to the Union on May 29, 1848. Since then, it has had 45 governors, one of whom served non-consecutive terms.[6]
Originally, governors of Wisconsin served for two-year terms, but in 1967 thestate constitution was amended to change this to four.[2]Jeremiah McLain Rusk served 1 3-year term in the 1880s as the constitution was amended during his first term to move elections from odd to even years, and all officers were allowed to serve an extra year, rather than have their terms cut a year short.Patrick Lucey, elected in the1970 election, was the first governor to serve a 4-year term.[6] Governors of Wisconsin are notterm limited.
Lucius Fairchild,Jeremiah McLain Rusk,Robert M. La Follette,Emanuel L. Philipp,John J. Blaine,Walter J. Kohler Jr.,Warren P. Knowles andTommy Thompson are one of eight Wisconsin governors to have served three terms. Thompson is the only person to have won four terms having been elected in 1986 and re-elected in 1990, 1994 and again in 1998 before resigning in February 2001.
The state constitution provides for the election of alieutenant governor; originally, the governor and lieutenant governor were elected on differenttickets, and thus were not necessarily of the sameparty. Since the 1967 amendment, however, the two have been nominated, and voted on, together.[2] Originally, if the office of the governor was vacant for any reason, "the powers and duties of the office . . . devolve[d] upon the lieutenant governor." In 1979, the constitution was amended to make this more specific: if the governor dies, resigns, or is removed from office, the lieutenant governor becomes governor, but becomes acting governor if the governor is absent from the state, impeached, or unable to carry out of duties.[23] If any of these events occur while the office of lieutenant governor is vacant, thesecretary of state becomes either governor or acting governor.[24] Two Wisconsin governors have died while in office, one has died after being elected but before taking office, and four have resigned.[6]
Our first Whig governor, Leonard J. Farwell, took the oath of office, administered by Chief Justice Whiton, at Madison, on Monday last...
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