The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Connecticut General Assembly and to convene the legislature.CT Const. art. IV Unusual among governors, the governor of Connecticut has no power to pardon. The governor of Connecticut is automatically a member of the state's Bonding Commission. He is an ex-officio member of the board of trustees of the University of Connecticut and Yale University.
There have been 69 post-Revolution governors of the state, serving 73 distinct spans in office. Four have served non-consecutive terms: Henry W. Edwards, James E. English, Marshall Jewell, and Raymond E. Baldwin. The longest terms in office were in the state's early years, when four governors were elected to nine or more one-year terms. The longest was that of the first governor, Jonathan Trumbull, who served over 14 years, but 7 of those as colonial governor; the longest-serving state governor — with no other position included in the term — was his son, Jonathan Trumbull Jr., who served over 11 years. The shortest term was that of Hiram Bingham III, who served only one day before resigning to take an elected seat in the United States Senate. Additionally, Lowell Weicker is noted for a rare third party win in American politics, having been elected to a term in 1990 representing A Connecticut Party.
The current governor is Ned Lamont, a Democrat who took office on January 9, 2019.
Governors
Connecticut was one of the original Thirteen Colonies and was admitted as a state on January 9, 1788. Before it declared its independence, Connecticut was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain.
Connecticut did not create a state constitution for itself until several decades after it became a state; until 1818, the state operated under the provisions of its colonial charter. The charter called for the election of a governor every year, but not more than once every two years, with the term commencing on the second Thursday in May.1662 Charter
The current Constitution of Connecticut, ratified in 1965, calls for a four-year term for the governor,CT Const. art. IV, § 1 commencing on the Wednesday after the first Monday in the January following an election.CT Const. art. IV, § 2 The previous constitution of 1818 originally had only a one-year term for governor; this was increased to two years in 1875,1818 Const. amendment XVI and four years in 1948.1818 Const. amendment XLV The 1875 amendment also set the start date of the term to its current date; before then, it was the first Wednesday in the May following an election.1818 Const. art. IV § 1 The constitution provides for the election of a lieutenant governor for the same term as the governor. The two offices are elected on the same ticket; this provision was added in 1962.1818 Const. new amendment VII In the event of a vacancy in the office of governor, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.CT Const. art. IV § 19 Before the adoption of the 1965 constitution, the lieutenant governor only acted as governor.1818 Const. art. IV § 14 There is no limit of any kind on the number of terms one may serve.
+ Governors of the State of ConnecticutGovernorTerm in officePartyElectionLt. Governor16 Jonathan TrumbullOctober 13, 1769–May 13, 1784No parties1776 177717781779178017811782178317Matthew GriswoldMay 13, 1784–May 11, 17861784178518Samuel HuntingtonMay 11, 1786–January 5, 1796Federalist178617871788178917901791179217931794179519Oliver WolcottJanuary 5, 1796–December 1, 1797FederalistActing as governor1796179720Jonathan Trumbull Jr.December 1, 1797–August 7, 1809FederalistActing as governor17981799180018011802180318041805180618071808180921John TreadwellAugust 7, 1809–May 9, 1811FederalistActing as governor181022Roger GriswoldMay 9, 1811–October 25, 1812Federalist1811181223John Cotton SmithOctober 25, 1812–May 8, 1817FederalistActing as governor181318141815Vacant181624Oliver Wolcott Jr.May 8, 1817–May 2, 1827Toleration18171818Democratic-Republican1819182018211822Vacant182318241825182625Gideon TomlinsonMay 2, 1827–March 2, 1831Democratic-Republican1827NationalRepublican18281829183026John Samuel PetersMarch 2, 1831–May 4, 1833NationalRepublicanActing as governor1831Vacant183227Henry W. EdwardsMay 4, 1833–May 7, 1834Democratic183328Samuel A. FootMay 7, 1834–May 6, 1835Whig183429Henry W. EdwardsMay 6, 1835–May 3, 1838Democratic18351836183730William W. EllsworthMay 3, 1838–May 6, 1842Whig183818391840184131Chauncey Fitch ClevelandMay 6, 1842–May 2, 1844Democratic1842184332Roger Sherman BaldwinMay 2, 1844–May 8, 1846Whig1844184533Isaac TouceyMay 8, 1846–May 5, 1847Democratic184634Clark BissellMay 5, 1847–May 3, 1849Whig1847184835Joseph TrumbullMay 3, 1849–May 2, 1850Whig184936Thomas H. SeymourMay 2, 1850–October 13, 1853Democratic185018511852185337Charles H. PondOctober 13, 1853–May 4, 1854DemocraticActing as governor38Henry DuttonMay 4, 1854–May 3, 1855Whig185439William T. MinorMay 3, 1855–May 6, 1857American1855185640Alexander H. HolleyMay 6, 1857Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1857 sess., 10, accessed August 3, 2023–May 5, 1858Republican185741William Alfred BuckinghamMay 5, 1858–May 2, 1866Republican1858185918601861186218631864186542Joseph Roswell HawleyMay 2, 1866–May 1, 1867Republican186643James E. EnglishMay 1, 1867–May 5, 1869Democratic1867186844Marshall JewellMay 5, 1869–May 4, 1870Republican186945James E. EnglishMay 4, 1870–May 16, 1871Democratic187046Marshall JewellMay 16, 1871Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1871 sess., 48 , accessed August 3, 2023–May 7, 1873Republican1871187247Charles Roberts IngersollMay 7, 1873–January 3, 1877Democratic187318741875Apr. 187648Richard D. HubbardJanuary 3, 1877–January 9, 1879DemocraticNov. 187649Charles B. AndrewsJanuary 9, 1879–January 5, 1881Republican187850Hobart B. BigelowJanuary 5, 1881–January 3, 1883Republican188051Thomas M. WallerJanuary 3, 1883–January 8, 1885Democratic188252Henry Baldwin HarrisonJanuary 8, 1885–January 6, 1887Republican188453Phineas C. LounsburyJanuary 6, 1887–January 10, 1889Republican188654Morgan BulkeleyJanuary 10, 1889–January 4, 1893Republican1888189055Luzon B. MorrisJanuary 4, 1893Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1893 sess., 23, accessed August 3, 2023–January 9, 1895Democratic189256Owen Vincent CoffinJanuary 9, 1895–January 6, 1897Republican189457Lorrin A. CookeJanuary 6, 1897–January 4, 1899Republican189658George E. LounsburyJanuary 4, 1899Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1899 sess., 23 , accessed August 3, 2023–January 9, 1901Republican189859George P. McLeanJanuary 9, 1901Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1901 sess., 25 , accessed August 3, 2023–January 7, 1903Republican190060Abiram ChamberlainJanuary 7, 1903Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1903 sess., 24 , accessed August 3, 2023–January 4, 1905Republican190261Henry RobertsJanuary 4, 1905Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1905 sess., 23 , accessed August 3, 2023–January 9, 1907Republican190462Rollin S. WoodruffJanuary 9, 1907Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1907 sess., 23 , accessed August 3, 2023–January 6, 1909Republican190663George L. LilleyJanuary 6, 1909Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1909 sess., 26 , accessed August 3, 2023–April 21, 1909Republican190864Frank B. WeeksApril 21, 1909–January 4, 1911RepublicanActing as governor65Simeon E. BaldwinJanuary 4, 1911Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1911 sess., 21 , accessed August 3, 2023–January 6, 1915Democratic1910191266Marcus H. HolcombJanuary 6, 1915Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1915 sess., 26, accessed August 3, 2023–January 5, 1921Republican19141916191867Everett J. LakeJanuary 5, 1921Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1921 sess., 23 , accessed August 3, 2023–January 3, 1923Republican192068Charles A. TempletonJanuary 3, 1923Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1923 sess., 23 , accessed August 3, 2023–January 7, 1925Republican192269Hiram Bingham IIIJanuary 7, 1925Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1925 sess., 29 , accessed August 3, 2023–January 8, 1925Republican192470John H. TrumbullJanuary 8, 1925–January 7, 1931RepublicanActing as governor1926192871Wilbur Lucius CrossJanuary 7, 1931Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1931 sess., 32 , accessed August 3, 2023–January 4, 1939Democratic193019321934193672Raymond E. BaldwinJanuary 4, 1939Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1939 sess., 26 , accessed August 3, 2023–January 8, 1941Republican193873Robert A. HurleyJanuary 8, 1941Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1941 sess., 46 , accessed August 3, 2023–January 6, 1943Democratic194074Raymond E. BaldwinJanuary 6, 1943Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1943 sess., 50 , accessed August 3, 2023–December 27, 1946Republican1942194475Charles Wilbert SnowDecember 27, 1946–January 8, 1947DemocraticActing as governor76James L. McConaughyJanuary 8, 1947Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1947 sess., 35 , accessed August 3, 2023–March 7, 1948Republican194677James C. ShannonMarch 7, 1948–January 5, 1949RepublicanActing as governor78Chester B. BowlesJanuary 5, 1949Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1949 sess., 29, accessed August 3, 2023–January 3, 1951Democratic194879John Davis LodgeJanuary 3, 1951Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1951 sess., 32, accessed August 4, 2023–January 5, 1955Republican195080Abraham RibicoffJanuary 5, 1955Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1955 sess., 29 , accessed August 4, 2023–January 21, 1961Democratic1954195881John N. DempseyJanuary 21, 1961–January 6, 1971DemocraticActing as governor1962196682Thomas MeskillJanuary 6, 1971Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1971 sess., 34 , accessed August 4, 2023–January 8, 1975Republican197083Ella GrassoJanuary 8, 1975Conn. General Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1975 sess., 27 , accessed August 4, 2023–December 31, 1980Democratic1974197884William A. O'NeillDecember 31, 1980–January 9, 1991Democratic1982198685Lowell WeickerJanuary 9, 1991–January 4, 1995A ConnecticutParty199086John G. RowlandJanuary 4, 1995–July 1, 2004Republican19941998200287Jodi RellJuly 1, 2004–January 5, 2011Republican200688Dannel MalloyJanuary 5, 2011–January 9, 2019Democratic2010201489Ned LamontJanuary 9, 2019–IncumbentDemocratic20182022
Timeline Timeline of Connecticut governors
See also
Notes
References General
Constitutions
Specific
External links
Office of the Governor of Connecticut