State Management, Administration and Demographics

Table 8.8
Women Governors Throughout History

Name (Party-State) Dates served Special circumstances
Nellie Tayloe Ross (D-WY)1925–1927Won special election to replace deceased husband
Miriam “Ma” Ferguson (D-TX)1925–1927, 1933–1935Inaugurated 15 days after Ross; elected as surrogate for husband who could not succeed himself
Lurleen Wallace (D-AL)1967–1968Elected as surrogate for husband who could not succeed himself
Ella Grasso (D-CT)1975–1980First woman elected governor in her own right; resigned for health reasons
Dixy Lee Ray (D-WA)1977–1981
Vesta Roy (R-NH)1982–1983Elected to state senate and chosen as senate president; served as governor for seven days when incumbent died
Martha Layne Collins (D-KY)1984–1987
Madeleine Kunin (D-VT)1985–1991First woman to serve three terms as governor
Kay Orr (R-NE)1987–1991First Republican woman governor and first woman to defeat another woman in a gubernatorial race
Rose Mofford (D-AZ)1988–1991Elected as secretary of state, succeeded governor who was impeached and convicted
Joan Finney (D-KS)1991–1995First woman to defeat an incumbent governor
Ann Richards (D-TX)1991–1995
Barbara Roberts (D-OR)1991–1995
Christine Todd Whitman (R-NJ)1994–2001Resigned to take presidential appointment as commissioner of the Environmental Protection Agency
Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)1997–2003
Jane Dee Hull (R-AZ)1997–2003Elected as secretary of state, succeeded governor who resigned; later elected to a full term
Nancy Hollister (R-OH)1998–1999Elected lieutenant governor; served as governor for 11 days when predecessor took U.S. Senate seat and successor had not yet been sworn in
Jane Swift (R-MA)2001–2003Elected as lieutenant governor, succeeded governor who resigned for an ambassadorial appointment
Judy Martz (R-MT)2001–2005
Olene Walker (R-UT)2003–2005Elected as lieutenant governor, succeeded governor who resigned to take a federal appointment
Ruth Ann Minner (D-DE)2001–2009
Jennifer M. Granholm (D-MI)2003–2011
Linda Lingle (R-HI)2003–2011
Janet Napolitano (D-AZ)2003–2009First woman to succeed another woman as governor; resigned to become US Secretary of Homeland Security
Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS)2003–2009Father was governor of Ohio; resigned to become US Secretary of Health and Human Services
Kathleen Blanco (D-LA)2004–2008
M. Jodi Rell (R-CT)2004–2011Elected as lieutenant governor, succeeded governor who resigned
Christine Gregoire (D-WA)2005–2013
Sarah Palin (R-AK)2007–2009Resigned
Beverly Perdue (D-NC)2009–2013
Jan Brewer (R-AZ)2009–2015Elected as secretary of state, succeeded governor who resigned
Nikki Haley (R-SC)2011–2017First Asian (Indian) American woman to be elected governor; resigned to become US Ambassador to the United Nations
Maggie Hassan (D-NH)2013–2017
Mary Fallin (R-OK)2011–2019
Susana Martinez (R-NM)2011–2019First Latina to be elected governor
Gina Raimando (D-RI)2015–2021Resigned to become US Secretary of Commerce
Kate Brown (D-OR)2015–presentElected as secretary of state, succeeded governor who resigned
Kay Ivey (R-AL)2017–presentElected as lieutenant governor, succeeded governor who resigned
Kim Reynolds (R-IA)2017–presentElected as lieutenant governor, succeeded governor who resigned
Laura Kelly (D-KS)2019–present
Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM)2019–present
Janet Mills (D-ME)2019–present
Kristi Noem (R-SD)2019–present
Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI)2019–present
Kathy Hochul (D-NY)2021- presentElected as lieutenant governor, succeeded governor who resigned
Source: Center for American Women and Politics, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University, March 2022.