History Of Women Governors

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History of Women Governors 51 (31D, 20R)

women have served as governor in 32 states. In addition, three women have served as governor in Puerto Rico (one currently serving) and one currently serves as governor in Guam. 

Arizona is the first state where a woman succeeded another woman as governor, and the first state to have had five women governors.

Of the 51 women governors, 35 were first elected in their own right; 3 replaced their husbands, and 13 became governor by constitutional succession, seven of whom subsequently won full terms.

The record number of women serving simultaneously, achieved in 2025, is 14.

Export Table Data

Name	Party	Year(s) Served	State	Notes
Kelly A. Ayotte	R	2025-present	New Hampshire
Kathleen B. Blanco	D	2004-2007	Louisiana
Jan Brewer	R	2009-2014	Arizona	Brewer succeeded a governor who resigned and took office on 1/21/09.
Kate Brown	D	2015-2022	Oregon	Brown succeeded a governor who resigned and took office on 2/18/15.
Sila Calderon	2001-2004	Puerto Rico	Former mayor of San Juan, first woman governor of Puerto Rico.
Martha Layne Collins	D	1984-1987	Kentucky
Mary Fallin	R	2011-2018	Oklahoma
Miriam Ferguson	D	1933-1934	Texas
Miriam Ferguson	D	1925-1927	Texas	Ferguson was elected twice as a surrogate for her husband who could not run for re-election. She was seated fifteen days after Nellie Tayloe Ross (D-WY) who was the first woman to be sworn in as a governor.
Joan Finney	D	1991-1994	Kansas	Finney was the first woman to defeat an incumbent governor.
Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon	2025-present	Puerto Rico
Jennifer Granholm	D	2003-2010	Michigan
Ella T. Grasso	D	1975-1980	Connecticut	Grasso was the first woman governor to be elected in her own right.
Christine O. Gregoire	D	2005-2012	Washington
Nikki R. Haley	R	2011-2017	South Carolina
Bethany A. Hall-Long	D	2025-2025	Delaware	Hall-Long succeeded a governor who resigned and took office on 1/7/25. She served until the newly elected governor was sworn in.
Maggie Hassan	D	2013-2016	New Hampshire
Maura Healey	D	2023-present	Massachusetts
Katie Hobbs	D	2023-present	Arizona
Kathy C. Hochul	D	2021-present	New York	Hochul succeeded a governor who resigned and took office on 8/24/21.
Nancy P. Hollister	R	1998-1999	Ohio	Hollister succeeded a governor who resigned and took office on 1/5/99. She served until the newly elected governor was sworn in.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders	R	2023-present	Arkansas
Jane Dee Hull	R	1997-2002	Arizona	Hull succeeded a governor who resigned and took office on 9/5/97.
Kay E. Ivey	R	2017-present	Alabama	Ivey succeeded a governor who resigned and took office on 4/10/17.
Laura J. Kelly	D	2019-present	Kansas
Tina Kotek	D	2023-present	Oregon
Madeleine M. Kunin	D	1985-1990	Vermont	Kunin was the first woman to have been elected to serve three terms as governor.
Lou A. Leon Guerrero	D	2019-present	Guam
Linda Crocket Lingle	R	2003-2010	Hawaii
Michelle Lujan Grisham	D	2019-present	New Mexico
Susana Martinez	R	2011-2018	New Mexico
Judy Martz	R	2001-2004	Montana
Janet T. Mills	D	2019-present	Maine
Ruth Ann Minner	D	2001-2008	Delaware
Rose Mofford	D	1988-1991	Arizona	Mofford succeeded a governor who was impeached and removed and took office on 4/4/88.
Janet Napolitano	D	2003-2008	Arizona
Kristi Noem	R	2019-2025	South Dakota
Kay A. Orr	R	1987-1990	Nebraska	Orr was the first Republican woman to be elected governor in any state and the first woman to run against another woman for a gubernatorial post.
Sarah H. Palin	R	2007-2009	Alaska
Beverly M. Perdue	D	2009-2012	North Carolina
Gina M. Raimondo	D	2015-2021	Rhode Island
Dixy Lee Ray	D	1977-1980	Washington
M. Jodi Rell	R	2004-2010	Connecticut	Rell succeeded a governor who resigned and took office on 7/1/04.
Kimberly Reynolds	R	2017-present	Iowa	Reynolds succeeded a governor who resigned and took office on 4/24/17
Ann Richards	D	1991-1994	Texas
Barbara Roberts	D	1991-1994	Oregon
Nellie Tayloe Ross	D	1925-1926	Wyoming	Ross won a special election to fill a vacancy caused by the death of her husband. Inaugurated fifteen days before Miriam Ferguson (D-TX), Ross was the first woman sworn in as a governor.
Vesta Roy	R	1982-1983	New Hampshire	Roy succeeded a governor who died and took office on 12/29/82. She served until the newly elected governor was sworn in.
Kathleen Sebelius	D	2003-2009	Kansas
Jeanne Shaheen	D	1997-2002	New Hampshire
Jane Maria Swift	R	2001-2002	Massachusetts	Swift succeeded a governor who resigned and took office on 4/10/01.
Wanda Vazquez Garced	2019-2020	Puerto Rico	Former Secretary of Justice, succeeded governor who resigned.
Olene S. Walker	R	2003-2004	Utah	Walker succeeded a governor who resigned and took office on 11/5/03.
Lurleen Wallace	D	1967-1968	Alabama	Wallace was elected as a surrogate for her husband who could not run for re-election; she later died while serving in office.
Christine Todd Whitman	R	1994-2001	New Jersey
Gretchen E. Whitmer	D	2019-present	Michigan

Source: CAWP Women Elected Officials Database

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Reproduction of information on the CAWP website for non-commercial purposes is encouraged, provided that clear and visible credit is given to Center for American Women and Politics, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University. Any information reproduced must include footnotes/endnotes that apply to that information. Commercial reproduction requires prior permission in writing from the Center for American Women and Politics. All CAWP fact sheets are available on this web site and may be downloaded and copied as needed.

How to Cite Our Information

Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP). 2026. “History of Women Governors.” New Brunswick, NJ: Center for American Women and Politics, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University-New Brunswick. https://cawp.rutgers.edu/facts/levels-office/statewide-elective-executive/history-women-governors (Accessed January 8, 2026)

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