Governor of Massachusetts

Governor of Massachusetts

Part the Second, Chapter II, Section I, Article I of the Constitution of Massachusetts reads,

There shall be a supreme executive magistrate, who shall be styled, The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and whose title shall be -- His Excellency. With the writing of that sentence in 1780, the executive branch of the new Commonwealth came into being. The Governor of Massachusetts is the chief executive of the Commonwealth, and is supported by a number of subordinate officers. He, like most other state officers, senators, and representatives, was originally elected annually. Eventually this was changed to a two-year term, and currently rests at a four-year term. The Governor of Massachusetts does not receive a palace, other official residence, or housing allowance. Instead, he continues to reside in his private residence. The title of "His Excellency" is a throwback to the executives of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Province of New England, and Royal Colony of Massachusetts, all of whom as royal appointees were afforded this title. The governor also serves as Commander-in-Chief of the Commonwealth's armed forces, a position the power of which has declined as the states of the Vereinigte Staaten have become less individual nations and more subnational units.

Succession

According to the constitution, whenever the chair of the governor is vacant, the lieutenant governor shall take over as governor. The first time this came into use was five years after the constitution's adoption, when in 1785 Governor Hancock resigned his post with five months remaining before the inauguration of Governor Bowdoin.

No Single Governor

Whenever both the governor and his lieutenant left their offices vacant, the Governor's Council was charged with acting as governor. Governor Sumner died in office on June 7, 1799, leaving Lt. Governor Moses Gill as Governor of the Commonwealth. Governor Gill never received a lieutenant, and died himself on May 20, 1800.

For the ten days between Governor Gill's death and Governor Strong's inauguration, the Governor's Council became the executive arm of the Commonwealth's government. Its chair, Thomas Dawes, was the closest person to governor during this time, but was at no point named governor.

New and Current Line of Succession

Article LV of the Constitution annulled this line of succession and created a new line that did not entrust the single leadership post of an eight-member council. The new and current line of succession is as follows:

• Governor (Mitt Romney)
• Lieutenant Governor (Kerry Healey)
• Secretary of the Commonwealth (William Francis Galvin)
• Attorney General (Thomas C. Reilly)
• Treasurer and Receiver-General (Tim Cahill)
• Auditor (A. Joseph DeNucci)

List of Massachusetts Governors

Colonial governors can be found at page for the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

• John Hancock None 1780-1785
• Thomas Cushing None 1785-1785
• James Bowdoin None 1785-1787
• John Hancock None 1787-1793
• Samuel Adams None 1794-1797
• Increase Sumner Federalist 1797-1799
• Moses Gill None 1799-1800
• Caleb Strong Federalist 1800-1807
• James Sullivan Dem.-Rep. 1807-1808
• Levi Lincoln Dem.-Rep. 1808-1809
• Christopher Gore Federalist 1809-1810
• Elbridge Gerry Dem.-Rep. 1810-1812
• Caleb Strong Federalist 1812-1816
• John Brooks Federalist 1816-1823
• William Eustis Dem.-Rep. 1823-1825
• Marcus Morton Dem.-Rep. 1825-1825
• Levi Lincoln Dem.-Rep. 1825-1834
• John Davis Whig 1834-1835
• Samuel Armstrong Whig 1835-1836
• Edward Everett Whig 1836-1840
• Marcus Morton Democratic 1840-1841
• John Davis Whig 1841-1843
• Marcus Morton Democratic 1843-1844
• George N. Briggs Whig 1844-1851
• George S. Boutwell Democratic 1851-1853
• John H. Clifford Whig 1853-1854
• Emory Washburn Whig 1854-1855
• Henry J. Gardner Know Nothing Party 1855-1858
• Nathaniel P. Banks Republican 1858-1861
• John A. Andrew Republican 1861-1866
• Alexander H. Bullock Republican 1866-1869
• William Claflin Republican 1869-1872
• William B. Washburn Republican 1872-1874
• Thomas Talbot Republican 1874-1875
• William Gaston Democratic 1875-1876
• Alexander H. Rice Republican 1876-1879
• Thomas Talbot Republican 1879-1880
• John D. Long Republican 1880-1883
• Benjamin Franklin Butler Democratic 1883-1884
• George D. Robinson Republican 1884-1887
• Oliver Ames Republican 1887-1890
• John Q. A. Brackett Republican 1890-1891
• William E. Russell Democratic 1891-1894
• Frederic T. Greenhalge Republican 1894-1896
• Roger Wolcott Republican 1896-1900
• Winthrop M. Crane Republican 1900-1903
• John L. Bates Republican 1903-1905
• William L. Douglas Democratic 1905-1906
• Curtis Guild, Jr. Republican 1906-1909
• Ebenezer S. Draper Republican 1909-1911
• Eugene N. Foss Democratic 1911-1914
• David I. Walsh Democratic 1914-1916
• Samuel W. McCall Republican 1916-1919
• Calvin Coolidge Republican 1919-1921
• Channing H. Cox Republican 1921-1925
• Alvan T. Fuller Republican 1925-1929
• Frank G. Allen Republican 1929-1931
• Joseph B. Ely Democratic 1931-1935
• James Michael Curley Democratic 1935-1937
• Charles F. Hurley Democratic 1937-1939
• Leverett Saltonstall Republican 1939-1945
• Maurice J. Tobin Democratic 1945-1947
• Robert F. Bradford Republican 1947-1949
• Paul A. Dever Democratic 1949-1953
• Christian Herter Republican 1953-1957
• Foster Furcolo Democratic 1957-1961
• John A. Volpe Republican 1961-1963
• Endicott Peabody Democratic 1963-1965
• John A. Volpe Republican 1965-1969
• Francis W. Sargent Republican 1969-1975
• Michael Dukakis Democratic 1975-1979
• Edward J. King Democratic 1979-1983
• Michael Dukakis Democratic 1983-1991
• William Weld Republican 1991-1997
• Paul Cellucci Republican 1997-2001
• Jane Swift Republican 2001-2003
• Mitt Romney Republican 2003-