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Governor of Nebraska
Seal of Nebraska
Incumbent Pete Ricketts since January 8, 2015
Style	The Honorable
Residence	Nebraska Governor's Mansion
Term length	4 years, renewable once
Inaugural holder	David Butler
Formation	Constitution of Nebraska
Salary	$105,000 (2013)

The Governor of Nebraska holds the "supreme executive power" of the U.S. state of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Nebraska Constitution. The current office holder is Pete Ricketts, a Republican, who was sworn in on January 8, 2015. The current Lieutenant Governor is Mike Foley, who also assumed office on January 8, 2015.

Governors of Nebraska must be at least 30 years old and have been citizens and residents of the state for five years before being elected. Before 1966, the governor was elected to a two-year term. The state constitution was amended in a 1962 referendum so that beginning with the 1966 election, the governor would be elected to a four-year term; in 1966, this was further amended to place a term limit of two consecutive terms. The lieutenant governor is subject to the same limitations and runs on a combined ticket with the governor. Governors are limited to two consecutive terms but there is no limit on the total number of terms one may serve.

If the governor becomes incapacitated or is out of the state, the Lieutenant Governor acts as Governor; if there is a vacancy or permanent incapacitation, the Lieutenant Governor becomes Governor. However, if both offices become vacant, the next person in the line of succession is the Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature.

Territorial governors

See List of Governors of Missouri for the period from 1805 to 1821. Between 1821 and 1854, the land was unorganized territory.

Before statehood, governors were appointed to a four-year term by the President of the United States.

Parties

  Democratic (8)   Republican (2)

#	Governor (Birth–Death)			Party	Took office	Left office	Notes
			William Walker (1800–1874)		July 23, 1853	October 16, 1854	Not recognized by the federal government
1		style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Francis Burt (1807–1854)	Democratic	October 16, 1854	October 18, 1854	Died
		style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Thomas B. Cuming (1827–1858)	Democratic	October 18, 1854	February 23, 1855	Acting
2		style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Mark W. Izard (1799–1866)	Democratic	February 23, 1855	October 25, 1857	Resigned
		style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Thomas B. Cuming (1827–1858)	Democratic	October 25, 1857	January 12, 1858	Acting
3		style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	William A. Richardson (1811–1875)	Democratic	January 12, 1858	December 5, 1858	Resigned
		style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	J. Sterling Morton (1832–1902)	Democratic	December 5, 1858	May 2, 1859	Acting
4		style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Samuel W. Black (1816–1862)	Democratic	May 2, 1859	February 24, 1861	Resigned
		style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	J. Sterling Morton (1832–1902)	Democratic	February 24, 1861	March 6, 1861	Acting
		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Algernon S. Paddock (1830–1897)	Republican	March 6, 1861	May 15, 1861	Acting
5		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Alvin Saunders (1817–1899)	Republican	May 15, 1861	March 1, 1867

State governors

Popularly elected, beginning in 1866, to a two-year term. In 1962, the voters approved a constitutional amendment expanding terms beginning in 1966 to four years. In 1966, the voters limited the number of consecutive full terms that any one governor could serve to two (i.e. only one possible re-election while still in office after election to a full term.)

Parties

  Republican (26)   Democratic (12)   Fusion (Democratic/Populist) (2)

#	Governor (Birth–Death)			Party	Took office	Left office	Lt. Governor	Notes
1		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	David Butler (1829–1891)	Republican	February 21, 1867	June 2, 1871	None
		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	William H. James (1831–1920)	Republican	June 2, 1871	January 13, 1873	None	Secretary of State
2		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Robert Wilkinson Furnas (1824–1905)	Republican	January 13, 1873	January 11, 1875	None
3		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Silas Garber (1833–1905)	Republican	January 11, 1875	January 9, 1879	None Othman A. Abbott
4		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Albinus Nance (1848–1911)	Republican	January 9, 1879	January 4, 1883	Edmund C. Carns
5		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	James W. Dawes (1844–1918)	Republican	January 4, 1883	January 6, 1887	Alfred W. Agee Hibbard H. Shedd
6		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	John Milton Thayer (1820–1906)	Republican	January 6, 1887	February 8, 1892	Hibbard H. Shedd George D. Meiklejohn Thomas J. Majors
7		style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	James E. Boyd (1834–1906)	Democratic	February 8, 1892	January 13, 1893	Thomas J. Majors
8		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Lorenzo Crounse (1834–1909)	Republican	January 13, 1893	January 3, 1895	Thomas J. Majors
9			Silas A. Holcomb (1858–1920)	Fusion (Democratic/Populist)	January 3, 1895	January 5, 1899	Robert E. Moore James E. Harris
10			William A. Poynter (1848–1909)	Fusion (Democratic/Populist)	January 5, 1899	January 3, 1901	Edward A. Gilbert
11		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Charles H. Dietrich (1853–1924)	Republican	January 3, 1901	May 1, 1901	Ezra P. Savage	Resigned
12		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Ezra P. Savage (1842–1920)	Republican	May 1, 1901	January 8, 1903	None	Lt-Gov.
13		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	John H. Mickey (1845–1910)	Republican	January 8, 1903	January 3, 1907	Edmund G. McGilton
14		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	George L. Sheldon (1870–1960)	Republican	January 3, 1907	January 7, 1909	Melville R. Hopewell
15		style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Ashton C. Shallenberger (1862–1938)	Democratic	January 7, 1909	January 5, 1911	Melville R. Hopewell
16		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Chester H. Aldrich (1863–1924)	Republican	January 5, 1911	January 9, 1913	Melville R. Hopewell
17		style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	John H. Morehead (1861–1942)	Democratic	January 9, 1913	January 4, 1917	Samuel R. McKelvie (Republican) James Pearson (Democratic)
18		style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Keith Neville (1884–1959)	Democratic	January 4, 1917	January 9, 1919	Edgar Howard
19		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Samuel R. McKelvie (1881–1956)	Republican	January 9, 1919	January 3, 1923	Pelham A. Barrows
20		style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Charles W. Bryan (1867–1945)	Democratic	January 3, 1923	January 8, 1925	Fred G. Johnson (Republican)
21		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Adam McMullen (1872–1959)	Republican	January 8, 1925	January 3, 1929	George A. Williams
22		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Arthur J. Weaver (1873–1945)	Republican	January 3, 1929	January 8, 1931	George A. Williams
23		style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Charles W. Bryan (1867–1945)	Democratic	January 8, 1931	January 3, 1935	Theodore Metcalfe (Republican) Walter H. Jurgensen (Democratic)
24		style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Robert Leroy Cochran (1886–1963)	Democratic	January 3, 1935	January 9, 1941	Walter H. Jurgensen (Democratic) Nate M. Parsons (Democratic) William E. Johnson (Republican)
25		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Dwight Griswold (1893–1954)	Republican	January 9, 1941	January 9, 1947	William E. Johnson Roy W. Johnson
26		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Val Peterson (1903–1983)	Republican	January 9, 1947	January 8, 1953	Robert B. Crosby Charles J. Warner
27		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Robert B. Crosby (1911–2000)	Republican	January 8, 1953	January 6, 1955	Charles J. Warner
28		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Victor E. Anderson (1902–1962)	Republican	January 6, 1955	January 8, 1959	Charles J. Warner Dwight W. Burney
29		style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Ralph G. Brooks (1898–1960)	Democratic	January 8, 1959	September 9, 1960	Dwight W. Burney	Died.
30		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Dwight W. Burney (1892–1987)	Republican	September 9, 1960	January 5, 1961	Dwight W. Burney	Lt-Gov.
31		style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Frank B. Morrison (1905–2004)	Democratic	January 5, 1961	January 5, 1967	Dwight W. Burney (Republican) Philip C. Sorensen (Democratic)
32		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Norbert Tiemann (1924–2012)	Republican	January 5, 1967	January 7, 1971	John E. Everroad
33		style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	J. James Exon (1921–2005)	Democratic	January 7, 1971	January 4, 1979	Frank Marsh (Republican) Gerald T. Whelan (Democratic)
34		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Charles Thone (1924–2018)	Republican	January 4, 1979	January 6, 1983	Roland A. Luedtke
35		style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	J. Robert Kerrey (b. 1943)	Democratic	January 6, 1983	January 9, 1987	Donald F. McGinley
36		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Kay A. Orr (b. 1939)	Republican	January 9, 1987	January 9, 1991	William E. Nichol
37		style="background: Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Ben Nelson (b. 1941)	Democratic	January 9, 1991	January 7, 1999	Maxine B. Moul Kim M. Robak
38		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Mike Johanns (b. 1950)	Republican	January 7, 1999	January 20, 2005	David I. Maurstad David Heineman	Resigned
39		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Dave Heineman (b. 1948)	Republican	January 20, 2005	January 8, 2015	Rick Sheehy Lavon Heidemann John E. Nelson	Lt-Gov.
40		style="background: Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"|	Pete Ricketts (b. 1964)	Republican	January 8, 2015	Incumbent	Mike Foley

Notes

1. "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries". The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
2. Elected, but not inaugurated, before Nebraska's statehood. Impeached and removed from office for misappropriation of state funds; the impeachment was expunged six years later.
3. As state secretary of state, acted as governor for unexpired term.
4. ^ James Boyd won the 1890 election, and was sworn in on January 8, 1891. However, due to a question of his U.S. citizenship and eligibility for the office, he did not take office until February 8, 1892.
5. Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
6. ^ As lieutenant governor, became governor for unexpired term.
7. Died in office.
8. First and (as of June 2016) only female governor of Nebraska
9. Resigned to become United States Secretary of Agriculture.
10. As lieutenant governor, succeeded to the office of governor for Johann's unexpired term, and was later elected in his own right.
11. Ricketts' second term began January 10, 2019, and will expire January 2023

Succession

Other high offices held

This is a table of other governorships, congressional seats and other national public offices held by governors of Nebraska. All representatives and senators mentioned represented Nebraska except where noted.

* denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take.

p. = Political Party; D = Democrat; R = Republican;

the footnotes , etc., indicate the presidential administration(s) under which an unelected Federal office was held (see Appointing presidents below the table).

Appointing presidents

1. Grover Cleveland (D, 1893-1897)
2. Ulysses Grant (R, 1869-1877) and Rutherford B. Hayes (R, 1877-1881)
3. Franklin Roosevelt (D, 1933-45) and Harry Truman (D, 1945-53)
4. Dwight Eisenhower (R, 1953-1961)
5. Richard Nixon (R, 1969-1974)
6. George W. Bush (R, 2001-2009)

Living former governors of Nebraska

As of January 2019, five former U.S. governors of Nebraska are still living. The oldest of these is Kay A. Orr (born 1939; served 1987–1991). The most recent Governor to die was Charles Thone (born 1924; served 1979–1983), on March 7, 2018.

See also

• List of Lieutenant Governors of Nebraska
• Governors of Nebraska Territory
• United States congressional delegations from Nebraska
• Political party strength in Nebraska

References

1. 2012-13 Nebraska Blue Book (Nebraska State Government) Archived 2013-05-15 at the Wayback Machine, page 418
2. 2012-13 Nebraska Blue Book Archived 2013-05-15 at the Wayback Machine, pages 418–419
3. Nebraska Governor Robert Leroy (Roy) Cochran at the National Governors Association web site, retrieved May 27, 2013.

External links

• Semi-Centennial History of Nebraska (1904)
• Nebraska Blue Book
  • specifically (in the 2012-13 Blue Book), State Executive Branch (PDF), page 421, "Nebraska Governors, 1854–2013"

v t e Governors of Nebraska
Territorial (1854–1867)	Walker (provisional; disputed) Butler (declined) Burt Cuming Izard Cuming Richardson Morton Black Morton Paddock Saunders
State (since 1867)	Butler James Hascall (disputed) Furnas Garber Nance Dawes Thayer Boyd Crounse Holcomb Poynter Dietrich Savage Mickey Sheldon Shallenberger Aldrich Morehead Neville McKelvie Bryan McMullen Weaver Bryan Cochran Griswold Peterson Crosby Anderson Brooks Burney Morrison Tiemann Exon Thone Kerrey Orr Nelson Johanns Heineman Ricketts Pillen
Italics indicate acting governors

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