List of Governors of Arizona

The Governor of Arizona is the head of the executive branch of Arizona's government 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 Arizona Legislature, to convene the legislature, and to grant pardons, except in cases of treason and impeachment. [AZ Const. art. 5]

The state constitution of 1912 provided for the election of a governor every two years, with the term commencing on the first Monday in the January following the election.AZ Const. art 5, § 1] The term was increased to four years by a 1968 amendment. [cite court |litigants=Ralph E. Hughes v. Douglas K. Martin |court=Arizona Supreme Court |date=2002-08-20 |url=http://www.supreme.state.az.us/opin/pdf2002/CV020222APEL.pdf |quote=Nelson involved two allegedly conflicting amendments both approved by voters in the 1968 election, to Article 5 of the Arizona Constitution. ... The other amendment, proposition 104, extended the term of offices of the executive department, including the office of state auditor, from two years to four years.] [cite book |title=Arizona Politics & Government: The Quest for Autonomy, Democracy, and Development |last=Berman |first=David R. |year=1998 |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |isbn=0803261462 |pages=112 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=LHYBFuW9B34C] The constitution originally included no term limit, [AZ Const. art. 5, old § 1] but an amendment passed in 1992 allows governors to succeed themselves only once; prior to this, four governors were elected more than twice in a row.

Arizona is one of seven states with no lieutenant governor; instead, in the event of a vacancy in the office of governor, the Arizona secretary of state, if elected, succeeds to the office. If the secretary of state was appointed, rather than elected, the next elected state officer succeeds. If the governor is out of the state or impeached, the next elected officer in the line of succession becomes acting governor until the governor returns or is cleared. [AZ Const. art 5, § 6]

There have been 21 people who have served as governor, in 25 distinct terms. Arizona has had the most female governors in the United States, with three, and is the only state where a woman has succeeded a woman as governor. The current governor is Janet Napolitano, who took office in 2003.

Governors

Most of the area that became Arizona was originally part of the Mexican territory of Alta California. This land was ceded to the United States by Mexico under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed February 2, 1848, which ended the Mexican-American War. On September 9, 1850, the Mexican Cession was divided into territories and states as part of the Compromise of 1850, creating New Mexico Territory. The Gadsden Purchase of December 30, 1853, transferred a parcel of land from the Mexican state of Sonora to the southwest part of New Mexico Territory, and nearly all of it was in what became the state of Arizona. Arizona Territory was split from New Mexico Territory on February 24, 1863. On January 18, 1867, the northwestern corner of the territory was transferred to the state of Nevada. See the lists of governors of New Mexico (1850–1863), of Sonora (—1853), and of Alta California (—1850) for the periods before Arizona Territory was formed.

Governors of Arizona Territory

Arizona Territory was formed on February 24 1863 from New Mexico Territory, remaining a territory for 49 years.

John A. Gurley was appointed by President of the United States Abraham Lincoln to be the first governor of the territory, but he died on August 19, 1863, before he could arrive in the territory. John Noble Goodwin was appointed in his place.

In addition, the first appointed governor of Arizona Territory who died before taking office, John A. Gurley, was a U.S. Representative from Ohio. [cite web | url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=G000530 | title = GURLEY, John Addison | publisher = Biographical Directory of the United States Congress | accessdate=2008-10-11] One Confederate governor, John Baylor, served as a Confederate Congressman from Texas. [cite web|url=http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/BB/fbaat.html | title=Baylor, John Robert | work=The Handbook of Texas Online | publisher=Texas State Historical Association | accessdate=2008-10-11]

Living former governors

As of|2008|10, five former governors were alive, the oldest being Raul Hector Castro (born birth date and age|mf=yes|1916|6|12). The most recent former governor to die was Evan Mecham (1987–1988), on February 21, 2008.

References

;General
*
*
*
*

;Constitution
*

;Specific

External links

* [http://www.azgovernor.gov/ Office of the Governor of Arizona]