List of governors of Rhode Island


The governor of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations is the head of the executive branch of the government of Rhode Island and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's Army National Guard and Air National Guard. The current governor is Gina Raimondo. John W. Davis, Herbert W. Ladd, and Aram J. Pothier each served two non-consecutive stints, while James Fenner served three non-consecutive stints as governor.

Party affiliation

Colonial Rhode Island, 1640–1775

List of governors of Rhode Island, 1775–present

; Parties
#GovernorPicturePartyTook officeLeft officeLt. GovernorNotes
1Nicholas Cooke-November 7, 1775May 4, 1778-2 years 6 mos.
2William Greene-May 4, 1778May 3, 1786-8 years.
3John Collins-May 3, 1786May 5, 1790-4 years.
4Arthur FennerCountry PartyMay 5, 1790October 15, 1805Samuel J. Potter15 years.
Rhode Island ratified the U.S. Constitution on May 29, 1790.
Died in office.
5Henry SmithCountryOctober 15, 1805May 7, 18067 months.
6Isaac WilbourCountryMay 7, 1806May 6, 1807Himself1 year.
7James FennerDemocratic-RepublicanMay 6, 1807May 1, 1811Constant Taber
Simeon Martin
Isaac Wilbour		4 years.
8William JonesFederalistMay 1, 1811May 7, 1817Simeon Martin
Jeremiah Thurston		6 years.
9Nehemiah R. KnightDemocratic-RepublicanMay 7, 1817May 2, 1821Edward Wilcox4 years.
10William C. GibbsDemocratic-RepublicanMay 2, 1821May 5, 18243 years.
11James FennerDemocratic-RepublicanMay 5, 1824May 4, 1831Charles Collins7 years.
12Lemuel H. ArnoldNational RepublicanMay 4, 1831May 1, 1833Charles Collins2 years.
13John B. FrancisDemocraticMay 1, 1833May 2, 1838Jeffrey Hazard
George Engs
Jeffrey Hazard
Benjamin B. Thurston		5 years.
14William Sprague IIIWhigMay 2, 1838May 2, 1839Joseph Childs1 year.
15Samuel Ward KingRhode Island PartyMay 2, 1839May 2, 1843Byron Diman4 years.
16Thomas DorrExtralegal
Dorr Rebellion		May 1, 1842January 23, 18439 mos.
17James FennerLaw and OrderMay 2, 1843May 6, 1845Byron Diman2 years.
18Charles JacksonWhig,
Liberation Party		May 6, 1845May 6, 1846Byron Diman1 year.
19Byron DimanLaw and OrderMay 6, 1846May 4, 1847Elisha Harris1 year.
20Elisha HarrisWhigMay 4, 1847May 1, 1849Edward W. Lawton2 years.
21Henry B. AnthonyWhigMay 1, 1849May 6, 1851Thomas Whipple2 years.
22Philip AllenDemocraticMay 6, 1851July 20, 1853William Beach Lawrence
Samuel G. Arnold		2 years 2 mos.
23Francis M. DimondDemocraticJuly 20, 1853May 2, 1854Francis M. Dimond10 mos.
24William W. HoppinWhigMay 2, 1854May 26, 1857John J. Reynolds
Anderson C. Rose
Nicholas Brown III		3 years.
25Elisha DyerRepublicanMay 26, 1857May 31, 1859Thomas G. Turner2 years.
26Thomas G. TurnerRepublicanMay 31, 1859May 29, 1860Isaac Saunders1 year.
27William Sprague IVRepublicanMay 29, 1860March 3, 1863J. Russell Bullock
Samuel G. Arnold		2 years 10 mos. Resigned to become a U.S. Senator.
28William C. CozzensDemocraticMarch 3, 1863May 26, 1863None.2 months 23 days. Defeated for election.
29James Y. SmithRepublicanMay 26, 1863May 29, 1866Seth Padelford
Duncan Pell		3 years.
30Ambrose Everett BurnsideRepublicanMay 29, 1866May 25, 1869William Greene
Pardon Stevens		3 years.
31Seth PadelfordRepublicanMay 25, 1869May 27, 1873Pardon Stevens
Charles Cutler		4 years.
32Henry HowardRepublicanMay 27, 1873May 25, 1875Charles C. Van Zandt2 years.
33Henry LippittRepublicanMay 25, 1875May 29, 1877Henry Tillinghast Sisson2 years.
34Charles C. Van ZandtRepublicanMay 29, 1877May 25, 1880Albert Howard3 years.
35Alfred H. LittlefieldRepublicanMay 25, 1880May 29, 1883Henry Fay3 years.
36Augustus O. BournRepublicanMay 29, 1883May 26, 1885Oscar Rathbun2 years.
37George P. WetmoreRepublicanMay 26, 1885May 29, 1887Lucius B. Darling2 years.
38John W. DavisDemocraticMay 29, 1887May 29, 1888Samuel R. Honey1 year.
39Royal C. TaftRepublicanMay 29, 1888May 28, 1889Enos Lapham1 year.
40Herbert W. LaddRepublicanMay 28, 1889May 27, 1890Daniel Littlefield1 year.
41John W. DavisDemocraticMay 27, 1890May 26, 1891William T. C. Wardwell1 year.
42Herbert W. LaddRepublicanMay 26, 1891May 31, 1892Henry A. Stearns1 year.
43D. Russell BrownRepublicanMay 31, 1892May 29, 1895Melville Bull
Edwin Allen		3 years.
44Charles W. LippittRepublicanMay 29, 1895May 25, 1897Edwin Allen2 years.
45Elisha Dyer, Jr.RepublicanMay 25, 1897May 29, 1900Aram J. Pothier
William Gregory		3 years.
46William GregoryRepublicanMay 29, 1900December 16, 1901Charles D. Kimball1 year 7 mos. Died in office.
47Charles D. KimballRepublicanDecember 16, 1901January 3, 1903vacant
George L. Shepley		1 year 18 days.
48Lucius F. C. GarvinDemocraticJanuary 3, 1903January 3, 1905Frederick H. Jackson2 years.
49George H. UtterRepublicanJanuary 3, 1905January 1, 1907Frederick H. Jackson2 years.
50James H. HigginsDemocraticJanuary 1, 1907January 5, 1909Frederick H. Jackson
Ralph Watrous		2 years.
51Aram J. PothierRepublicanJanuary 5, 1909January 5, 1915Arthur W. Dennis
Rosewell Burchard
Emery J. San Souci
Rosewell Burchard		6 years,
52R. Livingston BeeckmanRepublicanJanuary 5, 1915January 4, 1921Emery J. San Souci6 years.
53Emery J. San SouciRepublicanJanuary 4, 1921January 2, 1923Harold Gross2 years.
54William S. FlynnDemocraticJanuary 2, 1923January 6, 1925Felix A. Toupin2 years.
55Aram J. PothierRepublicanJanuary 6, 1925February 4, 1928Nathaniel W. Smith
Norman S. Case		3 years 1 month.
56Norman S. CaseRepublicanFebruary 4, 1928January 3, 1933James G. Connelly4 years 11 months.
57Theodore Francis GreenDemocraticJanuary 3, 1933January 5, 1937Robert E. Quinn4 years.
Elected to U.S. Senate in 1936 and served from 1937 to 1961.
58Robert E. QuinnDemocraticJanuary 5, 1937January 3, 1939Raymond E. Jordan2 years.
59William Henry Vanderbilt IIIRepublicanJanuary 3, 1939January 7, 1941James O. McManusTwo years.
Defeated for re-election.
60J. Howard McGrathDemocraticJanuary 7, 1941October 6, 1945Louis W. Cappelli4 years 9 months. Resigned to become United States Solicitor General.
61John PastoreDemocraticOctober 6, 1945December 19, 1950John S. McKiernan5 years two months. Appointed to U.S. Senate and served from 1950 to 1976.
62John S. McKiernanDemocraticDecember 19, 1950January 2, 1951-Two weeks.
63Dennis J. RobertsDemocraticJanuary 2, 1951January 6, 1959John S. McKiernan
Armand H. Cote		8 years.
64Christopher Del SestoRepublicanJanuary 6, 1959January 3, 1961John A. Notte, Jr.2 years.
Defeated for re-election.
65John A. Notte, Jr.DemocraticJanuary 3, 1961January 1, 1963Edward P. Gallogly2 years.
66John ChafeeRepublicanJanuary 1, 1963January 7, 1969Edward P. Gallogly
Giovanni Folcarelli
Joseph O'Donnell, Jr.		6 years.
Defeated for re-election.
U.S. Senator 1976 to 1999.
67Frank LichtDemocraticJanuary 7, 1969January 2, 1973J. Joseph Garrahy4 years.
68Philip W. NoelDemocraticJanuary 2, 1973January 4, 1977J. Joseph Garrahy
69J. Joseph GarrahyDemocraticJanuary 4, 1977January 1, 1985Thomas R. DiLuglio8 years.
70Edward D. DiPreteRepublicanJanuary 1, 1985January 1, 1991Richard A. Licht
Roger N. Begin		6 years.
Defeated for re-election.
Imprisoned for corruption after leaving office.
71Bruce SundlunDemocraticJanuary 1, 1991January 3, 1995Roger N. Begin
Robert Weygand		4 years.
Defeated in Democratic primary in 1994.
72Lincoln AlmondRepublicanJanuary 3, 1995January 7, 2003Robert Weygand
Bernard Jackvony
Charles J. Fogarty		8 years.
First governor to serve a four-year term.
73Donald CarcieriRepublicanJanuary 7, 2003January 4, 2011Charles J. Fogarty
Elizabeth H. Roberts
74Lincoln ChafeeIndependentJanuary 4, 2011May 30, 2013Elizabeth H. Roberts4 years.
Did not seek re-election.
74Lincoln ChafeeDemocraticMay 30, 2013January 6, 2015Elizabeth H. Roberts4 years.
Did not seek re-election.
75Gina RaimondoDemocraticJanuary 6, 2015IncumbentDaniel McKee

Chafee served in prior offices as a Republican, but ran for Governor as an independent. On May 30, 2013, while in office, he switched his party affiliation to Democratic.

Succession

Other high offices held

This is a table of congressional seats, other federal offices, and other governorships held by governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented Rhode Island except where noted. * Denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take.

Living former governors of Rhode Island

, there are five former governors of Rhode Island who are currently living at this time, the oldest governor of Rhode Island being Philip W. Noel. The most recent governor of Rhode Island to die was J. Joseph Garrahy who died on January 24, 2012. The most recently serving governor of Rhode Island to die was Bruce Sundlun, on July 21, 2011.
GovernorGubernatorial termDate of birth
Philip W. Noel1973–1977
Edward D. DiPrete1985–1991
Lincoln C. Almond1995–2003
Donald Carcieri2003–2011
Lincoln Chafee2011-2015

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