List of governors of Nebraska

Governor of Nebraska
Seal of Nebraska
Incumbent
Jim Pillen

since January 5, 2023
StyleThe Honorable
ResidenceNebraska Governor's Mansion
Term length4 years, renewable once
Inaugural holderDavid Butler
FormationConstitution of Nebraska
Salary$105,000 (2013)[1]

The Governor of Nebraska holds the "supreme executive power" of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The current office holder is Jim Pillen, a Republican, who was sworn in on January 5, 2022.

List of State Governors

[change | change source]
Parties

  Republican (27)   Democratic (12)   Fusion (Democratic/Populist) (2)

# Governor
(Birth–Death)
Party Took office Left office Lt. Governor Notes
1   David Butler
(1829–1891)
Republican February 21, 1867 June 2, 1871 None [2]
  William H. James
(1831–1920)
Republican June 2, 1871 January 13, 1873 None Secretary of State[3]
2   Robert Wilkinson Furnas
(1824–1905)
Republican January 13, 1873 January 11, 1875 None
3   Silas Garber
(1833–1905)
Republican January 11, 1875 January 9, 1879 None
Othman A. Abbott
4   Albinus Nance
(1848–1911)
Republican January 9, 1879 January 4, 1883 Edmund C. Carns
5   James W. Dawes
(1844–1918)
Republican January 4, 1883 January 6, 1887 Alfred W. Agee
Hibbard H. Shedd
6   John Milton Thayer
(1820–1906)
Republican January 6, 1887 February 8, 1892 Hibbard H. Shedd
George D. Meiklejohn
Thomas J. Majors
[4]
7   James E. Boyd
(1834–1906)
Democratic February 8, 1892 January 13, 1893 Thomas J. Majors [4]
8   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   Charles H. Dietrich
(1853–1924)
Republican January 3, 1901 May 1, 1901 Ezra P. Savage Resigned[5]
12   Ezra P. Savage
(1842–1920)
Republican May 1, 1901 January 8, 1903 None Lt-Gov.[6]
13   John H. Mickey
(1845–1910)
Republican January 8, 1903 January 3, 1907 Edmund G. McGilton
14   George L. Sheldon
(1870–1960)
Republican January 3, 1907 January 7, 1909 Melville R. Hopewell
15   Ashton C. Shallenberger
(1862–1938)
Democratic January 7, 1909 January 5, 1911 Melville R. Hopewell
16   Chester H. Aldrich
(1863–1924)
Republican January 5, 1911 January 9, 1913 Melville R. Hopewell
17   John H. Morehead
(1861–1942)
Democratic January 9, 1913 January 4, 1917 Samuel R. McKelvie (Republican)
James Pearson (Democratic)
18   Keith Neville
(1884–1959)
Democratic January 4, 1917 January 9, 1919 Edgar Howard
19   Samuel R. McKelvie
(1881–1956)
Republican January 9, 1919 January 3, 1923 Pelham A. Barrows
20   Charles W. Bryan
(1867–1945)
Democratic January 3, 1923 January 8, 1925 Fred G. Johnson (Republican)
21   Adam McMullen
(1872–1959)
Republican January 8, 1925 January 3, 1929 George A. Williams
22   Arthur J. Weaver
(1873–1945)
Republican January 3, 1929 January 8, 1931 George A. Williams
23   Charles W. Bryan
(1867–1945)
Democratic January 8, 1931 January 3, 1935 Theodore Metcalfe (Republican)
Walter H. Jurgensen (Democratic)
24   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   Dwight Griswold
(1893–1954)
Republican January 9, 1941 January 9, 1947 William E. Johnson
Roy W. Johnson
26   Val Peterson
(1903–1983)
Republican January 9, 1947 January 8, 1953 Robert B. Crosby
Charles J. Warner
27   Robert B. Crosby
(1911–2000)
Republican January 8, 1953 January 6, 1955 Charles J. Warner
28   Victor E. Anderson
(1902–1962)
Republican January 6, 1955 January 8, 1959 Charles J. Warner
Dwight W. Burney
29   Ralph G. Brooks
(1898–1960)
Democratic January 8, 1959 September 9, 1960 Dwight W. Burney Died.[7]
30   Dwight W. Burney
(1892–1987)
Republican September 9, 1960 January 5, 1961 Dwight W. Burney Lt-Gov.[6]
31   Frank B. Morrison
(1905–2004)
Democratic January 5, 1961 January 5, 1967 Dwight W. Burney (Republican)
Philip C. Sorensen (Democratic)
32   Norbert Tiemann
(1924–2012)
Republican January 5, 1967 January 7, 1971 John E. Everroad
33   J. James Exon
(1921–2005)
Democratic January 7, 1971 January 4, 1979 Frank Marsh (Republican)
Gerald T. Whelan (Democratic)
34   Charles Thone
(1924–2018)
Republican January 4, 1979 January 6, 1983 Roland A. Luedtke
35   J. Robert Kerrey
(b. 1943)
Democratic January 6, 1983 January 9, 1987 Donald F. McGinley
36   Kay A. Orr
(b. 1939)
Republican January 9, 1987 January 9, 1991 William E. Nichol [8]
37   Ben Nelson
(b. 1941)
Democratic January 9, 1991 January 7, 1999 Maxine B. Moul
Kim M. Robak
38   Mike Johanns
(b. 1950)
Republican January 7, 1999 January 20, 2005 David I. Maurstad
David Heineman
Resigned[9]
39   Dave Heineman
(b. 1948)
Republican January 20, 2005 January 8, 2015 Rick Sheehy
Lavon Heidemann
John E. Nelson
Lt-Gov.[10]
40   Pete Ricketts
(b. 1964)
Republican January 8, 2015 January 5, 2023 Mike Foley
41   Jim Pillen
(b. 1955)
Republican January 5, 2023 Incumbent Joe Kelly

References

[change | change source]
  1. "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries". The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Archived from the original on October 22, 2014. 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. 4.0 4.1 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. 6.0 6.1 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.