List of governors of Maine


The Governor of Maine is the head of the executive branch of Maine's state government and the commander-in-chief of its military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Maine Legislature, to convene the legislature at any time, and, except in cases of impeachment, to grant pardons.
There have been 75 governors of Maine since statehood. 70 people have held the office; 4 of them served multiple non-consecutive terms. The longest-serving governor was Joseph E. Brennan, who served two terms from 1979 to 1987. The shortest-serving governors were Nathaniel M. Haskell and Richard H. Vose, who each served only one day. John W. Dana also served for one day in 1844, after the incumbent governor resigned, but was later elected to the governorship. The current governor is Democrat Janet Mills, who took office on January 2, 2019.

Governors

Maine was admitted to the Union on March 15, 1820, as the 23rd state. Before then, it was the District of Maine, part of the state of Massachusetts. The Maine Constitution of 1820 originally established a gubernatorial term of one year, to begin on the first Wednesday of January; constitutional amendments expanded this to two years in 1879 and to four years in 1957. The 1957 amendment also prohibited governors from succeeding themselves after serving two terms. The constitution does not establish an office of lieutenant governor; a vacancy in the office of governor is filled by the president of the Maine Senate. Prior to an amendment in 1964, the president of the senate only acted as governor.
; Parties
#Portrait GovernorPartyTook officeLeft officeTerms
1 Democratic-Republican
2Democratic-Republican

3Democratic-Republican

4Democratic-Republican
5Democratic-Republican5
6Democratic-Republican
7Democratic
8Democratic
9National Republican1
10Democratic3
11Democratic4
12Whig1
13Democratic
14Whig
15Whig1
16Democratic
17Democratic

18Democratic

19Democratic
20Democratic3
21Democratic3
22Democratic3
23Whig2
24Republican1
25Democratic1
26Republican
27Republican
28Republican3
29Republican2
30Republican1
31Republican2
32Republican4
33Republican3
34Republican2
35Republican3
36Democratic1
37Republican1
38Greenback / Democratic1
39Republican2
40Republican
41Republican
42Republican2
43Republican2
44Republican2
45Republican2
46Republican2
47Republican1
48Democratic1
49Republican1
50Democratic1
51Republican2
52Republican
53Republican
54Republican2
55Republican2
56Democratic2
57Republican2
58Republican2
59Republican2
60Republican
61Republican
62Republican
63Republican1
64Democratic
65Republican
66Democratic
67Republican
68Democratic2
69Independent1
70Joseph BrennanDemocratic2
71John McKernanRepublican2
72Independent2
73Democratic2
74RepublicanJanuary 2, 20192
75Janet MillsDemocraticJanuary 2, 2019——

Other high offices held

24 of Maine's governors have served higher federal offices. Seventeen have represented Maine in the U.S. House of Representatives, while 2 early in the state's history represented Massachusetts. There were also nine governors who served in the U.S. Senate, 5 resigning their office as governor to enter the Senate. 1 governor, Hannibal Hamlin, resigned his seat in the Senate to be governor, then resigned as governor the next month to rejoin the Senate. Hamlin was also one of three governors to be ambassadors, and the only one to be Vice President of the United States. Two other governors served in the Cabinet.
GovernorGubernatorial termU.S. HouseU.S. SenateOther offices heldSource
William D. Williamson1821H—
Albion K. Parris1822–1827—S*U.S. Representative from Massachusetts
Enoch Lincoln1827–1829H—U.S. Representative from Massachusetts
Robert P. Dunlap1834–1838H—
John Fairfield1839–1841
1842–1843		HS*
Edward Kavanagh1843–1844H—
Hugh J. Anderson1844–1847H—
Anson Morrill1858–1861H—
Hannibal Hamlin1857HS†*U.S. Minister to Spain, Vice President of the United States
Lot M. Morrill1858–1861—SU.S. Secretary of the Treasury
Sidney Perham1871–1874H—
Nelson Dingley, Jr.1874–1876H—
Harris M. Plaisted1881–1883H—
Edwin C. Burleigh1889–1893HS
Llewellyn Powers1897–1901H—
Bert M. Fernald1909–1911—S
Owen Brewster1925–1929HS
Horace A. Hildreth1945–1949——U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan
Frederick G. Payne1949–1952—S*
Edmund Muskie1955–1959—S*U.S. Secretary of State
Kenneth M. Curtis1967–1974——U.S. Ambassador to Canada
Joseph E. Brennan1979–1987H—
John R. McKernan, Jr.1987–1995H—
Angus King1995–2003—S-
John Baldacci2003–2011H—

Succession

Living former governors of Maine

, six former governors are alive, the oldest being Kenneth M. Curtis. The most recent governor to die was John H. Reed, on October 31, 2012. The most recently serving governor to die was James B. Longley, on August 16, 1980.
GovernorGubernatorial termDate of birth
Kenneth M. Curtis1967–1975
Joseph E. Brennan1979–1987
John R. McKernan, Jr.1987–1995
Angus King1995–2003
John Baldacci2003–2011
Paul LePage2011–2019

Citations