The governor of Alabama is the head of government of the U.S. state of Alabama. The governor is the head of the executive branch of Alabama's state government and is charged with enforcing state laws.

There have officially been 54 governors of the state of Alabama; this official numbering skips acting and military governors. The first governor, William W. Bibb, served as the only governor of the Alabama Territory. Five people have served as acting governor, bringing the total number of people serving as governor to 59, spread over 63 distinct terms. Four governors have served multiple non-consecutive terms: Bibb Graves, Jim Folsom, and Fob James each served two, and George Wallace served three non-consecutive periods. Officially, these non-consecutive terms are numbered only with the number of their first term. William D. Jelks also served non-consecutive terms, but his first term was in an acting capacity.

The longest-serving governor was George Wallace, who served 16 years over four terms. The shortest term for a non-acting governor was that of Hugh McVay, who served four and a half months after replacing the resigning Clement Comer Clay. Lurleen Wallace, the first wife of George Wallace, was the first woman to serve as governor of Alabama, and the third woman to serve as governor of any state. The current governor is Republican Kay Ivey, who took office on April 10, 2017 following Robert J. Bentley's resignation amidst a corruption scandal. She is the second female governor of Alabama.

Governors

Territory of Alabama Alabama Territory was formed on March 3, 1817, from Mississippi Territory. It had only one governor appointed by the President of the United States before it became a state; he became the first state governor.

+ Governor of the Territory of AlabamaGovernorTerm in officeAppointed byWilliam W. BibbSeptember 25, 1817–November 9, 1819James Monroe

State of Alabama

Alabama was admitted to the Union on December 14, 1819., It seceded from the Union on January 11, 1861, and was a founding member of the Confederate States of America on February 4, 1861.Constitution for the Provisional Government of the Confederate States of America . Retrieved July 8, 2015 Following the end of the American Civil War, Alabama during Reconstruction was part of the Third Military District, which exerted some control over governor appointments and elections. Alabama was readmitted to the Union on July 14, 1868.Act authorizing readmission on ratification of 14th amendment: . Proclamation of Alabama's ratification: .

The first Alabama Constitution, ratified in 1819, provided that a governor be elected every two years, limited to serve no more than 4 out of every 6 years. This limit remained in place until the constitution of 1868, which simply allowed governors to serve terms of two years. The current constitution of 1901 increased terms to four years, but prohibited governors from succeeding themselves. An amendment in 1968 allowed governors to succeed themselves once; a governor serving two consecutive terms can run again after waiting out the next term. The constitution had no set date for the commencement of a governor's term until 1901, when it was set at the first Monday after the second Tuesday in the January following an election. However, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in 1911 that a governor's term ends at midnight at the end of Monday, and the next governor's term begins the next day, regardless of if they were sworn in on Monday.

The office of lieutenant governor was created in 1868, abolished in 1875, and recreated in 1901. According to the current constitution, should the governor be out of the state for more than 20 days, the lieutenant governor becomes acting governor, and if the office of governor becomes vacant the lieutenant governor ascends to the governorship. The governor and the lieutenant governor are elected at the same time but not on the same ticket.

Alabama was a strongly Democratic state before the Civil War, electing only candidates from the Democratic-Republican and Democratic parties. It had two Republican governors following Reconstruction, but after the Democratic Party re-established control, 112 years passed before voters chose another Republican. Since 2002, the state has continuously elected Republicans to the governorship.

+ Governors of the State of AlabamaGovernorTerm in officePartyElectionLt. Governor1William W. BibbNovember 9, 1819–July 10, 1820Democratic-Republican1819Office did not exist2Thomas BibbJuly 10, 1820–November 9, 1821Democratic-Republican3Israel PickensNovember 9, 1821–November 25, 1825Democratic-Republican182118234John MurphyNovember 25, 1825–November 21, 1829JacksonDemocrat182518275Gabriel MooreNovember 21, 1829–March 3, 1831JacksonDemocrat18296Samuel B. MooreMarch 3, 1831–November 26, 1831JacksonDemocrat7John GayleNovember 26, 1831–November 21, 1835JacksonDemocrat1831Democratic18338Clement Comer ClayNovember 21, 1835–July 17, 1837Democratic18359Hugh McVayJuly 17, 1837–November 21, 1837Democratic10Arthur P. BagbyNovember 21, 1837–November 22, 1841Democratic1837183911Benjamin FitzpatrickNovember 22, 1841–December 9, 1845Democratic1841184312Joshua L. MartinDecember 9, 1845–December 16, 1847Independent184513Reuben ChapmanDecember 16, 1847–December 17, 1849Democratic184714Henry W. CollierDecember 17, 1849–December 20, 1853Democratic1849185115John A. WinstonDecember 20, 1853–December 1, 1857Democratic1853185516Andrew B. MooreDecember 1, 1857–December 2, 1861Democratic1857185917John Gill ShorterDecember 2, 1861–December 1, 1863Democratic186118Thomas H. WattsDecember 1, 1863–May 3, 1865Whig1863—VacantMay 3, 1865–June 21, 186519Lewis E. ParsonsJune 21, 1865"President Johnson appoints Lewis E. Parsons, Sr. as provisional governor of Alabama," House Divided: The Civil War Research Engine at Dickinson College. Retrieved July 28, 2023–December 13, 186520Robert M. PattonDecember 13, 1865–July 14, 1868Nonpartisan 1865—Wager SwayneMarch 2, 1867–January 11, 186821William Hugh SmithJuly 14, 1868–November 26, 1870Republican1868Vacant22Robert B. LindsayNovember 26, 1870–November 25, 1872Democratic187023David P. LewisNovember 25, 1872–November 24, 1874Republican187224George S. HoustonNovember 24, 1874–November 27, 1878Democratic18741876Office did not exist25Rufus W. CobbNovember 27, 1878–December 1, 1882Democratic1878188026Edward A. O'NealDecember 1, 1882–December 1, 1886Democratic1882188427Thomas SeayDecember 1, 1886–December 1, 1890Democratic1886188828Thomas G. JonesDecember 1, 1890–December 1, 1894Democratic1890189229William C. OatesDecember 1, 1894–December 1, 1896Democratic189430Joseph F. JohnstonDecember 1, 1896–December 1, 1900Democratic18961898—William D. JelksDecember 1, 1900–December 26, 1900Democratic31William J. SamfordDecember 1, 1900–June 11, 1901Democratic190032William D. JelksJune 11, 1901–January 14, 1907Democratic190233B. B. ComerJanuary 14, 1907–January 16, 1911Democratic190634Emmet O'NealJanuary 17, 1911–January 18, 1915Democratic191035Charles HendersonJanuary 19, 1915–January 20, 1919Democratic191436Thomas KilbyJanuary 21, 1919–January 15, 1923Democratic191837William W. BrandonJanuary 16, 1923–January 17, 1927Democratic192238Bibb GravesJanuary 18, 1927–January 19, 1931Democratic192639Benjamin M. MillerJanuary 20, 1931–January 14, 1935Democratic193038Bibb GravesJanuary 15, 1935–January 16, 1939Democratic1934Vacant40Frank M. DixonJanuary 17, 1939–January 18, 1943Democratic193841Chauncey SparksJanuary 19, 1943–January 20, 1947Democratic194242Jim FolsomJanuary 21, 1947–January 15, 1951Democratic194643Gordon PersonsJanuary 16, 1951–January 17, 1955Democratic195042Jim FolsomJanuary 18, 1955–January 19, 1959Democratic195444John M. PattersonJanuary 20, 1959–January 14, 1963Democratic195845George WallaceJanuary 15, 1963–January 16, 1967Democratic196246Lurleen WallaceJanuary 17, 1967–May 7, 1968Democratic196647Albert BrewerMay 7, 1968–January 18, 1971DemocraticVacant45George WallaceJanuary 19, 1971–January 15, 1979Democratic1970197448Fob JamesJanuary 16, 1979–January 17, 1983Democratic197845George WallaceJanuary 18, 1983–January 19, 1987Democratic198249 H. Guy HuntJanuary 20, 1987–April 22, 1993Republican1986199050Jim Folsom Jr.April 22, 1993–January 16, 1995DemocraticVacant48Fob JamesJanuary 17, 1995–January 18, 1999Republican199451Don SiegelmanJanuary 19, 1999–January 20, 2003Democratic199852Bob RileyJanuary 21, 2003–January 17, 2011Republican2002200653Robert J. BentleyJanuary 18, 2011–April 10, 2017Republican2010201454Kay IveyApril 10, 2017–IncumbentRepublicanVacant20182022

Timeline Timeline of Alabama governors

Elections

+ Gubernatorial elections of the State of AlabamaElection dateIncumbentWinnerRunner-upTerm start dateTerm DefinitionsLengthLimitBeginning1819new officeNovember 9, 1819Two yearsFour out ofsix yearsNone1821November 9, 18211823November 24, 18231825unopposedNovember 25, 18251827unopposedNovember 26, 18271829unopposedNovember 21, 18291831November 26, 18311833unopposedNovember 28, 18331835November 21, 18351837November 21, 18371839December 18, 18391841November 22, 18411843unopposedDecember 8, 18431845December 9, 18451847December 16, 18471849unopposedDecember 17, 18491851December 17, 18511853December 20, 18531855December 20, 18551857unopposedDecember 1, 18571859December 1, 18591861December 2, 18611863December 1, 18631865December 13, 1865Two yearsFour out ofsix yearsNone1868unopposedJuly 14, 1868Two yearsNo limitNone1870November 26, 18701872November 25, 18721874November 24, 18741876November 25, 1876Two yearsNo limitNone1878unopposedNovember 27, 18781880November 30, 18801882December 1, 18821884unopposedDecember 1, 18841886December 1, 18861888December 1, 18881890December 1, 18901892December 1, 18921894December 1, 18941896December 1, 18961898December 1, 18981900December 1, 19001902January 19, 1903Four yearsCannot succeed selfFirst Mondayafter second Tuesdayin January1906January 14, 19071910January 17, 19111914January 19, 19151918January 21, 19191922January 16, 19231926January 18, 19271930January 20, 19311934January 15, 19351938January 17, 19391942January 19, 19431946January 21, 19471950January 16, 19511954January 18, 19551958January 20, 19591962January 15, 19631966January 17, 19671970January 19, 1971Can succeedself once1974January 21, 19751978January 16, 19791982January 18, 19831986January 20, 19871990January 15, 19911994January 17, 19951998January 19, 19992002January 21, 20032006January 16, 20072010January 18, 20112014January 20, 20152018January 15, 20192022January 17, 20232026Upcoming election; results to be determinedJanuary 19, 2027Four yearsCan succeedself onceFirst Mondayafter second Tuesdayin January

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links

Office of the Governor of Alabama