List of governors of Montana

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox official post The governor of Montana is the head of government of Montana<ref name="mnc-6-4">Montana Constitution, Article VI, Section 4.</ref> and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.<ref>Montana Constitution, Article VI, Section 7.</ref> The governor has a duty to enforce state laws,<ref name="mnc-6-4" /> the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Montana State Legislature,<ref>Montana Constitution, Article VI, Section 10.</ref> to convene the legislature at any time,<ref>Montana Constitution, Article VI, Section 11.</ref> and to grant pardons and reprieves.<ref>Montana Constitution, Article VI, Section 12.</ref>

Montana has had 24 governors, consisting of 9 Republicans and 15 Democrats. The longest-serving governor was Joseph Toole, who served from 1889 to 1893 and again from 1901 until his resignation in 1908 with 11 years in office. He is the only governor to serve nonconsecutive terms. The shortest-serving governor was Elmer Holt, who served less than 13 months when the previous governor died. The current governor is Republican Greg Gianforte, who took office on January 4, 2021.

List of governors

Territory of Montana

Montana Territory was organized from Idaho Territory on May 26, 1864.<ref>Template:Usstat</ref> During its 35-year history, it had nine governors appointed by the president of the United States, and three acting governors, all of whom had been appointed territorial secretary before becoming acting governor. The first, Thomas Francis Meagher, served as acting governor from 1865 until 1867.<ref name="mthist">Template:Cite web</ref> The second, James Tufts, served in for one month in 1869,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and was succeeded by Wiley Scribner, who served 1869–1870.<ref name="Scribner obit">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>

Governors of the Territory of Montana
Template:Abbr	Governor		Term in officeTemplate:Efn	Appointed by
1	File:SEdgerton.jpg	Sidney Edgerton Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:Dts Template:Efn – July 13, 1866 Template:Small Template:Efn	Template:Sortname
2	File:Green Clay Smith - Brady-Handy.jpg	Green Clay Smith Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:Dts Template:Efn – April 9, 1869 Template:Small Template:Efn	Template:Sortname
3	File:James Mitchell Ashley - Brady-Handy.jpg	James Mitchell Ashley Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:Dts Template:Efn – December 17, 1869 Template:Small Template:Efn	Template:Sortname
4	File:Benjamin F Potts.jpg	Benjamin F. Potts Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:Dts Template:Efn – August 4, 1882 Template:Small Template:Efn	Template:Sortname
4	File:Benjamin F Potts.jpg	Benjamin F. Potts Template:Small Template:Sfn		Template:Sortname
5	File:John Schuyler Crosby.jpg	John Schuyler Crosby Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:Dts Template:Efn – November 11, 1884 Template:Small Template:Efn	Template:Sortname
6	File:Benjamin Platt Carpenter (Montana Territorial Governor).jpg	B. Platt Carpenter Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:Dts Template:Efn – July 3, 1885 Template:Small Template:Efn	Template:Sortname
7	File:Samuel Thomas Hauser.gif	Samuel Thomas Hauser Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:Dts Template:Efn – January 13, 1887 Template:Small Template:Efn	Template:Sortname
8	File:PHLeslie.jpg	Preston Leslie Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:Dts Template:Efn – March 27, 1889 Template:Small	Template:Sortname
9	File:Benjamin Franklin White (Montana Territory Governor).jpg	Benjamin F. White Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:Dts Template:Efn – November 8, 1889 Template:Small	Template:Sortname

State of Montana

Montana was admitted to the Union on November 8, 1889.<ref>Template:Usstat</ref>

The current Montana Constitution, ratified in 1972, calls for a 4-year term for the governor, commencing on the first Monday in January following an election.<ref name="ReferenceA">Montana Constitution, Article VI, Section 1.</ref> A 1992 amendment limits the governor to 8 years in any 16-year period.<ref>Montana Constitution, Article IV, Section 8.</ref> The constitution provides for the election of a lieutenant governor for the same term as the governor. The two offices are elected on the same ticket;<ref name="ReferenceA" /> a provision which did not appear in the state's first constitution, ratified in 1889. In the event of a vacancy in the office of governor due to resignation, disqualification, or death, the lieutenant governor becomes governor for the remainder of the term. If the governor is unable to perform his duties for any other reason, the lieutenant governor may become acting governor at the discretion of the state legislature.<ref>Montana Constitution, Article VI, Section 14.</ref>

Template:Sticky header

Governors of the State of Montana
Template:Abbr	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor Template:Efn
1	File:JosephKToole.JPG	style="background: Template:Party color;"\|	Joseph Toole Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-toole">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 2, 1893 Template:Small Template:Sfn	Democratic Template:Sfn	1889	rowspan="2" style="background: Template:Party color;"\|	Template:Sortname Template:Efn
2	File:John E Rickards.jpg	style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	John E. Rickards Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-rickards">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 4, 1897 Template:Small	Republican Template:Sfn	1892	Template:Sortname
3	File:Robert Burns Smith (Montana Governor).jpg		Robert Burns Smith Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-smith">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 7, 1901 Template:Small Template:Sfn	Fusion Template:Efn	1896	style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Template:Sortname Template:Efn
4	File:JosephKToole.JPG	rowspan="6" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Joseph Toole Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-toole" />	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – April 1, 1908 Template:Small Template:Efn	Democratic Template:Sfn	1900	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Template:Sortname
4	File:JosephKToole.JPG	1904			Democratic Template:Sfn	Template:Sortname
5	File:Edwin L. Norris (Montana Governor).jpg	Edwin L. Norris Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-norris">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 6, 1913 Template:Small	Democratic Template:Sfn	Template:Small	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Template:Sortname Template:Efn
5	File:Edwin L. Norris (Montana Governor).jpg			Democratic Template:Sfn	1908	Template:Sortname Template:Efn
6	File:Sam V. Stewart.jpg	Sam V. Stewart Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-stewart">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 3, 1921 Template:Small	Democratic Template:Sfn	1912	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Template:Sortname
6	File:Sam V. Stewart.jpg			Democratic Template:Sfn	1916		Template:Sortname
7	File:Joseph M. Dixon.jpg	style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Joseph M. Dixon Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-dixon">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 5, 1925 Template:Small	Republican Template:Sfn	1920	rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Template:Sortname
8	File:John Erickson.jpg	rowspan="8" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	John E. Erickson Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-erickson">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – March 13, 1933 Template:Small Template:Efn	Democratic Template:Sfn	1924	Template:Sortname Template:Efn
		1928				Template:Sortname Template:Efn
		1932				style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Template:Sortname
9	File:Frank Henry Cooney.jpg	Frank Henry Cooney Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-cooney">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – December 15, 1935 Template:Small	Democratic Template:Sfn	Template:Small	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Template:Sortname Template:Efn
						Template:Sortname Template:Efn
						rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Template:Sortname
10	File:W. Elmer Holt (Montana governor).jpg	Elmer Holt Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-holt">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 4, 1937 Template:Small Template:Sfn	Democratic Template:Sfn	Template:Small	Template:Sortname
11	File:Roy E. Ayers.jpg	Roy E. Ayers Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-ayers">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 6, 1941 Template:Small	Democratic Template:Sfn	1936	Template:Sortname
12	File:Sam C. Ford.jpg	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Sam C. Ford Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-ford">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 3, 1949 Template:Small	Republican Template:Sfn	1940	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Template:Sortname
12	File:Sam C. Ford.jpg	1944			Republican Template:Sfn			Template:Sortname
13	File:John W. Bonner.jpg	style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	John W. Bonner Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-bonner">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 5, 1953 Template:Small	Democratic Template:Sfn	1948	style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Template:Sortname
14	File:J. Hugo Aronson.jpg	rowspan="5" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	J. Hugo Aronson Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-aronson">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 2, 1961 Template:Small	Republican Template:Sfn	1952	style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Template:Sortname
14	File:J. Hugo Aronson.jpg	1956			Republican Template:Sfn	style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Template:Sortname Template:Efn
15	File:Donald G. Nutter.jpg	Donald Grant Nutter Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-nutter">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 25, 1962 Template:Small	Republican Template:Sfn	1960	style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Template:Sortname
16	File:Tim Babcock.jpg	Tim Babcock Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-babcock">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 6, 1969 Template:Small	Republican Template:Sfn	Template:Small	style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Template:Sortname Template:Efn
16	File:Tim Babcock.jpg			Republican Template:Sfn	1964	style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Template:Sortname
17	File:Forrest H. Anderson (Montana governor).jpg	rowspan="6" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Forrest H. Anderson Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-anderson">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 1, 1973 Template:Small Template:Sfn	Democratic Template:Sfn	1968	rowspan="6" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Template:Sortname
18	File:Montana Governor Thomas Judge.jpeg	Thomas Lee Judge Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-judge">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 5, 1981 Template:Small	Democratic Template:Sfn	1972	Template:Sortname
18	File:Montana Governor Thomas Judge.jpeg			Democratic Template:Sfn	1976	Template:Sortname
19	File:Ted-Schwinden-as-Governor.jpg	Ted Schwinden Template:Small <ref name="nga-schwinden">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 2, 1989 Template:Small	Democratic<ref name="nga-schwinden" />	1980	Template:Sortname
					1984	Template:Sortname
					1984	Template:Sortname
20	File:Montana governor Stan Stephens.jpeg	rowspan="5" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Stan Stephens Template:Small <ref name="nga-stephens">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 4, 1993 Template:Small	Republican<ref name="nga-stephens" />	1988	rowspan="7" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Template:Sortname
20	File:Montana governor Stan Stephens.jpeg	Template:Sortname			Republican<ref name="nga-stephens" />	1988
21	File:Marc Racicot 2008 (cropped).JPG	Template:Sortname	Marc Racicot Template:Small <ref name="nga-racicot">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 2, 2001 Template:Small Template:Efn	Republican<ref name="nga-racicot" />	1992
21	File:Marc Racicot 2008 (cropped).JPG	1996			Republican<ref name="nga-racicot" />	Template:Sortname
22	File:Judy Martz 2003 (cropped).jpg	Judy Martz Template:Small <ref name="nga-martz">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 3, 2005 Template:Small	Republican<ref name="nga-martz" />	2000	Template:Sortname
23	File:Brian Schweitzer official photo.jpg	rowspan="6" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Brian Schweitzer Template:Small <ref name="nga-schweitzer">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 7, 2013 Template:Small Template:Efn	Democratic<ref name="nga-schweitzer" />	2004	Template:Sortname Template:Efn
23	File:Brian Schweitzer official photo.jpg	2008			Democratic<ref name="nga-schweitzer" />		Template:Sortname Template:Efn
24	File:Steve Bullock by Gage Skidmore.jpg	Steve Bullock Template:Small <ref name="nga-bullock">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 4, 2021 Template:Small Template:Efn	Democratic<ref name="nga-bullock" />	2012	rowspan="4" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Template:Sortname
						Template:Sortname
						Template:Sortname
					2016	Template:Sortname
25	File:Greg Gianforte in Taiwan (cropped).jpg	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Greg Gianforte Template:Small <ref name="nga-gianforte">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – IncumbentTemplate:Efn	Republican<ref name="nga-gianforte" />	2020	rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"\|	Template:Sortname
25	File:Greg Gianforte in Taiwan (cropped).jpg	2024			Republican<ref name="nga-gianforte" />			Template:Sortname

Timeline

<timeline> ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:18 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:50 left:20 AlignBars = late

Define $today = {{#time:d/m/Y}} Define $later = 31/12/{{#time:Y}}

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1889 till:31/12/2028 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:01/01/1889 ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:10 start:01/01/1889

Colors =

 id:dem       value:rgb(0.2, 0.2, 1) legend:Democratic
 id:rep       value:rgb(1, 0.2, 0.2) legend:Republican
 id:fus        value:rgb(0.475, 0.804, 0.804) legend:Fusion_(Democratic/Populist)
 id:linemark  value:gray(0.8)
 id:linemark2 value:gray(0.9)

Legend = columns:1

BarData =

 bar:Toole
 bar:Rickards
 bar:BSmith
 bar:Norris
 bar:VStewart
 bar:Dixon
 bar:Erickson
 bar:Cooney
 bar:Holt
 bar:Ayers
 bar:CFord
 bar:Bonner
 bar:Aronson
 bar:Nutter
 bar:Babcock
 bar:Anderson
 bar:Judge
 bar:Schwinden
 bar:SStephens
 bar:Racicot
 bar:Martz
 bar:Schweitzer
 bar:Bullock
 bar:Gianforte

PlotData=

 width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till
bar:Toole
 from: 08/11/1889 till: 02/01/1893 color:dem #Toole
 from: 07/01/1901 till: 01/04/1908 color:dem text:"Joseph Toole"
bar:Rickards
 from: 02/01/1893 till: 04/01/1897 color:rep text:"John E. Rickards"
bar:BSmith
 from: 04/01/1897 till: 07/01/1901 color:fus text:"Robert Burns Smith"
bar:Norris
 from: 01/04/1908 till: 06/01/1913 color:dem text:"Edwin L. Norris"
bar:VStewart
 from: 06/01/1913 till: 03/01/1921 color:dem text:"Sam V. Stewart"
bar:Dixon
 from: 03/01/1921 till: 05/01/1925 color:rep text:"Joseph M. Dixon"
bar:Erickson
 from: 05/01/1921 till: 13/03/1933 color:dem text:"John E. Erickson"
bar:Cooney
 from: 13/03/1933 till: 15/12/1935 color:dem text:"Frank Henry Cooney"
bar:Holt
 from: 15/12/1935 till: 04/12/1937 color:dem text:"Elmer Holt"
bar:Ayers
 from: 04/12/1937 till: 06/01/1941 color:dem text:"Roy E. Ayers"
bar:CFord
 from: 06/01/1941 till: 03/01/1949 color:rep text:"Sam C. Ford"
bar:Bonner
 from: 03/01/1949 till: 05/01/1953 color:dem text:"John W. Bonner"
bar:Aronson
 from: 05/01/1953 till: 02/01/1961 color:rep text:"L. Hugo Aronson" 
bar:Nutter
 from: 02/01/1961 till: 25/01/1962 color:rep text:"Donald Grant Nutter"
bar:Babcock
 from: 25/01/1962 till: 06/01/1969 color:rep text:"Tim Babcock"
bar:Anderson
 from: 06/01/1969 till: 01/01/1973 color:dem text:"Forrest H. Anderson"
bar:Judge
 from: 01/01/1973 till: 05/01/1981 color:dem text:"Thomas Lee Judge"
bar:Schwinden
 from: 05/01/1981 till: 02/01/1989 color:dem text:"Ted Schwinden"
bar:SStephens
 from: 02/01/1989 till: 04/01/1993 color:rep text:"Stan Stephens"
bar:Racicot
 from: 04/01/1993 till: 02/01/2001 color:rep text:"Marc Racicot"
bar:Martz
 from: 02/01/2001 till: 03/01/2005 color:rep text:"Judy Martz"
bar:Schweitzer
 from: 03/01/2005 till: 07/01/2013 color:dem text:"Brian Schweitzer"
bar:Bullock
 from: 07/01/2013 till: 04/01/2021 color:dem text:"Steve Bullock"
bar:Gianforte
 from: 04/01/2021 till: $today color:rep text:"Greg Gianforte"