Governor | Term Start | Term End | Party |
---|---|---|---|
Andy Beshear | Dec 10, 2019 | - | Democratic |
Matt Bevin | Dec 8, 2015 | Dec 10, 2019 | Republican |
Steve Beshear | Dec 11, 2007 | Dec 8, 2015 | Democratic |
Ernie Fletcher | Dec 9, 2003 | Dec 11, 2007 | Republican |
Paul E. Patton | Dec 12, 1995 | Dec 9, 2003 | Democratic |
Brereton Jones | Dec 10, 1991 | Dec 12, 1995 | Democratic |
Wallace Wilkinson | Dec 8, 1987 | Dec 10, 1991 | Democratic |
Martha Layne Collins | Dec 13, 1983 | Dec 8, 1987 | Democratic |
John Y. Brown Jr. | Dec 11, 1979 | Dec 13, 1983 | Democratic |
Julian Carroll | Dec 28, 1974 | Dec 11, 1979 | Democratic |
Wendell Ford | Dec 7, 1971 | Dec 28, 1974 | Democratic |
Louie Nunn | Dec 12, 1967 | Dec 7, 1971 | Republican |
Ned Breathitt | Dec 10, 1963 | Dec 12, 1967 | Democratic |
Bert Combs | Dec 8, 1959 | Dec 10, 1963 | Democratic |
Happy Chandler | Dec 13, 1955 | Dec 8, 1959 | Democratic |
Lawrence Wetherby | Nov 27, 1950 | Dec 13, 1955 | Democratic |
Earle Clements | Dec 9, 1947 | Nov 27, 1950 | Democratic |
Simeon Willis | Dec 7, 1943 | Dec 9, 1947 | Republican |
Keen Johnson | Oct 9, 1939 | Dec 7, 1943 | Democratic |
Happy Chandler | Dec 10, 1935 | Oct 9, 1939 | Democratic |
Ruby Laffoon | Dec 8, 1931 | Dec 10, 1935 | Democratic |
Flem D. Sampson | Dec 13, 1927 | Dec 8, 1931 | Republican |
William J. Fields | Dec 11, 1923 | Dec 13, 1927 | Democratic |
Edwin P. Morrow | Dec 9, 1919 | Dec 11, 1923 | Republican |
James D. Black | May 19, 1919 | Dec 9, 1919 | Democratic |
Augustus Owsley Stanley | Dec 7, 1915 | May 19, 1919 | Democratic |
James B. McCreary | Dec 12, 1911 | Dec 7, 1915 | Democratic |
Augustus E. Willson | Dec 10, 1907 | Dec 12, 1911 | Republican |
J. C. W. Beckham | Feb 3, 1900 | Dec 10, 1907 | Democratic |
William Goebel | Jan 31, 1900 | Feb 3, 1900 | Democratic |
William S. Taylor | Dec 12, 1899 | Jan 31, 1900 | Republican |
William O'Connell Bradley | Dec 10, 1895 | Dec 12, 1899 | Republican |
John Y. Brown | Sep 2, 1891 | Dec 10, 1895 | Democratic |
Simon Bolivar Buckner | Aug 30, 1887 | Sep 2, 1891 | Democratic |
J. Proctor Knott | Sep 5, 1883 | Aug 30, 1887 | Democratic |
Luke P. Blackburn | Sep 2, 1879 | Sep 5, 1883 | Democratic |
James B. McCreary | Aug 31, 1875 | Sep 2, 1879 | Democratic |
Preston Leslie | Feb 3, 1871 | Aug 31, 1875 | Democratic |
John W. Stevenson | Sep 8, 1867 | Feb 3, 1871 | Democratic |
John L. Helm | Sep 3, 1867 | Sep 8, 1867 | Democratic |
Thomas E. Bramlette | Sep 1, 1863 | Sep 3, 1867 | Democratic |
James Fisher Robinson | Aug 18, 1862 | Sep 1, 1863 | Democratic |
Beriah Magoffin | Aug 30, 1859 | Aug 18, 1862 | Democratic |
Charles S. Morehead | Sep 4, 1855 | Aug 30, 1859 | Know Nothing |
Lazarus W. Powell | Sep 2, 1851 | Sep 4, 1855 | Democratic |
John L. Helm | Jul 31, 1850 | Sep 2, 1851 | Whig |
John J. Crittenden | Sep 6, 1848 | Jul 31, 1850 | Whig |
William Owsley | Sep 4, 1844 | Sep 6, 1848 | Whig |
Robert P. Letcher | Sep 2, 1840 | Sep 4, 1844 | Whig |
Charles A. Wickliffe | Aug 27, 1839 | Sep 2, 1840 | Whig |
James Clark | Aug 30, 1836 | Aug 27, 1839 | Whig |
James Turner Morehead | Feb 21, 1834 | Aug 30, 1836 | National Republican |
John Breathitt | Sep 4, 1832 | Feb 21, 1834 | Democratic |
Thomas Metcalfe | Aug 26, 1828 | Sep 4, 1832 | National Republican |
Joseph Desha | Aug 24, 1824 | Aug 26, 1828 | Democratic-Republican |
John Adair | Aug 29, 1820 | Aug 24, 1824 | Democratic-Republican |
Gabriel Slaughter | Oct 14, 1816 | Aug 29, 1820 | Democratic-Republican |
George Madison | Sep 5, 1816 | Oct 14, 1816 | Democratic-Republican |
Isaac Shelby | Aug 24, 1812 | Sep 5, 1816 | Democratic-Republican |
Charles Scott | Sep 1, 1808 | Aug 24, 1812 | Democratic-Republican |
Christopher Greenup | Sep 5, 1804 | Sep 1, 1808 | Democratic-Republican |
James Garrard | Jun 7, 1796 | Sep 5, 1804 | Democratic-Republican |
Isaac Shelby | Jun 4, 1792 | Jun 7, 1796 | Democratic-Republican |
Kentucky is an old state and has a long line of Kentucky governors, spanning several decades and political parties. The first governor of Kentucky was Isaac Shelby, who was elected in 1792. Shelby served as governor for four years and represented the Democratic-Republican Party. Following Selby, eight more Democratic-Republican governors took office. Kentucky has also had governors from the National Republican Party, the Know Nothing Party, and the Whig Party.
Democratic governors had a stranglehold on Kentucky politics, with almost 40 years of Democratic governors from 1859 until 1895. Since then, Democratic governors have continued to dominate the Kentucky political scene, although occasionally, a Republican governor is elected to office. Most Kentucky governors serve four years and are simply removed from their political position because their term is officially ended.
The current governor of Kentucky is Andy Beshear, who was elected in 2019. He is a member of the Democratic political party. Beshear works as an attorney but has a family history rooted in Kentucky politics. Andy Beshear is the son of the 61st governor of Kentucky, Steve Beshear. Andy Beshear narrowly won the election, defeating his opponent by 0.4% of the total vote.
The current governor of Kentucky is Andy Beshear, a Democrat.
There have been 59 governors of Kentucky, 34 Democrats, 9 Republicans, and 17 from other parties.
The last Democratic governor in Kentucky is Andy Beshear, who has served from 2019 to the present day.
The last Republican governor in Kentucky was Matt Bevin, who served from 2015 to 2019.