Governor | Term Start | Term End | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dan McKee | Mar 2, 2021 | - | Democratic |
| Gina Raimondo | Jan 6, 2015 | Mar 2, 2021 | Democratic |
| Lincoln Chafee | May 30, 2013 | Jan 6, 2015 | Democratic |
| Lincoln Chafee | Jan 4, 2011 | May 30, 2013 | Independent |
| Donald Carcieri | Jan 7, 2003 | Jan 4, 2011 | Republican |
| Lincoln Almond | Jan 3, 1995 | Jan 7, 2003 | Republican |
| Bruce Sundlun | Jan 1, 1991 | Jan 3, 1995 | Democratic |
| Edward D. DiPrete | Jan 1, 1985 | Jan 1, 1991 | Republican |
| J. Joseph Garrahy | Jan 4, 1977 | Jan 1, 1985 | Democratic |
| Philip W. Noel | Jan 2, 1973 | Jan 4, 1977 | Democratic |
| Frank Licht | Jan 7, 1969 | Jan 2, 1973 | Democratic |
| John Chafee | Jan 1, 1963 | Jan 7, 1969 | Republican |
| John A. Notte, Jr. | Jan 3, 1961 | Jan 1, 1963 | Democratic |
| Christopher Del Sesto | Jan 6, 1959 | Jan 3, 1961 | Republican |
| Dennis J. Roberts | Jan 2, 1951 | Jan 6, 1959 | Democratic |
| John S. McKiernan | Dec 19, 1950 | Jan 2, 1951 | Democratic |
| John Pastore | Oct 6, 1945 | Dec 19, 1950 | Democratic |
| J. Howard McGrath | Jan 7, 1941 | Oct 6, 1945 | Democratic |
| William Henry Vanderbilt III | Jan 3, 1939 | Jan 7, 1941 | Republican |
| Robert E. Quinn | Jan 5, 1937 | Jan 3, 1939 | Democratic |
| Theodore Francis Green | Jan 3, 1933 | Jan 5, 1937 | Democratic |
| Norman S. Case | Feb 4, 1928 | Jan 3, 1933 | Republican |
| Aram J. Pothier | Jan 6, 1925 | Feb 4, 1928 | Republican |
| William S. Flynn | Jan 2, 1923 | Jan 6, 1925 | Democratic |
| Emery J. San Souci | Jan 4, 1921 | Jan 2, 1923 | Republican |
| R. Livingston Beeckman | Jan 5, 1915 | Jan 4, 1921 | Republican |
| Aram J. Pothier | Jan 5, 1909 | Jan 5, 1915 | Republican |
| James H. Higgins | Jan 1, 1907 | Jan 5, 1909 | Democratic |
| George H. Utter | Jan 3, 1905 | Jan 1, 1907 | Republican |
| Lucius F. C. Garvin | Jan 3, 1903 | Jan 3, 1905 | Democratic |
| Charles D. Kimball | Dec 16, 1901 | Jan 3, 1903 | Republican |
| William Gregory | May 29, 1900 | Dec 16, 1901 | Republican |
| Elisha Dyer, Jr. | May 25, 1897 | May 29, 1900 | Republican |
| Charles W. Lippitt | May 29, 1895 | May 25, 1897 | Republican |
| D. Russell Brown | May 31, 1892 | May 29, 1895 | Republican |
| Herbert W. Ladd | May 26, 1891 | May 31, 1892 | Republican |
| John W. Davis | May 27, 1890 | May 26, 1891 | Democratic |
| Herbert W. Ladd | May 28, 1889 | May 27, 1890 | Republican |
| Royal C. Taft | May 29, 1888 | May 28, 1889 | Republican |
| John W. Davis | May 29, 1887 | May 29, 1888 | Democratic |
| George P. Wetmore | May 26, 1885 | May 29, 1887 | Republican |
| Augustus O. Bourn | May 29, 1883 | May 26, 1885 | Republican |
| Alfred H. Littlefield | May 25, 1880 | May 29, 1883 | Republican |
| Charles C. Van Zandt | May 29, 1877 | May 25, 1880 | Republican |
| Henry Lippitt | May 25, 1875 | May 29, 1877 | Republican |
| Henry Howard | May 27, 1873 | May 25, 1875 | Republican |
| Seth Padelford | May 25, 1869 | May 27, 1873 | Republican |
| Ambrose Everett Burnside | May 29, 1866 | May 25, 1869 | Republican |
| James Y. Smith | May 26, 1863 | May 29, 1866 | Republican |
| William C. Cozzens | Mar 3, 1863 | May 26, 1863 | Democratic |
| William Sprague IV | May 29, 1860 | Mar 3, 1863 | Republican |
| Thomas G. Turner | May 31, 1859 | May 29, 1860 | Republican |
| Elisha Dyer | May 26, 1857 | May 31, 1859 | Republican |
| William W. Hoppin | May 2, 1854 | May 26, 1857 | Whig |
| Francis M. Dimond | Jul 20, 1853 | May 2, 1854 | Democratic |
| Philip Allen | May 6, 1851 | Jul 20, 1853 | Democratic |
| Henry B. Anthony | May 1, 1849 | May 6, 1851 | Whig |
| Elisha Harris | May 4, 1847 | May 1, 1849 | Whig |
| Byron Diman | May 6, 1846 | May 4, 1847 | Law and Order |
| Charles Jackson | May 6, 1845 | May 6, 1846 | Whig, |
| James Fenner | May 2, 1843 | May 6, 1845 | Law and Order |
| Thomas Dorr | May 1, 1842 | Jan 23, 1843 | Extralegal Dorr Rebellion |
| Samuel Ward King | May 2, 1839 | May 2, 1843 | Rhode Island Party |
| William Sprague III | May 2, 1838 | May 2, 1839 | Whig |
| John B. Francis | May 1, 1833 | May 2, 1838 | Democratic |
| Lemuel H. Arnold | May 4, 1831 | May 1, 1833 | National Republican |
| James Fenner | May 5, 1824 | May 4, 1831 | Democratic-Republican |
| William C. Gibbs | May 2, 1821 | May 5, 1824 | Democratic-Republican |
| Nehemiah R. Knight | May 7, 1817 | May 2, 1821 | Democratic-Republican |
| William Jones | May 1, 1811 | May 7, 1817 | Federalist |
| James Fenner | May 6, 1807 | May 1, 1811 | Democratic-Republican |
| Isaac Wilbour | May 7, 1806 | May 6, 1807 | Country |
| Henry Smith | Oct 15, 1805 | May 7, 1806 | Country |
| Arthur Fenner | May 5, 1790 | Oct 15, 1805 | Country Party |
| John Collins | May 3, 1786 | May 5, 1790 | None |
| William Greene | May 4, 1778 | May 3, 1786 | None |
| Nicholas Cooke | Nov 7, 1775 | May 4, 1778 | None |
Rhode Island governors sit in and are among a rare group when it comes to unique governmental issues. These are also the same types of issues that face the current 76th Governor of Rhode Island, Daniel J McKee. Rhode Island, dubbed the Ocean State, is surrounded by the ocean and is small in size compared to other US states. Everything from the natural threats that face Rhode Island to the hurdles of governmental access to financing as a result of its population of approximately 1 million residents poses unique issues. Rhode Island governors have been historically cited for their creative means and programs to help promote and empower its economy.
Rhode Island has proven to place a level playing ground for both Democratic and Republican leadership. It is fair to say neither Rhode Island nor its governors have ever been decisively red or blue for any significant amount of time. As recently as January 2011 to May 2013, Independent Lincoln Chafee was the Governor of Rhode Island. For the record, he did not run for another term.
Rhode Island governors join history and belong to a state government that is one of the original 13 states. This means that there are been many governors in the state's history. Nicholas Cooke was the state's first governor from 1775 to 1778. William Warner Hoppin was the state's longest-serving governor. Hoppin was sworn in on May 2, 1854, and served as governor for almost twenty-six years, until his death on April 18, 1880.
The current governor of Rhode Island is Dan McKee, a Democrat.
There have been 71 governors of Rhode Island, 22 Democrats, 30 Republicans, and 20 from other parties.
The last Democratic governor in Rhode Island is Dan McKee, who has served from 2021 to the present day.
The last Republican governor in Rhode Island was Donald Carcieri, who served from 2003 to 2011.