Governor | Term Start | Term End | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Lee | Jan 19, 2019 | - | Republican |
| Bill Haslam | Jan 15, 2011 | Jan 19, 2019 | Republican |
| Phil Bredesen | Jan 18, 2003 | Jan 15, 2011 | Democratic |
| Don Sundquist | Jan 21, 1995 | Jan 18, 2003 | Republican |
| Ned McWherter | Jan 17, 1987 | Jan 21, 1995 | Democratic |
| Lamar Alexander | Jan 20, 1979 | Jan 17, 1987 | Republican |
| Ray Blanton | Jan 18, 1975 | Jan 17, 1979 | Democratic |
| Winfield Dunn | Jan 16, 1971 | Jan 18, 1975 | Republican |
| Buford Ellington | Jan 16, 1967 | Jan 16, 1971 | Democratic |
| Frank G. Clement | Jan 15, 1963 | Jan 16, 1967 | Democratic |
| Buford Ellington | Jan 19, 1959 | Jan 15, 1963 | Democratic |
| Frank G. Clement | Jan 15, 1953 | Jan 19, 1959 | Democratic |
| Gordon Browning | Jan 16, 1949 | Jan 15, 1953 | Democratic |
| Jim Nance McCord | Jan 16, 1945 | Jan 16, 1949 | Democratic |
| Prentice Cooper | Jan 16, 1939 | Jan 16, 1945 | Democratic |
| Gordon Browning | Jan 15, 1937 | Jan 16, 1939 | Democratic |
| Hill McAlister | Jan 17, 1933 | Jan 15, 1937 | Democratic |
| Henry Hollis Horton | Oct 3, 1927 | Jan 17, 1933 | Democratic |
| Austin Peay | Jan 16, 1923 | Oct 3, 1927 | Democratic |
| Alfred A. Taylor | Jan 15, 1921 | Jan 16, 1923 | Republican |
| Albert H. Roberts | Jan 15, 1919 | Jan 15, 1921 | Democratic |
| Thomas C. Rye | Jan 17, 1915 | Jan 15, 1919 | Democratic |
| Ben W. Hooper | Jan 26, 1911 | Jan 17, 1915 | Republican |
| Malcolm R. Patterson | Jan 17, 1907 | Jan 26, 1911 | Democratic |
| John I. Cox | Mar 21, 1905 | Jan 17, 1907 | Democratic |
| James B. Frazier | Jan 19, 1903 | Mar 21, 1905 | Democratic |
| Benton McMillin | Jan 16, 1899 | Jan 19, 1903 | Democratic |
| Robert Love Taylor | Jan 21, 1897 | Jan 16, 1899 | Democratic |
| Peter Turney | Jan 16, 1893 | Jan 21, 1897 | Democratic |
| John P. Buchanan | Jan 19, 1891 | Jan 16, 1893 | Democratic |
| Robert Love Taylor | Jan 17, 1887 | Jan 19, 1891 | Democratic |
| William B. Bate | Jan 15, 1883 | Jan 17, 1887 | Democratic |
| Alvin Hawkins | Jan 17, 1881 | Jan 15, 1883 | Republican |
| Albert S. Marks | Feb 16, 1879 | Jan 17, 1881 | Democratic |
| James D. Porter | Jan 18, 1875 | Feb 16, 1879 | Democratic |
| John C. Brown | Oct 10, 1871 | Jan 18, 1875 | Democratic |
| Dewitt Clinton Senter | Feb 25, 1869 | Oct 10, 1871 | Republican |
| William G. Brownlow | Apr 5, 1865 | Feb 25, 1869 | Republican |
| Edward H. East | Mar 4, 1865 | Apr 5, 1865 | Republican |
| Andrew Johnson | Mar 12, 1862 | Mar 4, 1865 | Unionist/Military |
| Isham G. Harris | Nov 3, 1857 | Mar 12, 1862 | Democratic |
| Andrew Johnson | Oct 17, 1853 | Nov 3, 1857 | Democratic |
| William B. Campbell | Oct 16, 1851 | Oct 17, 1853 | Whig |
| William Trousdale | Oct 16, 1849 | Oct 16, 1851 | Democratic |
| Neill S. Brown | Oct 17, 1847 | Oct 16, 1849 | Whig |
| Aaron V. Brown | Oct 14, 1845 | Oct 17, 1847 | Democratic |
| James C. Jones | Oct 15, 1841 | Oct 14, 1845 | Whig |
| James K. Polk | Oct 14, 1839 | Oct 15, 1841 | Democratic |
| Newton Cannon | Oct 12, 1835 | Oct 14, 1839 | Whig |
| William Carroll | Oct 1, 1829 | Oct 12, 1835 | Democratic |
| William Hall | Apr 16, 1829 | Oct 1, 1829 | Democratic |
| Sam Houston | Oct 1, 1827 | Apr 16, 1829 | Democratic-Republican |
| William Carroll | Oct 1, 1821 | Oct 1, 1827 | Democratic-Republican |
| Joseph McMinn | Sep 27, 1815 | Oct 1, 1821 | Democratic-Republican |
| Willie Blount | Sep 20, 1809 | Sep 27, 1815 | Democratic-Republican |
| John Sevier | Sep 23, 1803 | Sep 20, 1809 | Democratic-Republican |
| Archibald Roane | Sep 23, 1801 | Sep 23, 1803 | Democratic-Republican |
| John Sevier | Mar 30, 1796 | Sep 23, 1801 | Democratic-Republican |
Located in the southeastern United States, Tennessee is considered to be one of the bastions of the Republican party, and this is certainly reflected in its history of governors. Tennessee has had a total of 51 governors since it was admitted to the United States, and the current governor is Bill Lee. He is a member of the Republican Party, and he has served as the governor of Tennessee since 2019. Even though he has had to address a variety of topics during his time, the biggest issue he has had to deal with is the Coronavirus pandemic.
The last governor of Tennessee from the Democratic party was Phil Bredesen. He served two terms as the governor of Tennessee from 2003 to 2011. After that, Bill Haslam took over as the governor of Tennessee from 2011 to 2019, and he was a member of the Republican party. Then, Billy took over after Bill Haslam finished out his second term. Governors in Tennessee are limited to two terms. In the middle of the twentieth century, Tennessee actually had a run of several consecutive Democratic party governors in a row.
Even though Tennessee was not one of the original 13 colonies, it was one of the first states to join the United States. The very first governor of Tennessee was John Sevier. He served as the governor of Tennessee from 1796 to 1801, and he was a member of the Democratic-Republican party. That large party held the governor’s office for several decades, with the first seven governors of Tennessee all coming from the Democratic-Republican party. In the early 19th century, many governors served for six years, but now the governor of Tennessee serves for a four-year term.
The current governor of Tennessee is Bill Lee, a Republican.
There have been 51 governors of Tennessee, 31 Democrats, 11 Republicans, and 11 from other parties.
The last Republican governor in Tennessee is Bill Lee, who has served from 2019 to the present day.
The last Democrat governor in Tennessee was Phil Bredesen, who served from 2003 to 2011.