Governor of Arizona

The state constitution of 1912 provided for the election of a governor every two years, with the term commencing on the first Monday in the January following the election.^[2] The term was increased to four years by a 1968 amendment.^[3]^[4] The constitution originally included no term limit,^[5] but an amendment passed in 1992 allows governors to succeed themselves only once;^[2] prior to this, four governors were elected more than twice in a row.

Arizona is one of seven states with no lieutenant governor; instead, in the event of a vacancy in the office of governor, the Arizona secretary of state, if elected, succeeds to the office. If the secretary of state was appointed, rather than elected, the next elected state officer succeeds. If the governor is out of the state or impeached, the next elected officer in the line of succession becomes acting governor until the governor returns or is cleared.^[6]

There have been 21 people who have served as governor, in 25 distinct terms. Arizona has had the most female governors in the United States, with three, and is the only state where there have been two consecutive female governors. The current governor is Janet Napolitano, who took office in 2003.

Governors

Most of the area that became Arizona was originally part of the Mexican territory of Alta California. This land was ceded to the United States by Mexico under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed February 2, 1848, which ended the Mexican-American War. On September 9, 1850, the Mexican Cession was divided into territories and states as part of the Compromise of 1850, creating New Mexico Territory. The Gadsden Purchase of December 30, 1853, transferred a parcel of land from the Mexican state of Sonora to the southwest part of New Mexico Territory, and nearly all of it was in what became the state of Arizona. Arizona Territory was split from New Mexico Territory on February 24, 1863. On January 18, 1867, the northwestern corner of the territory was transferred to the state of Nevada. See the lists of governors of New Mexico (1850–1863), of Sonora (—1853), and of Alta California (—1850) for the periods before Arizona Territory was formed.

Governors of Arizona Territory

Confederate Arizona

In Tucson in July 1860, a convention of settlers from the part of New Mexico Territory south of the 34th parallel drafted a constitution for a Territory of Arizona, three years before the United States would create such a territory. They elected a governor, Lewis Owings, and elected a delegate to the U.S. Congress; however, Congress rejected the proposal for the new territory.

On March 16, 1861, soon before the American Civil War broke out, a convention in Mesilla voted to create Arizona Territory, again in the southern half of New Mexico Territory, and to secede from the Union and join the Confederate States of America. Lewis Owings was again elected as provisional territorial governor.

The Confederacy took ownership of the territory on August 1, 1861, when forces led by Lieutenant Colonel John Baylor won decisive control of the territory, and Baylor proclaimed himself permanent governor. Baylor was relieved of his post and commission after Confederate President Jefferson Davis learned of his order to exterminate the Apache, and Owings again took office. The date that Baylor's commission was revoked is unclear, except that it was in late 1862, as it took that long for Baylor's March 20 extermination order to each Davis.^[44] While the Confederacy maintained a government in exile in San Antonio, Texas until 1865, the territory was effectively lost to Union forces in July 1862.

Governors of Arizona

The State of Arizona was admitted to the Union on February 14, 1912. Since then, it has had 21 governors, serving 25 distinct terms; the official numbering seems to only count the first term. All of the repeat governors were in the state's earliest years, when George W. P. Hunt and Thomas Edward Campbell alternated as governor for 17 years, and after a two year gap, Hunt served another term.

Notes

^ The date the governor took the oath of office in Arizona. Due to the distance from Washington, D.C., to Arizona, many governors were appointed and confirmed months before being able to exercise power in the territory.
^ John A. Gurley died prior to taking office as first appointed governor; Goodwin, who was Chief Justice of the Arizona Territorial Supreme Court, was appointed in his place.
^ ^a ^b Resigned to take an elected seat as delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives.
^ It is unknown when Frémont took the oath of office; Goff states that he and his family arrived in Prescott on the afternoon of Sunday October 6, 1878.
^ Resigned. Frémont spent little time in the territory; and the Secretary of the Territory asked him to resume his duties or resign, and he chose resignation.^[13]
^ Resigned after Grover Cleveland was elected, so that the Democrat could appoint a Democrat as governor.^[15]
^ Resigned due to a disagreement with the federal government on arid land policy.^[19]
^ Resigned to handle family business out-of-state.^[22]
^ Hughes had abolished many territorial offices, and unhappy officials successfully petitioned President Cleveland to remove him.^[27]
^ Resigned to serve in the Spanish-American War.^[33]
^ Asked by President Roosevelt to resign for opposing the Newlands Reclamation Act.^[37]
^ Resigned to accept appointment as assistant chief of the records and pension bureau at the Department of War.^[40]
^ The fractional terms of some governors are not to be understood absolutely literally; rather, they are meant to show single terms during which multiple governors served, due to resignations, deaths and the like.
^ ^a ^b Thomas Edward Campbell's narrow election win was overturned by the Arizona Supreme Court on December 22, 1917, which, following a recount, awarded the office to George W.P. Hunt. Campbell vacated the office three days later.
^ ^a ^b Died in office.
^ ^a ^b As state secretary of state, filled unexpired term, and was later elected in their own right.
^ The Constitution was amended in 1968 to increase gubernatorial terms from two to four years; Williams' first two terms were for two years, his third was for four years.
^ Resigned to take post as U.S. Ambassador to Argentina.
^ ^a ^b As state secretary of state, filled unexpired term.
^ As state attorney general, filled unexpired term, since the office of secretary of state was held by an appointee (who, according to the Arizona Constitution, couldn't be in the line of succession) and was later elected in his own right.
^ Impeached and removed from office on charges of obstruction of justice and misuse of government funds.
^ Arizona adopted runoff voting after Evan Mecham won with only 43% of the vote. The 1990 election was very close, and a runoff was held on February 26, 1991, which Symington won, and he was inaugurated on March 6, 1991.^[45]
^ Resigned after being convicted of bank fraud, since state law does not allow felons to hold office; the conviction was later overturned and he was pardoned by President Bill Clinton.
^ ^a ^b Fife Symington resigned on September 5, 1997; Jane Dee Hull did not take the oath of office until September 8, but she was governor for those three days regardless of the delay.^[46]
^ Governor Napolitano's present term expires on January 3, 2011; she is term limited.

Other high offices held

This is a table of congressional seats, other federal offices, and other governorships held by governors.^[47] All representatives and senators mentioned represented Arizona except where noted. * denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take.

Living former governors

As of October 2008, five former governors were alive, the oldest being Raul Hector Castro (born June 12, 1916 (age 92)). The most recent former governor to die was Evan Mecham (1987–1988), on February 21, 2008.

References

^ AZ Const. art. 5
^ ^a ^b AZ Const. art 5, § 1
^ Ralph E. Hughes v. Douglas K. Martin, [1] (Arizona Supreme Court 2002-08-20). “Nelson involved two allegedly conflicting amendments both approved by voters in the 1968 election, to Article 5 of the Arizona Constitution. ... The other amendment, proposition 104, extended the term of offices of the executive department, including the office of state auditor, from two years to four years.”
^ Berman, David R. (1998). Arizona Politics & Government: The Quest for Autonomy, Democracy, and Development. University of Nebraska Press, 112. ISBN 0803261462.
^ AZ Const. art. 5, old § 1
^ AZ Const. art 5, § 6
^ ^a ^b McGinnis, Ralph Y.; Calvin N. Smith (1994). Abraham Lincoln and the Western Territories. Rowman & Littlefield, 91. ISBN 0830412476.
^ Goff pp. 26–27
^ Nicolson, John (1974). The Arizona of Joseph Pratt Allyn. University of Arizona Press, 39. ISBN 0816503869. Retrieved on 2008-10-11. "McCormick was appointed April 10 and took the oath of office July 9, 1866."
^ Goff p. 55
^ Goff p. 66
^ Goff pp. 76–77
^ ^a ^b ^c Walker, Dale L. (1997). Rough Rider: Buckey O'Neill of Arizona. University of Nebraska Press, 23-24. ISBN 0803297963.
^ Goff p. 88
^ ^a ^b Wagoner, Jay J. (1970). Arizona Territory, 1863-1912: A Political History. University of Arizona Press, 221.
^ Goff pp. 98–99
^ Goff p. 112
^ Walker, Dale L. (1997). Rough Rider: Buckey O'Neill of Arizona. University of Nebraska Press, 81. ISBN 0803297963.
^ Wagoner, Jay J. (1970). Arizona Territory, 1863-1912: A Political History. University of Arizona Press, 276.
^ Goff pp. 118–119
^ "Arizona". Appletons' Annual Cyclopaedia and Register of Important Events (1892) New series, Volume 17. (1893). 16. Retrieved on 2008-10-10.
^ Irwin, Lyndon Neil (1991). Darrtown to Fairfield and Beyond: The Descendants of John and Mary Welsh Irwin: A Genealogical History of the Irwin Family Originally from Darrtown, Ohio, 1757 to 1990. Lyndon Neil Irwin, 1991.
^ (1903) A Biographical Congressional Directory, 1774 to 1903. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 711. Retrieved on 2008-10-11.
^ Goff p. 129
^ Goff p. 146
^ "Arizona". Appletons' Annual Cyclopaedia and Register of Important Events (1896) 3rd series, Volume 1. (1897). 26. Retrieved on 2008-10-11.
^ Johnson, Rossiter; John Howard Brown (1904). The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans. The Biographical Society. Retrieved on 2008-10-11.
^ Goff pp. 154–155
^ ^a ^b "FRANKLIN, Benjamin Joseph". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-10-11.
^ McClintock p. 345
^ Goff p. 167
^ Wagoner, Jay J. (1970). Arizona Territory, 1863-1912: A Political History. University of Arizona Press, 345. "On July 9, 1898, Governor McCord resigned his office, effective August 1..."
^ Roth, Mitchel P.; James Stuart Olson (2001). Historical Dictionary of Law Enforcement. Greenwood Publishing Group, 207. ISBN 0313305609. Retrieved on 2008-10-11.
^ McClintock p. 346
^ Goff p. 132
^ "Resignation of Arizona's Governor", The New York Times (New York City), The New York Times Company (April 30, 1902). Retrieved on 2008-10-11.
^ Goff p. 136
^ Goff p. 178
^ Herner, Charles (1970). The Arizona Rough Riders. University of Arizona Press, 221. ISBN 0816502064. Retrieved on 2008-10-11.
^ ^a ^b ^c McClintock p. 354
^ Goff p. 189
^ McClintock p. 359
^ Goff p. 199
^ Perkins, Robert P.. "John Robert Baylor: The Life and Times of Arizona's Confederate Governor". Retrieved on 2008-10-11.
^ Mullaney, Marie Marmo (1994). Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1988-1994. Greenwood Publishing Group, 29. ISBN 0313283125. Retrieved on 2008-10-11.
^ Todd S., Purdum (1997-09-04). "Arizona Governor Convicted Of Fraud and Will Step Down", The New York Times (New York City), The New York Times Company. Retrieved on 2008-10-11.
^ "Governors of Arizona". National Governors Association. Retrieved on 2008-10-11.
^ "GOODWIN, John Noble". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-10-10.
^ "McCORMICK, Richard Cunningham". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-10-10.
^ "Hoyt, John Philo". The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography Volume XI. (1901). New York City: James T. White & Company. 556. Retrieved on 2008-10-11.
^ "FRÉMONT, John Charles". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-10-11.
^ Brosnan, Cornelius James (1918). History of the State of Idaho. Charles Scribner's Sons, 217-218. Retrieved on 2008-10-11.
^ "MURPHY, Nathan Oakes". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-10-11.
^ "McCORD, Myron Hawley". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-10-11.
^ Goff, John S. (1973). George W. P. Hunt and His Arizona. Socio Technical Publications, 121. OCLC 799442.
^ "GURLEY, John Addison". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-10-11.
^ "Baylor, John Robert". The Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved on 2008-10-11.

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