Jump to content

List of minority governors and lieutenant governors in the United States

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of minority governors and lieutenant state governors in the United States. In the United States, an ethnic minority is anyone who has at least one parent who is not of non-Hispanic white descent (such as African Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islands Americans, Hispanic and Latino Americans, or Native Americans).[according to whom?] Ethnic minorities currently constitute around 38.9% of the total population.[1] United States governors are included but lieutenant governor-equivalent roles (positions next in the line of succession absent an office of the lieutenant governor, such as secretary of state or senate president) are not currently included.

List of ethnic-minority governors

[edit]
  Denotes incumbent governor
  • Italics denotes acting governor
Image Name Minority
ethnicity 		Party State Term start Term end Notes
P. B. S. Pinchback[note 1]
(1837–1921) 		African American Republican Louisiana December 9, 1872 January 13, 1873 Term ended
Romualdo Pacheco[note 2]
(1831–1899) 		Mexican American Republican California February 27, 1875 December 9, 1875 Term ended
Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca[note 3]
(1864–1917) 		Mexican American Democratic New Mexico January 3, 1917 February 18, 1917 Died in office
Octaviano Larrazolo[note 4]
(1859–1930) 		Mexican American Republican New Mexico January 1, 1919 January 1, 1921 Lost renomination
Johnston Murray[2]
(1902-1974)[3] 		Native American (Chickasaw)[note 5] Democratic Oklahoma January 8, 1951 January 10, 1955 Term limited
George Ariyoshi[note 6]
(born 1926) 		Japanese American Democratic Hawaii October 17, 1973 December 2, 1986 Term limited
Jerry Apodaca
(1934–2023) 		Mexican American Democratic New Mexico January 1, 1975 January 1, 1979 Term limited
Raúl Castro[note 7]
(1916–2015) 		Mexican American Democratic Arizona January 6, 1975 October 20, 1977 Resigned
Toney Anaya
(born 1941) 		Mexican American Democratic New Mexico January 1, 1983 January 1, 1987 Term limited
John Sununu[4][note 8]
(born 1939) 		Salvadoran American Republican New Hampshire January 6, 1983 January 4, 1989 Retired
John Waihee[note 9]
(born 1946) 		Native Hawaiian Democratic Hawaii December 2, 1986 December 2, 1994 Term limited
Bob Martinez
(born 1934) 		Spanish American Republican Florida January 6, 1987 January 8, 1991 Lost reelection
Douglas Wilder[note 10]
(born 1931) 		African American Democratic Virginia January 13, 1990 January 15, 1994 Term limited
Ben Cayetano[note 9]
(born 1939) 		Filipino American Democratic Hawaii December 2, 1994 December 2, 2002 Term limited
Gary Locke[note 11]
(born 1950) 		Chinese American Democratic Washington January 15, 1997 January 12, 2005 Retired
Bill Richardson[note 12]
(1947–2023) 		Mexican American Democratic New Mexico January 1, 2003 January 1, 2011 Term limited
Deval Patrick
(born 1956) 		African American Democratic Massachusetts January 4, 2007 January 8, 2015 Retired
Bobby Jindal[note 13]
(born 1971) 		Indian American Republican Louisiana January 14, 2008 January 11, 2016 Term limited
David Paterson[note 14]
(born 1954) 		African American Democratic New York March 17, 2008 December 31, 2010 Retired
Susana Martinez
(born 1959) 		Mexican American Republican New Mexico January 1, 2011 January 1, 2019 Term limited
Brian Sandoval
(born 1963) 		Mexican American Republican Nevada January 3, 2011 January 7, 2019 Term limited
Nikki Haley[note 15]
(born 1972) 		Indian American Republican South Carolina January 12, 2011 January 24, 2017 Resigned to become Ambassador of the United States to the United Nations
David Ige
(born 1957) 		Okinawan American Democratic Hawaii December 1, 2014 December 5, 2022 Term limited
Michelle Lujan Grisham[5][note 16]
(born 1959) 		Mexican American Democratic New Mexico January 1, 2019 present
Kevin Stitt[6]
(born 1972) 		Native American (Cherokee) Republican Oklahoma January 14, 2019 present
Wes Moore
(born 1978) 		African American Democratic Maryland January 18, 2023 present

Territorial governors

[edit]

Several governors of U.S. territories have been ethnic minorities. Many of these officials were appointed before elections were instituted in these jurisdictions. In each of the five current U.S. territories, Hispanic or non-white ethnic groups make up large majorities: Puerto Rican Hispanic Americans in Puerto Rico, African Americans in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Chamorros in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, and Samoans in American Samoa. Elected governors and some appointed governors in these territories that have come from these majority ethnic groups are not listed here; for more details see List of governors of Puerto Rico, List of governors of the United States Virgin Islands, List of governors of Guam, List of governors of the Northern Mariana Islands, and List of governors of American Samoa.

  Denotes incumbent governor
  • Italics denotes acting governor
Image Name Minority
ethnicity 		Party Territory/
District 		Term start Term end Notes
Miguel Otero
(1859–1944) 		Mexican American Republican New Mexico July 14, 1897 January 22, 1906 Appointment ended
Frank Portusach
(1864–1919) 		Spanish American Independent Guam June 22, 1898 December 12, 1898 Deposed[note 17]
William Coe
(1857–1909) 		Samoan Independent Guam April 20, 1899 May 9, 1899 Appointment ended
Morris de Castro[note 18]
(1902–1966) 		Panamanian American Democratic U.S. Virgin Islands October 21, 1949 April 9, 1954 Resigned appointment
Samuel King
(1886-1959) 		Native Hawaiian Republican Hawaii January 28, 1953 July 26, 1957 Resigned appointment
Juan Luis[note 19]
(1940–2011) 		Puerto Rican Independent Citizens Movement (1978–1979) U.S. Virgin Islands January 2, 1978 January 5, 1987 Term limited
Independent (1979–1987)
Benigno Fitial
(born 1945) 		Carolinian Covenant (2006–2011) Northern Mariana Islands January 9, 2006 February 20, 2013 Impeached and removed from office
Republican (2011–2013)

List of ethnic-minority lieutenant governors

[edit]
  Denotes incumbent lieutenant governor
  • Italics denotes acting lieutenant governor
Image Name Minority ethnicity Party State Term start Term end Notes
Pablo de la Guerra
(1819–1874) 		Mexican American Democratic California January 7, 1861 January 10, 1862 Retired
Oscar Dunn
(1826–1871) 		African American Republican Louisiana June 27, 1868 November 22, 1871 Died
Alonzo Ransier[note 20]
(1834–1882) 		African American Republican South Carolina December 3, 1870 December 7, 1872 Retired to run successfully for South Carolina's 2nd congressional district
Alexander Kelso Davis[7]
(-1884) 		African American Republican Mississippi November 30, 1871 March 29, 1876 Resigned
P. B. S. Pinchback
(1837–1921) 		African American Republican Louisiana December 6, 1871 December 9, 1872 Elevated to governor
Romualdo Pacheco
(1831–1899) 		Mexican American Republican California December 8, 1871 February 27, 1875 Elevated to governor
Richard Howell Gleaves
(1819–1907) 		African American Republican South Carolina December 7, 1872 December 14, 1876 Lost reelection
Caesar Antoine
(1836–1921) 		African American Republican Louisiana May 22, 1873 April 24, 1877 Lost reelection
Albert Estopinal[note 21]
(1845–1919) 		Spanish American Democratic Louisiana May 8, 1900 May 10, 1904 Retired
Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca
(1864–1917) 		Mexican American Democratic New Mexico January 6, 1912 January 1, 1917 Retired to run successfully for governor
José Baca
(1876–1924) 		Mexican American Democratic New Mexico January 1, 1923 May 17, 1924 Died
Louis Cabeza de Baca
(1894–1969) 		Mexican American Democratic New Mexico January 1, 1935 January 1, 1937 Retired
Ceferino Quintana
(1894–1977) 		Mexican American Democratic New Mexico January 1, 1941 January 1, 1943 Retired
Joseph Montoya[note 22]
(1915–1978) 		Mexican American Democratic New Mexico January 1, 1947 January 1, 1951 Lost reelection
January 1, 1955 April 9, 1957 Retired to run successfully for New Mexico's at-large congressional district
Tibo J. Chávez
(1912–1991) 		Mexican American Democratic New Mexico January 1, 1951 January 1, 1955 Lost reelection
James Kealoha
(1908–1983) 		Native Hawaiian,
Chinese American 		Republican Hawaii August 21, 1959 December 2, 1962 Retired to run unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for governor
William S. Richardson
(1919–2010) 		Native Hawaiian,
Chinese American 		Democratic Hawaii December 2, 1962 April 13, 1966 Resigned to become Chief Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court
Andrew T. F. Ing
(1919–1999) 		Chinese American Democratic Hawaii April 13, 1966 December 2, 1966 Returned to previous post as Director of Finance
Thomas Gill[note 23]
(1922–2009) 		Cuban American Democratic Hawaii December 2, 1966 December 2, 1970 Retired to run unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for governor
George Ariyoshi
(born 1926) 		Japanese American Democratic Hawaii December 2, 1970 December 2, 1974 Retired to run successfully for governor
Roberto Mondragón
(born 1940) 		Mexican American Democratic New Mexico January 1, 1971 January 1, 1975 Retired
January 1, 1979 January 1, 1983 Retired
Nelson Doi
(1922–2015) 		Japanese American Democratic Hawaii December 2, 1974 December 2, 1978 Retired to run unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for Mayor of Honolulu
Mervyn Dymally[note 24]
(1926–2012) 		African American, Indian American Democratic California January 6, 1975 January 8, 1979 Lost reelection
George L. Brown
(1926–2006) 		African American Democratic Colorado January 14, 1975 January 10, 1979 Retired
Jean King
(1925–2013) 		Japanese American Democratic Hawaii December 2, 1978 December 2, 1982 Retired to run unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for governor
Mike Curb
(born 1944) 		Mexican American Republican California January 8, 1979 January 3, 1983 Retired to run unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for governor
John D. Waiheʻe III
(born 1946) 		Native Hawaiian Democratic Hawaii December 2, 1982 December 2, 1986 Retired to run successfully for governor
S. B. Woo
(born 1937) 		Chinese American Democratic Delaware January 15, 1985 January 20, 1989 Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senator from Delaware
Douglas Wilder
(born 1931) 		African American Democratic Virginia January 18, 1986 January 12, 1990 Retired to run successfully for governor
Ben Cayetano
(born 1939) 		Filipino American Democratic Hawaii December 2, 1986 December 2, 1994 Retired to run successfully for governor
Casey Luna
(born 1931) 		Mexican American Democratic New Mexico January 1, 1991 January 1, 1995 Retired to run unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for governor
Mazie Hirono[note 25]
(born 1947) 		Japanese American Democratic Hawaii December 2, 1994 December 2, 2002 Retired to run unsuccessfully for governor
Cruz Bustamante
(born 1953) 		Mexican American Democratic California January 4, 1999 January 8, 2007 Retired to run unsuccessfully for California Insurance Commissioner
Joe Rogers
(1964–2013) 		African American Republican Colorado January 12, 1999 January 14, 2003 Retired
Loren Leman
(born 1950) 		Native Alaskan (Alutiiq) Republican Alaska December 2, 2002 December 4, 2006 Retired
Duke Aiona
(born 1955) 		Native Hawaiian,
Chinese American 		Republican Hawaii December 4, 2002 December 6, 2010 Retired to run unsuccessfully for governor
Jennette Bradley
(born 1952) 		African American Republican Ohio January 13, 2003 January 5, 2005 Resigned to become Ohio Treasurer
Michael Steele[note 26]
(born 1958) 		African American Republican Maryland January 15, 2003 January 17, 2007 Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senator from Maryland
David Paterson
(born 1954) 		African American Democratic New York January 1, 2007 March 17, 2008 Elevated to governor
Anthony Brown
(born 1961) 		African American Democratic Maryland January 17, 2007 January 21, 2015 Retired to run unsuccessfully for governor
Malcolm Smith
(born 1956) 		African American Democratic New York January 7, 2009 June 8, 2009 Resigned
Pedro Espada Jr.
(born 1953) 		Puerto Rican Democratic New York June 8, 2009 July 8, 2009 Resigned
John Garamendi
(born 1945) 		Basque American Democratic California January 8, 2007 November 3, 2009 Resigned to take seat in the U.S. House of Representatives to which he had been elected
Mona Pasquil
(born 1962) 		Filipino American Democratic California November 4, 2009 April 27, 2010 Retired
Abel Maldonado
(born 1967) 		Mexican American Republican California April 27, 2010 January 10, 2011 Lost reelection
John Sanchez
(born 1963) 		Mexican American Republican New Mexico January 1, 2011 January 1, 2019 Term limited
Jennifer Carroll
(born 1959) 		African American Republican Florida January 4, 2011 March 12, 2013 Resigned
Joseph Garcia
(born 1957) 		Mexican American Democratic Colorado January 11, 2011 May 12, 2016 Resigned
Shan Tsutsui
(born 1971) 		Japanese American Democratic Hawaii December 27, 2012 January 31, 2018 Resigned
Carlos Lopez-Cantera
(born 1973) 		Cuban American Republican Florida February 3, 2014 January 8, 2019 Retired
Byron Mallott
(1943-2020) 		Native Alaskan (Tlingit) Independent Alaska December 1, 2014 October 16, 2018 Resigned
Evelyn Sanguinetti
(born 1970) 		Cuban American,
Ecuadorian American 		Republican Illinois January 12, 2015 January 14, 2019 Lost reelection
Jenean Hampton
(born 1958) 		African American Republican Kentucky December 8, 2015 December 10, 2019 Retired
Boyd Rutherford
(born 1957) 		African American Republican Maryland January 21, 2015 January 18, 2023 Term limited
Cyrus Habib
(born 1981) 		Iranian American Democratic Washington January 11, 2017 January 13, 2021 Retired to become a Jesuit Priest
Justin Fairfax
(born 1979) 		African American Democratic Virginia January 13, 2018 January 15, 2022 Retired to run unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for governor
Sheila Oliver
(1952–2023) 		African American Democratic New Jersey January 16, 2018 August 1, 2023 Died
Doug Chin
(born 1971) 		Chinese American Democratic Hawaii February 2, 2018 December 3, 2018 Retired to run unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for Hawaii's 1st congressional district
Valerie Davidson
(born 1967) 		Native Alaskan (Yup'ik) Independent Alaska October 16, 2018 December 3, 2018 Retired
Garlin Gilchrist
(born 1982) 		African American Democratic Michigan January 1, 2019 present
Howie Morales
(born 1973) 		Mexican American Democratic New Mexico January 1, 2019 present
Mandela Barnes
(born 1986) 		African American Democratic Wisconsin January 7, 2019 January 3, 2023 Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate.
Peggy Flanagan
(born 1979) 		Native American (Chippewa) Democratic (DFL) Minnesota January 7, 2019 present
Jeanette Nuñez
(born 1972) 		Cuban American Republican Florida January 8, 2019 present
Juliana Stratton
(born 1965) 		African American Democratic Illinois January 14, 2019 present
Mark Robinson
(born 1968) 		African American Republican North Carolina January 3, 2021 present
Sabina Matos

(born 1974)

African American,
Dominican American 		Democratic Rhode Island April 14, 2021 present
Andrea Stewart-Cousins
(born 1950) 		African American Democratic New York August 24, 2021 September 9, 2021 New Lieutenant Governor appointed
April 12, 2022 May 25, 2022 New Lieutenant Governor appointed
Brian Benjamin
(born 1976) 		African American Democratic New York September 9, 2021 April 12, 2022 Resigned
Lisa Cano Burkhead
(born 1970) 		Argentine American,
Paraguayan American 		Democratic Nevada December 16, 2021 January 3, 2023 Lost election to a full term
Winsome Sears
(born 1964) 		African American,Jamaican American Republican Virginia January 15, 2022 present
Antonio Delgado
(born 1977) 		African American,
Colombian American,
Mexican American,
Venezuelan American 		Democratic New York May 25, 2022 present
Sylvia Luke
(born 1967) 		Korean American Democratic Hawaii December 5, 2022 present
Austin Davis
(born 1989) 		African American Democratic Pennsylvania January 17, 2023 present
Aruna Miller
(born 1964) 		Indian American Democratic Maryland January 18, 2023 present
Tahesha Way
(born 1971/1972) 		African American Democratic New Jersey September 8, 2023 present

Territorial lieutenant governors

[edit]

In each of the four current U.S. territories that have the office of lieutenant governor, non-white ethnic groups make up large majorities: African Americans in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Chamorros in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, and Samoans in American Samoa. Elected governors and some appointed governors in these territories that have come from these majority ethnic groups are not listed here; for more details see Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands, Lieutenant Governor of Guam, Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa.

Image Name Minority
ethnicity 		Party Territory Term start Term end Notes
Morris de Castro
(1902–1966) 		Panamanian American Democratic U.S. Virgin Islands 1945 March 4, 1950 Elevated to Acting Governor from October 21, 1949
Later appointed in his own right
Kurt Moylan
(born 1939) 		Native Hawaiian,
Chinese American 		Republican Guam July 20, 1969 January 6, 1975 Appointed Secretary before being elected lieutenant governor in his own right from January 4, 1971
Lost reelection
Kaleo Moylan
(born 1966) 		Native Hawaiian,
Chinese American 		Republican Guam January 6, 2003 January 1, 2007 Retired to run unsuccessfully for nomination to governor

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Elevated from lieutenant governor.
  2. ^ Pacheco was elevated from lieutenant governor. Pacheco later served as U.S. Representative from California's 4th congressional district.
  3. ^ Cabeza De Baca previously served as lieutenant governor.
  4. ^ Larrazolo previously served as U.S. Senator from New Mexico.
  5. ^ Murray was not a registered member of the Chickasaw Nation.
  6. ^ Ariyoshi had previously been elevated to acting governor from lieutenant governor until elected in his own right.
  7. ^ Resigned to become United States Ambassador to Argentina
  8. ^ Sununu later served as White House Chief of Staff
  9. ^ a b Waihee previously served as lieutenant governor.
  10. ^ Wilder previously served as lieutenant governor.
  11. ^ Locke later served as United States Secretary of Commerce and United States Ambassador to China.
  12. ^ Richardson previously served as United States Secretary of Energy, United States Ambassador to the United Nations and U.S. Representative from New Mexico's 3rd congressional district.
  13. ^ Jindal previously served as U.S. Representative from Louisiana's 1st congressional district.
  14. ^ Elevated to office from lieutenant governor.
  15. ^ Resigned to become to United States Ambassador to the United Nations
  16. ^ Lujan Grisham previously served as U.S. Representative from New Mexico's 1st congressional district.
  17. ^ A Spanish Filipino, José Sisto, served from December 12, 1898 – February 1, 1899 in the Spanish government's name, despite tacit acknowledgment by the Americans until the 1898 Treaty of Paris.
  18. ^ Elevated to acting governor from secretary until appointed in his own right
  19. ^ Elevated to governor from lieutenant governor.
    Later elected in his own right.
  20. ^ Ransier later served as U.S. Representative from South Carolina's 2nd congressional district.
  21. ^ Estopinal later served as U.S. Representative from Louisiana's 1st congressional district.
  22. ^ Montoya later served as U.S. Representative from New Mexico's at-large congressional district and U.S. Senator from New Mexico.
  23. ^ Gill previously served as U.S. Representative from Hawaii's at-large congressional district.
  24. ^ Dymally later served as U.S. Representative from California's 31st congressional district.
  25. ^ Hirono later served as U.S. Senator from Hawaii.
  26. ^ Steele later served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. December 2019. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  2. ^ "Johnston Murray". National Governors Association. January 10, 2011. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  3. ^ Erin Dowell. "Murray, Johnston". Oklahoma Historical Society. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  4. ^ David Hoffman (November 20, 1988). "SUNUNU DESCRIBES HIS DIVERSE ROOTS, AFTER FLOOD OF INQUIRIES". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.
  5. ^ "2018 Top Stories #1: Lujan Grisham wins election". December 28, 2018. Archived from the original on December 28, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  6. ^ "Only one state makes history with election of first Native governor". www.indianz.com. Archived from the original on November 26, 2018.
  7. ^ "Not Even Past: Social Vulnerability and the Legacy of Redlining". Archived from the original on August 6, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_minority_governors_and_lieutenant_governors_in_the_United_States&oldid=1238970827"