List of governors of Kentucky

No.^[a] Governor Term in office Party Election Lt. Governor^[b][c] 1   Isaac Shelby
(1750–1826)
^[18][19] June 4, 1792
–
June 1, 1796
(did not run) Democratic-
Republican 1792 Office did not exist 2 James Garrard
(1749–1822)
^[20][21] June 1, 1796
–
September 5, 1804
(term-limited) Democratic-
Republican 1796 1800   Alexander Scott Bullitt 3 Christopher Greenup
(1750–1818)
^[22][23] September 5, 1804
–
September 1, 1808
(term-limited) Democratic-
Republican 1804 John Caldwell
(died November 19, 1804) Vacant   Thomas Posey
(acting, elected Speaker in 1805) 4 Charles Scott
(1739–1813)
^[24][25] September 1, 1808
–
August 24, 1812
(term-limited) Democratic-
Republican 1808 Gabriel Slaughter 5 Isaac Shelby
(1750–1826)
^[18][19] August 24, 1812
–
September 5, 1816
(term-limited) Democratic-
Republican 1812 Richard Hickman 6 George Madison
(1763–1816)
^[26][27] September 5, 1816
–
October 14, 1816
(died in office) Democratic-
Republican 1816 Gabriel Slaughter 7 Gabriel Slaughter
(1767–1830)
^[28][29] October 14, 1816
–
August 29, 1820
(did not run) Democratic-
Republican Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor Vacant 8 John Adair
(1757–1830)
^[30][31] August 29, 1820^[d]
–
August 24, 1824
(term-limited) Democratic-
Republican 1820 William T. Barry 9 Joseph Desha
(1768–1842)
^[33][34] August 24, 1824
–
August 26, 1828
(term-limited) Democratic-
Republican 1824 Robert B. McAfee 10 Thomas Metcalfe
(1780–1855)
^[35][36] August 26, 1828
–
September 4, 1832
(term-limited) National
Republican 1828 John Breathitt^[e] 11 John Breathitt
(1786–1834)
^[37][38] September 4, 1832
–
February 21, 1834
(died in office) Democratic 1832 James Turner Morehead^[f] 12 James Turner Morehead
(1797–1854)
^[39][40] February 21, 1834
–
August 30, 1836
(did not run) National
Republican^[g] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor Vacant 13 James Clark
(1779–1839)
^[41][42] August 30, 1836
–
August 27, 1839
(died in office) Whig 1836 Charles A. Wickliffe 14 Charles A. Wickliffe
(1788–1869)
^[43][44] August 27, 1839
–
September 2, 1840
(did not run) Whig Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor Vacant 15 Robert P. Letcher
(1788–1861)
^[45][46] September 2, 1840
–
September 4, 1844
(term-limited) Whig 1840 Manlius Valerius Thomson 16 William Owsley
(1782–1862)
^[47][48] September 4, 1844
–
September 6, 1848
(term-limited) Whig 1844 Archibald Dixon 17 John J. Crittenden
(1787–1863)
^[49][50] September 6, 1848
–
July 31, 1850
(resigned)^[h] Whig 1848^[i] John L. Helm 18 John L. Helm
(1802–1867)
^[51][52] July 31, 1850
–
September 2, 1851
(did not run) Whig Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor Vacant 19 Lazarus W. Powell
(1812–1867)
^[53][54] September 2, 1851
–
September 4, 1855
(term-limited) Democratic 1851 John Burton Thompson^[j] 20 Charles S. Morehead
(1802–1868)
^[55][56] September 4, 1855
–
August 30, 1859
(term-limited) Know Nothing 1855 James Greene Hardy 21 Beriah Magoffin
(1815–1885)
^[57][58] August 30, 1859
–
August 18, 1862
(resigned)^[k] Democratic 1859 Linn Boyd
(died December 17, 1859) Vacant 22 James Fisher Robinson
(1800–1882)
^[59][60] August 18, 1862
–
September 1, 1863
(did not run) Democratic Succeeded from
president of
the Senate 23 Thomas E. Bramlette
(1817–1875)
^[61][62] September 1, 1863
–
September 3, 1867
(term-limited) Democratic 1863 Richard Taylor Jacob 24 John L. Helm
(1802–1867)
^[51][52] September 3, 1867
–
September 8, 1867
(died in office) Democratic 1867 John W. Stevenson 25 John W. Stevenson
(1812–1886)
^[63][64] September 8, 1867
–
February 3, 1871
(resigned)^[l] Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor Vacant 1868
(special) 26 Preston Leslie
(1819–1907)
^[65][66] February 3, 1871
–
August 31, 1875
(term-limited) Democratic Succeeded from
president of
the Senate 1871 John G. Carlisle 27 James B. McCreary
(1838–1918)
^[67][68] August 31, 1875
–
September 2, 1879
(term-limited) Democratic 1875 John C. Underwood 28 Luke P. Blackburn
(1816–1887)
^[69][70] September 2, 1879
–
September 5, 1883
(term-limited) Democratic 1879 James E. Cantrill 29 J. Proctor Knott
(1830–1911)
^[71][72] September 5, 1883
–
August 30, 1887
(term-limited) Democratic 1883 James R. Hindman 30 Simon Bolivar Buckner
(1823–1914)
^[73][74] August 30, 1887
–
September 2, 1891
(term-limited) Democratic 1887 James William Bryan 31 John Y. Brown
(1835–1904)
^[75][76] September 2, 1891
–
December 10, 1895
(term-limited) Democratic 1891 Mitchell Cary Alford 32 William O’Connell Bradley
(1847–1914)
^[77][78] December 10, 1895
–
December 12, 1899
(term-limited) Republican 1895 William Jackson Worthington 33 William S. Taylor
(1853–1928)
^[79][80] December 12, 1899
–
January 31, 1900
(removed from office)^[m] Republican 1899 John Marshall 34 William Goebel
(1856–1900)
^[81][82] January 31, 1900
–
February 3, 1900
(died in office)^[m] Democratic J. C. W. Beckham 35 J. C. W. Beckham
(1869–1940)
^[83][84] February 3, 1900
–
December 10, 1907
(term-limited) Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor^[m] Vacant 1900
(special) 1903 William P. Thorne 36 Augustus E. Willson
(1846–1931)
^[85][86] December 10, 1907
–
December 12, 1911
(term-limited) Republican 1907 William Hopkinson Cox 37 James B. McCreary
(1838–1918)
^[67][68] December 12, 1911
–
December 7, 1915
(term-limited) Democratic 1911 Edward J. McDermott 38 Augustus Owsley Stanley
(1867–1958)
^[87][88] December 7, 1915
–
May 19, 1919
(resigned)^[n] Democratic 1915 James D. Black 39 James D. Black
(1849–1938)
^[89][90] May 19, 1919
–
December 9, 1919
(lost election) Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor Vacant 40 Edwin P. Morrow
(1877–1935)
^[91][92] December 9, 1919
–
December 11, 1923
(term-limited) Republican 1919 S. Thruston Ballard 41 William J. Fields
(1874–1954)
^[93][94] December 11, 1923
–
December 13, 1927
(term-limited) Democratic 1923 Henry Denhardt 42 Flem D. Sampson
(1875–1967)
^[95][96] December 13, 1927
–
December 8, 1931
(term-limited) Republican 1927 James Breathitt Jr.^[e] 43 Ruby Laffoon
(1869–1941)
^[97][98] December 8, 1931
–
December 10, 1935
(term-limited) Democratic 1931 Happy Chandler 44 Happy Chandler
(1898–1991)
^[99][100] December 10, 1935
–
October 9, 1939
(resigned)^[o] Democratic 1935 Keen Johnson 45 Keen Johnson
(1896–1970)
^[101][102] October 9, 1939
–
December 7, 1943
(term-limited) Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor Vacant 1939 Rodes K. Myers 46 Simeon Willis
(1879–1965)
^[103][104] December 7, 1943
–
December 9, 1947
(term-limited) Republican 1943 Kenneth H. Tuggle 47 Earle Clements
(1896–1985)
^[105][106] December 9, 1947
–
November 27, 1950
(resigned)^[p] Democratic 1947 Lawrence Wetherby 48 Lawrence Wetherby
(1908–1994)
^[107][108] November 27, 1950
–
December 13, 1955
(term-limited) Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor Vacant 1951 Emerson Beauchamp 49 Happy Chandler
(1898–1991)
^[99][100] December 13, 1955
–
December 8, 1959
(term-limited) Democratic 1955 Harry Lee Waterfield 50 Bert Combs
(1911–1991)
^[109][110] December 8, 1959
–
December 10, 1963
(term-limited) Democratic 1959 Wilson W. Wyatt 51 Ned Breathitt
(1924–2003)
^[111][112] December 10, 1963
–
December 12, 1967
(term-limited) Democratic 1963 Harry Lee Waterfield 52 Louie Nunn
(1924–2004)
^[113][114] December 12, 1967
–
December 7, 1971
(term-limited) Republican 1967 Wendell Ford^[e] 53 Wendell Ford
(1924–2015)
^[115][116] December 7, 1971
–
December 28, 1974
(resigned)^[q] Democratic 1971 Julian Carroll 54 Julian Carroll
(b. 1931)
^[117][118] December 28, 1974
–
December 11, 1979
(term-limited) Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor Vacant 1975 Thelma Stovall 55 John Y. Brown Jr.
(1933–2022)
^[119] December 11, 1979
–
December 13, 1983
(term-limited) Democratic 1979 Martha Layne Collins 56 Martha Layne Collins
(b. 1936)
^[120] December 13, 1983
–
December 8, 1987
(term-limited) Democratic 1983 Steve Beshear 57 Wallace Wilkinson
(1941–2002)
^[121] December 8, 1987
–
December 10, 1991
(term-limited) Democratic 1987 Brereton Jones 58 Brereton C. Jones
(b. 1939)
^[122] December 10, 1991
–
December 12, 1995
(term-limited) Democratic 1991 Paul E. Patton 59 Paul E. Patton
(b. 1937)
^[123] December 12, 1995
–
December 9, 2003
(term-limited) Democratic 1995 Steve Henry 1999 60 Ernie Fletcher
(b. 1952)
^[124] December 9, 2003
–
December 11, 2007
(lost election) Republican 2003 Steve Pence 61 Steve Beshear
(b. 1944)
^[125] December 11, 2007
–
December 8, 2015
(term-limited) Democratic 2007 Daniel Mongiardo 2011 Jerry Abramson
(resigned November 13, 2014) Crit Luallen 62 Matt Bevin
(b. 1967)
^[126] December 8, 2015
–
December 10, 2019
(lost election) Republican 2015 Jenean Hampton 63 Andy Beshear
(b. 1977)
^[127] December 10, 2019
–
Incumbent^[r] Democratic 2019 Jacqueline Coleman