First ladies and partners of California

Name Image Birth–Death Term Governor Notes Ref(s) Harriet Burnett (1812–1879) 1849–1851 Peter Hardeman Burnett Born in Wilson County, Tennessee and raised in the Methodist faith. Married August 20, 1828, Governor Burnett credited her with being instrumental in his lifetime achievements. Children Dwight, Martha Letitia, Romeetta, John, Armstead and Sallie ^[6] Jane McDougal (1824–1862) 1851–1852 John McDougal Born in Indiana, disliked California and returned to Indiana until 1852. Kept a diary of her ocean voyage. Children Sue, Caroline, Latham, William, Lillie. Died in childbirth. ^[7] Elizabeth Bigler (c.1809–1873) 1852–1856 John Bigler Born in New York. Outlived both her husband and daughter Virginia. ^[8] Mary Zabriskie Johnson (1830–1887) 1856–1858 J. Neely Johnson Born in New Jersey. Hosted California’s first gubernatorial inaugural ball. Children William and Bessie . Outlived her husband and remarried to Colonel Sylvester H. Day. ^[9] Lizzie Weller (1828–1885) 1858–1860 John B. Weller Born in New York. The Governor had been married three times before Lizzie, and she had a previous marriage. Children Charles and Josiah, stepsons John and William. ^[10] Sophie Latham (1835–1867) 1860–1860 Milton Latham Born in New York. No children. Her husband was only Governor for 5 days before becoming United States Senator. ^[11] Maria Downey (1836–1883) 1860–1862 John G. Downey First California-born gubernatorial spouse, and the first one of Mexican heritage. Her father Don Rafael Guirado was from Guaymas, Mexico. Maria and John Downey had no children. ^[12] Jane Stanford (1828–1905) 1862–1863 Leland Stanford Born in New York. One son Leland Stanford, Jr. died at age 15 of typhoid fever. She and her husband founded Stanford University to honor their son’s life. Her death in Honolulu, via strychnine poisoning, is believed to have been murder. ^[14] Mollie Low (1840–1910) 1863–1867 Frederick Low Born in Ohio. Daughter Flora. Fashion-conscious society hostess. ^[15] Anna Haight (1834–1898) 1867–1871 Henry Huntly Haight Born in Missouri. Children Janette, Mary, Dugald, Henry H., Jr. and Louis. ^[16] Vacant 1871–1875 Newton Booth Booth was unmarried while serving as Governor. ^[1] Mary Catherine McIntire Pacheco (1842–1913) 1875–1875 Romualdo Pacheco Born in Indiana. She was also a playwright. Children Romualdo and Maybella. So far, her husband has been the only Governor of Latino heritage in the state’s history. ^[18] Amelia Irwin (1843–1905) 1875–1880 William Irwin Born in New York. One daughter Emma. ^[19] Ruth Amelia Perkins (1843–1921) 1880–1883 George Clement Perkins Born in Ireland. Children Fannie, George, Susan, Fred, Milton, Ruth, and Grace. ^[20] Mary Stoneman (c.1836–1915) 1883–1887 George Stoneman Born in Maryland. Children: Cornelius, George, Jr., Katherine, and Adele ^[21] Vacant 1887–1887 Washington Bartlett Bartlett never married; died 9 months after taking office. ^[2] Jane Waterman (1829–1914) 1887–1891 Robert Waterman Born in Canada. Active in charity work. Children: Mary, James, Helen, Waldo, Anna and Abby ^[22] Mary Markham (1853–1934) 1891–1895 Henry Markham Born in Illinois, raised in Wisconsin, active in the Congregational Church after they moved to Pasadena, California. Children: Marie, Alice, Gertrude, Genevieve and Hildreth. Genevieve died shortly after Governor Markham took office. ^[23] Inez Budd (1851–1911) 1895–1899 James Budd Born in Connecticut, her family relocated to Stockton, California where she met her husband James. ^[24] Fannie Gage (1863–1951) 1899–1903 Henry Gage Born in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Children Fanita, Lucilla, Francis, Volney and Arthur. ^[25] Helen Pardee (1857–1947) 1903–1907 George Pardee Born in Massachusetts. A graduate of what is now San Jose State University, she spent a decade teaching in Oakland. Daughters Florence, Carol, Madeline and Helen. ^[26] Isabella Gillett (c.1870–1946) 1907–1911 James Gillett Born in San Francisco. Socialite and musician, she married widower James Gillett and became stepmother to his three children. Together, they had four more children Effie, Ethel, Horace and James. ^[27] Minnie Johnson (1869–1955) 1911–1917 Hiram Johnson Born in Sacramento. Sons Hiram and Archibald . ^[28] Flora Stephens (1869–1931) 1917–1923 William Stephens Born in Chicago, she attended higher education in California and taught school in Poway, California. Daughter Barbara. ^[29] Augusta Richardson (1869–1955) 1923–1927 Friend Richardson Born in Illinois. Children Ruth, Paul and John. ^[30] Lyla Young (1880–1967) 1927–1932 C. C. Young Born in Alameda, California. Daughters Barbara and Lucy. The Young family survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. ^[31] Annie Rolph (1872–1956) 1931–1934 James Rolph Born in San Francisco. Hosted tea parties in the governor’s mansion, open to the general public. Children Annette, James and Georgina . ^[32] Jessie Merriam (1869–1948) 1936–1939 Frank Merriam Born in Iowa, married the widowed sitting Governor of California, no children. An advocate of women’s issues and health care for the elderly. ^[33] Kate Olson (1883–1939) 1939–1939 Culbert Olson Born in Utah. Children Richard, John and Dean . Held all-night poker parties in the governor’s mansion. ^[34] Nina Warren (1893–1993) 1943–1953 Earl Warren Born in Sweden. Her first husband, Grover Meyers, by whom she had a son James, died in 1920. She married Earl Warren in 1925, and had five children with him: Virginia, Earl Jr., Dorothy, Nina and Robert. She enjoyed being a hostess for her husband. ^[35] Virginia Knight (1918–2010) 1954–1959 Goodwin Knight Born in Iowa. A World War II military widow, she married the widowed Governor Knight at the end of his first term. ^[36] Bernice Layne Brown (1908–2002) 1959–1967 Pat Brown Born in San Francisco. Also mother of Governor Jerry Brown and State Treasurer Kathleen Brown. ^[37] Nancy Reagan (1921–2016) 1967–1975 Ronald Reagan Born in New York. National League of Families of American POW-MIA received 100% of her salary from writing a syndicated column as spouse of the governor. ^[38] Vacant 1975–1983 Jerry Brown Brown was unmarried during this first tenure as Governor. ^[3] Gloria Deukmejian (b. 1933) 1983–1991 George Deukmejian Born in Long Beach, California. Children: Leslie, Andrea and George. Advocate for community volunteerism. ^[39] Gayle Wilson (b. 1942) 1991–1999 Pete Wilson Born in Phoenix, Arizona. Sons Todd and Phillip from a previous marriage. ^[40] Sharon Davis (b. 1954) 1999–2003 Gray Davis Born in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California. Met her husband when she was a flight attendant. Wrote the book The Adventures of Capitol Kitty about a real-life black cat cared for by employees of the State Capitol building in Sacramento. Proceeds of the book went to the Governor’s Book Fund, set up by Sharon Davis to benefit school libraries. ^[41] Maria Shriver (b. 1955) 2003–2011 Arnold Schwarzenegger Born in Illinois. Journalist, founder of The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement to inform and find a cure for the disease ^[42] Anne Gust (b. 1958) 2011–2019 Jerry Brown Born in Michigan. Business executive, attorney ^[43] Jennifer Siebel Newsom (b. 1974) 2019–present Gavin Newsom Born in San Francisco. Documentary filmmaker and actress. Under Newsom, the office of First Lady is officially retitled as First Partner.^[44]