List of Governors of Oregon
Categories: Lists of United States governors | Governors of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The current Governor of Oregon is Ted Kulongoski, a Democrat.
The term governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments.
Governors of the State of Oregon (1859-Present)
Governors of the Provisional Government of the Oregon Territory (1843-1848)
Meetings at Champoeg led up to the first constitution of Oregon, and a petition for U.S. territorial status. The resulting acts also created this body as a provisional government for the territory. The first executives of this government were a three-person, elected committee known as the Executive Committee. In 1845, elections for a chief executive were held.
| # | Name | Term |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | First Executive Committee | 1843–1844 |
| 2 | Second Executive Committee | 1844–1845 |
| 3 | George Abernethy | 1845–1848 |
Governors of the U.S. Oregon Territory (1848-1859)
Oregon became a U.S. Territory in 1848. Like most other U.S. territorial governments, Oregon's territorial governor was appointed by the President of the United States. As transportation and communications were not as reliable and fast as today's methods, there were times when a departing governor left office, but a new governor could not yet take over. This resulted in several local individuals acting as territorial governor until the new executive was appointed and arrived to take office.
| # | Name | Party | Term | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joseph Lane | Democratic | 1848–1850 | James Polk |
| 2 | Kintzing Prichette | Democratic | 1850 | Acting Governor |
| 3 | John P. Gaines | Whig | 1850–1853 | Zachary Taylor |
| 4 | Joseph Lane | Democratic | 1853 | Acting Governor |
| 5 | George Law Curry | Democratic | 1853 | Acting Governor |
| 6 | John W. Davis | Democratic | 1853–1854 | Franklin Pierce |
| 7 | George Law Curry | Democratic | 1854–1859 | Franklin Pierce |