2002 Governor's Chairs by State

The Green Papers: Midterm Election 2002

2002 Governor's Chairs
by State

36 Governor's Chairs up for election in 2002

36 Elected

14 Governor's Chairs not up for election in 2002

20 Open Governor's Chairs (voluntary retirement, seeking other political office, term limits)

16 Incumbents renominated by same party

196 Candidates seeking a Governor's Chair

This is a list of the current Governors' seats, the incumbents occupying them, and the candidacy status of said incumbents. Chairs up for election in the year 2002 are marked as such.

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Governor Links



Alabama Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democrat

Alaska Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democrat

Arizona Term Limit: The Governor can not serve for more than 8 years; 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor Jane Dee Hull • As Secretary of State, succeeded to the office upon the resignation of Governor Fife Symington (Republican): 5 September 1997; first elected to a full term: 1998 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and CANNOT run in the next election for Governor. • Open Chair
		Open Chair (no incumbent)

Arkansas Term Limit: No one can serve more than 2 4-year terms in a lifetime
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor Mike Huckabee • Re-elected 5 November 2002 • As Lieutenant Governor, succeeded to the office upon the resignation of Governor Jim Guy Tucker (Democrat): 15 July 1996; first elected to a full term: 1998; re-elected: 2002 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is NOT affected by this state's term limit. • Renominated - 21 May 2002 Primary

California Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democrat

Colorado Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor Bill Owens • Re-elected 5 November 2002 • First elected: 1998; re-elected: 2002 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is NOT affected by this state's term limit. • Renominated - 13 August 2002 - Primary

Connecticut Term Limit: None; 4-year term
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor John G. Rowland • Re-elected 5 November 2002 • First elected 1994; re-elected: 1998, 2002 [also served in U.S. House- elected: 1984, 1986, 1988] • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is NOT affected by this state's term limit. • Renominated - July 2002 Convention

Delaware Term Limit: No one can serve more than 2 4-year terms in a lifetime
Partisan Composition: 1 Democrat

Florida Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor John Ellis "Jeb" Bush • Re-elected 5 November 2002 • First elected: 1998; re-elected: 2002 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is NOT affected by this state's term limit. • Renominated - 10 September 2002 Primary

Georgia Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democrat

Hawaii Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democrat

Idaho Term Limit: None; 4-year term
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor Dirk Kempthorne • Re-elected 5 November 2002 • First elected: 1998; re-elected: 2002 [also served in U.S. Senate- elected: 1992] • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is NOT affected by this state's term limit. • Renominated - Tuesday 28 May 2002 Primary

Illinois Term Limit: None; 4-year term
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor George H. Ryan • First elected: 1998 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is NOT affected by this state's term limit. • Open Chair - Voluntary Retirement
		Open Chair (no incumbent)

Indiana Term Limit: No more than 2 4-year terms in any 3-term period
Partisan Composition: 1 Democrat

Iowa Term Limit: None; 4-year term
Partisan Composition: 1 Democrat

Kansas Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor Bill Graves • First elected: 1994; re-relected: 1998 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and CANNOT run in the next election for Governor. • Open Chair
		Open Chair (no incumbent)

Kentucky Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democrat

Louisiana Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor M.J. "Mike" Foster • First elected: 1995; re-elected: 1999 • Chair up for election: Saturday 18 October 2003 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and CANNOT run in the next election for Governor.

Maine Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Independent

Maryland Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democrat

Massachusetts Term Limit: None; 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor Jane Swift • As Lieutenant Governor, suceeded to the office upon the resignation of Governor Argeo Paul Cellucci (Republican): 10 April 2001 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is NOT affected by this state's term limit. • Open Chair - Voluntary Retirement
		Open Chair (no incumbent)

Michigan Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor John Engler • First elected: 1990; re-elected: 1994, 1998 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and CANNOT run in the next election for Governor. • Open Chair
		Open Chair (no incumbent)

Minnesota Term Limit: None; 4-year term
Partisan Composition: 1 Independence

Mississippi Term Limit: No one can serve more than 2 4-year terms in a lifetime
Partisan Composition: 1 Democrat

Missouri Term Limit: No one can serve more than 2 4-year terms in a lifetime
Partisan Composition: 1 Democrat

Montana Term Limit: No more than 2 4-year terms in any 4-term period
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor Judy Martz • First elected: 2000 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2004 • The current Governor is NOT affected by this state's term limit.

Nebraska Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor Mike Johanns • Re-elected 5 November 2002 • First elected: 1998; re-elected: 2002 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is NOT affected by this state's term limit. • Renominated - 14 May 2002 Primary

Nevada Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor Kenny Guinn • Re-elected 5 November 2002 • First elected: 1998; re-elected: 2002 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is NOT affected by this state's term limit. • Renominated - 3 September 2002 Primary

New Hampshire Term Limit: None; 2-year term
Partisan Composition: 1 Democrat

New Jersey Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democrat

New Mexico Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor Gary E. Johnson • First elected: 1994; re-elected: 1998 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and CANNOT run in the next election for Governor. • Open Chair
		Open Chair (no incumbent)

New York Term Limit: None; 4-year term
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor George E. Pataki • Re-elected 5 November 2002 • First elected: 1994; re-elected: 1998, 2002 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is NOT affected by this state's term limit. • Renominated - 10 September 2002 Primary

North Carolina Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democrat

North Dakota Term Limit: None; 4-year term
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor John Hoeven • First elected: 2000 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2004 • The current Governor is NOT affected by this state's term limit.

Ohio Term Limit: No one can serve more than 2 4-year terms in a lifetime
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor Bob Taft • Re-elected 5 November 2002 • First elected: 1998; re-elected: 2002 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is NOT affected by this state's term limit. • Renominated - 7 May 2002 Primary

Oklahoma Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor Frank Keating • First elected: 1994; re-elected 1998 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and CANNOT run in the next election for Governor. • Open Chair
		Open Chair (no incumbent)

Oregon Term Limit: No more than 2 4-year terms in any 3-term period
Partisan Composition: 1 Democrat

Pennsylvania Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor Mark Schweiker • Assumed office: 5 October 2001 upon the resignation of Tom Ridge. • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is NOT affected by this state's term limit. • Open Chair - Voluntary Retirement
		Open Chair (no incumbent)

Rhode Island Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor Lincoln C. Almond • First elected: 1994; re-elected: 1998 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and CANNOT run in the next election for Governor. • Open Chair
		Open Chair (no incumbent)

South Carolina Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democrat

South Dakota Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor William J. Janklow • First elected to these terms: 1994; re-elected: 1998 [had previously been elected Governor in 1978 and re-elected in 1982] • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and CANNOT run in the next election for Governor. • Open Chair - NOTE:Nominee for U.S. House (At-Large seat)
		Open Chair (no incumbent)

Tennessee Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor Don Sundquist • First elected: 1994; re-elected: 1998 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and CANNOT run in the next election for Governor. • Open Chair
		Open Chair (no incumbent)

Texas Term Limit: None; 4-year term
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor Rick Perry • Re-elected 5 November 2002 • Lt. Gov. Rick Perry became Governor 21 December 2000 when George W. Bush resigned to take the office of President of the United States. First elected to a full term: 2002 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is NOT affected by this state's term limit. • Renominated - 12 March 2002 Primary

Utah Term Limit: 3 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor Michael O. Leavitt • First elected: 1992; re-elected: 1996, 2000 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2004 • The current Governor is NOT affected by this state's term limit. • Governor Leavitt is eligible to run for re-election in 2004 since he was an incumbent when Utah's term limits were adopted. [Utah Code Section 20A-10-201 (4) For purposes of calculating the term limits established by this section, no person may count the time a state officer, state representative, or state senator served in a particular office before January 1, 1995.]

Vermont Term Limit: None; 2-year term
Partisan Composition: 1 Democrat

Virginia Term Limit: 1 4-year term
Partisan Composition: 1 Democrat

Washington Term Limit: None; 4-year term
Partisan Composition: 1 Democrat

West Virginia Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democrat

Wisconsin Term Limit: None; 4-year term
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor Scott McCallum • Entered office: 2001. Lieutenant Governor Scott McCallum assumed the Governor's Chair upon the resignation of Governor Tommy G. Thompson. (Governor Thompson became Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Bush Administration.) • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is NOT affected by this state's term limit. • Renominated - 10 September 2002 - Primary

Wyoming Term Limit: No more than 2 4-year terms in any 4-term period
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

	Republican	Governor Jim Geringer • First elected: 1994; re-elected: 1998 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 5 November 2002 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and CANNOT run in the next election for Governor. • Open Chair
		Open Chair (no incumbent)