2011 Governor's Chairs by State

The Green Papers: 2011 Off-Year Election

2011 Governor's Chairs
by State

3 Governor's Chairs up for election in 2011

3 Elected

47 Governor's Chairs not up for election in 2011

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

1 Incumbent renominated by same party

1 Democratic

1 Incumbent Governor - election status not yet determined (primaries and/or nominating conventions yet to be held)

1 Republican

62 Candidates seeking a Governor's Chair (Candidates may run under the banner of multiple parties. Hence, the number of parties may be greater than the number of candidates.)

This is a list of the current Governors' chairs, the incumbents occupying them, and the candidacy status of said incumbents. Chairs up for election in the year 2011 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

Gubernatorial Links



Alabama 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Alaska 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Arizona 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: The Governor can not serve for more than 8 years
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Arkansas 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: No one can serve more than 2 4-year terms in a lifetime
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Mike Beebe • First elected: 2006, re-elected: 2010 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2014 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and cannot run for re-election. • Open Chair - At term limit

California 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr. • First elected: 2010 (Governor Brown served 2 terms as Governor-- from 1975 through 1983) • Chair up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2014 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit.

Colorado 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor John W. Hickenlooper • First elected: 2010 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2014 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit.

Connecticut 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Dannel P. "Dan" Malloy • First elected: 2010 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2014

Delaware 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012. Term Limit: No one can serve more than 2 4-year terms in a lifetime
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Jack A. Markell • First elected: 2008 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 6 November 2012 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit.

Florida 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Georgia 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Hawaii 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Neil Abercrombie • First elected: 2010 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2014 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit.

Idaho 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Illinois 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Patrick "Pat" Quinn • As Lieutenant Governor, entered office 29 January 2009 upon the removal from office of Governor Rod Blagojevich. First elected: 2010 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2014

Indiana 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012. Term Limit: No more than 2 4-year terms in any 3-term period
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Iowa 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Kansas 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Kentucky 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2007, 2011. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Steven L. "Steve" Beshear • Re-elected Tuesday 8 November 2011 • First elected: 2007 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 8 November 2011 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit. • Renominated - 17 May 2011 Primary

Louisiana 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2007, 2011. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Maine 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms. GOVERNOR is the only Statewide elected officer
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Maryland 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Martin O'Malley • First elected: 2006; re-elected: 2010 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2014 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and cannot run for re-election. • Open Chair - at term limit

Massachusetts 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Deval L. Patrick • First elected: 2006; re-elected: 2010 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2014

Michigan 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Minnesota 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Mark Dayton • First elected: 2010 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2014

Mississippi 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2007, 2011. Term Limit: No one can serve more than 2 4-year terms in a lifetime
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Missouri 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012. Term Limit: No one can serve more than 2 4-year terms in a lifetime
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Jeremiah W. "Jay" Nixon • First elected: 2008 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 6 November 2012 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit.

Montana 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012. Term Limit: No more than 2 4-year terms in any 4-term period
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Brian Schweitzer • First elected: 2004; re-elected: 2008 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 6 November 2012 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and cannot run for re-election.

Nebraska 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Nevada 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

New Hampshire 2 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2012. Term Limit: None. GOVERNOR is the only Statewide elected officer
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor John H. Lynch • First elected: 2004; re-elected: 2006, 2008, 2010 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 6 November 2012 • Open Chair - 15 September 2011: Announced he will not run for re-election.

New Jersey 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2009, 2013. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

New Mexico 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

New York 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Andrew M. Cuomo • First elected: 2010 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2014

North Carolina 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Beverly Eaves "Bev" Perdue • First elected: 2008 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 6 November 2012 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit.

North Dakota 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Ohio 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Oklahoma 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Oregon 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: No more than 2 4-year terms in any 3-term period
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor John A. Kitzhaber • First elected: 2010 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2014 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit.

Pennsylvania 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Rhode Island 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Independent

South Carolina 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

South Dakota 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Tennessee 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms. GOVERNOR is the only Statewide elected officer
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Texas 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Utah 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Vermont 2 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2012. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Peter Shumlin • First elected: 2010 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 6 November 2012

Virginia 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2009, 2013. Term Limit: ineligble to immediately succeed after a given 4-year term
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Washington 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Christine "Chris" Gregoire • First elected: 2004; re-elected: 2008 • Chair up for election: Tuesday 6 November 2012 • Open Chair - 13 June 2011: "Today, I say I will not run for a third term as governor ...."

West Virginia 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Earl Ray Tomblin • Ascended to the Governor's chair as acting Governor when Governor Joe Manchin, III resigned to take office as a U.S. Senator: 15 November 2010. First elected in a Special Election: 4 October 2011. • Chair up for election: Tuesday 6 November 2012 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit. • Special Election: Tuesday 4 October 2011. Next regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2012

Wisconsin 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Wyoming 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2010, 2014. Term Limit: No more than 2 4-year terms in any 4-term period. The Wyoming Supreme Court determined on 4 May 2004 that term limits require an amendment to the state constitution rather than, as they were, imposed by a 1992 ballot initiative. At the time, the ruling was not applied to statewide offices. Reference: CATHCART v. MEYER, 2004 WY 49, 88 P.3d 1050, Case Number: 04-32, 04-33, 04-34, Decided: 05/04/2004
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Political Parties Parties appear in parenthesis and italics when a candidate receives the endorsement of a given Party and/or official sources indicate a candidate's association with a particular Party but only where the Party in question does not appear on the actual ballot as such.

Major Parties
	• Democratic
	• Republican
Major Third Parties
	• Constitution
	• Libertarian
Other Third Parties
	• Marijuana
Independents
	• Independent
	• No Party Affiliation

Notes

Candidates for office appear on this page in italics where 'The Green Papers' does not yet have independent confirmation from a legal election authority that the person has been officially certified to appear on the ballot.