2015 Governor's Chairs by State

The Green Papers: 2015 General Election

2015 Governor's Chairs
by State

3 Governor's Chairs up for election in 2015

3 Elected

47 Governor's Chairs not up for election in 2015

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

1 Incumbent renominated by same party

1 Republican

79 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 2015 are marked as such.

There have been 0 deaths, 1 resignation, and 0 changes of party affiliation in 2015.

Governor John A. Kitzhaber ( (Democratic - Oregon) resigned 18 February 2015 amid scandal involving payments from and advocacy group. Secretary of State Kate Brown (Democratic) ascended to the Governor's chair upon his resignation.

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Gubernatorial Links



Alabama 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Alaska 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Independent

Arizona 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: The Governor can not serve for more than 8 years
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Arkansas 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: No one can serve more than 2 4-year terms in a lifetime
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

California 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. 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); re-elected: 2014 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and cannot run for re-election. • Open Chair

Colorado 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor John W. Hickenlooper • First elected: 2010; re-elected: 2014 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and cannot run for re-election. • Open Chair

Connecticut 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Dannel P. "Dan" Malloy • First elected: 2010; re-elected: 2014 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018

Delaware 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2012, 2016. 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; re-elected: 2012 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and cannot run for re-election. • Open Chair

Florida 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Georgia 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Hawaii 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor David Yutaka Ige • First elected: 2014 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit. • for Lieutenant Governor: Lieutenant Governor Shan S. Tsutsui

Idaho 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Illinois 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Indiana 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2012, 2016. Term Limit: No more than 2 4-year terms in any 3-term period
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Iowa 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Kansas 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Kentucky 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2011, 2015. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

Open	Democratic	Governor Steven L. "Steve" Beshear • First elected: 2007; re-elected: 2011 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 3 November 2015 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and cannot run for re-election. • Open Chair - At Term Limit
		Open Chair (no incumbent)

Louisiana 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2011, 2015. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Maine 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms. GOVERNOR is the only Statewide elected officer
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Maryland 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Massachusetts 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Michigan 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Minnesota 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Mark Dayton • First elected: 2010; re-elected: 2014 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018

Mississippi 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2011, 2015. 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: 2012, 2016. 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; re-elected: 2012 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and cannot run for re-election. • Open Chair - At term limit.

Montana 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2012, 2016. Term Limit: No more than 2 4-year terms in any 4-term period
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Steve Bullock • First elected: 2012 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit.

Nebraska 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Nevada 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

New Hampshire 2 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2016. Term Limit: None. GOVERNOR is the only Statewide elected officer
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Maggie Hassan • First elected: 2012; re-elected: 2014 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016 • Open Chair - 5 October 2015: Candidate for the U.S. Senate Class 3 Seat in 2016.

New Jersey 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2013, 2017. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

New Mexico 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

New York 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Andrew M. Cuomo • First elected: 2010; re-elected: 2014 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018

North Carolina 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2012, 2016. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

North Dakota 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2012, 2016. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Ohio 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Oklahoma 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Oregon 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: No more than 2 4-year terms in any 3-term period
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Kate Brown • Ascended to the Governor's chair 18 February 2015 re: resignation of John A. Kitzhaber (Democratic). • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit. • Governor Brown will serve until a Tuesday 8 November 2016 Special Election.

Pennsylvania 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Tom Wolf • First elected: 2014 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit.

Rhode Island 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Gina Marie Raimondo • First elected: 2014 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit.

South Carolina 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

South Dakota 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Tennessee 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms. GOVERNOR is the only Statewide elected officer
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Texas 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Utah 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2012, 2016. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Vermont 2 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2016. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Peter Shumlin • First elected: 2010; re-elected: 2012, 2014. • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016 • Open Chair - 8 June 2015: "I am announcing today that I will not be a candidate for a fourth term in 2016."

Virginia 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2013, 2017. Term Limit: ineligble to immediately succeed after a given 4-year term
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Terry McAuliffe • First elected: 2013 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 7 November 2017 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and cannot run for re-election. • Open Chair

Washington 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2012, 2016. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic

	Democratic	Governor Jay R. Inslee • First elected: 2012 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016

West Virginia 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2012, 2016. 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. Re-elected: 2012 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and cannot run for re-election. • Open Chair

Wisconsin 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. Term Limit: None
Partisan Composition: 1 Republican

Wyoming 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2014, 2018. 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
	• Reform
Other Third Parties
	• Marijuana
Independents
	• Independent
Write-in/Scattered/otherwise not readily classifiable
	• Write-in

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.