List of governors of New Mexico

On August 18, 1846, American forces led by Stephen W. Kearny captured Santa Fe, capital of the Mexican territory of Santa Fe de Nuevo México.^[1] A code of laws known as the Kearny Code was established on September 22, 1846.^[2] The region remained under military control until formally annexed by the United States on July 4, 1848. Following Kearny's departure for California on September 26, the chief military officer in the territory was Col. Sterling Price until October 11, 1848; Lt. Col. John M. Washington until October 23, 1849; and Col. John Munroe until the territory was organized.

Kearny appointed Charles Bent as governor before he left for California; Bent would be assassinated during the Taos Revolt on January 19, 1847. Col. Price appointed Donaciano Vigil as acting governor. A statehood convention chose Henry Connelly as governor on June 20, 1850, but this was never recognized by the federal government.

New Mexico Territory was organized on December 13, 1850.^[3] It would remain a territory for 62 years.

Governors of the Territory of New Mexico

No.	Governor		Term in office[a]	Appointing President
1		James Calhoun (1802–1852) [4]	January 9, 1851[b] – July 2, 1852 (died in office)[c]	Millard Fillmore
2		William Carr Lane (1789–1863) [7]	July 15, 1852[d] – May 6, 1853 (successor appointed)[e]	Millard Fillmore
3		David Meriwether (1800–1893) [11]	May 6, 1853[f] – August 17, 1857 (successor appointed)[g]	Franklin Pierce
4		Abraham Rencher (1798–1883) [14]	August 17, 1857[h] – May 24, 1861 (successor appointed)	James Buchanan
5		Henry Connelly (1800–1866) [17]	May 24, 1861[i] – January 15, 1866 (successor appointed)[j]	Abraham Lincoln
6		Robert Byington Mitchell (1823–1882) [22]	January 15, 1866[k] – May 28, 1869 (resigned)[l][m]	Andrew Johnson
7		William A. Pile (1829–1889) [26]	May 28, 1869[n] – July 27, 1871 (successor appointed)	Ulysses S. Grant
8		Marsh Giddings (1816–1875) [28]	July 27, 1871[o] – June 3, 1875 (died in office)[p]	Ulysses S. Grant
9		Samuel Beach Axtell (1819–1891) [32]	June 8, 1875[q] – September 4, 1878 (suspended)[r]	Ulysses S. Grant
10		Lew Wallace (1827–1905) [36]	September 4, 1878[s] – May 5, 1881 (resigned)[t]	Rutherford B. Hayes
11		Lionel Allen Sheldon (1828–1917) [40]	May 5, 1881[u] – May 23, 1885 (successor appointed)	James A. Garfield
12		Edmund G. Ross (1826–1907) [43]	May 23, 1885[v] – April 2, 1889 (successor appointed)	Grover Cleveland
13		L. Bradford Prince (1840–1922) [47]	April 2, 1889[w] – April 7, 1893 (successor appointed)	Benjamin Harrison
14		William Taylor Thornton (1843–1916) [50]	April 7, 1893[x] – April 5, 1897 (resigned)[y]	Grover Cleveland
15		Miguel Antonio Otero (1859–1944) [54]	June 2, 1897[z] – January 10, 1906 (successor appointed)	William McKinley
				Theodore Roosevelt
16		Herbert James Hagerman (1871–1935) [58]	January 10, 1906[aa] – May 3, 1907 (resigned)[ab]	Theodore Roosevelt
17		George Curry (1861–1947) [61]	May 27, 1907[ac] – February 28, 1910 (resigned)[ad]	Theodore Roosevelt
18		William J. Mills (1849–1915) [64]	March 1, 1910[ae] – January 14, 1912 (statehood)[af]	William Howard Taft

The state of New Mexico was admitted to the Union on January 6, 1912.^[67]

The state constitution of 1912 called for the election of a governor and lieutenant governor every four years. The term was changed to two years by a 1914 amendment, and lengthened back to four years in 1970. Governors originally could not succeed themselves; this was changed in 1914 to allow governors to succeed themselves once before having to take a term off. With the lengthening of the term to four years in 1970, this was changed back to prohibiting them from succeeding themselves, but in 1986 it was lengthened back to two terms. A 1962 amendment made it so that the governor and lieutenant governor are elected on a ticket (election).^[68] In the event of a vacancy in the office of governor, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.^[69]

Governors of the State of New Mexico

No.	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor[ag]
1			William C. McDonald (1858–1918) [70][71]	January 15, 1912[72] – January 1, 1917 (term-limited)[ah]	Democratic[74]	1911		Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca
2			Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca (1864–1917) [75][76]	January 1, 1917[77] – February 18, 1917 (died in office)	Democratic[74]	1916		Washington Ellsworth Lindsey[ai]
3			Washington Ellsworth Lindsey (1862–1926) [78][79]	February 18, 1917[80] – January 1, 1919 (lost nomination)[78]	Republican[74]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
4			Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo (1859–1930) [81][82]	January 1, 1919[83] – January 1, 1921 (lost nomination)[81]	Republican[74]	1918		Benjamin F. Pankey
5			Merritt C. Mechem (1870–1946) [84][85]	January 1, 1921[86] – January 1, 1923 (did not run)[84]	Republican[74]	1920		William H. Duckworth
6			James F. Hinkle (1862–1951) [87][88]	January 1, 1923[89] – January 1, 1925 (did not run)	Democratic[74]	1922		José A. Baca (died May 17, 1924)
							Vacant
7			Arthur T. Hannett (1884–1966) [90][91]	January 1, 1925[92] – January 1, 1927 (lost election)	Democratic[74]	1924		Edward G. Sargent[ai]
8			Richard C. Dillon (1877–1966) [93][94]	January 1, 1927[95] – January 1, 1931 (term-limited)[ah]	Republican[74]	1926
						1928		Hugh B. Woodward (resigned July 1929)
							Vacant
9			Arthur Seligman (1871–1933) [96][97]	January 1, 1931[98] – September 25, 1933 (died in office)	Democratic[74]	1930		Andrew W. Hockenhull
						1932
10			Andrew W. Hockenhull (1877–1974) [99][100]	September 25, 1933[101] – January 1, 1935 (did not run)	Democratic[74]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
11			Clyde Tingley (1881–1960) [102][103]	January 1, 1935[104] – January 1, 1939 (term-limited)[ah]	Democratic[74]	1934		Louis Cabeza de Baca
						1936		Hiram M. Dow
12			John E. Miles (1884–1971) [105][106]	January 1, 1939[aj] – January 1, 1943 (term-limited)[ah]	Democratic[74]	1938		James Murray Sr.
						1940		Ceferino Quintana
13			John J. Dempsey (1879–1958) [108][109]	January 1, 1943[110] – January 1, 1947 (term-limited)[ah]	Democratic[74]	1942		James B. Jones
						1944
14			Thomas J. Mabry (1884–1962) [111][112]	January 1, 1947[113] – January 1, 1951 (term-limited)[ah]	Democratic[74]	1946		Joseph Montoya
						1948
15			Edwin L. Mechem (1912–2002) [114][115]	January 1, 1951[116] – January 1, 1955 (term-limited)[ah]	Republican[74]	1950		Tibo J. Chávez[ak]
						1952
16			John F. Simms (1916–1975) [117][118]	January 1, 1955[119] – January 1, 1957 (lost election)	Democratic[74]	1954		Joseph Montoya[ak] (resigned April 9, 1957)
17			Edwin L. Mechem (1912–2002) [114][115]	January 1, 1957[120] – January 1, 1959 (lost election)	Republican[74]	1956
							Vacant
18			John Burroughs (1907–1978) [121][122]	January 1, 1959[123] – January 1, 1961 (lost election)	Democratic[74]	1958		Ed V. Mead
19			Edwin L. Mechem (1912–2002) [114][115]	January 1, 1961[al] – November 30, 1962 (resigned)[am]	Republican[74]	1960		Tom Bolack
20			Tom Bolack (1918–1998) [125][126]	November 30, 1962[127] – January 1, 1963 (successor took office)	Republican[74]	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
21			Jack M. Campbell (1916–1999) [128][129]	January 1, 1963[130] – January 1, 1967 (term-limited)[ah]	Democratic[74]	1962		Mack Easley
						1964
22			David Cargo (1929–2013) [131][132]	January 1, 1967[133] – January 1, 1971 (term-limited)[an]	Republican[74]	1966		Lee Francis
						1968
23			Bruce King (1924–2009) [134][135]	January 1, 1971[136] – January 1, 1975 (term-limited)[ao]	Democratic[74]	1970		Roberto Mondragón
24			Jerry Apodaca (1934–2023) [138][139]	January 1, 1975[140] – January 1, 1979 (term-limited)[ao]	Democratic[74]	1974		Robert E. Ferguson
25			Bruce King (1924–2009) [134][135]	January 1, 1979[141] – January 1, 1983 (term-limited)[ao]	Democratic[135]	1978		Roberto Mondragón
26			Toney Anaya (b. 1941) [142]	January 1, 1983[143] – January 1, 1987 (term-limited)[ao]	Democratic[142]	1982		Mike Runnels
27			Garrey Carruthers (b. 1939) [144]	January 1, 1987[145] – January 1, 1991 (term-limited)[ao]	Republican[144]	1986		Jack L. Stahl
28			Bruce King (1924–2009) [134][135]	January 1, 1991[146] – January 1, 1995 (lost election)	Democratic[135]	1990		Casey Luna
29			Gary Johnson (b. 1953) [147]	January 1, 1995[148] – January 1, 2003 (term-limited)[ap]	Republican[147]	1994		Walter Dwight Bradley
						1998
30			Bill Richardson (1947–2023) [150]	January 1, 2003[151] – January 1, 2011 (term-limited)[ap]	Democratic[150]	2002		Diane Denish
						2006
31			Susana Martinez (b. 1959) [152]	January 1, 2011[153] – January 1, 2019 (term-limited)[ap]	Republican[152]	2010		John Sanchez
						2014
32			Michelle Lujan Grisham (b. 1959) [154]	January 1, 2019[155] – Incumbent[aq]	Democratic[154]	2018		Howie Morales
						2022

General

Specific

• Office of the Governor of New Mexico
• New Mexico History Museum website