The Royal Governor of La Florida ruled over the colonial administrative district known as the colony of La Florida. The first European to arrive there was Juan Ponce de León, in 1513. This district was subordinated to the Viceroyalty of New Spain. The territory was at several times under the administration of France, Spain, Great Britain, before becoming the Florida Territory on March 30, 1822 and finally the 27th state of the United States on March 3, 1845. Spanish Governors (1565-1763) Appointed by Philip II Pedro Menéndez de Avilés: (September 8, 1565 - September 17, 1574) Hernando de Miranda: (1575–1577) Pedro Menéndez de Márquez: (1577–1589) Gutierre de Miranda: (1589–1592) Rodrigo del Junco: (1592) Domingo Martínez de Avendaño: (1594–1596) Gonzalo Méndez de Canço: (1596–1603) Appointed by Philip III Pedro de Ibarra: (1603–1609) Juan Fernández de Olivera: (1609–1613) Juan Treviño de Guillamas: (1613–1618) Juan de Salinas: (1618–1624) Appointed by Philip IV Luis de Rojas y Borja: (1624–1630) Andrés Rodríguez de Villegas: (1630–1633) Luis de Horruytiner: (1633–1639) Damián de Vega Castro y Pardo: (1639–1645) Benito Ruíz de Salazar Vallecilla: (1645–1646) Pedro Horruytiner Benedit: (1646–1647) (interim) Benito Ruíz de Salazar Vallecilla: (1647–1650) Nicolás Ponce de León: (1650–1654) Pedro Horruytiner Benedit: (1654–1655) Diego de Rebolledo: (1655–1659) Alonso de Aranguiz y Cortés: (1659–1664) Francisco de la Guerra y de la Vega: (1664–1670) Appointed by Charles II Manuel de Cendoya: (1670–1675) Pablo de Hita y Salazar: (1675–1680) Juan Márquez Cabrera: (1680–1687) Diego de Quiroga y Losado: (1687–1693) Laureano de Torres y Ayala: (1693–1699) José de Zúñiga y la Cerda: (1699–1706) Appointed by Philip V Francisco de Córcoles y Martínez: (1706–1716) Pedro de Olivera y Fullana: (1716) Juan de Ayala y Escobar: (1716–1718) (interim) Antonio de Benavides: (1718–1734) Francisco del Moral y Sánchez: (1734–1737) Manuel de Montiano y Luyando: (1737–1749) Appointed by Ferdinand VI Melchor de Navarrete: (1749–1752) Fulgencio García de Solís: (1752–1755) Alonso Fernández de Heredia: (1755–1758) Lucas Fernando de Palacio y Valenzuela: (1758–1761) Appointed by Charles III Alonso de Cárdenas: (1761–1762) Melchor Feliú: (1762–1763) British Governors of East Florida (1763-1784) Appointed by George III Major General James Grant: (1763–1771) Major John Moultrie: (1771–1774) General Patrick Tonyn: (1774–1784) British Governors of West Florida (1763-1784) Appointed by George III Commodore George Johnstone: (1763–1767) Brigadier General Montfort Browne: (1767–1769) Captain John Eliot: (1769) - Royal Navy officer, committed suicide 1769 Captain Lieutenant Elias Durnford: (1769–1770) - British Army Engineer, Commanding Engineer and Surveyor General of West Florida Peter Chester: (1770 - May 9, 1781) - British Army officer (1717–1799) Spanish Governors of East Florida (1784-1821) Appointed by Charles III Vicente Manuel de Céspedes y Velasco: (July 12, 1784 - July 1790) Appointed by Charles IV Juan Nepomuceno de Quesada y Barnuevo: (July 1790 - March 1796) Bartolomé Morales: (March 1796 - June 1796) (interim) Enrique White: (June 1796 - March 1811) Appointed by Ferdinand VII Juan José de Estrada: (March 1811 - June 1812) Sebastián Kindelán y Oregón: (June 1812 - June 1815) Juan José de Estrada: (June 1815 - January 1816) José María Coppinger: (January 1816 - July 10, 1821) Spanish Governors of West Florida (1784-1821) Appointed by Charles III Arturo O'Neill y Tyrone: (May 9, 1781–1794) Appointed by Charles IV Enrique White: (1794–1796) Francisco de Paula Gelabert: (1796) Vincente Folch y Juan: (June 1796 - March 1811) Appointed by Ferdinand VII Francisco San Maxent: (March 1811 - 1812) Mauricio de Zúñiga: (1812–1813) Mateo González Manrique: (1813–1815) José de Soto: (1815–1816) Mauricio de Zúñiga: (1816) Francisco San Maxent: (1816) José Fascot: (1816 - May 26, 1818) Appointed by United States William King: (May 26, 1818 - February 4, 1819) Appointed by Ferdinand VII José María Callava: (February 4, 1819 - July 17, 1821) The Governor of Florida is the head of the executive branch of Florida's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Florida legislature, to convene the legislature, and to grant pardons, except in cases of impeachment. When Florida was first acquired by the United States, future president Andrew Jackson served as its military governor. As a territory, five people served as governor over six distinct terms. The first territorial governor, William Pope Duval, served 12 years, the longest of any governor. Since statehood there have been 43 people who have served as governor, one of whom served two distinct terms. Three state governors have served two full four-year terms: William D. Bloxham, in two stints; and Reubin Askew and Jeb Bush, who each served their terms consecutively. Bloxham spent slightly longer in office than the others at eight years, six days, whereas the other two both served three days short of eight years. The shortest term in office belongs to Wayne Mixson, who served three days following the resignation of his predecessor. The current governor is Rick Scott, who takes office on January 2, 2011. His term expires on January 4, 2015. Military governor Spanish Florida was acquired from Spain in the Adams-Onís Treaty, which took effect July 10, 1821. Parts of West Florida had already been assigned to Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi; the remainder and East Florida were governed by the commander of the military force that had helped secure American influence in the region.
| Governor | Took office | Left office | Appointed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Jackson | March 10, 1821 | December 31, 1821 | James Monroe |
Florida Territory was organized on March 30, 1822, combining East and West Florida
| Governor | Took office | Left office | Appointed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Pope Duval | April 17, 1822 | April 24, 1834 | James Monroe John Quincy Adams Andrew Jackson |
| John Eaton | April 24, 1834 | March 16, 1836 | Andrew Jackson |
| Richard K. Call | March 16, 1836 | December 2, 1839 | Andrew Jackson |
| Robert R. Reid | December 2, 1839 | March 19, 1841 | Martin Van Buren |
| Richard K. Call | March 19, 1841 | August 11, 1844 | William Henry Harrison John Tyler |
| John Branch | August 11, 1844 | June 25, 1845 | John Tyler |
Governors of the State of Florida The State of Florida was admitted to the Union on March 3, 1845. It seceded from the Union on January 10, 1861, and joined the Confederate States of America on February 8, 1861, as a founding member; there was no Union government in exile, so there was a single line of governors. Following the end of the American Civil War, it was part of the Third Military District.Florida was readmitted to the Union on June 25, 1868. The first Florida Constitution, ratified in 1838, provided that a governor be elected every four years, who was not allowed to serve consecutive terms. The secessionist constitution of 1861 would have reduced this to two years and removed the term limit, but the state fell to the Union before the first election under that constitution. The rejected constitution of 1865 and the ratified constitution of 1868 maintained the four-year term, though without the earlier term limit, which was reintroduced in the 1885 constitution. The current constitution of 1968 states that should the governor serve, or would have served had they not resigned, more than six years in two consecutive terms, he cannot be elected to the succeeding term. The start of a term was set in 1885 at the first Tuesday after the first Monday in the January following the election, where it has remained. Originally, the president of the state senate acted as governor should that office be vacant. The 1865 and 1868 constitutions created the office of lieutenant governor, who would similarly act as governor. This office was abolished in 1885, with the president of the senate again taking on that duty. The 1968 constitution recreated the office of lieutenant governor, who now becomes governor in the absence of the governor. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected on the same ticket. Florida was a strongly Democratic state before the Civil War, electing only candidates from the Democratic and Whig parties. It elected three Republican governors following Reconstruction, but after the Democratic Party re-established control, 78 years passed before voters chose another Republican. Democratic (34) Whig (1) Provisional (1) Republican (7) Prohibition (1)
| Governor | Term start | Term end | Party | Lt. Governor | Terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Dunn Moseley | June 25, 1845 | October 1, 1849 | Democratic | None | 1 |
| Thomas Brown | October 1, 1849 | October 3, 1853 | Whig | None | 1 |
| James E. Broome | October 3, 1853 | October 5, 1857 | Democratic | None | 1 |
| Madison Starke Perry | October 5, 1857 | October 7, 1861 | Democratic | None | 1 |
| John Milton | October 7, 1861 | April 1, 1865 | Democratic | None | 1/2 |
| Abraham K. Allison | April 1, 1865 | May 19, 1865 | Democratic | None | 1/2 |
| William Marvin | July 13, 1865 | December 20, 1865 | Provisional | None | |
| David S. Walker | December 20, 1865 | July 4, 1868 | Democratic | William W. J. Kelly | |
| Harrison Reed | July 4, 1868 | January 7, 1873 | Republican | William Henry Gleason Edmund C. Weeks Samuel T. Day | 1 |
| Ossian B. Hart | January 7, 1873 | March 18, 1874 | Republican | Marcellus Stearns | 1/2 |
| Marcellus Stearns | March 18, 1874 | January 2, 1877 | Republican | Vacant | 1/2 |
| George Franklin Drew | January 2, 1877 | January 4, 1881 | Democratic | Noble A. Hull | 1 |
| William D. Bloxham | January 4, 1881 | January 7, 1885 | Democratic | Livingston W. Bethel | 1 |
| Edward A. Perry | January 7, 1885 | January 8, 1889 | Democratic | Milton H. Mabry | 1 |
| Francis P. Fleming | January 8, 1889 | January 3, 1893 | Democratic | None | 1 |
| Henry L. Mitchell | January 3, 1893 | January 5, 1897 | Democratic | None | 1 |
| William D. Bloxham | January 5, 1897 | January 8, 1901 | Democratic | None | 1 |
| William Sherman Jennings | January 8, 1901 | January 3, 1905 | Democratic | None | 1 |
| Napoleon B. Broward | January 3, 1905 | January 5, 1909 | Democratic | None | 1 |
| Albert W. Gilchrist | January 5, 1909 | January 7, 1913 | Democratic | None | 1 |
| Park Trammell | January 7, 1913 | January 2, 1917 | Democratic | None | 1 |
| Sidney Johnston Catts | January 2, 1917 | January 4, 1921 | Prohibition | None | 1 |
| Cary A. Hardee | January 4, 1921 | January 6, 1925 | Democratic | None | 1 |
| John W. Martin | January 6, 1925 | January 8, 1929 | Democratic | None | 1 |
| Doyle E. Carlton | January 8, 1929 | January 3, 1933 | Democratic | None | 1 |
| David Sholtz | January 3, 1933 | January 5, 1937 | Democratic | None | 1 |
| Fred P. Cone | January 5, 1937 | January 7, 1941 | Democratic | None | 1 |
| Spessard Holland | January 7, 1941 | January 2, 1945 | Democratic | None | 1 |
| Millard F. Caldwell | January 2, 1945 | January 4, 1949 | Democratic | None | 1 |
| Fuller Warren | January 4, 1949 | January 6, 1953 | Democratic | None | 1 |
| Daniel T. McCarty | January 6, 1953 | September 28, 1953 | Democratic | None | 1/3 |
| Charley Eugene Johns | September 28, 1953 | January 4, 1955 | Democratic | None | 1/3 |
| LeRoy Collins | January 4, 1955 | January 3, 1961 | Democratic | None | 1/3+1 |
| C. Farris Bryant | January 3, 1961 | January 5, 1965 | Democratic | None | 1 |
| W. Haydon Burns | January 5, 1965 | January 3, 1967 | Democratic | None | 1 |
| Claude R. Kirk, Jr. | January 3, 1967 | January 5, 1971 | Republican | None Ray C. Osborne | 1 |
| Reubin Askew | January 5, 1971 | January 2, 1979 | Democratic | Thomas Burton Adams, Jr. Jim Williams | 2 |
| Bob Graham | January 2, 1979 | January 3, 1987 | Democratic | Wayne Mixson | 11/2 |
| Wayne Mixson | January 3, 1987 | January 6, 1987 | Democratic | Vacant | 1/2 |
| Bob Martinez | January 6, 1987 | January 8, 1991 | Republican | Bobby Brantley | 1 |
| Lawton Chiles | January 8, 1991 | December 12, 1998 | Democratic | Buddy MacKay | 11/2 |
| Buddy MacKay | December 12, 1998 | January 5, 1999 | Democratic | Vacant | 1/2 |
| Jeb Bush | January 5, 1999 | January 2, 2007 | Republican | Frank Brogan Toni Jennings | 2 |
| Charlie Crist | January 2, 2007 | January 4, 2011 | Independant | Jeff Kottkamp | 1 |
Fourteen of Florida's governors have served higher federal offices, including one President of the United States, two U.S. Cabinet secretaries, and one ambassador. One served as Governor of North Carolina, and all fourteen were elected to the U.S. Congress, though only nine represented Florida, and only seven actually took their seats. One died before taking office, and the other was refused his seat by the U.S. Senate shortly after the American Civil War, because Florida had not yet been reconstructed. One governor (marked with *) resigned to take his seat in the Senate.
| Governor | Gubernatorial Term | Other offices held |
|---|---|---|
| Andrew Jackson | 1821 (military) | U.S. Representative and Senator from Tennessee President of the United States |
| William Pope Duval | 1822–1834 (territorial) | U.S. Representative from Kentucky |
| John Eaton | 1834–1836 (territorial) | U.S. Senator from Tennessee Minister to Spain, U.S. Secretary of War |
| Richard K. Call | 1836–1839, 1841–1844 (territorial) | Territorial Delegate from Florida Territory |
| Robert R. Reid | 1839–1841 (territorial) | U.S. Representative from Florida U.S. Representative from Georgia |
| John Branch | 1844–1845 (territorial) | U.S. Representative and Senator from North Carolina Governor of North Carolina U.S. Secretary of the Navy |
| William Marvin | 1865 | Elected to the U.S. Senate but was refused seat |
| Napoleon B. Broward | 1905–1909 | Elected to the U.S. Senate but died before taking office |
| Park Trammell | 1913–1917 | U.S. Senator from Florida |
| Spessard Holland | 1941–1945 | U.S. Senator from Florida |
| Millard F. Caldwell | 1945–1949 | U.S. Representative from Florida |
| Bob Graham* | 1979–1987 | U.S. Senator from Florida |
| Lawton Chiles | 1991–1998 | U.S. Senator from Florida |
| Buddy MacKay | 1998–1999 | U.S. Representative from Florida |