List of Iowa governors from first to last

Iowa joined the Union on December 28, 1846, becoming the 29th state of the United States. The state is often called the “Food Capital of the World,” as it’s a leading producer of corn, soybeans, pork, and eggs in the U.S. Its fertile soil and advanced farming techniques contribute to its significant role in agriculture.

Ansel Briggs became the first governor of Iowa on December 3, 1846.

Here is a chronological list of the governors of Iowa from First to last.

No.	Governor	Term in Office	Party
1	Ansel Briggs	December 3, 1846 – December 4, 1850	Democratic
2	Stephen P. Hempstead	December 4, 1850 – December 9, 1854	Democratic
3	James W. Grimes	December 9, 1854 – January 14, 1858	Whig
4	Ralph P. Lowe	January 14, 1858 – January 11, 1860	Republican
5	Samuel J. Kirkwood	January 11, 1860 – January 14, 1864	Republican
6	William M. Stone	January 14, 1864 – January 16, 1868	Republican
7	Samuel Merrill	January 16, 1868 – January 11, 1872	Republican
8	Cyrus C. Carpenter	January 11, 1872 – January 13, 1876	Republican
9	Samuel J. Kirkwood (2nd term)	January 13, 1876 – February 1, 1877	Republican
10	Joshua G. Newbold	February 1, 1877 – January 17, 1878	Republican
11	John H. Gear	January 17, 1878 – January 12, 1882	Republican
12	Buren R. Sherman	January 12, 1882 – January 14, 1886	Republican
13	William Larrabee	January 14, 1886 – February 27, 1890	Republican
14	Horace Boies	February 27, 1890 – January 11, 1894	Democratic
15	Frank D. Jackson	January 11, 1894 – January 16, 1896	Republican
16	Francis M. Drake	January 16, 1896 – January 13, 1898	Republican
17	L. M. Shaw	January 13, 1898 – January 16, 1902	Republican
18	Albert B. Cummins	January 16, 1902 – November 24, 1908	Republican
19	Warren Garst	November 24, 1908 – January 14, 1909	Republican
20	Beryl F. Carroll	January 14, 1909 – January 16, 1913	Republican
21	George W. Clarke	January 16, 1913 – January 11, 1917	Republican
22	William L. Harding	January 11, 1917 – January 13, 1921	Republican
23	Nathan E. Kendall	January 13, 1921 – January 15, 1925	Republican
24	John Hammill	January 15, 1925 – January 15, 1931	Republican
25	Dan W. Turner	January 15, 1931 – January 12, 1933	Republican
26	Clyde L. Herring	January 12, 1933 – January 14, 1937	Democratic
27	Nelson G. Kraschel	January 14, 1937 – January 12, 1939	Democratic
28	George A. Wilson	January 12, 1939 – January 14, 1943	Republican
29	Bourke B. Hickenlooper	January 14, 1943 – January 11, 1945	Republican
30	Robert D. Blue	January 11, 1945 – January 13, 1949	Republican
31	William S. Beardsley	January 13, 1949 – November 21, 1954	Republican
32	Leo Elthon	November 21, 1954 – January 13, 1955	Republican
33	Leo Hoegh	January 13, 1955 – January 17, 1957	Republican
34	Herschel C. Loveless	January 17, 1957 – January 12, 1961	Democratic
35	Norman A. Erbe	January 12, 1961 – January 17, 1963	Republican
36	Harold Hughes	January 17, 1963 – January 1, 1969	Democratic
37	Robert D. Fulton	January 1, 1969 – January 16, 1969	Democratic
38	Robert D. Ray	January 16, 1969 – January 14, 1983	Republican
39	Terry Branstad	January 14, 1983 – January 15, 1999	Republican
40	Tom Vilsack	January 15, 1999 – January 12, 2007	Democratic
41	Chet Culver	January 12, 2007 – January 14, 2011	Democratic
42	Terry Branstad (2nd term)	January 14, 2011 – May 24, 2017	Republican
43	Kim Reynolds	May 24, 2017 – Incumbent	Republican