Rick Perry Cracks the Top 50

This week Texas Republican Governor Rick Perry will pass former GOP Colorado Governor John Love for 50th place on the list of the longest serving governors in U.S. history. Perry has served 3,842 days (10 years, 6 months, 8 days) since taking over for George W. Bush in December 2000. Perry recently passed up former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee who ranks #52 at 3,832 days. The list excludes gubernatorial service tallied before statehood was achieved (e.g. George Clinton of New York, who served for more than 10 years before New York became a state in July 1788). With that caveat, Iowa Republican Governor Terry Branstad, now in the midst of his fifth four-year term, tops the list at 6,012 days and counting (16 years, 5 months, 17 days). If Governor Perry serves out his full term ending in January 2015 he will have risen to #12 on the list with 5,144 days served – nipping Wisconsin’s Tommy Thompson by two days.