Undesirable Exits: Not All Long-Serving Governors Went Out On Their Own Terms

Forty percent of the longest-serving governors in U.S. history left office far short of a storybook ending

Speculation ran wild on Wednesday that embattled Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber was going to announce his resignation after days of pressure stemming from a new ethics investigation on him and his fiancée Cylvia Hayes.

Kitzhaber was reportedly poised to resign, but then changed his mind and decided to forge ahead – come what may of the state investigation.

On Thursday, top Democratic leaders from both state legislative chambers as well as Treasurer Ted Wheeler called on the governor to resign in what has been a remarkably swift onslaught of bipartisan pressure on Kitzhaber to step down from office.

On Friday, it was announced Kitzhaber would resign effective next Wednesday.

As previously reported by Smart Politics, Kitzhaber (along with California Democrat Jerry Brown) currently ranks #20 in all-time statehood gubernatorial service, logging in more than 12 years and one month on the job.

If Kitzhaber had completed his term he would have passed up Republican Bill Janklow of South Dakota for second place on the list by three days.

However, Kitzhaber will add his name to a list of long-serving governors who, despite having a long and impressive resume, did not get to leave office on their own terms.

Although he was the first to resign among them due to a scandal.

A Smart Politics analysis of the governors with the Top 25 longest tenures in U.S. history finds that 40 percent of them – 10 including John Kitzhaber – exited office by losing their party’s nomination, losing the general election, resigning due to scandal, or dying in office.

Of the top 25 longest-serving statehood governors, two (as of next week, excluding Kitzhaber) are still in office:

● #1 Iowa Republican Terry Branstad (1983-1999, 2011-present; 7,338 days)
● #20 (t) California Democrat Jerry Brown (1975-1983, 2011-present; 4,423 days)

Two others resigned from office, not under pressure to do so, but to take new positions:

● #9 New York Republican Nelson Rockefeller (1959-1973; 5,466 days) to work on his Commission on Critical Choices for Americans (and became Vice President soon thereafter)
● #11 Wisconsin Republican Tommy Thompson (1987-2001; 5,142 days) to become Secretary of Health and Human Services

Two governors were term-limited:

● #2 South Dakota Republican Bill Janklow (1979-1987, 1995-2003; 5,851 days) who won a seat in Congress in the 2002 cycle instead
● #4 (t) North Carolina Democrat Jim Hunt (1977-1985, 1993-2001; 5,840 days)

Nine others opted not to run for reelection:

● #3 Alabama Democrat George Wallace (1963-1967, 1971-1979, 1983-1987; 5,848 days)
● #6 Louisiana Democrat Edwin Edwards (1972-1980, 1984-1988, 1992-1996; 5,784 days)
● #10 Texas Republican Rick Perry (2000-2015; 5,144 days)
● #12 Idaho Democrat Cecil Andrus (1971-1977, 1987-1995; 5,133 days)
● #13 New Hampshire Federalist John Gilman (1794-1805, 1813-1816; 5,119 days)
● #14 Illinois Republican James Thompson (1977-1991; 5,118 days)
● #15 Iowa Republican Robert Ray (1969-1983; 5,112 days)
● #16 Michigan Republican William Milliken (1969-1983; 5,093 days)
● #25 Washington Republican Dan Evans (1965-1977; 4,385 days)

Note: While Edwards was not forced out of office, two years later he was indicted and convicted on federal racketeering charges.

That leaves 10 of the Top 25 longest-serving governors who, despite their numerous victories and once popular record with the public, did not leave on their own terms:

● #4 (t) Ohio Republican Jim Rhodes (1963-1971, 1975-1983; 5,840 days) was term-limited in 1982, but sought a fifth term in 1986 and was easily defeated in the general election by incumbent Richard Celeste.

● #7 Rhode Island Anti-Federalist Arthur Fenner (1790-1805; 5,642 days) died in office in 1805.

● #8 Maryland Democrat Albert Ritchie (1920-1935; 5,475 days) was narrowly defeated in his quest for a fifth consecutive term in 1934 by Republican Harry Nice.

● #17 Arizona Democrat George Hunt’s (1911-1919, 1923-1929, 1931-1933; 5,090 days) attempt at an eighth nonconsecutive term fell short when he was defeated by 6.2 points in the 1932 Democratic primary by Benjamin Moeur. Hunt sought a rematch with Governor Moeur in the 1934 primary but placed third and then died that December.

● #18 Rhode Island Jeffersonian-Republican / Jacksonian Democrat / Law and Order Governor James Fenner (1807-1811, 1824-1831, 1843-1845; 4,749 days) lost reelection three times – in 1811, in 1831, and in 1845 to Whig Liberation Party nominee Charles Jackson after his last term in office. (Fenner also lost the Election of 1832).

● #19 New Jersey Jeffersonian-Republican Isaac Williamson (1817-1829; 4,650 days) was defeated by Jacksonian Garret Wall by a 37 to 15 vote after partisan control of the legislature flipped. (Wall declined and the governorship went to Peter Vroom). Williamson would become mayor of Elizabethtown but never returned to the governor’s office.

● #20 (t) Oregon Democrat John Kitzhaber (1995-2003, 2011-present; 4,423 days) will resign next week.

● #22 Tennessee Jeffersonian-Republican/Democrat William Carroll (1821-1827, 1829-1835; 4,395 days) lost his bid for a seventh non-consecutive term to former U.S. Representative and Anti Van-Buren Democrat Newton Cannon in 1835.

● #23 West Virginia Republican Arch Moore (1969-1977, 1985-1989; 4,391 days) was defeated by Gaston Caperton in his attempt at a fourth non-consecutive four-year term in 1988. Moore was also the losing GOP nominee in the Election of 1980.

● #24 New Mexico Democrat Bruce King (1971-1975, 1979-1983, 1991-1995; 4,386 days) lost his reelection bid during the Republican revolution of 1994 to Gary Johnson.

Top 25 Longest-Serving Statehood Governors in U.S. History

#	State	Governor	Party	Years	# Days
1	IA	Terry Branstad*	Republican	1983-1999, 2011-present	7,338
2	SD	William Janklow	Republican	1979-1987, 1995-2003	5,851
3	AL	George Wallace	Democrat	1963-1967, 1971-1979, 1983-1987	5,848
4	NC	Jim Hunt	Democrat	1977-1985, 1993-2001	5,840
4	OH	Jim Rhodes	Republican	1963-1971, 1975-1983	5,840
6	LA	Edwin Edwards	Democrat	1972-1980, 1984-1988, 1992-1996	5,784
7	RI	Arthur Fenner	Anti-Federalist	1790-1805	5,642
8	MD	Albert Ritchie	Democrat	1920-1935	5,475
9	NY	Nelson Rockefeller	Republican	1959-1973	5,466
10	TX	Rick Perry	Republican	2000-2015	5,144
11	WI	Tommy Thompson	Republican	1987-2001	5,142
12	ID	Cecil Andrus	Democrat	1971-1977, 1987-1995	5,133
13	NH	John Gilman	Federalist	1794-1805, 1813-1816	5,119
14	IL	James Thompson	Republican	1977-1991	5,118
15	IA	Robert Ray	Republican	1969-1983	5,112
16	MI	William Milliken	Republican	1969-1983	5,093
17	AZ	George Hunt	Democrat	1911-1919, 1923-1929, 1931-1933	5,090
18	RI	James Fenner	Jeff-Rep; Jack-Dem, Law & Order	1807-1811, 1824-1831, 1843-1845	4,749
19	NJ	Isaac Williamson	Jeffersonian Republican	1817-1829	4,650
20	OR	John Kitzhaber*	Democrat	1995-2003; 2011-present	4,423
20	CA	Jerry Brown*	Democrat	1975-1983; 2011-present	4,423
22	TN	William Carroll	Jeffersonian-Republican; Democrat	1821-1827, 1829-1835	4,395
23	WV	Arch Moore	Republican	1969-1977, 1985-1989	4,391
24	NM	Bruce King	Democrat	1971-1975, 1979-1983, 1991-1995	4,386
25	WA	Dan Evans	Republican	1965-1977	4,385

* Denotes a governor still in office. Through February 13, 2015. Note: Excludes pre-U.S. Constitutional gubernatorial service as well as gubernatorial service in U.S. territories. Data compiled by Smart Politics.

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