List of governors of Iowa

Governor of Iowa
State seal
Incumbent
Kim Reynolds
since May 24, 2017
Government of Iowa
StyleThe Honorable
ResidenceTerrace Hill
Term lengthFour years, no term limits
PrecursorGovernor of Iowa Territory
Inaugural holderAnsel Briggs
FormationDecember 3, 1846
(177 years ago) (1846-12-03)
Salary$130,000 (2022)[1]
Websitegovernor.iowa.gov

The governor of Iowa is the head of government of the U.S. state of Iowa. The governor is the head of the executive branch of the state government[2] and is charged with enforcing state laws.[3] The officeholder has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Iowa General Assembly,[4] to convene the legislature,[5] as well as to grant pardons, except in cases of treason and impeachment.[6] The governor of Iowa is also the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.[7]

There have been 41 individuals who held the position of Iowa governor, with two of those serving multiple distinct terms, Samuel J. Kirkwood and Terry Branstad. The current governor, Kim Reynolds, is the first woman to hold the position and was sworn in on May 24, 2017. The longest-serving is Terry Branstad, who served from 1983 to 1999 and then again from 2011 to 2017. He is the longest-serving governor in U.S. history, surpassing the previous record of 21 years set by George Clinton of New York. The shortest-serving was Robert D. Fulton, who served 16 days.

  1. ^ "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries". The Council of State Governments. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  2. ^ IA Const. art. IV, § 1.
  3. ^ IA Const. art. IV, § 9.
  4. ^ IA Const. art III, § 16
  5. ^ IA Const. art. IV, § 11.
  6. ^ IA Const., art. IV, § 16.
  7. ^ IA Const. art. IV, § 7.