The following is the planned order of succession for the governorships of the 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and the five organized territories of the United States, according to the constitutions (and supplemental laws, if any) of each. Some states make a distinction whether the succeeding individual is acting as governor or becomes governor.
From 1980 to 1999, there were 13 successions of governorships. From 2000 to 2019 this number increased to 29. The only instance since at least 1980 in which the second in line reached a state governorship was on January 8, 2002, when New Jersey Attorney General John Farmer Jr. acted as governor for 90 minutes between Donald DiFrancesco and John O. Bennett's terms in that capacity as president of the Senate following governor Christine Todd Whitman's resignation. In 2019, Secretary of Justice of Puerto Rico Wanda Vázquez Garced became governor when both the governor and secretary of state resigned in Telegramgate.
From 1945 to 2016, 39 of those who succeeded to the governorship ran for and won election to a full term.
Established by Article V, Section 127 of the Constitution of Alabama.
Established by Article III, Section 10 of the Constitution of Alaska.
Established by Article V, Section 6 of the Constitution of Arizona.
Established by Article VI, Section 5 of the Constitution of Arkansas as amended.
Established by Article V, Section 10 of the Constitution of California and (GOV) Title 2, Division 3, Part 2, Art. 5.5 of the California Codes.
Established by Article IV, Section 13(7) of the Constitution of Colorado.
Established by Article IV, Sections 18âÂÂ21 of the Constitution of Connecticut.
Established by Article III, Section 20 of the Constitution of Delaware.
Established by Article IV, Section 3 of the Constitution of Florida and Florida Statute 14.055.
Established by Article V, Section 1, Paragraph V of the Constitution of Georgia.
Established by Article V, Section 4 of the Constitution of Hawaii and Title 4 ç26-2 of the Hawaii code.
Established by Article IV, Sections 12âÂÂ14 of the Constitution of Idaho.
Established by Article V, Section 6 of the Constitution of Illinois and the Governor Succession Act
Established by Article V, Section 10 of the Constitution of Indiana.
Established by Article IV, Sections 17âÂÂ19 of the Constitution of Iowa.
Established by KSA Statute 75âÂÂ125 and the Emergency Interim Executive and Judicial Succession Act of 1994.
Established by Sections 84, 85 and 87 of the Kentucky Constitution.
Established by Article IV, Section 14 of the Constitution of Louisiana.
Established by Article V, Part 1, Section 14 of the Constitution of Maine.
Established by Article II, Section 6 of the Constitution of Maryland.
Established by Article LV of the Constitution of Massachusetts.
Established by Article V, Section 26 of the Constitution of Michigan, Section 10.2 of the Revised Statutes of 1846 and the Emergency Interim Executive Succession Act (PA 202 of 1959, Section 31.4)
Established by Article V, Section 5 of the Minnesota Constitution and Minnesota Statute 4.06.
Established by Article V, Section 131 of the Constitution of Mississippi.
Established by Article IV, Section 11(a) of the Constitution of Missouri.
Established by Article VI, Section 6 of the Constitution of Montana and Montana Code 2-16-511 to 2-16-513.
Established by Article IV, Section 16 of the Constitution of Nebraska and Nebraska Revised Statutes 84-120 and 84-121.
Established by Nevada Revised Statute 223.080.
Established by Part 2, Article 49 of the Constitution of New Hampshire.
Established by Article V, Section I, Paragraph 7 of the Constitution of New Jersey and New Jersey Revised Statute 52:14A-4.
Established by Article V, Section 7 of the Constitution of New Mexico
Established by Article IV, Sections 5âÂÂ6 of the New York Constitution and Article 1-A, Section 5 of the Defense Emergency Act of 1951.
Established by Article III, Section 3, of the Constitution of North Carolina and G.S. Section 147.11.1.
Established by Article V, Section 11 of the Constitution of North Dakota.
Established by Article III, Section 15 of the Constitution of Ohio and Title I, Chapter 161 of the Ohio Revised Code.
As provided by Article VI, Section 15 of the Constitution of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Emergency Interim Executive and Judicial Succession Act.
Established by Article V, Section 8a of the Constitution of Oregon
Established by Article IV, Sections 13âÂÂ14 of the Pennsylvania Constitution
Established by Article IX, Sections 9âÂÂ10 of the Constitution of Rhode Island
Established by Article IV, Sections 6 and 7 of the South Carolina Constitution and South Carolina Code of Laws sections 1-3-120, 1-3-130 and 1-9-30.
Established by Article IV, Section 6 of the Constitution of South Dakota.
Established by Article III, Section 12 of the Constitution of Tennessee and Acts 1941, Chapter 99 ç1.
Established by Article IV, Sections 3a and 16âÂÂ18 of the Constitution of Texas and Chapter 401.023 of Title 4 the Texas Gov't Code.
Established by Article VII, Section 11 of the Constitution of Utah and the Emergency Interim Succession Act (C53-2a-803).
Established by Chapter II, Section 20 of the Constitution of Vermont, 3 VSA ç1 and 20 VSA ç183.
Established by Article V, Section 16 of the Constitution of Virginia.
Established by Article III, Section 10 of the Constitution of Washington.
Established by ç6A-1-4a of the West Virginia Code.
Established by Article V, Sections 7 and 8 of the Constitution of Wisconsin.
Established by Article IV, Section 6 of the Wyoming Constitution.
Established by Title IV, Section 421(c)(2) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act.
Established by Article IV, Section 4 Constitution of American Samoa and Section 4.0106 of the American Samoa Codes Annotated.
Established by Subchapter 1, Section 1422(b) of the Guam Organic Act of 1950.
Established by Article III, Section 7 of the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Constitution.
Established by Article IV, Section 8 of the Constitution of Puerto Rico and Law No. 7 of 2005
Established by Subsection IV ç1595(b, e) of the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands and the Executive Succession Act of 1972