Initially after the
American Revolution, parts of the area now known as Wisconsin were claimed by
Virginia,
Massachusetts and
Connecticut; however, Virginia ceded its claim in 1784, Massachusetts in 1785 and Connecticut in 1786. On July 13, 1787, the
Northwest Territory, including the area now called Wisconsin, was formed; Wisconsin remained part of the territory until 1800. The territorial governor during this period was
Arthur St. Clair. As parts of the Northwest Territory were admitted to the
Union as states, Wisconsin became part of first the
Indiana Territory (1800–1809), then the
Illinois Territory (1809–1818), and then the
Michigan Territory (1818–1836); As the region no longer had an official governor, Territorial Secretary
John Catlin acted as governor of the region.
State of Wisconsin Wisconsin was admitted to the Union on May 29, 1848. Since then, it has had 45 governors, one of whom served non-consecutive terms. Governors of Wisconsin are not
term limited.
Lucius Fairchild,
Jeremiah McLain Rusk,
Robert M. La Follette,
Emanuel L. Philipp,
John J. Blaine,
Walter J. Kohler Jr.,
Warren P. Knowles and
Tommy Thompson are one of eight Wisconsin governors to have served three terms. Thompson is the only person to have won four terms having been elected in 1986 and re-elected in 1990, 1994 and again in 1998 before resigning in February 2001. The state constitution provides for the election of a
lieutenant governor; originally, the governor and lieutenant governor were elected on different
tickets, and thus were not necessarily of the same
party. Since the 1967 amendment, however, the two have been nominated, and voted on, together. If any of these events occur while the office of lieutenant governor is vacant, the
secretary of state becomes either governor or acting governor. Two Wisconsin governors have died while in office, one has died after being elected but before taking office, and four have resigned. ==See also==