The
longest-serving incumbent U.S. governor is
Greg Abbott of
Texas, who took office on January 20, 2015. The most recently inaugurated governor is
Mikie Sherrill of
New Jersey, who took office on January 20, 2026. A total of 15 current governors previously served as
lieutenant governor, while 13 previously served in the
United States House of Representatives. The governor's office has
term limits in 37 states and 4 territories; these terms are four years except in
New Hampshire and
Vermont, where governors serve two-year terms. The average age of governors at the time of their inauguration was about 59 years old.
Alabama governor
Kay Ivey (born 1944) is the oldest current governor, and
Arkansas governor
Sarah Huckabee Sanders (born 1982) is the youngest. As of January 2026, there are 14
female state governors serving. Of the 50 state governors, 47 are
non-Hispanic white, one is
Hispanic (
Michelle Lujan Grisham of
New Mexico), one is
Black (
Wes Moore of
Maryland), and one is
Native American (
Kevin Stitt of
Oklahoma). The notation "(term limits)" after the year indicates that the governor is ineligible to seek re-election in that year; the notation "(retiring)" indicates that the governor has announced their intention not to seek re-election at the end of the term nor to run for another office. ==Territory governors==