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List of governors of New York by time in office

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Governors of New York
George Clinton, the longest-serving governor of New York

This article is a list of governors of New York by time in office.

In New York, the governor is elected to a four-year term, which is 1,461 days long. There is no term limit Prior to 1938, governors were elected to a two-year term, which is 730 or 731 days long.

The longest-serving governor of New York is the first officeholder: George Clinton. The shortest-serving is Charles Poletti, who served for 29 days.

List

If a governor served non-consecutive terms, their total time in office is counted. This list is accurate as of December 23, 2024

  Incumbent
Rank Governor Time in office
(days) 		Term(s) in office Political party Refs
1 George Clinton 7,641 July 30, 1777 – June 30, 1795
July 1, 1801 – June 30, 1804 		None
Anti-Federalist
Democratic-Republican
2 Nelson Rockefeller 5,466 January 1, 1959 – December 18, 1973 Republican
3 Thomas E. Dewey 4,383 January 1, 1943 – December 31, 1954 Republican
Mario Cuomo 4,383 January 1, 1983 – December 31, 1994 Democratic
George Pataki 4,383 January 1, 1995 – December 31, 2006 Republican
6 Andrew Cuomo 3,888 January 1, 2011 – August 23, 2021 Democratic
7 Herbert H. Lehman 3,624 January 1, 1933 – December 3, 1942 Democratic
8 Daniel D. Tompkins 3,527 July 1, 1807 – February 24, 1817 Democratic-Republican
9 DeWitt Clinton 3,147 July 1, 1817 – December 31, 1822
January 1, 1825 – February 11, 1828 		Democratic-Republican
10 Al Smith 2,923 January 1, 1919 – December 31, 1920
January 1, 1923 – December 31, 1928 		Democratic
11 Hugh Carey 2,922 January 1, 1975 – December 31, 1982 Democratic
12 David B. Hill 2,551 January 6, 1885 – December 31, 1891 Democratic
13 John Jay 2,191 July 1, 1795 – June 30, 1801 Federalist
William L. Marcy 2,191 January 1, 1833 – December 31, 1838 Democratic
15 William H. Seward 1,461 January 1, 1839 – December 31, 1842 Whig
Horatio Seymour 1,461 January 1, 1853 – December 31, 1854
January 1, 1863 – December 31, 1864 		Democratic
Edwin D. Morgan 1,461 January 1, 1859 – December 31, 1862 Republican
Reuben Fenton 1,461 January 1, 1865 – December 31, 1868 Republican
John T. Hoffman 1,461 January 1, 1869 – December 31, 1872 Democratic
Benjamin Odell 1,461 January 1, 1901 – December 31, 1904 Republican
Charles Seymour Whitman 1,461 January 1, 1915 – December 31, 1918 Republican
Franklin D. Roosevelt 1,461 January 1, 1929 – December 31, 1932 Democratic
W. Averell Harriman 1,461 January 1, 1955 – December 31, 1958 Democratic
24 Enos T. Throop 1,391 March 12, 1829 – December 31, 1832 Democratic
25 Charles Evans Hughes 1,375 January 1, 1907 – October 6, 1910 Republican
26 Kathy Hochul 1,218 August 24, 2021 – present Democratic
27 Alonzo B. Cornell 1,096 January 1, 1880 – December 31, 1882 Republican
Roswell P. Flower 1,096 January 1, 1892 – December 31, 1894 Democratic
29 Morgan Lewis 1,095 July 1, 1804 – June 30, 1807 Democratic-Republican
Lucius Robinson 1,095 January 1, 1877 – December 31, 1879 Democratic
31 David Paterson 1,020 March 17, 2008 – December 31, 2010 Democratic
32 Grover Cleveland 737 January 1, 1883 – January 6, 1885 Democratic
33 Joseph C. Yates 731 January 1, 1823 – December 31, 1824 Democratic-Republican
William C. Bouck 731 January 1, 1843 – December 31, 1844 Democratic
John Young 731 January 1, 1847 – December 31, 1848 Whig
Washington Hunt 731 January 1, 1851 – December 31, 1852 Whig
Myron H. Clark 731 January 1, 1855 – December 31, 1856 Whig
Samuel J. Tilden 731 January 1, 1875 – December 31, 1876 Democratic
Levi P. Morton 731 January 1, 1895 – December 31, 1896 Republican
John Alden Dix 731 January 1, 1911 – December 31, 1912 Democratic
41 Silas Wright 730 January 1, 1845 – December 31, 1846 Democratic
Hamilton Fish 730 January 1, 1849 – December 31, 1850 Whig
John A. King 730 January 1, 1857 – December 31, 1858 Republican
John Adams Dix 730 January 1, 1873 – December 31, 1874 Republican
Frank S. Black 730 January 1, 1897 – December 31, 1898 Republican
Theodore Roosevelt 730 January 1, 1899 – December 31, 1900 Republican
Frank W. Higgins 730 January 1, 1905 – December 31, 1906 Republican
Nathan L. Miller 730 January 1, 1921 – December 31, 1922 Republican
49 Eliot Spitzer 442 January 1, 2007 – March 17, 2008 Democratic
50 Martin H. Glynn 441 October 17, 1913 – December 31, 1914 Democratic
51 Malcolm Wilson 379 December 18, 1973 – December 31, 1974 Republican
52 Nathaniel Pitcher 325 February 11, 1828 – December 31, 1828 Democratic-Republican
53 William Sulzer 290 January 1, 1913 – October 17, 1913 Democratic
54 John Tayler 127 February 24, 1817 – June 30, 1817 Democratic-Republican
55 Horace White 87 October 6, 1910 – December 31, 1910 Republican
56 Martin Van Buren 71 January 1, 1829 – March 12, 1829 Democratic
57 Charles Poletti 29 December 3, 1942 – December 31, 1942 Democratic

References

  1. ^ "New York". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  2. "George Clinton". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved April 26, 2022. Immensely popular with the people of New York, Clinton was elected governor in 1777, serving 21 years (1777–95; 1801–04) as a forceful leader and able administrator.
  3. "CLINTON, George". History, Art & Archives. United States House of Representatives. Retrieved April 26, 2022. Governor of New York 1777-1795; president of the State convention which ratified the Federal Constitution; again Governor of New York 1801-1804
  4. "Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  5. "Thomas Edmund Dewey". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  6. "Mario Matthew Cuomo". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  7. "Horatio Seymour". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  8. "Horatio Seymour". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  9. Villeneuve, Marina (August 24, 2021). "Hochul vows swift action as she takes helm in New York". Associated Press. Retrieved April 27, 2022. Kathy Hochul became the first female governor of New York on Tuesday
  10. Krieg, Gregory (August 24, 2021). "Kathy Hochul becomes governor of New York as Cuomo leaves in disgrace". CNN. Retrieved April 27, 2022. Kathy Hochul was sworn in as New York's first female governor shortly after the stroke of midnight on Tuesday
  11. "David A. Paterson". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  12. "Grover Cleveland". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved May 25, 2022. In 1882, without the support of the Tammany Hall Democratic machine in New York City, Cleveland received his party's nomination for governor, and he went on to crush his Republican opponent by more than 200,000 votes.
  13. "Steven Grover Cleveland". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  14. "Joseph Christopher Yates". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  15. "Joseph Christopher Yates". Historical Society of the New York Courts. Judiciary of New York. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  16. "William C. Bouck". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  17. "John Young". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  18. "Washington Hunt". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  19. "HUNT, Washington". History, Art & Archives. United States House of Representatives. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  20. "Myron Holley Clark". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  21. "Myron H. Clark". empirestateplaza.ny.gov. New York (state). Retrieved May 21, 2022. 19th Governor, 1855–1856
  22. "Samuel J. Tilden". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved May 21, 2022. Elected governor (1874) on a reform platform, he won national recognition for his efficient administration and for exposing the Canal Ring, a conspiracy of politicians and contractors engaged in defrauding the state.
  23. "Samuel Tilden Biography". National Park Service. Retrieved May 21, 2022. Elected governor of New York in 1874, he continued building his reputation for reform by attacking and breaking the "Canal Ring," individuals whom had made millions of dollars illegally from contracts for the repair and extension of the state's lucrative canals.
  24. "Levi Morton". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved May 21, 2022. After serving as vice president, he was elected governor of New York (1895–96), lending support to civil-service reform.
  25. "Levi P. Morton". Miller Center. 4 October 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2022. In 1894, Morton was elected governor of New York, and he was instrumental in creating Greater New York City, merging New York City and Brooklyn. He briefly sought the presidential nomination in 1896, but William McKinley outmaneuvered him. Afterwards, Morton decided not to run for a second term as governor, preferring instead to retire back to the world of finance, creating the Morton Trust Company in 1897, which was subsequently merged with J.P. Morgan's Fifth Avenue Trust.
  26. "John Alden Dix". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  27. "Silas Wright". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  28. Jenkins, John S. (1851). Lives of the governors of the state of New York. Auburn, New York, Derby, Miller & Co. LCCN 06043460. OL 6977889M. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  29. Corning, Amos Elwood (1918). Hamilton Fish. New York, The Lanmere publishing Co. pp. 30–34. LCCN 18021543. OL 13498658M. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  30. "John Alsop King". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  31. "John Adams Dix". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved May 10, 2022. In 1872, was elected governor of New York.
  32. "John Adams Dix". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  33. "Frank Swett Black". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  34. Cooper, John Milton. "Theodore Roosevelt". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved May 12, 2022. On his return, the Republican bosses in New York tapped Roosevelt to run for governor, despite their doubts about his political loyalty. Elected in 1898, he became an energetic reformer, removing corrupt officials and enacting legislation to regulate corporations and the civil service. Elected with McKinley, Roosevelt chafed at his powerless office until September 14, 1901, when McKinley died after being shot by an assassin and he became president.
  35. Morris, Edmund (1979). The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt. New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan. ISBN 9780698107830. LCCN 78023789.
  36. "Francis Wayland Higgins". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  37. "THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEES. Records of the Candidates Selected for the State Ticket" (PDF). The New York Times. September 15, 1904. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  38. "Nathan Lewis Miller". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  39. "Nathan L. Miller". Historical Society of the New York Courts. Judiciary of New York. Retrieved May 21, 2022. Justice Miller entered the gubernatorial race in 1920 and defeated incumbent Democrat Alfred E. Smith. He ran on a conservative platform and believed in limited government. Justice Miller served as the 43rd governor of New York for a two year term (1921–1922) and greatly reduced the budget by eliminating many state jobs he deemed unnecessary.
  40. "Eliot Spitzer". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  41. "Eliot Spitzer". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved April 30, 2022. Promising to reform state politics, Spitzer won a landslide victory. Soon after taking office in 2007, however, he saw his popularity decline. In March 2008 it was revealed that Spitzer was being investigated for his alleged involvement with a prostitution ring. Days later he announced his resignation, effective March 17.
  42. "Martin Henry Glynn". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  43. "Martin Henry Glynn Papers". New York State Library. New York State Education Department. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  44. "Malcom Wilson". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  45. Saxon, Wolfgang (March 14, 2000). "Former Gov. Malcolm Wilson, 86, Is Dead". The New York Times. p. 31. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  46. "Nathaniel Pitcher". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  47. "William Sulzer". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved April 30, 2022. In 1912 he was elected governor of New York with the support of the Tammany organization. Soon after he took office, however, an intraparty fight between Sulzer and Tammany boss Charles F. Murphy led to Sulzer's impeachment on charges that were ambiguous and referred to conduct prior to his election as governor. The state senate convicted him and removed him from office (Oct. 18, 1913)
  48. "William Sulzer". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  49. Barbagallo, Tricia. "John Tayler". exhibitions.nysm.nysed.gov. New York State Education Department. Retrieved April 27, 2022. In 1817, he was acting governor for four months when Tompkins resigned to become vice president.
  50. "Horace White". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2022. 37th Governor, October 6, 1910–December 31, 1910
  51. "Horace White". empirestateplaza.ny.gov. New York (state). Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  52. Benjamin, Gerald (2012). The Oxford Handbook of New York State Government and Politics. Oxford University Press. p. 322. ISBN 9780199996353. New York's attorney general from 1999 through 2006, Eliot Spitzer, after gaining national stature as a Wall Street giant-slayer, became the first New Yorker in that office to win the governorship since Martin Van Buren's eventual rise from attorney general (1815–1819) to a very brief term as governor (January 1, 1829–March 12, 1829).
  53. "Charles Poletti". National Governors Association. January 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  54. "Charles Poletti". empirestateplaza.ny.gov. New York. Retrieved April 27, 2022. 46th Governor, Dec. 3–Dec. 31, 1942
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