Governor of Rhode Island

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Governor of
the State of Rhode Island
Seal of the governor
Flag of the governor
Portrait
Incumbent
Dan McKee
since March 2, 2021
Government of Rhode Island
Style
TypeHead of state
Head of government
Member ofCabinet
ResidenceNone official
SeatState House, Providence, Rhode Island
NominatorPrimary election
AppointerPopular vote
Term lengthFour years; renewable once consecutively
Constituting instrumentConstitution of Rhode Island
FormationOriginal form:
June 1636
Current form:
November 1775
DeputyLieutenant Governor of Rhode Island
Salary$145,754.96 (2020)[1]
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's Army National Guard and Air National Guard. The current governor is Dan McKee, a member of the Democratic Party. In their capacity as commander of the national guard, the governor of Rhode Island also has the title of captain general.[2]

Qualifications[edit]

The following are the requirements to be elected Governor of Rhode Island:[3]

  • Be at least eighteen years of age
  • Be a resident of the State of Rhode Island for at least thirty days
  • Be a registered voter in Rhode Island

Constitutional authority and responsibilities[edit]

Section I, Article IX[4] of the Rhode Island Constitution reads,

Power vested in governor. – The chief executive power of this state shall be vested in a governor, who, together with a lieutenant governor, shall be elected by the people.

The Governor of Rhode Island is elected every four years and is limited to two consecutive terms. As the chief executive of the Government of Rhode Island, the governor is supported by a number of elected general officers and appointed directors of state agencies.

Responsibilities granted to the governor by the Rhode Island Constitution include the position of commander-in-chief of all components of the Rhode Island National Guard, so long as they remain un-federalized by the president of the United States, and the responsibility to submit the annual state budget to the Rhode Island General Assembly.

The governor also has the power to grant pardons and veto bills, resolutions and votes subject to a two-thirds override.

Party affiliation[edit]

Number of governors of Rhode Island by party affiliation[5]
Party Governors
Republican 32
Democratic 22
Democratic-Republican 4
Independent 4
Whig 4
Country 3
Law and Order 2
Dorr Rebellion 1
Federalist 1
Know Nothing 1
Rhode Island Party 1

Colonial Rhode Island, 1640–1775[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "State of RI Payroll Tranparency Portal". State of Rhode Island. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  2. ^ "Constitution of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations". State of Rhode Island General Assembly. Archived from the original on 18 August 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  3. ^ https://www.sos.ri.gov/assets/downloads/documents/Run-for-Office-Guide-2018.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  4. ^ "State of Rhode Island General Assembly". Archived from the original on 2018-11-12. Retrieved 2018-11-12.
  5. ^ Table does not include governors from the colonial period, when there were no organized parties in Rhode Island, and governors were generally appointed rather than elected. It also does not include acting governors.

External links[edit]