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Governors
Governors in South Carolina were initially chosen by the Lords' Proprietors.
When South Carolina became a Royal Colony, the person chosen to fill
the position was chosen by the English Monarch. Between 1776 and 1779
the position was called the President. After 1776, the governor was
chosen based upon the South Carolina Constitution. While governed under
the Articles of Confederation, the Governor was chosen by the General
Assembly for a term of two years. In 1790, under South Carolina's Constitution,
the General Assembly chose the Governor for two years. The South Carolina
Constitution of 1865 allowed for a Governor to be elected by the voters
for a two year term. New Constitutions were written in 1868 and 1895.
John Gardiner Richards Jr. was the first Governor to be elected for a
four year term.
| Governor |
Took Office |
Left Office |
| Sayle, William |
15 Mar 1670 |
4 Mar 1671 |
| West, Joseph |
4 Mar 1671 |
19 Apr 1672 |
| Yeamans, John |
19 Apr 1672 |
Aug 1674 |
| West, Joseph |
13 Aug 1674 |
Oct 1682 |
| Morton, Joseph |
Oct 1682 |
Aug 1684 |
| Kyrle, Richard |
Aug 1684 |
Aug 1684 |
| West, Joseph |
30 Aug 1684 |
1 Jul 1685 |
| Quary, Robert |
Jul 1684 |
Oct 1685 |
| Morton, Joseph |
Oct 1685 |
Nov 1686 |
| Colleton, James |
Nov 1686 |
1690 |
| Sothell, Seth |
1690 |
1692 |
| Ludwell, Philip |
11 Apr 1692 |
May 1693 |
| Smith, Thomas |
May 1693 |
16 Nov 1694 |
| Blake, Joseph |
Nov 1694 |
17 Aug 1695 |
| Archdale, John |
17 Aug 1695 |
29 Oct 1696 |
| Blake, Joseph |
29 Oct 1696 |
7 Sep 1700 |
| Moore, James |
11 Sep 1700 |
Mar 1703 |
| Johnson, Nathaniel |
Mar 1703 |
26 Nov 1709 |
| Tynte, Edward |
26 Nov 1709 |
26 Jun 1709 |
| Gibbes, Robert |
Jun 1710 |
19 Mar 1712 |
| Craven, Charles |
19 Mar 1712 |
23 Apr 1716 |
| Daniell, Robert |
25 Apr 1716 |
1717 |
| Johnson, Robert |
1717 |
21 Dec 1719 |
| Moore, James II |
21 Dec 1719 |
30 May 1721 |
| Nicholson, Francis |
30 May 1721 |
7 May 1725 |
| Middleton, Arthur |
7 May 1725 |
Dec 1730 |
| Johnson, Robert |
15 Dec 1730 |
3 May 1735 |
| Broughton, Thomas |
3 May 1735 |
22 Nov 1737 |
| Bull, William |
22 Nov 1737 |
17 Dec 1743 |
| Horsey, Samuel |
1738 |
Appointed, Never Governed |
| Glen, James |
17 Dec 1743 |
1 Jun 1756 |
| Lyttleton, William Henry |
1 Jun 1756 |
5 Apr 1760 |
| Pownall, Thomas |
1760 |
Appointed, Never Governed |
| Bull, William II |
5 Apr 1760 |
22 Dec 1761 |
| Boone |
22 Dec 1761 |
14 May 1764 |
| Bull, William II |
May 1764 |
Jun 1766 |
| Montagu, Charles Greville |
12 Jun 1766 |
May 1768 |
| Bull, William II |
May 1768 |
30 Oct 1768 |
| Montagu, Charles Greville |
30 Oct 1768 |
31 Jul 1769 |
| Bull, William II |
31 Jul 1769 |
15 Sep 1771 |
| Montagu, Charles Greville |
15 Sep 1771 |
6 Mar 1773 |
| Bull, William II |
6 Mar 1773 |
18 Jun 1775 |
| Campbell, William |
18 Jun 1775 |
15 Sep 1775 |
| Laurens, Henry |
1775 |
1776 |
| Rutledge, John |
26 Mar 1776 |
5 Mar 1778 |
| Lowndes, Rawlins |
6 Mar 1778 |
9 Jan 1779 |
| Rutledge, John |
9 Jan 1779 |
31 Jan 1782 |
| Mathews, John |
31 Jan 1782 |
4 Feb 1783 |
| Guerard, Benjamin |
4 Feb 1783 |
11 Feb 1785 |
| Moultrie, William |
11 Feb 1785 |
20 Feb 1787 |
| Pinckney, Thomas |
20 Feb 1787 |
26 Jan 1789 |
| Pinckney, Charles |
26 Jan 1789 |
5 Dec 1792 |
| Moultrie, William |
5 Dec 1792 |
17 Dec 1794 |
| Vanderhorst, Arnoldus |
17 Dec 1794 |
8 Dec 1796 |
| Pinckney, Charles |
8 Dec 1796 |
18 Dec 1798 |
| Rutledge, Edward |
18 Dec 1798 |
23 Jan 1800 |
| Drayton, John |
23 Jan 1800 |
8 Dec 1802 |
| Richardson, James Burchill |
8 Dec 1802 |
7 Dec 1804 |
| Hamilton, Paul |
7 Dec 1804 |
9 Dec 1806 |
| Pinckney, Charles |
9 Dec 1806 |
10 Dec 1808 |
| Drayton, John |
10 Dec 1808 |
8 Dec 1810 |
| Middleton, Henry |
8 Dec 1810 |
10 Dec 1812 |
| Alston, Joseph |
10 Dec 1812 |
10 Dec 1814 |
| Williams, David Rogerson |
10 Dec 1814 |
5 Dec 1816 |
| Pickens, Andrew |
5 Dec 1816 |
8 Dec 1818 |
| Geddes, John |
8 Dec 1818 |
7 Dec 1822 |
| Bennett, Thomas Jr |
7 Dec 1820 |
7 Dec 1822 |
| Wilson, John Lyde |
7 Dec 1822 |
3 Dec 1824 |
| Manning, Richard Irvine |
3 Dec 1824 |
9 Dec 1826 |
| Taylor, John |
9 Dec 1826 |
10 Dec 1828 |
| Miller, Stephen Decatur |
10 Dec 1828 |
9 Dec 1830 |
| Hamilton, James Jr |
9 Dec 1830 |
10 Dec 1832 |
| Hayne, Robert Young |
10 Dec 1832 |
9 Dec 1834 |
| McDuffie, George |
9 Dec 1834 |
10 Dec 1836 |
| Butler, Pierce Mason |
10 Dec 1836 |
7 Dec 1838 |
| Noble, Patrick |
7 Dec 1838 |
7 Apr 1840 |
| Henagan, Barnabas Kelet |
7 Apr 1840 |
9 Dec 1840 |
| Richardson, John Peter II |
9 Dec 1840 |
8 Dec 1842 |
| Hammond, James Henry |
8 Dec 1842 |
7 Dec 1844 |
| Aiken, William Jr |
7 Dec 1844 |
8 Dec 1846 |
| Johnson, David |
8 Dec 1846 |
12 Dec 1848 |
| Seabrook, Whitemarsh B |
12 Dec 1848 |
13 Dec 1850 |
| Means, John Hugh |
13 Dec 1850 |
9 Dec 1852 |
| Manning, John Lawrence |
9 Dec 1852 |
11 Dec 1854 |
| Adams, James Hopkins |
11 Dec 1854 |
9 Dec 1856 |
| Allston, Robert F W |
9 Dec 1856 |
10 Dec 1858 |
| Gist, William Henry |
10 Dec 1858 |
14 Dec 1860 |
| Pickens, Francis Wilkinson |
14 Dec 1860 |
17 Dec 1862 |
| Bonham, Milledge Luke |
17 Dec 1862 |
18 Dec 1864 |
| Magrath, Andrew Gordon |
18 Dec 1864 |
25 May 1865 |
| Perry, Benjamin Franklin |
30 Jun 1865 |
29 Nov 1865 |
| Scott, Robert Kingston |
6 Jul 1868 |
7 Dec 1872 |
| Moses, Franklin I Jr |
7 Dec 1872 |
1 Dec 1874 |
| Chamberlain, Daniel Henry |
1 Dec 1874 |
14 Dec 1876 |
| Hampton, Wade III |
14 Dec 1876 |
26 Feb 1879 |
| Simpson, William Dunlap |
26 Feb 1879 |
1 Sep 1880 |
| Jeter, Thomas Bothwell |
1 Sep 1880 |
30 Nov 1880 |
| Hagood, Johnson |
30 Nov 1880 |
1 Dec 1882 |
| Thompson, Hugh Smith |
1 Dec 1882 |
10 Jul 1886 |
| Sheppard, John Calhoun |
10 Jul 1886 |
30 Nov 1886 |
| Richardson, John Peter III |
30 Nov 1886 |
4 Dec 1890 |
| Tillman, Benjamin Ryan |
4 Dec 1890 |
4 Dec 1894 |
| Evans, John Gary |
4 Dec 1894 |
18 Jan 1897 |
| Ellerbe, William Haselden |
18 Jan 1897 |
2 Jun 1899 |
| McSweeney, Miles Benjamin |
2 Jun 1899 |
20 Jan 1903 |
| Heyward, Duncan Clinch |
20 Jan 1903 |
15 Jan 1907 |
| Ansel, Martin Frederick |
15 Jan 1907 |
17 Jan 1911 |
| Blease, Coleman Livingston |
17 Jan 1911 |
14 Jan 1915 |
| Smith, Charles Aurelius |
14 Jan 1915 |
19 Jan 1915 |
| Manning, Richard Irvine III |
19 jan 1915 |
21 Jan 1919 |
| Cooper, Robert Archer |
21 Jan 1919 |
20 May 1922 |
| Harvey, Wilson Godfrey |
20 May 1922 |
16 Jan 1923 |
| McLeod, Thomas Gordon |
16 Jan 1923 |
18 Jan 1927 |
| Richards, John Gardiner Jr |
18 Jan 1927 |
20 Jan 1931 |
| Blackwood, Ibra Charles |
20 Jan 1931 |
15 Jan 1935 |
| Johnston, Olin D |
15 Jan 1935 |
17 Jan 1939 |
| Maybank, Burnet R |
17 Jan 1939 |
4 Nov 1941 |
| Harley, Joseph Emile |
4 Nov 1941 |
27 Feb 1942 |
| Jefferies, Richard Manning |
27 Feb 1942 |
19 Jan 1943 |
| Johnston, Olin D |
19 Jan 1943 |
2 Jan 1945 |
| Williams, Ransome Judson |
2 Jan 1945 |
21 Jan 1947 |
| Thurmond, Strom |
21 Jan 1947 |
16 Jan 1951 |
| Byrnes, James Francis |
16 Jan 1951 |
18 Jan 1955 |
| Timmerman, George Bell Jr |
18 Jan 1955 |
20 Jan 1959 |
| Hollings, Ernest |
20 Jan 1959 |
15 Jan 1963 |
| Russell, Donald Stuart |
15 Jan 1963 |
22 Apr 1965 |
| McNair, Robert Evander |
22 Apr 1965 |
19 Jan 1971 |
| West, John C |
19 Jan 1971 |
21 Jan 1975 |
| Edwards, James Burrows |
21 Jan 1975 |
10 Jan 1979 |
| Riley, Richard Wilson |
10 Jan 1979 |
14 Jan 1987 |
| Campbell, Carroll A Jr |
14 Jan 1987 |
11 Jan 1995 |
| Beasley, David Muldrow |
11 Jan 1995 |
13 Jan 1999 |
| Hodges, James Hovis |
13 Jan 1999 |
15 Jan 2003 |
| Sanford, Mark |
15 Jan 2003 |
12 Jan 2011 |
| Haley, Nikki |
12 Jan 2011 |
Present |
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