List of governors of Mississippi

The <a href="/facts/Governor_of_Mississippi/Sb10SDKM">governor of Mississippi</a> is the <a href="/facts/Head_of_government/eHYPvGWL">head of government</a> of <a href="/facts/Mississippi/7KwuWxxT">Mississippi</a> and the commander-in-chief of the <a href="/facts/U.S._state/PFwcRIYQ">state</a>'s <a href="/facts/Mississippi_National_Guard/TWpfQ5jd">military forces</a>. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the <a href="/facts/Mississippi_Legislature/u49Wg0vY">Mississippi Legislature</a>, to convene the legislature at any time, and, except in cases of treason or impeachment, to grant <a href="/facts/Pardon/zRufmfFx">pardons</a> and reprieves.
To be elected governor, a person must be at least 30 years old, and must have been a citizen of the United States for twenty years and a resident of Mississippi for at least five years at the time of inauguration. The <a href="/facts/Constitution_of_Mississippi/AwBEdxCb">Constitution of Mississippi</a>, ratified in 1890, calls for a four-year term for the governor, elected via the <a href="/facts/Two-round_system/2sFF4NBG">two-round system</a> since a <a href="/facts/2020_Mississippi_elections/RAkecgsM">2020 referendum</a>. Prior to this, the governor was elected by an <a href="/facts/Electoral_college/Gnusx0AM">electoral college</a> composed of the districts represented in the <a href="/facts/Mississippi_House_of_Representatives/Whx10CGW">Mississippi House of Representatives</a>, with a <a href="/facts/Contingent_election/0QD6yTSe">contingent election</a> held in the House in the event no candidate received a majority of district electors. The term length was originally two years, with no limit on how many terms they could serve. The 1832 constitution limited governors to serving no more than four out of every six years. When terms were lengthened to four years in 1868, this limit was removed. The 1890 constitution forbid governors from succeeding themselves, but a 1986 amendment allows them to succeed themselves once. The office of the lieutenant governor was created in the 1817 constitution, abolished in 1832, and recreated in 1868. When the office of governor becomes vacant for any reason, the lieutenant governor exercises the powers of governor for the remainder of the term. The governor and the lieutenant governor are not officially elected on the same ticket.
The current governor is <a href="/facts/Mississippi_Republican_Party/ds3SQhVY">Republican</a> <a href="/facts/Tate_Reeves/VqaEq0QL">Tate Reeves</a>, who took office January 14, 2020.

List of governors of Mississippi open-in-new

List of governors of Mississippi