Governor of Michigan

Infobox Political post
post = Governor
body = The State of Michigan
insignia =
insigniasize =
insigniacaption =


incumbent = Jennifer Granholm
incumbentsince = January 1, 2003
style =
residence = Michigan Governor's Residences:
Lansing Residence
Governor's Summer Residence
appointer = Popularly elected
termlength = Four Years
formation = January 26, 1837
inaugural = Stevens T. Mason
website = [http://www.michigan.gov/gov michigan.gov/gov] The Governor of Michigan is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Michigan. The current governor is Jennifer Granholm, a member of the Democratic Party, who became Michigan's first female governor on January 1, 2003, when she succeeded Governor John Engler. Granholm was re-elected on 7 November 2006.

Gubernatorial elections and term of office

From statehood until the election of 1966, governors were elected to two-year terms. Elections are held in November and the governor assumes office the following January, except in the case of death or resignation. From statehood until 1851, elections were held in odd-numbered years. A new state constitution was drafted in 1850 and took effect in 1851. As part of the process bringing the constitution into effect, there was a single one-year term of governor in 1851. Thereafter elections were held on even years.

The constitution adopted in 1963 changed the governor's term to four years, starting in 1967. Since then, gubernatorial elections have been offset by two years from U.S. Presidential elections (e.g., Presidential elections were in 2000 and 2004, gubernatorial elections were in 1998 and 2002). The winner of the gubernatorial election takes office at noon on January 1 of the year following the election.

In 1992, an amendment to the Michigan constitution imposed a lifetime term limit of two four-year terms for the office of governor. Prior to this, they were not limited as to how many terms they could serve; John Engler, the governor at the time, was exempt from the rule and served three terms, reelected in 1994 and 1998 before retiring in 2003.

Executive branch departments

The Executive Branch of the State of Michigan has several Departments or agencies [ [http://www.michigan.gov/som/0,1607,7-192-29701_29702---,00.html SOM - Executive Branch] ] :

State of Michigan Departments
* Michigan Department of Agriculture
* Michigan Office of the Attorney General
* Michigan Department of Civil Rights
* Michigan Civil Service Commission
* Michigan Department of Community Health
* Michigan Department of Corrections
* Michigan Department of Education
* Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
* Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries
* Michigan Department of Human Services
* Michigan Department of Information Technology
* Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth
* Michigan Department of Management and Budget
* Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
* Michigan Department of Natural Resources
* Michigan Department of State (Secretary of State)
* Michigan State Police
* Michigan Department of Transportation
* Michigan Department of Treasury

History of the office

Forty-five people have been governors of the state. Prior to statehood, there were five governors of the Michigan Territory. Stevens T. Mason, Michigan's first governor, also served as a territorial governor. He was elected Governor of Michigan at 24 as a member of the Democratic Party in 1835 and served until 1840. Mason was the youngest state governor in United States history.

References

ee also

*Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
*List of Governors of Michigan