The governor of Rhode Island is the

head of government In the Executive (government), executive branch, the head of government is the highest or the second-highest official of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presid ...

of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's

Army National Guard The Army National Guard (ARNG) is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States Army. It is simultaneously part of two differen ...

and

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia (United States), militia of each U.S. ...

. The current

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Dan McKee Daniel J. McKee (born June 16, 1951) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 76th governor of Rhode Island since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he also served as Rhode Island's 69th Lie ...

, 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. Rhode Island is one of the few states that currently does not have a governor's mansion or other

official residence An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless of whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority (either their own or that of th ...

Qualifications

The following are the requirements to be elected Governor of Rhode Island: *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

Section I, Article IX of the

Rhode Island Constitution The Constitution of the State of Rhode Island is a document describing the structure and function of the government of the U.S. State of Rhode Island. 1842 Constitution Constitutional Convention Rhode Island held a constitutional convention in ...

reads, 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 government of the state of Rhode Island is prescribed from a multitude of sources; the main sources are the Rhode Island Constitution, the General Laws, and executive orders. The governmental structure is modeled on the Government of the Uni ...

, 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 The Rhode Island National Guard consists of the: * Rhode Island Army National Guardbr>* Rhode Island Air National Guardbr>** 102nd Information Warfare Squadron ** 143d Airlift Wing ** 281st Combat Communications Group ** 282nd Combat Communicat ...

, so long as they remain un-federalized by the

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

, and the responsibility to submit the annual state budget to the

Rhode Island General Assembly The State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the lower Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 representatives, and the upper Rhode Island Se ...

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

Party affiliation

Colonial Rhode Island, 1640–1775

References

External links

Office of the Governor Executive Orders
from the Rhode Island State Archives
State Photographer Alex Tavares photographs
from the Rhode Island State Archives {{DEFAULTSORT:Rhode Island, List of Governors of *

Governors A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...