Connecticut Governor

Governor of Connecticut
Seal of the Governor
Incumbent Dannel Malloy since January 5, 2011
Style	His Excellency
Residence	Connecticut Governor's Residence
Term length	Four years
Inaugural holder	Jonathan Trumbull
Deputy	Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut
Salary	$150,000 (2013)
Website	www.ct.gov/governor

The Governor of Connecticut is the elected head of the executive branch of Connecticut's state government, and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Connecticut General Assembly and to convene the legislature. Unusual among U.S. governors, the Governor of Connecticut has no power to pardon. The Governor of Connecticut is automatically a member of the state's Bonding Commission. He is an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Connecticut and Yale University.

There have been 68 post-Revolution governors of the state, serving 72 distinct spans in office. The longest terms in office were in the state's early years, when four governors were elected to nine or more one-year terms. The longest was that of the first governor, Jonathan Trumbull, who served over 14 years, but 7 of those as colonial governor; the longest-serving state governor — with no other position included in the term — was his son, Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., who served over 11 years. The shortest term was that of Hiram Bingham III, who served only one day before resigning to take an elected seat in the U.S. Senate. Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., is noted for a rare third party win in American politics, having been elected to a term in 1990 representing A Connecticut Party.

The current governor is Dan Malloy, who took office on January 5, 2011.

Connecticut was one of the original Thirteen Colonies and was admitted as a state on January 9, 1788. Before it declared its independence, Connecticut was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain. Like most early states, Connecticut had claims to western areas, but did not cede all of its claims during the formation of the country like the other states. It maintained its Western Reserve until 1800, at which time it was reassigned to the Northwest Territory.