Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania | |
---|---|
Residence | Governor's Residence |
Term length | Four years renewable once |
Inaugural holder | Thomas Mifflin |
Formation | December 21, 1790 |
Deputy | Michael J. Stack III |
Salary | $187,256 (2013) |
Website | governor.pa.gov |
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the head of the executive branch of Pennsylvania's state government and serves as the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.
The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to approve or veto bills passed by the Pennsylvania Legislature and to convene the legislature. The governor may grant pardons except in cases of impeachment, but only when recommended by the Board of Pardons.
There have been seven presidents and 46 governors of Pennsylvania, with two governors serving non-consecutive terms, totaling 55 terms in both offices. The longest term was that of the first governor, Thomas Mifflin, who served three full terms as governor in addition to two years as president. The shortest term belonged to John Bell, who served only 19 days as acting governor after his predecessor resigned. The current governor is Tom Wolf, whose term began on January 20, 2015.
Pennsylvania was one of the original thirteen colonies, and was admitted as a state on December 12, 1787. Prior to declaring its independence, Pennsylvania was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain; see the list of colonial governors for the pre-statehood period.
The first Pennsylvania constitution in 1776 created the Supreme Executive Council as the state's executive branch, with the President as its head. The president was chosen annually by the council, though with no specific term dates.