Bob Riley

Bob Riley was born in the small town of Ashland, Alabama (located in Clay County) as the son of a sixth-generation farmer. After receiving his degree in business administration from the University of Alabama, Riley was elected to the House of Representatives. In 2002, he defeated incumbent democratic governor Don Siegelman to become the fifty-second governor of Alabama.

Throughout his campaign, Riley promoted “Amendment One, an idea he claimed would vastly improve Alabama’s faltering economy. Amendment One’s goal was to lower taxes on the financially challenged, and raise taxes on those who made comparably large sums of money. Despite several criticisms, Riley’s plan managed to gain him international recognition. Time Magazine went so far as to claim him “one of the most courageous politicians” in 2003.

He is married to Patsy Adams Riley, who was also born in Ashland. Riley and his wife have had four children, and, in turn, seven grandchildren.

Facts about Alabama’s Previous Governors

• Alabama’s state symbol was designed by William Wyatt Bibb (Alabama’s first governor) in 1817. The seal remained unchanged until 1868.
• In 1939, Frank M. Dixon changed legislation to revert the seal to its original appearance.
• Yale, Alabama’s premier university, has been the place of education for several U.S. Governors.

Sarah Palin

Governor Sarah Heath Palin moved to Alaska with her parents, both teachers, in 1964. After graduating from Wasilla High School in 1982, she moved to Idaho where she gained a degree in communications/journalism in 1987.

One December 4, 2006, Governor Palin became Alaska’s youngest governor, as well as becoming the very first woman to hold this government position. Her accomplishments in office range from programs to aid low-income elderly Alaskans, increasing school funding and preparing Alaska for the climate change by creating a fund for renewable energy. She’s also being investigated for urging the Attorney General to fire her ex-brother-in-law.

In 2008, Governor Palin made history when she was chosen by John McCain to serve as the Republican vice presidential nominee.

On July 3, 2009, Sarah Palin handed in her resignation as Governor of Alaska citing it would be best for the people of Alaska if she stepped aside due to the expense of the ethics suit against her. Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell will take over her role on July 26, 2009.

Sarah Palin is married to Todd Palin. The couple has five children and one grandchild, born to teen daughter Bristol Palin. Bristol’s teen pregnancy proved to be a point of contention during the 2008 Presidential Campaign because of Palin’s “no sex until marriage” views.

Facts about Alaska’s Previous Governors

• William Egan is the only Alaskan governor to be born in Alaska.
• Frank Murkowski spent $2.7 million of taxpayer’s money on a jet while in office leading to scorn from Alaskan residents and a solid defeat by Sarah Palin.
• William Sheffield passed a bill creating one solid time zone for all of Alaska claiming it would be a one-year trial. Two decades later, that bill is still under debate.

Jan Brewer

Governor Janice Brewer took office in January 2009. The former Secretary of the State became the fifth person to replace a governor mid-term when Janet Napolitano became President Obama’s U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. In addition, Governor Brewer is the third consecutive woman to serve as Arizona’s governor.

Born in Hollywood, California, Janice Brewer moved to Phoenix in 1970 with her husband. She’s spent 14 years as a state representative and then as a senator. During her short time in office, Governor Jan Brewer has approved bills to improve funding to military families and restore spending for Arizona’s education system.

Governor Jan Brewer is married to John Brewer, a chiropractic doctor and has three sons; her middle son lost his battle with cancer in 2007.

Facts about Arizona’s Previous Governors

• Arizona’s first territory governor, John Noble Goodwin, traveled to the Arizona Territory, chose a location for the capital, created the postal system in the area and formed a peaceful union with the Native American tribes in the area.
• Former Governor Anson Safford created the first public school system in the Arizona Territory funding the effort with the creation of property taxes.
• Sidney Preston Osborn served four terms as governor. His final term became difficult due to symptoms of Lou Gehrig’s Disease, a condition that would end his life before his final term as governor came to an end.

Mike Beebe

Raised by his single mother who was forced to drop out of high school to support her son, Governor Mike Beebe understands many of the struggles single parents face.

Born in Amagon, Arkansas, Governor Beebe and his mother moved around frequently until returning to Arkansas in 1964 where Mike Beebe graduated from Newport High School and then gained a law degree from the University of Arkansas.

Governor Beebe believes the state must focus on decent salaries, job development and excellent schools. Under his leadership, sales taxes on groceries were abolished, tax cuts were given and more than 21,000 jobs have been created. In addition, Governor Mike Beebe expanded the adult-education program in Arkansas.

Governor Mike Beebe is married to Ginger. The couple has three children.

Facts about Arkansas’ Previous Governors

• Former Governor Archibald Yell founded Arkansas’s first Masonic Lodge. He died during battle in the Mexican-American War.
• Powell Clayton was a quiet farm owner who grew disgusted with the lynchings and murders in Arkansas when he became governor. Along with “Hanging Judge” Isaac Parker, the pair worked to establish law in Arkansas.
• Winthrop Rockefeller, a third-generation Rockefeller, took office in 1967 and became dismayed by the cruel prison system. He made it his goal to improve conditions for prisoners.
• Former Governor and President Bill Clinton left the Presidential office with the highest approval rating since WWII. During his time as the Governor of Arkansas, he worked strenuously to improve education within the state.

Bill Ritter, Jr.

Colorado born Governor Bill Ritter, Jr. took office in 2006 and has incorporated many changes during the past three years. Two of his most important contributions have been to improve Colorado schools and make sure every Colorado resident has access to health insurance.

He’s also worked tirelessly to bring new jobs to the state in technology-based industries like aerospace and IT. One of Governor Ritter’s greatest accomplishments was the development of the New Energy Economy creating new jobs and companies in renewable energy.

Governor Bill Ritter and his eleven siblings were raised on a farm in Arapahoe County. He graduated from Gateway High School in 1974 and earned a degree in law from the University of Colorado in 1981. From there, he worked as the Denver District Attorney from 1993 to 2005.

Governor Ritter and his wife, Jeannie, have four children.

Facts about Colorado’s Previous Governors

• Abraham Lincoln appointed William Gilpin as the first governor of the Territory of Colorado. Gilpin held the office for one year, losing the post when he issued close to $400,000 in Federal Treasury funds without approval. He died 32 years later after being run over by a horse and buggy.
• John Routt was the first Governor of Colorado when it became a state. He supported a woman’s right to vote and gave Susan B. Anthony a personal tour of Colorado.

Edwin Carl Johnson, the 26^th governor, accused Ingrid Bergman of cheating on her husband. This led to her self-imposed exile to Europe.

M. Jodi Rell

Born in Norfolk, Virginia, M. Jodi Rell is Connecticut’s 87^th governor. She holds honorary doctorates in law from the University of Hartford and the University of New Haven. Governor Rell is married and has two children and three grandchildren.

Governor Jodi Rell served as the lieutenant governor for nine years, a state representative and house leader before becoming governor. Her accomplishments are varied. One of her leading projects is the “Green Collar” job plan to increase green jobs within the state. She launched the Charter Oak Health Plan that provides affordable health insurance to the uninsured. She’s also focusing her efforts on stopping tax increases without cutting education funds.

Governor Jodi Rell has one numerous awards during her time as governor. The AMA granted her the “Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Governor” in 2008. She’s also been given the Mary Waterman Award for Breast Cancer Alliance, the Lions Club International Foundation’s Melvin Jones Fellow Award for humanitarianism and the Girl Scout Council’s Woman of Merit Award.

Facts about Connecticut’s Previous Governors

• Connecticut’s first governor, Jonathan Trumbull, Sr. was one of the rare governors whose term in office took place before and after the Revolutionary War. His daughter would marry one of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence. His son would become governor thirteen years later.
• Ella Grasso was Connecticut’s first woman governor. She would resign from office after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer and died a few weeks after her resignation.
• Abraham Ribicoff was Connecticut’s first Jewish governor. To this day, no other person of the Jewish religion has served as governor.
• John Rowland left the office after being charged with mail and tax fraud. Governor Jodi Rell replaced him.

Jack Markell

Born in Newark, Delaware, Governor Jack Markell graduated from Newark High School. He went on to gain a degree in economics from Brown University and then an MBA from the University of Chicago. In 1998, he became Delaware’s State Treasurer before becoming the governor in 2008.

One of Governor Jack Markell’s biggest accomplishments was urging Delawareans to apply for the Federal Earned Income Credit. More than 12,000 people had not applied yet were qualified. He also created “Health Rewards,” a program that reduced health care costs for government employees.

Governor Markell is married to a fellow Newark High School graduate, Carla, and the couple has a son and daughter.

Facts about Delaware’s Previous Governors

• Delaware’s first governor, John McKinly, was born in Ireland and moved to Delaware where he became a doctor. Later, after being injured during 1777’s Battle of Brandywine, he was captured by Loyalists and held as a prisoner of war until 1778.
• Under Pierre Du Pont’s reign as governor in the 1970s and 1980s, he was responsible for bringing credit card companies to Delaware, helping bring more than 40,000 jobs to the area.
• Former Governor Tom Carper found himself in the headlines when his scheduling secretary was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, a well-known lawyer with connections throughout Delaware’s political community.

Charlie Crist

Governor Charlie Crist is Florida’s 44^th governor. Born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Governor Crist’s family moved to St. Petersburg where he served as high school class president and was the starting quarterback. He attended Wake Forest University and transferred to Florida State University where he played as quarterback and was vice president of the student body. He earned his law degree at Cumberland School of Law in Alabama.

Governor Charlie Crist supports capital punishment. He also signed a bill banning employers from prohibiting workers from bringing guns to work providing the guns are secured at the person has a valid license for carrying the concealed weapon.

Taxpayers rebelled when it was revealed that Governor Crist and his new wife’s honeymoon to Europe cost them well over $400,000. He claimed the trip to Europe was in hopes of building trade between Florida and Europe.

Governor Crist married Amanda Morrow in 1979 and divorced a year later. He married Carole Rome in December 2008. He has no children.

Facts about Florida’s Previous Governors

• Former President Andrew Jackson was the first military governor in Florida. His role was to prevent Florida from becoming a Spanish refuge for runaway slaves, but he ended up taking control of the area.
• William Moseley was the first governor after Florida was admitted to the union. His roommate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, James K. Polk, would become president.
• It was the 18^th Governor of Florida, William Sherman Jennings’, idea to drain the Everglades by cutting open rock barriers. This led to the development of some of the Everglade’s lands.

Linda Lingle

Governor Linda Lingle became Hawaii’s governor in 2002. Not only is she Hawaii’s first woman governor, but she also is the first Republican governor since 1962. Before her nomination for governor, Lingle was the Mayor of Maui County.

Born in 1953 in St. Louis, Missouri, Governor Lingle’s family moved to Southern California in 1965. After graduating from Birmingham High, she entered California State University and earned a journalism degree. While in college, she married her first husband, Charles Lingle. That marriage would end in divorce three years later. Following her father to Hawaii, she took a job for the Teamsters and Hotel Workers Union. In Hawaii, she married her second husband, an attorney, but divorced him 11 years later. She never had children.

One of Governor Lingle’s biggest accomplishments is Hawaii’s Clean Energy Initiative. The goal of the Hawaiian Government is to have 70 percent of Hawaii’s energy come from renewable sources by 2030. The reliance on wind and solar power is already increasing. First Wind Hawaii and the Hawaiian Electric Company teamed up in March 2009.

Facts about Hawaii’s Previous Governors

• Former Governor George Ariyoshi and his wife were detained by U.S. Customs in Honolulu’s International Airport when they failed to declare more than $30,000 in jewelry after a trip to Japan.
• Ben Cayetano, Hawaii’s fifth governor, was a lousy student and almost did not graduate as a result.

Butch Otter

Born in 1942 in Caldwell, Idaho, Governor Butch Otter is the only Idaho born politician to win both the governorship and a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He holds the honor of being the second Idaho Catholic in history to be elected to a second term in office.

During his governorship, Governor Otter has riled environmentalists by stating he wants all but 100 gray wolves killed. Formerly on the endangered list, many feel shooting gray wolves will put them back on the endangered list. Meanwhile, Governor Otter is certain the wolves are threatening the state’s hunting industry.

Governor Otter’s personal life has also been steeped in controversy. While serving as lieutenant governor, he was stopped for suspicion of DUI. He came up with many excuses as to his erratic driving ranging from his reaching for a cowboy hat while driving to his chewing tobacco being soaked in whiskey.

Governor Butch Otter married his girlfriend, a former Miss Idaho USA, in 2006. In order to marry the much-younger woman, Otter’s first marriage had to be annulled by the Catholic Church.

Facts about Idaho’s Previous Governors

• After Idaho entered the union, the current Governor of the Idaho Territory became the first official Governor of the State of Idaho. George Shroup served for only a matter of weeks before take a seat in the U.S. Senate.
• Dirk Kempthorne, 30^th Governor of Idaho, is contemplating running for President in 2012.