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Governor of New Mexico

political entity | part of: encyclopedia/politics

Definition of the Governor of New Mexico

Governor of New Mexico, the executive head of New Mexico, the office of which was first established in 1598 as the Gobernador de Nuevo México.

Examples of Governors of New Mexico

Spanish Governors (prior to the Pueblo Revolt)

  1. Juan de Oñate y Salazar (1598–1608)
  2. Pedro de Peralta (1610–1614)
  3. Bernardino de Ceballos (1614–1618)
  4. Juan de Eulate  (1618–1625)
  5. Felipe Sotela Osorio (1625–1630)
  6. Francisco Manuel de Silva Nieto (1630–1632)
  7. Francisco de la Mora y Ceballos (1632–1635)
  8. Francisco Martínez de Baeza (1635–1637)
  9. Luis de Rosas (1637–1641)
  10. Juan Flores de Sierra y Valdés (1641)
  11. Francisco Gomez (1641–1642)
  12. Alonso de Pacheco y Herédia (1642–1644)
  13. Fernando de Argüello Caravajal (1644–1647)
  14. Luis de Guzmán y Figueroa (1647–1649)
  15. Hernando de Ugarte y la Concha (1649–1653)
  16. Juan de Samaniego y Xaca (1653–1656)
  17. Juan Manso de Contreras (1656–1659)
  18. Bernardo López de Mendizábal (1659–1661)
  19. Diego Dionisio de Peñalosa Briceño y Berdugo (1661–1664)
  20. Tomé Domínguez de Mendoza (1664)
  21. Juan Durán de Miranda (1664–1665)
  22. Fernando de Villanueva (1665–1668)
  23. Juan de Medrano y Mesía (1668–1671)
  24. Juan Durán de Miranda (1671–1675)
  25. Juan Francisco de Treviño (1675–1677)
  26. Antonio de Otermin (1677–1680)

Pueblo Governors

Pueblo leaders were the direct governors of New Mexico in control of Santa Fe proper.

  1. Popé (1680-1685)
  2. Luis Tupatú (1686-1691)

Spanish Governors (from El Paso)

Spanish governors during the Pueblo rule of New Mexico, oversaw the former colonists from El Paso and were not in direct control of Santa Fe.

  1. Antonio de Otermin (1680-1683)
  2. Domingo Jironza Pétriz de Cruzate (1683-1686)
  3. Pedro Reneros Posada (1686-1689)
  4. Domingo Jironza Pétriz de Cruzate(1689-1691)
  5. Diego de Vargas Zapata y Luján Ponce de León y Contreras (1691-1693)

Spanish Governors (After the return to New Mexico and Santa Fe proper)

  1. Diego de Vargas Zapata y Luján Ponce de León y Contreras (1693-1697)
  2. Pedro Rodríguez Cubero (1697-1703)
  3. Diego de Vargas Zapata y Luján Ponce de León y Contreras (1703-1704)
  4. Juan Páez Hurtado (1704-1705)
  5. Francisco Cuervo y Valdés (1705–1707)
  6. José Chacón Medina Salazar y Villaseñor (1707–1712)
  7. Juan Ignacio Flores Mogollon (1712–1715)
  8. Félix Martínez de Torrelaguna (1715–1717)
  9. Juan Páez Hurtado (1717)
  10. Antonio Valverde y Cosío (1717–1722)
  11. Juan Domingo de Bustamante (1722–1731)
  12. Gervasio Cruzat y Góngora (1731–1736)
  13. Enrique de Olavide y Micheleña (1736–1739)
  14. Gaspar Domingo de Mendoza y Del-gado (1739–1743)
  15. Joaquín Codallos y Robál (1743–1749)
  16. Tomás Vélez Cachupín (1749–1754)
  17. Francisco Antonio Marín del Valle (1754–1760)
  18. Mateo Antonio Mendoza Díaz de Arce (1760)
  19. Manuel de Portillo y Urrizola (1760–1762)
  20. Tomás Vélez Cachupín (1762–1767)
  21. Pedro Fermín de Mendinueta (1767–1778)
  22. Francisco Treból Navarro (1778)
  23. Juan Bautista de Anza (1778–1788)
  24. Fernando de la Concha (1788–1794)
  25. Fernando de Chacón (1794–1805)
  26. Joaquin del Real Alencaster (1805–1808)
  27. Alberto Maynez (1808)
  28. José Manrique (1808–1814)
  29. Alberto Maynez (1814–1816)
  30. Pedro Maria de Allande (1816–1818)
  31. Facundo Melgares (1818–1822)

Mexican Governors

  1. Facundo Melgares (1822)
  2. Francisco Xavier Chávez (1822)
  3. José Antonio Viscarra (1822–1823)
  4. Bartolomé Baca (1823–1825)
  5. Antonio Narbona (1825–1827)
  6. Manuel Armijo (1827–1829)
  7. José Antonio Chávez (1829–1832)
  8. Santiago Abreú (1832–1833)
  9. Francisco Sarracino (1833–1835)
  10. Albino Pérez (1835–1837)
  11. Manuel Armijo (1837–1844)
  12. Mariano Chávez (1844)
  13. Felipe Sena (1844)
  14. Mariano Martínez de Lejanza (1844–1845)
  15. José Chavéz y Castillo (1845)
  16. Manuel Armijo (1845–1846)
  17. Juan Bautista Vigil y Alarid (1846)

American Provisional Governors

Juan Bautista Vigil y Alarid handled much of the traditional Governorial duties during the 1846 American territorial transition.

American Civil Governors

  1. Juan Bautista Vigil y Alarid (1846)
  2. Charles Bent (1846–1847)
  3. Donaciano Vigil (1847–1848)
  4. John MacRae Washington (1848–1849)
  5. John Munroe (1849–1851)

American Military Governors

  1. Stephen Watts Kearny (1846)
  2. Sterling Price (1848)
  3. John MacRae Washington (1848–1849)
  4. John Munroe (1849–1851)

American Provisional Governors

  1. James Silas Calhoun (1851–1852)
  2. John Greiner (1852)
  3. William Carr Lane (1852–1853)
  4. William Sherman Messervy (1853)
  5. David Meriwether (1853–1856)
  6. William Watts Hart Davis (1856–1857)
  7. Abraham Rencher (1857–1861)
  8. Henry Connelly (1861–1866)
  9. William Frederick Milton Arny (1866)
  10. Robert Byington Mitchell (1866–1869)
  11. William Anderson Pile (1869–1871)
  12. Marsh Giddings (1871–1875)
  13. William Gillet Ritch (1875)
  14. Samuel Beach Axtell (1875–1878)
  15. Lewis “Lew” Wallace (1878–1881)
  16. Lionel Allen Sheldon (1881–1885)
  17. Edmund Gibson Ross (1885–1889)
  18. LeBaron Bradford Prince (1889–1893)
  19. William Taylor Thornton (1893–1897)
  20. Miguel Antonio Otero, Jr. (1897–1906)
  21. Herbert James Hagerman (1906–1907)
  22. James Wallace Raynolds (1907)
  23. George Curry (1907–1910)
  24. William Joseph Mills (1910–1912)

The State of New Mexico

  1. William Calhoun McDonald (1912–1917)
  2. Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca (1917)
  3. Washington Ellsworth Lindsey (1917–1919)
  4. Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo (1919–1921)
  5. Merritt Cramer Mechem (1921–1923)
  6. James Fielding Hinkle (1923–1925)
  7. Arthur Thomas Hannett (1925–1927)
  8. Richard Charles Dillon (1927–1931)
  9. Arthur Seligman (1925–1927)
  10. Andrew William Hockenhull (1933–1935)
  11. Clyde Tingley (1935–1939)
  12. John Esten Miles (1939–1943)
  13. John Joseph Dempsey (1943–1947)
  14. Thomas Jewett Mabry (1947–1951)
  15. Edwin Leard Mechem (1951–1955)
  16. John Field Simms (1955–1957)
  17. Edwin Leard Mechem (1955–1959)
  18. John Burroughs (1959–1961)
  19. Edwin Leard Mechem (1961–1962)
  20. Thomas Felix Bolack (1962–1963)
  21. John Moren “Jack M.” Campbell (1963–1967)
  22. David Francis Cargo (1967–1971)
  23. Bruce King (1967–1971)
  24. Jerry Apodaca (1971–1975)
  25. Bruce King (1979–1983)
  26. Toney Anaya (1983–1987)
  27. Garrey Edward Carruthers (1987–1991)
  28. Bruce King (1991–1995)
  29. Gary Earl Johnson (1995–2003)
  30. Gary Earl Johnson (1995–2003)
  31. William Blaine “Bill” Richardson (2003–2011)
  32. Susana Martinez (2011–2019)
  33. Michelle Lujan Grisham (2019–current)

Origin of The Office of Governor of New Mexico

Since the inception of the office in 1598, a total of 147 individuals have held the office of Governor of New Mexico.


Alternate names and spellings exist; Gobernador de Nuevo México.
First Known Use: 16th century.