The following is the planned order of succession for the governorships of the 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and the five organized territories of the United States, according to the constitutions (and supplemental laws, if any) of each. Some states make a distinction whether the succeeding individual is acting as governor or becomes governor.
From 1980 to 1999, there were 13 successions of governorships. From 2000 to 2019 this number increased to 29. The only instance since at least 1980 in which the second in line reached a state governorship was on January 8, 2002, when New Jersey Attorney General John Farmer Jr. acted as governor for 90 minutes between Donald DiFrancesco and John O. Bennett's terms in that capacity as president of the Senate following governor Christine Todd Whitman's resignation. In 2019, Secretary of Justice of Puerto Rico Wanda Vázquez Garced became governor when both the governor and secretary of state resigned in Telegramgate.
From 1945 to 2016, 39 of those who succeeded to the governorship ran for and won election to a full term.
States
Alabama
Established by Article V, Section 127 of the Constitution of Alabama.
Alaska
Established by Article III, Section 10 of the Constitution of Alaska.
Arizona
Established by Article V, Section 6 of the Constitution of Arizona.
Arkansas
Established by Article VI, Section 5 of the Constitution of Arkansas as amended.
California
Established by Article V, Section 10 of the Constitution of California and (GOV) Title 2, Division 3, Part 2, Art. 5.5 of the California Codes.
Colorado
Established by Article IV, Section 13(7) of the Constitution of Colorado.
Connecticut
Established by Article IV, Sections 18–21 of the Constitution of Connecticut.
Delaware
Established by Article III, Section 20 of the Constitution of Delaware.
Florida
Established by Article IV, Section 3 of the Constitution of Florida and Florida Statute 14.055.
Georgia
Established by Article V, Section 1, Paragraph V of the Constitution of Georgia.
Hawaii
Established by Article V, Section 4 of the Constitution of Hawaii and Title 4 §26-2 of the Hawaii code.
Idaho
Established by Article IV, Sections 12–14 of the Constitution of Idaho.
Illinois
Established by Article V, Section 6 of the Constitution of Illinois and the Governor Succession Act
Indiana
Established by Article V, Section 10 of the Constitution of Indiana.
Iowa
Established by Article IV, Sections 17–19 of the Constitution of Iowa.
Kansas
Established by KSA Statute 75–125 and the Emergency Interim Executive and Judicial Succession Act of 1994.
Kentucky
Established by Sections 84, 85 and 87 of the Kentucky Constitution.
Louisiana
Established by Article IV, Section 14 of the Constitution of Louisiana.
Maine
Established by Article V, Part 1, Section 14 of the Constitution of Maine.
Maryland
Established by Article II, Section 6 of the Constitution of Maryland.
Massachusetts
Established by Article LV of the Constitution of Massachusetts.
Michigan
Established by Article V, Section 26 of the Constitution of Michigan, Section 10.2 of the Revised Statutes of 1846 and the Emergency Interim Executive Succession Act (PA 202 of 1959, Section 31.4)
Minnesota
Established by Article V, Section 5 of the Minnesota Constitution and Minnesota Statute 4.06.
Mississippi
Established by Article V, Section 131 of the Constitution of Mississippi.
Missouri
Established by Article IV, Section 11(a) of the Constitution of Missouri.
Montana
Established by Article VI, Section 6 of the Constitution of Montana and Montana Code 2-16-511 to 2-16-513.
Nebraska
Established by Article IV, Section 16 of the Constitution of Nebraska and Nebraska Revised Statutes 84-120 and 84-121.
Nevada
Established by Nevada Revised Statute 223.080.
New Hampshire
Established by Part 2, Article 49 of the Constitution of New Hampshire.
New Jersey
Established by Article V, Section I, Paragraph 7 of the Constitution of New Jersey and New Jersey Revised Statute 52:14A-4.
New Mexico
Established by Article V, Section 7 of the Constitution of New Mexico
New York
Established by Article IV, Sections 5–6 of the New York Constitution and Article 1-A, Section 5 of the Defense Emergency Act of 1951.
North Carolina
Established by Article III, Section 3 of the Constitution of North Carolina and G.S. Section 147.11.1.