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List of first gentlemen in the United States

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the United States, the title of first gentleman may be accorded to a man who is married to the head of state of a state government, analogously to the unofficial use of first lady for the wife or hostess of a head of state, including the wife of the president of the United States. Doug Emhoff became the first second gentleman of the United States when his wife Kamala Harris became vice president in 2021.

The first man to formally serve as first gentleman was James E. Ferguson in 1925, a former governor of Texas who was forced from office due to corruption charges, and whose wife Miriam A. Ferguson later won the office. The first man to serve as first gentleman without having previously served as governor was Thomas Grasso in 1975, husband of Connecticut governor Ella T. Grasso. In 2019, Colorado governor Jared Polis' husband Marlon Reis (who at the time was his partner), became the first same-sex partner to receive the title of First Gentleman (in addition to being the first same-sex partner of a sitting governor).

Even though Arizona has had the most female governors of any U.S. state with five, only three of these governors were married to a first gentleman while in office. Six states have had more than one first gentleman: Arizona, New Hampshire and Kansas, with three, and Connecticut, Michigan, and Oregon, all numbering two.

First gentlemen by state

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State First Gentleman Started role Governor
 Alabama George Wallace 1967 Lurleen Wallace
 Alaska Todd Palin 2006 Sarah Palin
 Arizona Terry Hull 1997 Jane Dee Hull
John Brewer 2009 Jan Brewer
Patrick Goodman* 2023 Katie Hobbs
 Arkansas Bryan Sanders* 2023 Sarah Huckabee Sanders
 Colorado Marlon Reis*[1] 2019 Jared Polis
 Connecticut Thomas Grasso 1975 Ella T. Grasso
Lou Rell 2004 Jodi Rell
 Iowa Kevin Reynolds* 2017 Kim Reynolds
 Kansas Spencer Finney Jr. 1991 Joan Finney
K. Gary Sebelius 2003 Kathleen Sebelius
Ted Daughety* 2019 Laura Kelly
 Kentucky Bill Collins 1983 Martha Layne Collins
 Louisiana Raymond Blanco 2004 Kathleen Blanco
 Massachusetts Chuck Hunt 2001 Jane Swift (acting)
 Michigan Daniel Mulhern 2003 Jennifer Granholm
Marc Mallory* 2019 Gretchen Whitmer
 Montana Harry Martz 2001 Judy Martz
 Nebraska Bill Orr 1987 Kay A. Orr
 New Hampshire Albert L. Roy 1982 Vesta M. Roy (acting)
Bill Shaheen 1997 Jeanne Shaheen
Thomas Hassan 2013 Maggie Hassan
 New Jersey John Whitman 1994 Christine Todd Whitman
 New Mexico Chuck Franco 2011 Susana Martinez
Manuel Cordova* 2022 Michelle Lujan Grisham
 New York William J. Hochul Jr.* 2021 Kathy Hochul
 North Carolina Bob Eaves 2009 Bev Perdue
 Ohio Jeff Hollister 1998 Nancy Hollister
 Oklahoma Wade Christensen 2011 Mary Fallin
 Oregon Frank L. Roberts 1991 Barbara Roberts
Dan Little 2015 Kate Brown
 Rhode Island Andrew Moffit 2015 Gina Raimondo
 South Carolina Michael Haley 2011 Nikki Haley
 South Dakota Bryon Noem* 2019 Kristi Noem
 Texas James E. Ferguson 1925 Miriam A. Ferguson
 Utah Myron Walker 2003 Olene Walker
 Vermont Arthur Kunin 1985 Madeleine M. Kunin
 Washington Michael Gregoire 2005 Christine Gregoire

* Currently serving

First gentlemen by U.S. territory

[edit]
Territory First Gentleman Started role Governor/Mayor
 Guam Jeffrey Cook* 2019 Lou Leon Guerrero
 Puerto Rico Adolfo Krans
Ramón Cantero Frau
2001
2003
Sila María Calderón
Jorge Díaz Reverón 2019 Wanda Vázquez Garced
 District of Columbia James R. Kelly 1991 Sharon Pratt Kelly

* Currently serving

See also

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References

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  1. ^ How should we refer to Governor-elect Jared Polis’ longtime partner? The Denver Post. 8 November 2018. "Polis and Reis aren’t legally married... The Polis campaign has clarified that Reis will take the title 'first gentleman'".