PolitiFinder

Youngest sitting governors (2026)

Every state governor in office today, ranked from youngest, with the year each was first elected to the job.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas is the youngest sitting governor, 44 years old as of September 9, 2026. Next are Abigail Spanberger of Virginia (47) and Wes Moore of Maryland (47). The table below ranks 49 of the 50 sitting governors, running from 44 up to 81, with an average age of 61.7; the rest are named in the note underneath.

Related: Longest-serving state governors.

Looking for the record over all of history rather than who holds the seat today? See Youngest governors elected since 1900.

Who is the youngest sitting governor?

Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas, 44 years old as of September 9, 2026. Sanders was first elected to this office in 2022.

How old is the youngest governor?

44. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was born August 13, 1982, which makes Sanders 44 as of September 9, 2026, 3 years younger than Abigail Spanberger, the next youngest.

Who is the oldest sitting governor?

Kay Ivey of Alabama, 81 years old as of September 9, 2026 — the oldest of the 49 sitting governors ranked here.

What is the average age of sitting governors?

61.7 years, across the 49 sitting governors ranked here, measured on September 9, 2026.

Youngest sitting governors
#GovernorAge todayBornStateFirst elected
1Sarah Huckabee SandersR44August 13, 1982Arkansas2022
2Abigail SpanbergerD47August 7, 1979Virginia2025
3Wes MooreD47October 15, 1978Maryland2022
4Ron DeSantisR47September 14, 1978Florida2018
5Andy BeshearD48November 29, 1977Kentucky2019
6Kelly ArmstrongR49October 8, 1976North Dakota2024
7Spencer CoxR51July 11, 1975Utah2020
8Jared PolisD51May 12, 1975Colorado2018
9Tate ReevesR52June 5, 1974Mississippi2019
10Josh ShapiroD53June 20, 1973Pennsylvania2022
11Kevin StittR53December 28, 1972Oklahoma2018
12Mikie SherrillD54January 19, 1972New Jersey2025
13Matt MeyerD54September 29, 1971Delaware2024
14Gretchen WhitmerD55August 23, 1971Michigan2018
15Maura HealeyD55February 8, 1971Massachusetts2022
16Jeff LandryR55December 23, 1970Louisiana2023
17Josh GreenD56February 11, 1970Hawaii2022
18Katie HobbsD56December 28, 1969Arizona2022
19Kelly AyotteR58June 27, 1968New Hampshire2024
20Patrick MorriseyR58December 21, 1967West Virginia2024
21Gavin NewsomD58October 10, 1967California2018
22Tina KotekD59September 30, 1966Oregon2022
23Josh SteinD59September 13, 1966North Carolina2024
24Bob FergusonD61February 23, 1965Washington2024
25JB PritzkerD61January 19, 1965Illinois2018
26Tim WalzD62April 6, 1964Minnesota2018
27Brian KempR62November 2, 1963Georgia2018
28Joe LombardoR63November 8, 1962Nevada2022
29Mike KehoeR64January 17, 1962Missouri2024
30Mike DunleavyR65May 5, 1961Alaska2018
31Greg GianforteR65April 17, 1961Montana2020
32Michelle Lujan GrishamD66October 24, 1959New Mexico2018
33Bill LeeR66October 9, 1959Tennessee2018
34Kim ReynoldsR67August 4, 1959Iowa2018
35Kathy HochulD68August 27, 1958New York2022
36Phil ScottR68August 4, 1958Vermont2016
37Greg AbbottR68November 13, 1957Texas2014
38Mark GordonR69March 14, 1957Wyoming2018
39Jim PillenR70December 31, 1955Nebraska2022
40Mike BraunR72March 24, 1954Indiana2024
41Brad LittleR72February 15, 1954Idaho2018
42Ned LamontD72January 3, 1954Connecticut2018
43Tony EversD74November 5, 1951Wisconsin2018
44Dan McKeeD75June 16, 1951Rhode Island2022
45Laura KellyD76January 24, 1950Kansas2018
46Janet MillsD78December 30, 1947Maine2018
47Henry D. McMasterR79May 27, 1947South Carolina2018
48Mike DeWineR79January 5, 1947Ohio2018
49Kay IveyR81October 15, 1944Alabama2018

How this ranking is measured

Every sitting governor with a recorded birth date, ranked by age on September 9, 2026 (the day this page was last rebuilt, so the ages move only when the site does). "First elected" is the earliest election for this office that the person won, which is why a governor who first reached the office by appointment or succession shows a later year than the year they took the seat. 1 sitting member is not ranked: Larry Rhoden (South Dakota). That member reached the seat by appointment, succession, or a special election PolitiFinder does not yet hold, so there is no election record to build a profile from. Where a birth date is published for them, none would displace the leader above.

Compiled by PolitiFinder · published June 14, 2026 · sources: Data & sources · data last verified September 9, 2026.