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A brief history on Montana's Governors

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HELENA — A long list of Montana's Governors have called this historical mansion home, but the list of those who have held the position go back farther than our state has been a state.

It started with territorial governor, Sidney Edgerton, who was appointed by Abraham Lincoln in 1864.

In all, we've had nine territorial governors, two acting territorial governors and 24 governors.

Nine have been Republicans, 15 have been Democrats.

Democrats have held the office the past 16 years, with both current Governor Steve Bullock and his predecessor Brian Schweitzer term-limiting out.

Olympic speed skater Judy Martz, a Republican was the first, and so far only woman to hold the office.

She served one term between 2001 and 2005.

Montana has had three elected governors born outside of the country, two in Canada and one in Sweden.

One of our territorial governors disappeared. Thomas Francis Meagher, who held the office from 1865-1867, fell off a boat in the Missouri River near Fort Benton, never to be seen again.

Regardless of the outcome on November 3rd, one more name will be added to Montana history.