Saturday, June 26, 2010
Arnold Schazenegger...not born in California
Being born in one’s state is not a requirement to serve as governor, which is a good thing for California, Arizona and Idaho because of their history of electing outsiders. In fact, fewer than half of all states have elected the majority of their governors from among native sons or daughters.
After reviewing the biographies of American governors, Smart Politics found that 54.7% were born in the states they led, while 41.9% began life in another state and 3.4% were born in another country.
Some states, though, really like electing a true local. South Carolina is tops in this category, with 88% home-grown governors, followed by Maryland (84.1%), Virginia (82.9%), Pennsylvania (78.4%), Rhode Island (75%), North Carolina (74.6%), New York (74.5%) and Massachusetts (73.9%).
At the other end, Idaho is ranked #50, having elected only 13.3% from within its borders. Right behind Idaho are Arizona (18.2%) and California (18.4%).
Although historically Virginia has elected natives, four of the last five Virginia governors were born in another state.
Smart Politics is the blog of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Which States Produce the Most Governors? (by Eric Ostermeier, Smart Politics)
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