Governor of Tennessee

The governor of Tennessee is the head of government of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The governor is the only official in the Tennessee state government who is directly elected by the voters of the entire state. The current governor is Bill Lee, a member of the Republican Party, who took office on January 19, 2019. Qualifications The Tennessee Constitution provides that the governor must be at least 30 years old and must have lived in the state for at least seven years before being elected to the office. The governor is elected to a four-year term and may serve no more than two terms consecutively. There are only two other U.S. states, New Jersey and Hawaii, where the governor is the only state official to be elected statewide. Powers and duties The Tennessee Constitution provides that "The supreme executive power of this state shall be vested in a governor." Most state department heads and some members of boards and commissions are appointed by the governor.