Governor of New Mexico, 1930.
Former Premier of the Canadian Province of Ontario. Member of the New Democratic Party. Correction: Rae is one quarter Jewish and married to a Jewish woman. He is also a great friend of the Jewish community. But he is not Jewish by either religious law or self-identification.
Governor of Rhode Island, 1991-95. Democrat. He is a retired Air Force colonel. He was not that popular a governor and was defeated for re-election.
Revolutionary war soldier and Governor of Georgia, 1801. Emanuel filled-out nine months of the term of the sitting Governor who resigned to take a Senate seat. Emanuel County, Georgia is named for him. This entry is problematic since little is known about his early life. However, sources we have consulted reference historians that state that there is strong evidence he was Jewish. However, the irony is that one of these sources is a ministers bible in which Emanuels conversion away from Judaism is noted. Therefore, Moses Alexander of Idaho holds the title of first "professed" Jew to be a governor of an American state.
Medal of Honor winner, American Civil War. Governor of Washington Territory, 1869. Later moved to California where he became a leading lawyer and head of the California division of the Grand Army of the Republic (the Union veterans organization).
Territorial Governor of Alaska between 1939 and 1953. His performance in office was widely praised. This was the period when Alaska "really joined" the rest of the United States as a result of WWII. During Gruening term in office the "Alcan" highway was built and the Japanese were expelled from their toe-hold in the Aleutians.
Governor of Rhode Island 1968-1972. Democrat. Also a distinguished lawyer and Judge who was active in the Jewish community.
