Murphy will become longest-serving Democratic governor in U.S.

Gov. Phil Murphy will become the longest-serving Democratic governor in the nation tomorrow when Jay Inslee departs at 3 PM EST after twelve years as governor of Washington.

Murphy will hold that title until January 20, 2026, when the term-limited New Jersey governor leaves office at the end of his eight-year tenure.

Five Republican governors have been in office longer than Murphy: Greg Abbott of Texas, Phil Scott of Vermont, Henry McMaster of South Carolina, Kay Ivey of Alabama, and Kim Reynolds of Iowa.

In 2021, Murphy became the first Democratic governor in 44 years to win a second term in New Jersey.

After Murphy leaves office, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will become the nation’s most senior Democratic governor; she and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham took office on January 1, 2019, but Whitmer, took her oath first.

The new governor of Washington is Bob Ferguson, the state attorney general.  He ran after Inslee announced that he would not seek a fourth term, and defeated former Rep. Dave Reichert with 55.5% of the vote.