Has the US ever had a governor that wasn’t a main political party, ie. Demo/Rep/Whig/Fed/Jeffersonian Republican? I figure we’ve probably had an Independent or two, but what about Progressive or Green or etc.?
Mainers can tell you about theirs, but I’ll mention Wally Hickel, governor of Alaska from 1990-94 under the Alaska Independence Party. No, it’s not exactly a secessionist movement, and he came to the campaign as a last-minute replacement. Hickel was a Republican governor in the '60s previously, though he left office to become Nixon’s Interior Secretary. He basically ran with the AIP as a flag of convenience.
What’s Jesse Ventura’s party called?
Have we already forgotten Jesse Ventura?
Brian
(IMHO was a passable gov when he wasn’t doing extracurricular activities)
So the answer the the OP is, Yes.
Progressives, yes, especially during the Progressive era and especially in states west of the Mississippi.
Greens, not in our lifetime, I think.
I thought Jesse Ventura was just “Independent”?
Jeff
“Fighting Bob” LaFollete, elected in Wisconsin on the Progressive Party ticket. I forget the year, but somewhere around 1920.
Jesse V. went from the “Reform Party” to Independent to his own, new party the “Independence (or Independent) Party”.
He’s not running for re-election, but there is someone running under JV’s party’s ticket. Maybe a Minnesotan and/or someone feeling Googlicious will check in…
In any event, as already stated by many, the simple answer to the OP is “yes”.
Pantellerite - Tim Penny. I don’t think he’s going to pull a Jesse, though.