Governor
From Ballotpedia
In the United States, the title governor refers to the chief executive of each state, not directly subordinate to the federal authorities, but the political and ceremonial head of the state. The governor may also assume additional roles, such as the Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard (when not federalized), and the ability to commute or pardon a criminal sentence. U.S. Governors serve four-year terms except those in New Hampshire and Vermont, who serve two-year terms.
In all states, the governor is directly elected, and in most cases has considerable practical powers (notable exceptions with very weak governorships include Texas), though this may be moderated by the state legislature and in some cases by other elected executive officials. They can veto state bills. The specific duties and powers vary widely between states.
Please see state specific Ballotpedia articles for more detail on how particular governors can influence initiative and referendum.
Portions of this article have been adapted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Copyright Notice can be found here.
