Praying for America's Governors and Other Executives

Last month's "Praying for America and America's Leaders: Think About it" (May 24, 2009) suggested that America has been cursed enough, and that praying for America's leaders was a good idea.

I'll be getting back to the list of national leaders in America as July 4 approaches. Meanwhile, here's a list of America's governors, territorial executives, and the Mayor of Washington, D.C. The list is, to the best of my knowledge, up-to-date: but I might have missed some recent changes. More about that, after the list.

You don't have to pray at all, of course, and you don't have to pray for these people. But, I think that prayer is a good idea: and folks with the sort of pressure and responsibility that goes with their position can, I think, use all the help they can get.

Pray for over Four Dozen People?! That's Too Much!

Praying for 56 people may look like a big task, but one of these ideas might help make it more manageable.

• Print the list out, pray for one governor or executive a day, checking the names off as you mention them
• Use the numbers I've put beside each state (1 through 28, starting over with New Hampshire)
  • Pray for the governor or executive whose name is next to the current date, keep going until the 28th, then start on the second set of numbers
  • Pray for both executives who have that day's date
• Pray for the governor of the state, territory, or city you live in, and let someone else cover the rest
• Pray for all American governors, territorial executives, and mayors as a group

Governors and other executives of American states and territories

1. Alabama
   Robert Riley
2. Alaska
   Sara Palin
3. Arizona
   Jan Brewer
4. Arkansas
   Mike Dale Beebe
5. California
   Arnold Schwarzenegger
6. Colorado
   Bill Ritter
7. Connecticut
   M. Jody Rell
8. Delaware
   Jack Markell
9. Florida
   Charles J. Crist, Jr.
10. Georgia
    Sonny Perdue
11. Hawaii
    Linda Lingle
12. Idaho
    C.L. "Butch" Otter
13. Illinois
    Pat Quinn
14. Indiana
    Mitch Daniels
15. Iowa
    Chet Culver
16. Kansas
    Mark Parkinson
17. Kentucky
    Steve Beshear
18. Louisiana
    Bobby Jindal
19. Maine
    John Baldacci
20. Maryland
    Martin O'Malley
21. Massachusetts
    Deval Patrick
22. Michigan
    Jennifer Granholm
23. Minnesota
    Tim Pawlenty
24. Mississippi
    Haley Barbour
25. Missouri
    Jay Nixon
26. Montana
    Brian Schweitzer
27. Nebraska
    Dave Heineman
28. Nevada
    Jim Gibbons

1. New Hampshire
   John Lynch
2. New Jersey
   John Corzine
3. New Mexico
   Bill Richardson
4. New York
   David Paterson
5. North Carolina
   Beverly Perdue
6. North Dakota
   John Hoeven
7. Ohio
   Ted Strickland
8. Oklahoma
   Brad Henry
9. Oregon
   Ted Kulongoski
10. Pennsylvania
    Edward Rendell
11. Rhode Island
    Don Carcieri
12. South Carolina
    Mark Sanford
13. South Dakota
    Mike Rounds
14. Tennessee
    Phil Bredesen
15. Texas
    Rick Perry
16. Utah
    John Huntsman, Jr.
17. Vermont
    Jim Douglas
18. Virginia
    Tim Kaine
19. Washington
    Christine Gregoire
20. West Virginia
    Joe Manchin, III
21. Wisconsin
    Jim Doyle
22. Wyoming
    Dave Freudenthal
23. American Samoa
    Togiola Tulafono
24. District of Columbia
    Adrian Fenty (mayor)
25. Guam
    DFelix Perez Camacho
26. Northern Mariana Islands
    Benigno R. Fitial
27. Puerto Rico
    Benigno R. Fitial
28. U.S. Virgin Islands
    John de Jongh

I'll probably have to change quite a few of these names after the 2010 elections. Some may require attention sooner than that. South Carolina's Governor Mark Sanford and Nevada's Governor Jim Gibbons are dealing with consequences of an extramarital affair and alleged assault, respectively: and Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich demonstrated, earlier this year, that state governors can be removed from office, even if they don't want to go.

Related posts:

• "Praying for America and America's Leaders: Think About it"
  (May 24, 2009)
• "Praying for America's Leaders"
  (July 2, 2009)