State governors issued 48 executive orders from Nov. 27-Dec. 10. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) led the field with 25, followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) with 13. Governors in 41 states issued the fewest orders with zero.
Governors use executive orders to manage executive branch operations. The 48 account for 3% of the year-to-date total of 1,484. Kemp, again, leads with 517 orders issued since Jan. 1, followed by DeSantis with 239 and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) with 145. Only these three governors have issued more than 100 executive orders this year.
Governors have issued an average of 30 executive orders per week so far this year. This figure is tied with the 2022 weekly average of 30.
Georgia and Florida lead in the number of executive orders issued for two reasons: unlike most states, in Georgia, the governor uses executive orders to appoint and reappoint members of state boards and judges. In Florida, also unlike most states, the governor uses executive orders for state attorney executive assignments.
Governors in 17 states have issued fewer than five orders since the start of the year. In states with a Republican trifecta, governors issued 951 orders, while governors in states with a Democratic trifecta issued 382. A trifecta is when one political party holds the governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. In states where neither party holds trifecta control, governors issued 151 orders.
