State governors issued 78 executive orders from Sept. 11-Oct. 1. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) led the field with 21, followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) with 19. Governors in 30 states issued the fewest orders with zero.
Governors use executive orders to manage executive branch operations. The most recent 78 account for 6% of the year-to-date total of 1,242. Kemp leads with 420 orders issued since Jan. 1, followed by DeSantis with 193 and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) with 134.
Governors have been issuing an average of 32 executive orders per week so far this year. This figure is more than 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 15 states have issued fewer than five orders since the start of the year, and those in Alaska, Mississippi, and Texas have yet to issue any orders so far. In states with a Republican trifecta, governors issued 785 orders, while governors in states with a Democratic trifecta issued 337. 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 120 orders.
