Governor of Baja California
Encyclopedia
The Governor of Baja California represents the executive branch of the government of the state of Baja California
, Mexico
, per the state's constitution. The official title is "Free and Sovereign State of Baja California" (Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), and the position is democratically elected for a period of 6 years, and is not re-electable. The governor's term begins November 1 of the year of the election and finishes October 31, six years later.
, decreed the division of the Federal Territory of Baja California into two districts, the north and the south. The capital and most of the population of the old territory had been in the south, closer to the area's maritime passage. The north was mostly isolated by the sea and by the desert. Toward end of the 19th century this began to change, with more and more development, and it became necessary to divide the territory into two districts.
The initial capital of the North District was the port of Ensenada
, and each one of the two districts remained governed by a political leader appointed by the territory, although officially they continued being territorial a single unit.
The constitution of 1917 maintained the existence of the Federal Territory divided into two districts, but changed the denomination of the Chief Executive into Governors, maintaining this division until 1931 when finally two independent Districts were formed from the Federal Territories.
Finally in 1952 the north territory became the State Free and Sovereign of Baja California.
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, per the state's constitution. The official title is "Free and Sovereign State of Baja California" (Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), and the position is democratically elected for a period of 6 years, and is not re-electable. The governor's term begins November 1 of the year of the election and finishes October 31, six years later.
History of the position
The present state of Baja California had its origin in 1888, when then President Porfirio DíazPorfirio Díaz
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican-American War volunteer and French intervention hero, an accomplished general and the President of Mexico continuously from 1876 to 1911, with the exception of a brief term in 1876 when he left Juan N...
, decreed the division of the Federal Territory of Baja California into two districts, the north and the south. The capital and most of the population of the old territory had been in the south, closer to the area's maritime passage. The north was mostly isolated by the sea and by the desert. Toward end of the 19th century this began to change, with more and more development, and it became necessary to divide the territory into two districts.
The initial capital of the North District was the port of Ensenada
Ensenada, Baja California
Ensenada is a coastal city in Mexico and the third-largest city in Baja California. It is located south of San Diego on the Baja California Peninsula. The city is locally referred to as La Cenicienta del Pacífico, or, The Cinderella of the Pacific...
, and each one of the two districts remained governed by a political leader appointed by the territory, although officially they continued being territorial a single unit.
The constitution of 1917 maintained the existence of the Federal Territory divided into two districts, but changed the denomination of the Chief Executive into Governors, maintaining this division until 1931 when finally two independent Districts were formed from the Federal Territories.
Finally in 1952 the north territory became the State Free and Sovereign of Baja California.
List of governors
The individuals that have occupied the governorship of the State of Baja California, in its different denominations, have been the following:Chief Executive of the North District of the Federal Territory of Baja California
- (1888–1894): Luis E. Torres
- (1894–1902): Agustín Sangines
- (1902–1903): Abraham Arroniz
- (1903–1911): Celso Vega
- (1911): Miguel Mayol
- (1911–1912): Manuel Gordillo Escudero
- (1912–1913): Carlos R. Ptanick
- (1913): José Dolores Espinoza
- (1913): Miguel V. Gómez
- (1913–1914): Francisco VázquezFrancisco VázquezFrancisco H. Vázquez is a Mexican-American scholar and public intellectual. Vázquez is currently a tenured professor of the history of ideas and director of the Hutchins Institute for Public Policy Studies and Community Action at the nationally-known Hutchins School of Liberal Studies at Sonoma...
- (1914–1915): David Zárate
- (1915–1917): Esteban Cantú Jiménez
Governors of the North District of the Federal Territory of Baja California
- (1917–1920): Esteban Cantú Jiménez
- (1920): Luis M. Salazar
- (1920–1921): Manuel Balarezo
- (1921): Epigmenio Ibarra
- (1921–1922): Lucas B. Rodríguez
- (1922–1923): José Inocente LugoJosé Inocente LugoJosé Inocente Lugo was a Mexican lawyer and politician....
- (1923–1930): Abelardo L. RodríguezAbelardo L. RodríguezAbelardo Rodríguez Luján, commonly known as Abelardo L. Rodríguez was the interim president of Mexico from 1932–1934, completing the term of Pascual Ortiz after his resignation.-Early life:...
- (1930): José María Tapia
- (1930): Arturo M. Bernal
- (1930–1931): Carlos Trejo Lerdo de Tejada
Governors of the Federal North Territory of Baja California
- (1931): Carlos Trejo Lerdo de Tejada
- (1931–1932): Agustín Olachea
- (1932): Arturo M. Elías
- (1932–1935): Agustín Olachea
- (1935–1936): Gildardo MagañaGildardo MagañaGildardo Magaña Cerda was a Mexican general, politician and revolutionary.Born on March 7, 1891 in Zamora, Michoacán, to a Liberal trading family and was sent to study economy in the U.S. Back in Mexico he was involved in the anti-reelectionist movement and had to flee to the insurrectionist...
- (1936): Gabriel Gavira
- (1936–1937): Rafael Navarro Cortina
- (1937–1944): Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada
- (1944–1946): Juan Felipe Rico Islas
- (1946–1947): Alberto V. Aldrete
- (1947–1952): Alfonso García González
Governors of the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California
- (1952–1953): Alfonso García González
- (1953–1959): Braulio Maldonado Sández
- (1959–1964): Eligio Esquivel Méndez
- (1964–1965): Gustavo Aubanel Vallejo
- (1965–1971): Raúl Sánchez Díaz MartellRaúl Sánchez Díaz MartellRaúl Sánchez Díaz Martell was the Governor of Baja California from 1965 to 1971. He died on April 17, 2011 in Mexicali.-External links:*...
- (1971–1977): Milton Castellanos EverardoMilton Castellanos EverardoMilton Castellanos Everardo was a Mexican politician and lawyer. He served as the Governor of Baja California from 1971 to 1977. He also served as the President of the Chamber of Deputies Directive Board for a brief period in 1951.-Early life:Castellanos was born in Copainalá, Chiapas, on March...
- (1977–1983): Roberto de la MadridRoberto de la MadridRoberto de la Madrid Romandia was a Mexican elected official who served as governor of Baja California from 1977 to 1983. He was the first American-born governor of a Mexican state. He was a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party .De la Madrid was born February 3, 1922, in Calexico,...
- (1983–1989): Xicoténcatl Leyva Mortera
- (1989 - 1989): Oscar Baylón ChacónOscar Baylón ChacónOscar Baylón Chacón is a Mexican politician, member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party and served as Senator of the Republic and Governor of Baja California....
- (1989–1995): Ernesto Ruffo AppelErnesto Ruffo AppelErnesto Ruffo Appel is an American-born Mexican politician famous for being the first state governor not belonging to the Partido Revolucionario Institucional since its formation in 1929....
- (1995–1998): Héctor Terán TeránHéctor Terán TeránHéctor Téran Terán was a Mexican politician, member of the National Action Party , and governor of the state of Baja California....
- (1998–2001): Alejandro González AlcocerAlejandro González AlcocerAlejandro González Alcocer is a Mexican politician and lawyer, belonging to the National Action Party .After Alcocer studied law at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , he began his career in companies in the private sector, and later entered politics, where he served as Secretario del...
- (2001–2007): Eugenio Elorduy WaltherEugenio Elorduy WaltherEugenio Elorduy Walther is a Mexican politician and governor of his adoptive state of Baja California from November 1, 2001 thru October 31, 2007. His wife Elena Blackaller serves as first lady.-Biography:...
- (2007–2013): José Guadalupe Osuna MillánJosé Guadalupe Osuna MillánJosé Guadalupe Osuna Millán is a Mexican economist and politician member of the National Action Party who is the current Governor of Baja California.-Personal life and education:...