On April 3, Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) announced she would be moving into Drumthwacket, the official residence of the governor of New Jersey. Sherrill will be only the third governor to live in the mansion since it was built in 1981. Only Governors James Florio (D-N.J.), who left office in 1994, and Jim McGreevey (D-N.J.), who left office in 2004, have lived in the mansion.

Sherrill’s decision to move into the governor’s mansion makes her one of 38 state governors living in their state’s governor's mansion. Five other states have governors who lived outside the mansion, and Ballotpedia was unable to determine whether the governor lived in the mansion in two states. This number does not include summer homes or any other supplementary residences. Additionally, five states do not provide the governor a specific residence.

The five states where the governor does not reside in the mansion are California, Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. In the case of Montana and Oklahoma, both states official resident status is in flux. In Oklahoma, a new mansion is being built, with an expected completion date of 2026, meaning the winner of this year’s gubernatorial election will be the first person to reside in the new governor’s mansion.

In 2024, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.) bought the historic Hauser House with the intention of donating it to the state upon completing his term in 2029. The Montana Department of Administration reportedly plans to take over the Hauser mansion for future governors to reside in. 

The official Montana governor's mansion is currently unoccupied and in disrepair. Repairs to the mansion have been delayed, as according to a statement on the official website for the governor of Montana, “Due to inflation, supply chain shortages and delays, and the low availability of skilled labor, the Montana Department of Administration paused repairs on the Montana Governor’s Residence.” The state has sought public input on the future of the residence through an official survey, the results of which have not yet been publicly discussed.

To read more about the official governor’s residence in each state, click here.