how to address a governor in aletter

For a formal letter, address the governor as “The Honorable [Full Name], Governor of [State]” on the envelope or inside address, and use “Dear Governor [Last Name]:” as the salutation. The Emily Post Institute and other letter-writing guides also note that “The Honorable” is the formal title, while “Governor [Last Name]” is the usual spoken or letter greeting.

Simple format

Envelope / inside address

• The Honorable [Full Name]
• Governor of [State]
• [Office address]

Salutation

• Dear Governor [Last Name]:

Closing

• Sincerely,
• [Your Name]

Example

The Honorable Maria Smith
Governor of California
Dear Governor Smith:

A few notes

• Use the governor’s last name , not their first name, unless you have a very informal reason to do otherwise.

• If you are writing to a former governor , the special title is usually not used; “Mr.” or “Mrs.” plus last name is standard.

• In some states, a governor may have a different formal style, such as “Your Excellency” in a few states, but “Governor [Last Name]” is the safest general choice.

Would you like a full letter template you can copy and paste?