No.
Portrait
Name(Birth–Death)
Term of office
Electoral mandates (Assembly)
Political party
Riding
Premiers of the pre-Confederation period
1
James Boyle Uniacke (1799–1858)
2 February 1848
4 April 1854
1847 election (18th Leg. )
1851 election (19th Leg. )
Liberal
MLA for Cape Breton County
2 (1 of 2)
William Young (1799–1887)
4 April 1854
24 February 1857
Appointment (19th Leg. )
1855 election (20th Leg. )
Liberal
MLA for Inverness County
3 (1 of 2)
James William Johnston (1792–1873)
24 February 1857
10 February 1860
1859 election (22nd Leg. )
Conservative
MLA for Annapolis County
4 (2 of 2)
William Young (1799–1887)
10 February 1860
3 August 1860
Appointment (22nd Leg. )
Liberal
MLA for Inverness County
5
Joseph Howe (1804–1873)
3 August 1860
11 June 1863
Appointment (22nd Leg. )
Liberal
MLA for Hants County, South Division
6 (2 of 2)
James William Johnston (1792–1873)
11 June 1863
11 May 1864
1863 election (23rd Leg. )
Conservative
MLA for Annapolis County
7
Charles Tupper (1821–1915)
11 May 1864
4 July 1867
Appointment (23rd Leg. )
Confederation
MLA for Cumberland County
Premiers of the post-Confederation period
1
Hiram Blanchard (1820–1874)
4 July 1867
7 November 1867
Appointment (caretaker government )
Conservative (Ldr. 1867)
MLA for Inverness County
2
William Annand (1808–1887)
7 November 1867
11 May 1875
1867 election (24th Leg. )
1871 election (25th Leg. )
1874 election (26th Leg. )
Anti-Confederation (Ldr. 1867)
Councillor for province-at-large
3
Philip Carteret Hill (1821–1894)
11 May 1875
22 October 1878
Appointment (26th Leg. )
Liberal (Ldr. 1875)
MLA for Halifax County
4
Simon Hugh Holmes (1831–1919)
22 October 1878
25 May 1882
1878 election (27th Leg. )
Conservative (Ldr. 1874)
MLA for Pictou County
5
John Sparrow David Thompson (1845–1894)
25 May 1882
3 August 1882
Appointment (caretaker government )
Conservative (Ldr. 1882)
MLA for Antigonish County
6
William Thomas Pipes (1850–1909)
3 August 1882
28 July 1884
1882 election (28th Leg. )
Liberal (Ldr. 1882)
MLA for Cumberland County
7
William Stevens Fielding (1848–1929)
28 July 1884
20 July 1896
Appointment (28th Leg. )
1886 election (29th Leg. )
1890 election (30th Leg. )
1894 election (31st Leg. )
Liberal (Ldr. 1883)
MLA for Halifax County
8
George Henry Murray (1861–1929)
20 July 1896
24 January 1923
Appointment (31st Leg. )
1897 election (32nd Leg. )
1901 election (33rd Leg. )
1906 election (34th Leg. )
1911 election (35th Leg. )
1916 election (36th Leg. )
1920 election (37th Leg. )
Liberal (Ldr. 1896)
MLA for Victoria County
9
Ernest Howard Armstrong (1864–1946)
24 January 1923
16 July 1925
Appointment (37th Leg. )
Liberal (Ldr. 1923)
MLA for Shelburne County
10
Edgar Nelson Rhodes (1877–1942)
16 July 1925
11 August 1930
1925 election (38th Leg. )
1928 election (39th Leg. )
Conservative (Ldr. 1925)
MLA for Hants County
11
Gordon Sidney Harrington (1883–1943)
11 August 1930
5 September 1933
Appointment (39th Leg. )
Conservative (Ldr. 1930)
MLA for Cape Breton Centre
12 (1 of 2)
Angus L. Macdonald (1890–1954)
5 September 1933
10 July 1940
1933 election (40th Leg. )
1937 election (41st Leg. )
Liberal (Ldr. 1930)
MLA for Halifax South
13
Alexander Stirling MacMillan (1871–1955)
10 July 1940
8 September 1945
Appointment (41st Leg. )
1941 election (42nd Leg. )
Liberal (Ldr. 1940)
MLA for Hants
14 (2 of 2)
Angus L. Macdonald (1890–1954)
8 September 1945
13 April 1954
Appointment (42nd Leg. )
1945 election (43rd Leg. )
1949 election (44th Leg. )
1953 election (45th Leg. )
Liberal (Ldr. 1945)
MLA for Halifax South
15
Harold Connolly (1901–1980)
13 April 1954
30 September 1954
Appointment (45th Leg. )
Liberal (Ldr. 1954)
MLA for Halifax North
16
Henry Hicks (1915–1990)
30 September 1954
20 November 1956
Appointment (45th Leg. )
Liberal (Ldr. 1954)
MLA for Annapolis
17
Robert Stanfield (1914–2003)
20 November 1956
13 September 1967
1956 election (46th Leg. )
1960 election (47th Leg. )
1963 election (48th Leg. )
1967 election (49th Leg. )
Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 1948)
MLA for Colchester
18
George Isaac Smith (1909–1982)
13 September 1967
28 October 1970
Appointment (49th Leg. )
Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 1967)
MLA for Colchester
19
Gerald Regan (1928–2019)
28 October 1970
5 October 1978
1970 election (50th Leg. )
1974 election (51st Leg. )
Liberal (Ldr. 1965)
MLA for Halifax Needham
20
John Buchanan (1931–2019)
5 October 1978
12 September 1990
1978 election (52nd Leg. )
1981 election (53rd Leg. )
1984 election (54th Leg. )
1988 election (55th Leg. )
Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 1971)
MLA for Halifax Atlantic
21
Roger Stuart Bacon (1926–2021)
12 September 1990
26 February 1991
Appointment (55th Leg. )
Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 1990)
MLA for Cumberland East
22
Donald William Cameron (1946–2021)
26 February 1991
11 June 1993
Appointment (55th Leg. )
Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 1991)
MLA for Pictou East
23
John Savage (1932–2003)
11 June 1993
18 July 1997
1993 election (56th Leg. )
Liberal (Ldr. 1992)
MLA for Dartmouth South
24
Russell MacLellan (b. 1940)
18 July 1997
16 August 1999
Appointment (56th Leg. )
1998 election (57th Leg. )
Liberal (Ldr. 1997)
MLA for Cape Breton North
25
John F. Hamm (b. 1938)
16 August 1999
24 February 2006
1999 election (58th Leg. )
2003 election (59th Leg. )
Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 1995)
MLA for Pictou Centre
26
Rodney MacDonald (b. 1972)
24 February 2006
19 June 2009
Appointment (59th Leg. )
2006 election (60th Leg. )
Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 2006 )
MLA for Inverness
27
Darrell Dexter (b. 1957)
19 June 2009
22 October 2013
2009 election (61st Leg. )
New Democratic (Ldr. 2001)
MLA for Cole Harbour
[3]
28
Stephen McNeil (b. 1964)
22 October 2013
23 February 2021
2013 election (62nd Leg. )
2017 election (63rd Leg. )
Liberal (Ldr. 2007 )
MLA for Annapolis
[4]
29
Iain Rankin (b. 1983)
23 February 2021
31 August 2021
Appointment (63rd Leg. )
Liberal (Ldr. 2021 )
MLA for Timberlea-Prospect
[5]
30
Tim Houston (b. 1970)
31 August 2021
incumbent
2021 election (64th Leg. )
Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 2018 )
MLA for Pictou East