A governor is the elected leader of a state in the United States. Just as the president leads the entire country, a governor leads one of the fifty states: California, Texas, Florida, Ohio, or any of the others. The governor signs state laws, manages the state budget, and makes important decisions about schools, roads, and public safety within that state.

Governors may live in official residences (often called the governor's mansion) in their state capitals, and they work with state legislators to solve problems specific to their state. A governor might declare a state of emergency during a natural disaster, decide how to spend state money on education, or grant pardons to people convicted of crimes.

The word has other meanings too. In machinery, a governor is a device that automatically controls speed or power, keeping an engine from running too fast. You'll find governors in lawn mowers, generators, and other engines. The mechanical device got its name because it “governs,” or regulates, the machine's behavior, just as a political governor helps regulate and guide their state.