| Title | Governor |
| Start Date | 1934-00-00 |
| End Date | 1939-00-00 |
| Executive | yes |
| Notes | Assuming the governorship at the height of the Great Depression following the death of Governor James Rolph, Merriam famously defeated the 'muck-raking' author of The Jungle, former Socialist Party member, and Democratic candidate Upton Sinclair in the California gubernatorial election in 1934. |