James T. Morehead (Kentucky politician)

James Turner Morehead
United States Senator from Kentucky
In office March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1847
Preceded by	John J. Crittenden
Succeeded by	Joseph R. Underwood
12th Governor of Kentucky
In office February 21, 1834 – August 30, 1836
Lieutenant	Vacant
Preceded by	John Breathitt
Succeeded by	James Clark
10th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
In office September 4, 1832 – February 21, 1834
Governor	John Breathitt
Preceded by	John Breathitt
Succeeded by	Charles A. Wickliffe
Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives
In office 1828–1831
Personal details
Born	(1797-05-24)May 24, 1797 Bullitt County, Kentucky
Died	December 28, 1854(1854-12-28) (aged 57) Covington, Kentucky
Resting place	Frankfort Cemetery
Political party	National Republican, Whig
Spouse	Susan A. Roberts
Relations	Cousin of John Motley Morehead
Alma mater	Transylvania University
Profession	Lawyer

James Turner Morehead (May 24, 1797 – December 28, 1854) was a United States Senator and the 12th Governor of Kentucky. He was the first native-born Kentuckian to hold the governorship of the state.^[1] A member of Henry Clay's National Republican Party, Morehead entered politics just as his party was beginning to challenge the Democratic Party's dominance in the state.

Morehead was nominated for lieutenant governor at his party's nominating convention in Baltimore, Maryland in 1831, and was elected on a split ticket with Democratic governor John Breathitt. He ascended to the governorship upon Breathitt's death in 1834. Saddled with a shortened term, Morehead was not able to formulate a significant legislative agenda, and stuck to the politically safe issue of internal improvements during his term. When his party changed its name to the Whig Party and wrested control of the General Assembly from the Democrats in the summer of 1834, Morehead hosted the new party's first nominating convention in Frankfort.

Following his term as governor, Morehead returned to the state legislature. An opponent of abolitionism, he accompanied John Speed Smith to Ohio to secure the return of slaves owned by Kentuckians. He was later appointed to the U.S. Senate, where he remained a close ally of Clay's. In 1847, he retired to Covington, Kentucky, practicing law until his death in 1854. The city of Morehead, Kentucky, is named in honor of Governor Morehead.