On Dec. 14, Gov. Terry Branstad becomes our nation’s longest-serving governor, topping the 20 years and 11 months of New York’s George Clinton, who was also Thomas Jefferson’s second vice president.

When Clinton died in 1812 at the age of 72, he was James Madison’s vice president, making him the first VP to serve two presidents.

During his life, Clinton was one of the nation’s best-known founders. He attended the Second Continental Congress in 1775 and played key military roles, while serving as governor, during the Revolutionary War.

But 200 years later, Clinton remains an enigma, defined more by his enemies, who included Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, than by his record. That’s because most of Clinton’s papers were destroyed, either by the British in 1777 or in a 1911 fire at the New York State Library in Albany, according to biographer John P. Kaminski.

Today, the name George Clinton is more closely associated with the modern-day founding father of funk music than with the 18th-century politician who was instrumental in the creation of the Empire State.

Kaminski’s 1993 book, “George Clinton: Yeoman Politician of the New Republic,” reveals several parallels with Branstad. Both men were lawyers who grew up on small farms and were legislators before becoming governors. Neither ever lost an election for governor: Clinton won seven terms; Branstad has six to his credit. 

Both are states’ rights advocates. Clinton opposed the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and the federal government that the convention created, holding out until a Bill of Rights was added to limit federal power. Branstad favors privatizing many government functions.

Clinton was a larger-than-life personality. He was sworn in as clerk of court for Ulster County at the age of 20 and held that office the rest of his life. During his first statewide election in 1777, he was elected governor and lieutenant governor. (Branstad served one term as lieutenant governor before becoming governor.) 

But the two governors’ military careers were vastly different. Branstad was a military policeman during the Vietnam War, while Clinton served simultaneously as governor and general of the New York militia during the Revolutionary War.

Like George Washington, Clinton left the Continental Congress in 1775 to take up arms against the British, earning Washington’s respect by helping prevent an invasion from Canada.

Clinton also won Washington’s everlasting friendship by using his own credit to provide supplies for the army, including at Valley Forge, where Kaminski said Clinton informed Washington that he had ordered that 100 head of cattle and 150 barrels of salt pork be sent “without a moment’s delay.” 

The wartime bond prompted the men – both of whom had been land surveyors – to become business partners after the war. In 1783 as the war wound down, Clinton and Washington traveled 750 miles across upstate New York, viewing lands that they later jointly purchased and that Clinton managed.  

An interesting footnote to Clinton’s career is the reason that his gubernatorial service fell one month shy of 21 years. 

New York’s first state constitution, approved in April 1777, called for a three-year term for its governor commencing July 1 and ending June 30. 

The first election was in June 1777. Wartime disruptions delayed the vote count, which was not completed until July 9. Because Clinton was in the field with the Army, his swearing-in did not occur until July 30, 30 days after the statutory date.

Clinton’s name appeared twice on that first ballot, for governor and lieutenant governor. He was not expected to win either office but received the most votes for both, Kaminski said, largely because of support from soldiers, and because New York’s newly created secret ballot kept landlords from learning how tenants voted.