List of governors of West Virginia

The governor of West Virginia is the head of government of West Virginia[2] and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.[3] The governor has a duty to enforce state laws,[2] and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the West Virginia Legislature,[4] to convene the legislature at any time,[5] and, except when prosecution has been carried out by the House of Delegates, to grant pardons and reprieves.[6]

Governor of West Virginia
Seal of the Governor
Incumbent
Jim Justice
since January 16, 2017
Style
Status
ResidenceWest Virginia Governor's Mansion
Term lengthFour years, renewable once consecutively
Inaugural holderArthur I. Boreman
FormationJune 20, 1863
Salary$150,000 (2013)[1]

Since West Virginia was admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, during the American Civil War, 34 men have served as governor. Two, Arch A. Moore Jr. (West Virginia's 28th and 30th governors) and Cecil H. Underwood (West Virginia's 25th and 32nd governors), served two nonconsecutive terms in office. The longest-serving governor was Moore, who served for three terms over twelve years. The state's first governor after admission into the Union, Arthur I. Boreman, served the most consecutive terms, resigning a week before the end of his third term. Before the state's admission, Francis H. Pierpont, the, "Father of West Virginia,"[7] was elected governor during the Wheeling Convention of 1861. Daniel D.T. Farnsworth was senate president at the time; he filled the last seven days of Boreman's term and remains the shortest-serving governor. Underwood has the unusual distinction of being both the youngest person to be elected as governor (age 34 upon his first term in 1957) and the oldest to both be elected and serve (age 74 upon his second term in 1997; age 78 at the end of his second term in 2001).

The current governor is Republican Jim Justice, who assumed office on January 16, 2017. West Virginia's 36th governor, Justice was elected as a Democrat, but switched to the Republican Party on August 4 of that year.[8]

To serve as governor, a person must be at least 30 years old, and must have been a citizen of West Virginia for at least five years at the time of inauguration.[9] Under the current Constitution of West Virginia, ratified in 1872, the governor serves a four-year term commencing on the Monday after the second Wednesday in the January following an election.[9] The original constitution of 1863 only called for a two-year term.[10] He may be reelected any number of times, but not more than twice in a row.[11] Any partial term served counts toward the limit of two consecutive terms.[11]

The constitution makes no mention of a lieutenant governor; if the governorship becomes vacant, the senate president acts as governor. If more than one year remains in the governor's term at the time of vacancy, a new election is held; otherwise, the senate president acts as governor for the remainder of the term.[12] A bill passed in 2000 grants the senate president the honorary title of lieutenant governor,[13] but this title is rarely used in practice and the terms of the senate president do not correspond with governorships. The same bill states that the line of succession after the senate president will be the speaker of the House of Delegates, followed by the state attorney general, the state auditor and former governors, in inverse order of term, that are in residence in the state at the time of the vacancy.[13]

Qualifications

Anyone who seeks to be elected Governor of West Virginia must meet the following qualifications:[14]

  • Be a citizen of the United States
  • Be a resident of West Virginia for at least five years preceding the election
  • Be a duly qualified elector of West Virginia
  • Be at least 30 years old

List of governors
Parties

  Democratic (19)   People's Independent (1)   Republican (16)

# Governor Party Term in office[lower-alpha 1] Time in Office Election
1   Arthur I. Boreman
    July 24, 1823 – April 19, 1896   
(aged 72)		 Republican June 20, 1863
–
February 26, 1869
[lower-alpha 2]		 5 years, 8 months 1863
1864
1866
2 Daniel D. T. Farnsworth
    December 23, 1819 – December 5, 1892   
(aged 72)		 Republican February 26, 1869
–
March 4, 1869		 6 days Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor
[lower-alpha 3]
3 William E. Stevenson
    March 18, 1820 – November 29, 1883   
(aged 63)		 Republican March 4, 1869
–
March 4, 1871		 2 years 1868
4 John J. Jacob
    December 9, 1829 – November 24, 1893   
(aged 63)		 Democratic[lower-alpha 4] March 4, 1871
–
March 4, 1877		 6 years 1870
Independent[lower-alpha 5] 1872
[lower-alpha 6]
5 Henry M. Mathews
    March 29, 1834 – April 28, 1884   
(aged 50)		 Democratic March 4, 1877
–
March 4, 1881		 4 years 1876
6 Jacob B. Jackson
    April 6, 1829 – December 11, 1893   
(aged 64)		 Democratic March 4, 1881
–
March 4, 1885		 4 years 1880
7 Emanuel Willis Wilson
    August 11, 1844 – May 28, 1905   
(aged 60)		 Democratic March 4, 1885
–
February 6, 1890
[lower-alpha 7]		 4 years, 11 months 1884
8 Aretas B. Fleming
    October 15, 1839 – October 13, 1923   
(aged 83)[20]		 Democratic February 6, 1890
–
March 4, 1893		 3 years, 1 months 1888
9 William A. MacCorkle
    May 7, 1857 – September 24, 1930   
(aged 73)		 Democratic March 4, 1893
–
March 4, 1897		 4 years 1892
10 George W. Atkinson
    June 29, 1845 – April 4, 1925   
(aged 79)		 Republican March 4, 1897
–
March 4, 1901		 4 years 1896
11 Albert B. White
    September 22, 1856 – July 3, 1941   
(aged 85)		 Republican March 4, 1901
–
March 4, 1905		 4 years 1900
12 William M. O. Dawson
    May 21, 1853 – March 12, 1916   
(aged 62)		 Republican March 4, 1905
–
March 4, 1909		 4 years 1904
13 William E. Glasscock
    December 13, 1862 – April 12, 1925   
(aged 62)		 Republican March 4, 1909
–
March 14, 1913		 4 years 1908
14 Henry D. Hatfield
    September 15, 1875 – October 23, 1962   
(aged 87)		 Republican March 14, 1913
–
March 5, 1917		 4 years 1912
15 John J. Cornwell
    July 11, 1867 – September 8, 1953   
(aged 86)		 Democratic March 5, 1917
–
March 4, 1921		 4 years 1916
16 Ephraim F. Morgan
    January 16, 1869 – January 15, 1950   
(aged 80)		 Republican March 4, 1921
–
March 4, 1925		 4 years 1920
17 Howard Mason Gore
    October 12, 1877 – June 20, 1947   
(aged 69)		 Republican March 4, 1925
–
March 4, 1929		 4 years 1924
18 William G. Conley
    January 8, 1866 – October 21, 1940   
(aged 74)		 Republican March 4, 1929
–
March 4, 1933		 4 years 1928
19 Herman G. Kump
    October 31, 1877 – February 14, 1962   
(aged 84)		 Democratic March 4, 1933
–
January 18, 1937		 3 years, 10 months[lower-alpha 8] 1932
20 Homer A. Holt
    March 1, 1898 – January 16, 1975   
(aged 76)		 Democratic January 18, 1937
–
January 13, 1941		 4 years 1936
21 Matthew M. Neely
    November 9, 1874 – January 18, 1958   
(aged 83)		 Democratic January 13, 1941
–
January 15, 1945		 4 years 1940
22 Clarence W. Meadows
    February 11, 1904 – September 12, 1961   
(aged 57)		 Democratic January 15, 1945
–
January 17, 1949		 4 years 1944
23 Okey Patteson
    September 14, 1898 – July 3, 1989   
(aged 90)		 Democratic January 17, 1949
–
January 19, 1953		 4 years 1948
24 William C. Marland
    March 26, 1918 – November 26, 1965   
(aged 47)		 Democratic January 19, 1953
–
January 14, 1957		 4 years 1952
25 Cecil H. Underwood
    November 5, 1922 – November 24, 2008   
(aged 86)		 Republican January 14, 1957
–
January 16, 1961		 4 years 1956
26 William Wallace Barron
    December 8, 1911 – November 12, 2002   
(aged 90)		 Democratic January 16, 1961
–
January 18, 1965		 4 years 1960
27 Hulett C. Smith
    October 21, 1918 – January 15, 2012   
(aged 93)		 Democratic January 18, 1965
–
January 13, 1969		 4 years 1964
28 Arch A. Moore Jr.
    April 16, 1923 – January 7, 2015   
(aged 91)		 Republican January 13, 1969
–
January 17, 1977		 8 years 1968
1972
29 Jay Rockefeller
(1937-06-18) June 18, 1937		 Democratic January 17, 1977
–
January 14, 1985		 8 years 1976
1980
30 Arch A. Moore Jr.
    April 16, 1923 – January 7, 2015   
(aged 91)		 Republican January 14, 1985
–
January 16, 1989		 4 years 1984
31 Gaston Caperton
(1940-02-21) February 21, 1940		 Democratic January 16, 1989
–
January 13, 1997		 8 years 1988
1992
32   Cecil H. Underwood
    November 5, 1922 – November 24, 2008   
(aged 86)		 Republican January 13, 1997
–
January 15, 2001		 4 years 1996
33 Bob Wise
(1948-01-06) January 6, 1948		 Democratic January 15, 2001
–
January 17, 2005		 4 years 2000
34 Joe Manchin
(1947-08-24) August 24, 1947		 Democratic January 17, 2005
–
November 15, 2010
[lower-alpha 9]		 5 years, 10 months 2004
2008
35 Earl Ray Tomblin
(1952-03-15) March 15, 1952		 Democratic November 15, 2010
–
November 13, 2011
[lower-alpha 10]		 1 year President of
the Senate
acting as
Governor
[lower-alpha 11]
November 13, 2011
–
January 16, 2017		 5 years, 2 months 2011§
2012
36 Jim Justice
(1951-04-27) April 27, 1951		 Democratic
[lower-alpha 12]		 January 16, 2017
–
Incumbent
[lower-alpha 13]		 5 years, 291 days[lower-alpha 14] 2016
Republican
[lower-alpha 15]
2020

Other high offices held

This is a table of congressional offices held by governors. All representatives and senators listed represented West Virginia. No governor of West Virginia has held any other federal office.

* Denotes those offices that the governor resigned to take.
† Denotes those offices that the governor resigned to be governor.
Governor Gubernatorial term U.S. House U.S. Senate Source
Arthur I. Boreman 1863–1869 — S* [15]
George W. Atkinson 1897–1901 H — [22]
Henry D. Hatfield 1913–1917 — S [23]
Matthew M. Neely 1941–1945 H S† [24]
Arch A. Moore Jr. 1969–1977
1985–1989		 H — [25]
Jay Rockefeller 1977–1985 — S [26]
Bob Wise 2001–2005 H — [27]
Joe Manchin 2005–2010 — S* [28]

Living former governors of West Virginia

As of January 2017, there are five former governors of West Virginia who are currently living at this time, the oldest of whom is Jay Rockefeller (served 1977–1985, born 1937). The most recent governor to die was Arch A. Moore Jr. (served 1969–1977 and 1985–1989, born 1923), who died on January 7, 2015. The most recently serving governor to die was Cecil H. Underwood (served 1957–1961 and 1997–2001, born 1922), who died on November 24, 2008.[29]

Governor Gubernatorial term Date of birth (and age)
Jay Rockefeller 1977–1985 (1937-06-18) June 18, 1937
Gaston Caperton 1989–1997 (1940-02-21) February 21, 1940
Joe Manchin 2005–2010 (1947-08-24) August 24, 1947
Bob Wise 2001–2005 (1948-01-06) January 6, 1948
Earl Ray Tomblin 2010–2011(acting),
2011–2017		 (1952-03-15) March 15, 1952

Notes
  1. Years are rounded
  2. Resigned to run for the United States Senate, winning election.[15][16]
  3. As president of the state senate, filled unexpired term.[17]
  4. Jacob was elected as a Democrat for his first term.
  5. Jacob was re-elected as an independent for his second term.
  6. Jacob's second term was under the 1872 constitution, which increased term lengths from two to four years.
  7. Did not run for re-election in 1888, but due to the election being disputed, remained in office until the investigation was completed.[18][19]
  8. Inauguration day moved from March to January.
  9. Resigned to take an elected seat in the U.S. Senate.
  10. Acting from November 15, 2010 to November 13, 2011.
  11. As president of the state senate, acted as governor from November 15, 2010 until November 13, 2011 when he was inaugurated as governor after the special election held on October 4, 2011.[12][21] Tomblin was term limited.
  12. Justice was elected as a member of the West Virginia Democratic Party in the 2016 West Virginia gubernatorial election.[8]
  13. Justice's second term will expire on January 13, 2025; He will be term limited.
  14. As of November 3, 2022
  15. Justice switched to the Republican Party six months into his term, on August 4, 2017. He was later re-elected as a member of the West Virginia Republican Party in the 2020 West Virginia gubernatorial election.[8]

References
Specific
  1. "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries". The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  2. WV Constitution article VII, § 5.
  3. WV Constitution article VII, § 12.
  4. WV Constitution article VII, § 14.
  5. WV Constitution article VI, § 18–19.
  6. WV Constitution article VII, § 11.
  7. "Francis Harrison Pierpont: 'Father of West Virginia' - News, Sports, Jobs - the Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register". Archived from the original on August 17, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  8. "West Virginia Governor to Switch from Democrat to Republican". New York Times. August 3, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  9. WV Constitution article VII, § 1.
  10. WV 1863 Constitution article V, § 1.
  11. WV Constitution, Article VII, section 4.
  12. WV Constitution article VII, § 16.
  13. "H.B. 4781 (Enrolled March 11, 2009)". West Virginia Legislature, 2000 Sessions. Retrieved August 16, 2009.
  14. Virginia "Governor of West Virginia". {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  15. "Boreman, Arthur Ingram". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved August 16, 2009.
  16. "Arthur Ingram Boreman". Charleston, West Virginia: West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
  17. "West Virginia Governor Daniel Duane Tompkins Farnsworth". National Governors Association. Archived from the original on January 9, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2009.
  18. "West Virginia Governor Emanuel Willis Wilson". National Governors Association. Archived from the original on October 20, 2009. Retrieved August 18, 2009.
  19. "Emanuel Willis Wilson". Charleston, West Virginia: West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
  20. "Aretas Brooks Fleming". Charleston, West Virginia: West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
  21. "Tomblin succeeds Manchin as West Virginia governor". Washington Post. November 15, 2010. Retrieved November 17, 2010.
  22. "Atkinson, George Wesley". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved August 16, 2009.
  23. "Hatfield, Henry Drury – Biographical Directory of the United States Congress". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved August 16, 2009.
  24. "Neely, Matthew Mansfield". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved August 16, 2009.
  25. "Moore, Arch Alfred, Jr". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved August 16, 2009.
  26. "Rockefeller, John Davison IV (Jay)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved August 16, 2009.
  27. "Wise, Robert Ellsworth, Jr". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. Retrieved August 18, 2009.
  28. "Dems keep key Senate seat with Manchin win in WV". Houston Chronicle. November 2, 2010. Archived from the original on November 7, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  29. "Former Gov. Cecil Underwood has died at 86". Charleston Daily Mail. November 24, 2008. Archived from the original on April 7, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2009.
General
Constitutions
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