List of governors of West Virginia

The governor of West Virginia is the head of government of West VirginiaWV Constitution article VII, § 5. and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.WV Constitution article VII, § 12. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the West Virginia Legislature,WV Constitution article VII, § 14. to convene the legislature at any time,WV Constitution article VI, § 18–19. and, except when prosecution has been carried out by the House of Delegates, to grant pardons and reprieves.WV Constitution article VII, § 11.

Since West Virginia was admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, during the American Civil War, 37 men have served as governor. Two, Arch A. Moore Jr. (West Virginia's 28th and 30th governor) and Cecil H. Underwood (West Virginia's 25th and 32nd governor), 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 Harrison Pierpont, the "Father of West Virginia," 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 Patrick Morrisey, who assumed office on January 13, 2025.

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.WV Constitution article VII, § 1. 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 January, following an election. The original constitution of 1863 only called for a two-year term.WV 1863 Constitution article V, § 1. Since 1968, a governor may be reelected any number of times, but not more than twice in a row.WV Constitution, Article VII, section 4. Any partial term served counts toward the limit of two consecutive terms.

The constitution makes no mention of a lieutenant governor; if the governorship becomes vacant, the senate president stands first in the line of succession. If more than one year remains in the governor's term at the time of vacancy, a new election is held for the balance of the term. If less than a year remains, the senate president acts as governor for the remainder of the term.WV Constitution article VII, § 16. A bill passed in 2000 grants the senate president the honorary title of lieutenant governor, 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.

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

Governors

+ Governors of the State of West VirginiaGovernorTerm in officePartyElection1 Arthur I. BoremanJune 20, 1863–February 26, 1869Republican1863186418662Daniel D. T. FarnsworthFebruary 26, 1869–March 4, 1869Republican3William E. StevensonMarch 4, 1869–March 4, 1871Republican18684John J. JacobMarch 4, 1871–March 4, 1877Democratic1870People'sIndependent18725Henry M. MathewsMarch 4, 1877–March 4, 1881Democratic18766Jacob B. JacksonMarch 4, 1881–March 4, 1885Democratic18807Emanuel Willis WilsonMarch 4, 1885–February 6, 1890Democratic18848Aretas B. FlemingFebruary 6, 1890–March 4, 1893Democratic18889William A. MacCorkleMarch 4, 1893–March 4, 1897Democratic189210George W. AtkinsonMarch 4, 1897–March 4, 1901Republican189611Albert B. WhiteMarch 4, 1901–March 4, 1905Republican190012William M. O. DawsonMarch 4, 1905–March 4, 1909Republican190413William E. GlasscockMarch 4, 1909–March 4, 1913Republican190814Henry D. HatfieldMarch 4, 1913–March 4, 1917Republican191215John J. CornwellMarch 4, 1917–March 4, 1921Democratic191616Ephraim F. MorganMarch 4, 1921–March 4, 1925Republican192017Howard Mason GoreMarch 4, 1925–March 4, 1929Republican192418William G. ConleyMarch 4, 1929–March 4, 1933Republican192819Herman G. KumpMarch 4, 1933–January 18, 1937Democratic193220Homer A. HoltJanuary 18, 1937–January 13, 1941Democratic193621Matthew M. NeelyJanuary 13, 1941–January 15, 1945Democratic194022Clarence W. MeadowsJanuary 15, 1945–January 17, 1949Democratic194423Okey PattesonJanuary 17, 1949–January 19, 1953Democratic194824William C. MarlandJanuary 19, 1953–January 14, 1957Democratic195225Cecil H. UnderwoodJanuary 14, 1957–January 16, 1961Republican195626Wally BarronJanuary 16, 1961–January 18, 1965Democratic196027Hulett C. SmithJanuary 18, 1965–January 13, 1969Democratic196428Arch A. Moore Jr.January 13, 1969–January 17, 1977Republican1968197229Jay RockefellerJanuary 17, 1977–January 14, 1985Democratic1976198030Arch A. Moore Jr.January 14, 1985–January 16, 1989Republican198431Gaston CapertonJanuary 16, 1989–January 13, 1997Democratic1988199232Cecil H. UnderwoodJanuary 13, 1997–January 15, 2001Republican199633Bob WiseJanuary 15, 2001–January 17, 2005Democratic200034Joe ManchinJanuary 17, 2005–November 15, 2010Democratic2004200835Earl Ray TomblinNovember 15, 2010–January 16, 2017Democratic2011201236Jim JusticeJanuary 16, 2017–January 13, 2025Democratic2016Republican202037Patrick MorriseyJanuary 13, 2025–IncumbentRepublican2024

Timeline Timeline of West Virginia governors

List of governors of West Virginia

Bron en licentie