List of United States senators from West Virginia

Current delegation

Joe Manchin (D)

Shelley Moore Capito (R)

Below is a list of United States senators from West Virginia. The state's U.S. senators belong to Classes 1 and 2. West Virginia is currently represented in the Senate by Democrat Joe Manchin (serving since 2010) and Republican Shelley Moore Capito (serving since 2015), making it one of seven states to have a split United States Senate delegation. Robert Byrd was West Virginia's longest-serving senator (1959–2010) and the longest-serving senator in the United States.

List of senators[]

#	Senator	Party	Dates in office	Electoral history	T	C	T	Electoral history	Dates in office	Party	Senator	#
Class 1 Class 1 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 2000, 2006, 2012, and 2018. The next election will be in 2024.						C	Class 2 Class 2 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2020. The next election will be in 2026.
Vacant			June 19, 1863 – August 4, 1863	West Virginia was admitted to the Union on June 19, 1863 and elected its first Senators on August 4, 1863.	1	38th	1	West Virginia was admitted to the Union on June 19, 1863 and elected its first Senators on August 4, 1863.	June 19, 1863 – August 4, 1863	Vacant
1	Peter G. Van Winkle	Unconditional Unionist	August 4, 1863 – March 3, 1869	Elected in 1863.		38th	1	Elected in 1863.	August 4, 1863 – March 3, 1865	Unconditional Unionist	Waitman T. Willey	1
		Unconditional Unionist				39th	2	Re-elected in 1865.	March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1871	Republican
		Republican				40th
2	Arthur I. Boreman	Republican	March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1875	Elected during the 1868/69 cycle. Retired.	2	41st
						42nd	3	Elected in 1871.	March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1883	Democratic	Henry G. Davis	2
						43rd
3	Allen T. Caperton	Democratic	March 4, 1875 – July 26, 1876	Elected during the 1874/75 cycle. Died.	3	44th
Vacant			July 26, 1876 – August 26, 1876
4	Samuel Price	Democratic	August 26, 1876 – January 26, 1877	Appointed to continue Caperton's term. Lost election to finish Caperton's term.
Vacant			January 26, 1877 – January 31, 1877	Seat remained vacant until Price's successor qualified.
5	Frank Hereford	Democratic	January 31, 1877 – March 3, 1881	Elected January 26, 1877 to finish Caperton's term.
						45th	4	Re-elected in 1877. Retired.
						46th
6	Johnson N. Camden	Democratic	March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1887	Elected during the 1880/81 cycle.	4	47th
						48th	5	Elected in 1883.	March 4, 1883 – January 11, 1893	Democratic	John E. Kenna	3
						49th
7	Charles J. Faulkner	Democratic	March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1899	Elected in 1887.	5	50th
						51st	6	Re-elected in 1889. Died.
						52nd		Re-elected in 1889. Died.
									January 11, 1893 – January 25, 1893	Vacant
								Elected in 1893 to finish Kenna's term.	January 25, 1893 – March 3, 1895	Democratic	Johnson N. Camden	4
				Re-elected in 1893. Retired.	6	53rd		Elected in 1893 to finish Kenna's term.	January 25, 1893 – March 3, 1895	Democratic	Johnson N. Camden	4
						54th	7	Elected January 23, 1895.^[1]	March 4, 1895 – January 4, 1911	Republican	Stephen B. Elkins	5
						55th
8	Nathan B. Scott	Republican	March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1911	Elected January 25, 1899.^[2]	7	56th
						57th	8	Re-elected in 1901.
						58th
				Re-elected in 1905. Lost renomination.	8	59th
						60th	9	Re-elected in 1907. Died.
						61st		Re-elected in 1907. Died.
									January 4, 1911 – January 9, 1911	Vacant
								Appointed to continue his father's term.	January 9, 1911 – January 31, 1911	Republican	Davis Elkins	6
								Elected in 1911 to finish Stephen Elkins' term. Lost re-election.	February 1, 1911 – March 3, 1913	Democratic	Clarence W. Watson	7
9	William E. Chilton	Democratic	March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1917	Elected in 1911. Lost re-election.	9	62nd			February 1, 1911 – March 3, 1913	Democratic	Clarence W. Watson	7
						63rd	10		March 4, 1913 – April 1, 1913	Vacant
						63rd		Elected February 21, 1913 but took office late. Retired.	April 1, 1913 – March 3, 1919	Republican	Nathan Goff Jr.	8
						64th
10	Howard Sutherland	Republican	March 4, 1917 – March 3, 1923	Elected in 1916. Lost re-election.	10	65th
						66th	11	Elected in 1918. Retired.	March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1925	Republican	Davis Elkins	9
						67th
11	Matthew M. Neely	Democratic	March 4, 1923 – March 3, 1929	Elected in 1922. Lost re-election.	11	68th
						69th	12	Elected in 1924. Retired.	March 4, 1925 – March 3, 1931	Republican	Guy D. Goff	10
						70th
12	Henry D. Hatfield	Republican	March 4, 1929 – January 3, 1935	Elected in 1928. Lost re-election.	12	71st
						72nd	13	Elected in 1930.	March 4, 1931 – January 12, 1941	Democratic	Matthew M. Neely	11
						73rd
Vacant			January 3, 1935 – June 19, 1935	Senator-elect was not yet qualified to serve.	13	74th
13	Rush Holt Sr.	Democratic	January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1941	Elected in 1934. Could not take seat until reaching age 30 on June 19, 1935. Lost renomination.		74th
						75th	14	Re-elected in 1936. Resigned.
						76th
14	Harley M. Kilgore	Democratic	January 3, 1941 – February 28, 1956	Elected in 1940.	14	77th
								Appointed to continue Neely's term. Lost election to finish Neely's term.	January 13, 1941 – November 17, 1942	Democratic	Joseph Rosier	12
								Elected in 1942 to finish Neely's term. Retired.	November 18, 1942 – January 3, 1943	Republican	Hugh I. Shott	13
						78th	15	Elected in 1942. Lost re-election.	January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1949	Republican	Chapman Revercomb	14
						79th
				Re-elected in 1946.	15	80th
						81st	16	Elected in 1948.	January 3, 1949 – January 8, 1958	Democratic	Matthew M. Neely	15
						82nd
				Re-elected in 1952. Died.	16	83rd
				Re-elected in 1952. Died.		84th	17	Re-elected in 1954. Died.
Vacant			February 28, 1956 – March 13, 1956
15	William Laird III	Democratic	March 13, 1956 – November 6, 1956	Appointed to continue Kilgore's term. Retired when his successor was elected.
16	Chapman Revercomb	Republican	November 7, 1956 – January 3, 1959	Elected in 1956 to finish Kilgore's term. Lost re-election.
						85th
									January 8, 1958 – January 25, 1958	Vacant
								Appointed to continue Neely's term. Lost election to finish Neely's term.	January 25, 1958 – November 4, 1958	Republican	John D. Hoblitzell, Jr.	16
								Elected in 1958 to finish Neely's term.	November 5, 1958 – January 3, 1985	Democratic	Jennings Randolph	17
17	Robert Byrd	Democratic	January 3, 1959 – June 28, 2010	Elected in 1958.	17	86th		Elected in 1958 to finish Neely's term.
						87th	18	Re-elected in 1960.
						88th
				Re-elected in 1964.	18	89th
						90th	19	Re-elected in 1966.
						91st
				Re-elected in 1970.	19	92nd
						93rd	20	Re-elected in 1972.
						94th
				Re-elected in 1976.	20	95th
						96th	21	Re-elected in 1978. Retired.
						97th
				Re-elected in 1982.	21	98th
						99th	22		January 3, 1985 – January 15, 1985	Vacant
						99th		Elected in 1984, but delayed his inauguration to finish his term as Governor of West Virginia.	January 15, 1985 – January 3, 2015	Democratic	Jay Rockefeller	18
						100th
				Re-elected in 1988.	22	101st
						102nd	23	Re-elected in 1990.
						103rd
				Re-elected in 1994.	23	104th
						105th	24	Re-elected in 1996.
						106th
				Re-elected in 2000.	24	107th
						108th	25	Re-elected in 2002.
						109th
				Re-elected in 2006. Died.	25	110th
				Re-elected in 2006. Died.		111th	26	Re-elected in 2008. Retired.
Vacant			June 28, 2010 – July 16, 2010
18	Carte Goodwin	Democratic	July 16, 2010 – November 15, 2010	Appointed to continue Byrd's term. Retired when his successor was elected.
19	Joe Manchin	Democratic	November 15, 2010 – Present	Elected in 2010 to finish Byrd's term.
				Elected in 2010 to finish Byrd's term.		112th
				Re-elected in 2012.	26	113th
						114th	27	Elected in 2014.	January 3, 2015 – Present	Republican	Shelley M. Capito	19
						115th
				Re-elected in 2018.	27	116th
						117th	28	Re-elected in 2020.
						118th
To be determined in the 2024 election.					28	119th
To be determined in the 2024 election.					28	120th	29	To be determined in the 2026 election.
#	Senator	Party	Years in office	Electoral history	T		T	Electoral history	Years in office	Party	Senator	#
Class 1							Class 2

Living former senators[]

As of August 2021, there are two living former U.S. senators from West Virginia. The most recent and most recently serving Senator to die was Robert Byrd (served 1959–2010), who died in office on June 28, 2010.

Senator	Term of office	Date of birth (and age)
Jay Rockefeller	1985–2015	(1937-06-18) June 18, 1937 (age 84)
Carte Goodwin	2010	(1974-02-27) February 27, 1974 (age 47)

Superlatives[]

Longest service[]

Senator	First served	Last served	Length of service
Robert Byrd	January 3, 1959	June 28, 2010	51 years, 176 days (18,804 days)
Jay Rockefeller	January 15, 1985	January 3, 2015	29 years, 353 days (10,945 days)
Jennings Randolph	November 5, 1958	January 3, 1985	26 years, 59 days (9,556 days)
Matthew M. Neely	March 4, 1923	March 3, 1929	Combined total: 24 years, 318 days (9,078 days)
	March 4, 1931	January 12, 1941
	January 3, 1949	January 8, 1958
Stephen Benton Elkins	March 4, 1895	January 4, 1911	15 years, 306 days (5,784 days)

Shortest service[]

Senator	First served	Last served	Length of service
Hugh Ike Shott	November 18, 1942	January 3, 1943	1 month, 2 weeks and 2 days (46 days)
Carte Goodwin	July 16, 2010	November 15, 2010	3 months, 4 weeks and 2 days (122 days)
Samuel Price	August 26, 1876	January 26, 1877	5 months (153 days)
William Laird III	March 13, 1956	November 6, 1956	7 months, 3 weeks and 3 days (238 days)
John D. Hoblitzell Jr.	January 25, 1958	November 4, 1958	9 months, 1 week and 3 days (283 days)

Youngest at beginning of service[]

Senator	Date of birth	First served	Age
Rush Holt Sr.	June 19, 1905	June 21, 1935	30 years and 2 days
John E. Kenna	April 10, 1848	March 4, 1883	34 years, 10 months and 22 days
Davis Elkins	January 24, 1876	January 9, 1911	34 years, 11 months and 16 days
Carte Goodwin	February 27, 1974	July 20, 2010	36 years, 4 months and 23 days
Charles James Faulkner	September 21, 1847	March 4, 1887	39 years, 5 months and 11 days

Oldest at end of service[]

Senator	Date of birth	Last served	Age
Robert Byrd	November 20, 1917	June 28, 2010	92 years, 6 months and 13 days
Matthew M. Neely	November 9, 1874	January 18, 1958	83 years, 2 months and 9 days
Jennings Randolph	March 8, 1902	January 3, 1985	82 years, 9 months and 26 days
Jay Rockefeller	June 18, 1937	January 3, 2015	77 years, 6 months and 16 days
Hugh Ike Shott	September 3, 1866	January 3, 1943	76 years and 4 months

References[]

^ "Elkins Elected in West Virginia". The New York Times. January 24, 1895. p. 5.
^ "WEST VIRGINIA'S NEW SENATOR". The New York Times. January 26, 1899. p. 2.

[1] "Elkins Elected in West Virginia". The New York Times. January 24, 1895. p. 5.

[NYTWV-2] "WEST VIRGINIA'S NEW SENATOR". The New York Times. January 26, 1899. p. 2.

[1]

[2]

show v t United States senators from West Virginia
Class 1	Van Winkle Boreman Caperton Price Hereford Camden Faulkner Scott Chilton Sutherland Neely Hatfield Holt Kilgore Laird Revercomb Byrd Goodwin Manchin
Class 2	Willey Davis Kenna Camden S. Elkins D. Elkins Watson N. Goff D. Elkins G. Goff Neely Rosier Shott Revercomb Neely Hoblitzell Randolph Rockefeller Capito

show v t West Virginia's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators	Joe Manchin (D) Shelley Moore Capito (R)
Representatives (ordered by district)	David McKinley (R) Alex Mooney (R) Carol Miller (R)

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