List of governors of Virginia
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The following is a list of the governors of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The governor is the head of government of Virginia and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Virginia General Assembly, to convene the legislature, and to grant pardons, except in cases of impeachment.[1]
The first Constitution of 1776 created the office of governor, to be elected annually by the Virginia State Legislature. The governor could serve up to three years at a time, and once out of office, could not serve again for four years.[2] The 1830 constitution changed the thrice renewable one-year term length to a non-renewable three-year term, and set the start date at the first day in January following an election.[3] This constitution also prevented governors from succeeding themselves, a prohibition that exists to the present day.[4] The 1851 Constitution increased terms to four years[5] and made the office elected by the people, rather than the legislature.[6] The commencement of the Governor's term was moved to the first day in February by the 1902 Constitution,[7] and then to the Saturday after the second Wednesday in January by the 1971 and current Constitution.[8]
If the office of governor is vacant due to disqualification, death, or resignation, the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia becomes Governor.[9] The office of Lieutenant Governor was created in 1851.[10] Prior to that a Council of State existed; it chose from among its members a President who would be "Lieutenant-Governor" and would act as governor when there was a vacancy in that office.[2][11]
Officially, there have been 73 governors of Virginia; the acting governors are not counted.
Colonial governors[]
President of the Committee for Public Safety[]
- Parties
No party
# | Picture | President | Took office | Left office | Party |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Edmund Pendleton | August 16, 1775 | July 5, 1776 | None |
List of governors[]
- Parties
Democratic Federalist Democratic-Republican Whig Republican Re-adjuster Independent
# | Picture | Governor | Took office | Left office | Lieutenant Governor | Party | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Patrick Henry | July 5, 1776 | June 1, 1779 | Office vacant
1776-1852 |
None | First under 1776 Constitution (limit of 3 one-year terms) | |
2 | Thomas Jefferson | June 1, 1779 | June 3, 1781 | None | 3rd President of the United States | ||
3 | William Fleming | June 3, 1781 | June 12, 1781 | None | |||
4 | Thomas Nelson Jr. | June 12, 1781 | November 22, 1781 | None | |||
– | David Jameson | November 22, 1781 | December 1, 1781 | None | Acting Governor (member of Council of State) | ||
5 | Benjamin Harrison V | December 1, 1781 | December 1, 1784 | None | |||
6 | Patrick Henry | December 1, 1784 | December 1, 1786 | None | Re-elected after 5-year hiatus (1 more than constitutional minimum) | ||
7 | Edmund Randolph | December 1, 1786 | December 1, 1788 | None | First under U.S. constitution | ||
8 | Beverley Randolph | December 1, 1788 | December 1, 1791 | None | |||
9 | Henry Lee III | December 1, 1791 | December 1, 1794 | Federalist | |||
10 | Robert Brooke | December 1, 1794 | December 1, 1796 | Democratic-Republican | |||
11 | James Wood | December 1, 1796 | December 1, 1799 | Federalist | |||
– | Hardin Burnley | December 7, 1799 | December 11, 1799 | ||||
– | John Pendleton Jr. | December 11, 1799 | December 19, 1799 | ||||
12 | James Monroe | December 19, 1799 | December 1, 1802 | Democratic-Republican | U.S. Senator 1790–1794, fifth President of the United States | ||
13 | John Page | December 1, 1802 | December 7, 1805 | Democratic-Republican | |||
14 | William H. Cabell | December 7, 1805 | December 1, 1808 | Democratic-Republican | |||
15 | John Tyler Sr. | December 1, 1808 | January 15, 1811 | Democratic-Republican | |||
— | George William Smith | January 15, 1811 | January 19, 1811 | Democratic-Republican | Acting Governor (member of Council of State) | ||
16 | James Monroe | January 19, 1811 | April 3, 1811 | Democratic-Republican | U.S. Senator 1790–94, Fifth President of the United States | ||
17 | George William Smith | April 3, 1811 | December 26, 1811 | Democratic-Republican | Acting Governor (member of Council of State) Later elected in his own right Died in office | ||
N/A | Peyton Randolph | December 27, 1811 | January 3, 1812 | Democratic-Republican | Acting Governor (member of Council of State) | ||
18 | James Barbour | January 3, 1812 | December 1, 1814 | Democratic-Republican | U.S. Senator 1815–1825 | ||
19 | Wilson Cary Nicholas | December 1, 1814 | December 1, 1816 | Democratic-Republican | |||
20 | James Patton Preston | December 1, 1816 | December 1, 1819 | Democratic-Republican | |||
21 | Thomas Mann Randolph Jr. | December 1, 1819 | December 1, 1822 | Democratic-Republican | |||
22 | James Pleasants | December 1, 1822 | December 10, 1825 | Democratic-Republican | Resigned U.S. Senate to assume Governorship | ||
23 | John Tyler | December 10, 1825 | March 4, 1827 | Democratic-Republican | Resigned to enter U.S. Senate 1827–1836, 10th United States President | ||
24 | William Branch Giles | March 4, 1827 | March 4, 1830 | Democratic | U.S. Senator 1804–1815 | ||
25 | John Floyd | March 4, 1830 | March 31, 1834 | Democratic | First under 1830 constitution (limit of 1 four-year term) | ||
26 | Littleton Waller Tazewell | March 31, 1834 | April 30, 1836 | Democratic | U.S. Senator 1824–1832 | ||
— | Wyndham Robertson | April 30, 1836 | March 31, 1837 | Whig | Acting Governor (member of Council of State) | ||
27 | David Campbell | March 31, 1837 | March 31, 1840 | Democratic | |||
28 | Thomas Walker Gilmer | March 31, 1840 | March 20, 1841 | Whig | |||
— | John M. Patton | March 20, 1841 | March 31, 1841 | Whig | Acting Governor (member of Council of State) | ||
— | John Rutherfoord | March 31, 1841 | March 31, 1842 | Democratic | Acting Governor (member of Council of State) | ||
— | John Munford Gregory | March 31, 1842 | January 1, 1843 | Whig | Acting Governor (member of Council of State) | ||
29 | James McDowell | January 1, 1843 | January 1, 1846 | Democratic | |||
30 | William Smith | January 1, 1846 | January 1, 1849 | Democratic | |||
31 | John B. Floyd | January 1, 1849 | January 16, 1852 | Democratic | U.S. Secretary of War 1857–60 | ||
32 | Joseph Johnson | January 16, 1852 | January 1, 1856 | Shelton Leake | Democratic | First under 1851 constitution (limit of 1 four-year term) First popularly elected governor | |
33 | Henry A. Wise | January 1, 1856 | January 1, 1860 | Elisha W. McComas William Lowther Jackson |
Democratic | ||
34 | John Letcher | January 1, 1860 | May 15, 1861 | Robert Latane Montague | Democratic | Governor under the Richmond (secessionist) government. After formation of the Restored Government of Virginia, however, the Union recognized that government (under Governor Francis Pierpont) rather than the Richmond government as the legitimate government of Virgnia. | |
— | William Smith | January 1, 1864 | May 9, 1865 | Samuel Price | Democratic | Governor under the Richmond (secessionist) government. At the end of the Civil War, was replaced by Francis Pierpont when the Restored Government of Virginia (which the Union recognized as the legitimate government of Virginia) moved from Alexandria to Richmond. | |
35 | Francis Harrison Pierpont | May 15, 1861 | April 4, 1868 | None | Republican | Elected by May 1861 Wheeling Convention. Reelected by June 1861 Wheeling Convention with recognition by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Elected by Restored General Assembly (Union) | |
— | Henry H. Wells | April 4, 1868 | September 21, 1869 | None | Republican | Appointed Governor by U.S. military | |
36 | Gilbert Carlton Walker | September 21, 1869 | January 1, 1874 | John F. Lewis John Lawrence Marye, Jr. |
Republican | Appointed Governor by U.S. military then elected as a Republican Governor later served as a Democratic Congressman | |
37 | James L. Kemper | January 1, 1874 | January 1, 1878 | Robert E. Withers Henry Wirtz Thomas |
Democratic | ||
38 | Frederick W. M. Holliday | January 1, 1878 | January 1, 1882 | James A. Walker | Democratic | ||
39 | William E. Cameron | January 1, 1882 | January 1, 1886 | John F. Lewis | Re-adjuster | ||
40 | Fitzhugh Lee | January 1, 1886 | January 1, 1890 | John E. Massey | Democratic | ||
41 | Philip W. McKinney | January 1, 1890 | January 1, 1894 | James H. Tyler | Democratic | ||
42 | Charles Triplett O'Ferrall | January 1, 1894 | January 1, 1898 | Robert C. Kent | Democratic | Resigned U. S. House seat to assume Governorship | |
43 | James Hoge Tyler | January 1, 1898 | January 1, 1902 | Edward Echols | Democratic | ||
44 | Andrew Jackson Montague | January 1, 1902 | February 1, 1906 | Joseph Edward Willard | Democratic | ||
45 | Claude A. Swanson | February 1, 1906 | February 10, 1910 | James T. Ellyson | Democratic | U.S. Senator 1910–33 | |
46 | William Hodges Mann | February 10, 1910 | February 1, 1914 | James T. Ellyson | Democratic | ||
47 | Henry Carter Stuart | February 1, 1914 | February 1, 1918 | James T. Ellyson | Democratic | ||
48 | Westmoreland Davis | February 1, 1918 | February 1, 1922 | Benjamin F. Buchanan | Democratic | ||
49 | Elbert Lee Trinkle | February 1, 1922 | February 1, 1926 | Junius E. West | Democratic | ||
50 | Harry F. Byrd | February 1, 1926 | January 15, 1930 | Junius E. West | Democratic | U.S. Senator 1933–65 | |
51 | John Garland Pollard | January 15, 1930 | January 17, 1934 | James H. Price | Democratic | ||
52 | George C. Peery | January 17, 1934 | January 15, 1938 | James H. Price | Democratic | ||
53 | James H. Price | January 15, 1938 | January 21, 1942 | Saxon W. Holt | Democratic | ||
54 | Colgate Darden | January 21, 1942 | January 16, 1946 | William M. Tuck | Democratic | ||
55 | William M. Tuck | January 16, 1946 | January 18, 1950 | Lewis Preston Collins II | Democratic | ||
56 | John S. Battle | January 18, 1950 | January 20, 1954 | Lewis Preston Collins II Allie Edward Stakes Stephens |
Democratic | ||
57 | Thomas B. Stanley | January 20, 1954 | January 11, 1958 | Allie Edward Stakes Stephens | Democratic | ||
58 | J. Lindsay Almond | January 11, 1958 | January 13, 1962 | Allie Edward Stakes Stephens | Democratic | ||
59 | Albertis Harrison | January 13, 1962 | January 15, 1966 | Mills Godwin | Democratic | ||
60 | Mills Godwin | January 15, 1966 | January 17, 1970 | Fred G. Pollard | Democratic | Later served a second term as governor 1974–1978 | |
61 | Linwood Holton | January 17, 1970 | January 12, 1974 | J. Sargeant Reynolds (Democratic) Henry Howell (Democratic) |
Republican | ||
62 | Mills Godwin | January 12, 1974 | January 14, 1978 | John N. Dalton | Republican | Previously served as governor 1966–1970 | |
63 | John Dalton | January 14, 1978 | January 16, 1982 | Chuck Robb (Democratic) | Republican | ||
64 | Chuck Robb | January 16, 1982 | January 18, 1986 | Dick Davis | Democratic | U.S. Senator 1989–2001 | |
65 | Gerald Baliles | January 18, 1986 | January 13, 1990 | Douglas Wilder | Democratic | ||
66 | Douglas Wilder | January 13, 1990 | January 15, 1994 | Don Beyer | Democratic | First African-American governor elected in American history | |
67 | George Allen | January 15, 1994 | January 17, 1998 | Don Beyer (Democratic) | Republican | U.S. Senator 2001–2007 | |
68 | Jim Gilmore | January 17, 1998 | January 12, 2002 | John H. Hager | Republican | ||
69 | Mark Warner | January 12, 2002 | January 14, 2006 | Tim Kaine | Democratic | U.S. Senator 2009–present | |
70 | Tim Kaine | January 14, 2006 | January 16, 2010 | Bill Bolling (Republican) | Democratic | First Catholic Governor, U.S. Senator 2013–present, nominee for Vice President of the United States in 2016 | |
71 | Bob McDonnell | January 16, 2010 | January 11, 2014 | Bill Bolling | Republican | ||
72 | Terry McAuliffe | January 11, 2014 | January 13, 2018 | Ralph Northam | Democratic | ||
73 | Ralph Northam | January 13, 2018 | Incumbent | Justin Fairfax | Democratic |
Living former governors of Virginia[]
As of October 2019, there are nine former governors of Virginia currently living, the oldest being A. Linwood Holton, Jr. (served 1970–1974, born 1923). The most recent governor of Virginia to die was Gerald Baliles (served 1986–1990, born 1940), on October 29, 2019. He is also the most recently served governor to die.
A. Linwood Holton, Jr.
served 1970–1974 born September 21, 1923 (age 97)Chuck Robb
served 1982–1986 born June 26, 1939 (age 82)Douglas Wilder
served 1990–1994 born January 17, 1931 (age 90)George Allen
served 1994–1998 born March 8, 1952 (age 69)Jim Gilmore
served 1998–2002 born October 6, 1949 (age 71)Mark Warner
served 2002–2006 born December 15, 1954 (age 66)Tim Kaine
served 2006–2010 born February 26, 1958 (age 63)Bob McDonnell
served 2010–2014 born June 15, 1954 (age 67)Terry McAuliffe
served 2014–2018 born February 9, 1957 (age 64)
Other high offices held[]
- * Denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take.
This is a table of congressional, confederate and other federal offices held by governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented Virginia except where noted.
Governor | Gubernatorial term |
U.S. Congress | Other offices held | |
---|---|---|---|---|
House | Senate | |||
Thomas Jefferson | 1779–1781 | Delegate to the Second Continental Congress, (1775–1776); Delegate to the Congress of the Confederation (1783–1784); U.S. Minister to France. (1785–1789); 1st U.S. Secretary of State, (1790–1793); 2nd Vice President of the United States, (1797–1801); 3rd President of the United States, (1801–1809) | ||
Thomas Nelson, Jr. | 1781 | Delegate to the Second Continental Congress, (1775–1781) | ||
Benjamin Harrison V | 1781–1784 | Delegate to the Second Continental Congress, (1775–1781) | ||
Edmund Randolph | 1786–1788 | 1st U.S. Attorney General, (1789–1794); 2nd U.S. Secretary of State, (1794–1795), Delegate to the Constitutional Convention (United States), (1787-1787) | ||
Henry Lee III | 1791–1794 | H | Delegate to the Congress of the Confederation (1786–1788) | |
James Monroe | 1799–1802 1811 |
S | Delegate to the Congress of the Confederation (1783–1786); U.S. Minister to France, (1794–1796); U.S. Minister to the United Kingdom, (1803–1808); 7th U.S. Secretary of State*, (1811–1817); 8th U.S. Secretary of War, (1814–1815); 5th President of the United States, (1817–1825) | |
John Page | 1802–1805 | H | ||
James Barbour | 1812–1814 | S | U.S. Minister to the United Kingdom, (1828–1829); President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, (1819); 11th U.S. Secretary of War, (1825–1828) | |
Wilson Cary Nicholas | 1814–1816 | H | S | |
Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr. | 1819–1822 | H | ||
James Pleasants | 1822–1825 | H | S | |
John Tyler | 1825–1827 | H | S* | President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, (1835); 10th Vice President of the United States, (1841); 10th President of the United States, (1841–1845); Provisional Congress of the Confederate States, (1861–1862) |
William Branch Giles | 1827–1830 | H | S | |
John Floyd | 1830–1834 | H | ||
Littleton Waller Tazewell | 1834–1836 | H | S | |
Thomas Walker Gilmer | 1840–1841 | H* | 15th U.S. Secretary of the Navy, (1844) | |
John M. Patton | 1841 | H | ||
James McDowell | 1843–1846 | H | ||
William Smith | 1846–1849 1864–1865 |
H | Confederate House of Representatives, (1862–1863) | |
John B. Floyd | 1849–1852 | 24th U.S. Secretary of War, (1857–1860) | ||
Joseph Johnson | 1852–1856 | H | ||
Henry A. Wise | 1852–1856 | H | U. S. Minister to Brazil, (1844–1847) | |
John Letcher | 1860–1861* | H | ||
Francis Harrison Pierpont | 1861–1865 | |||
Gilbert Carlton Walker | 1869–1874 | H | ||
Frederick W. M. Holliday | 1878–1882 | Confederate House of Representatives, (1864–1865) | ||
Charles Triplett O'Ferrall | 1894–1898 | H | ||
Andrew Jackson Montague | 1902–1906 | H | ||
Claude A. Swanson | 1906–1910 | H | S | 45th U.S. Secretary of the Navy, (1933–1939) |
Harry F. Byrd | 1926–1930 | S | ||
George C. Peery | 1934–1938 | H | ||
Colgate Darden | 1942–1946 | H | ||
William M. Tuck | 1946–1950 | H | ||
Thomas B. Stanley | 1954–1958 | H | ||
James Lindsay Almond, Jr. | 1958–1962 | H | ||
Chuck Robb | 1982–1986 | S | ||
George Allen | 1994–1998 | H | S | |
Mark Warner | 2002–2006 | S | ||
Tim Kaine | 2006–2010 | S |
Birth places[]
Part of Virginia | # of Governors Elected |
---|---|
Central Virginia | 16 |
Not from Virginia | 12 |
Peninsula | 10 |
Southwest Virginia | 8 |
South Central Virginia | 7 |
Northern Neck of Virginia | 5 |
Northwest Virginia | 4 |
West Central Virginia | 4 |
Northern Central Virginia (NOVA) | 2 |
Southeast | 2 |
Eastern Shore of Virginia | 2 |
Not from the United States | 1 |
Total | 73 |
- These numbers reflect place of residence when taking office, not birthplace
See also[]
References[]
- ^ VA Const. art. V
- ^ Jump up to: a b 1776 Const.
- ^ 1830 Const. Art IV section 1.
- ^ VA Const. Art V sec 1
- ^ 1851 Const. art V section 1.
- ^ 1851 Const. Art V section 2.
- ^ 1902 Const. Art V section 69.
- ^ VA Const. art V section 1.
- ^ VA Const. Art V section 16.
- ^ 1851 Const. art V section 8.
- ^ 1830 Const. art IV section 5.
- General
- Virginia State Government Website[permanent dead link]
- Congressional Quarterly
- Virginia governors. (2000). In Congressional Quarterly (Ed.), American political leaders 1789–2000. Washington: CQ Press. Retrieved January 10, 2006, from CQ Electronic Library, CQ Voting and Elections Collection, . Document ID: amldrs-147-7136-390228. (Requires Subscription)
- Thorpe, F.N. (1909). The Federal and State Constitutions: Virginia-Wyoming. Scholarly Press. p. 3852. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- National Governors Association's list of Virginia Governors
- Constitutions
- "Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia". Virginia General Assembly. 1971. Archived from the original on May 30, 2008. Retrieved June 17, 2008.
- Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Scholarly Press. 1902. Retrieved June 17, 2008.
- Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Scholarly Press. 1870. Retrieved June 17, 2008.
- Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Scholarly Press. 1864. Retrieved June 17, 2008.
- Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Scholarly Press. 1851. Retrieved June 17, 2008.
- "Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia". West Virginia Division of Culture and History. 1830. Retrieved June 17, 2008.
- "Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia". Avalon Project. 1776. Archived from the original on June 4, 2008. Retrieved June 17, 2008.
- Specific
- Lists of state governors of the United States
- Governors of Virginia
- Lists of Virginia politicians
- Political history of Virginia