List of governors of Virginia

The following is a list of the governors of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The governor of Virginia is the state's head of government and commander-in-chief of the state's official national guard. 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]

History of Virginia
 Virginia portal

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 74 governors of Virginia; the acting governors are not counted.

Colonial governors
Main article: List of colonial governors of Virginia

President of the Committee for Public Safety

Parties:

  No party
#PicturePresidentTook officeLeft officeParty
1 Edmund Pendleton August 16, 1775 July 5, 1776 None

List of governors (1776–1852)
Political party
#PictureGovernorTook officeLeft officeLieutenant GovernorPartyNotes
1 Patrick Henry July 6, 1776 June 1, 1779 Office vacant (1776–1852) None First under 1776 Constitution
(limit of 3 one-year terms)
2 Thomas Jefferson June 2, 1779 June 3, 1781 None Third president of the United States
3 William Fleming June 4, 1781 June 12, 1781 None
4 Thomas Nelson Jr. June 12, 1781 November 22, 1781 None
– David Jameson November 22, 1781 November 30, 1781 None Acting Governor
(member of Council of State)
5 Benjamin Harrison V December 1, 1781 November 30, 1784 None
6 Patrick Henry November 30, 1784 November 30, 1786 None Re-elected after 5-year hiatus
(1 more than constitutional minimum)
7 Edmund Randolph November 30, 1786 November 12, 1788 None First under U.S. constitution
8 Beverley Randolph November 12, 1788 December 1, 1791 None
9 Henry Lee III December 1, 1791 December 1, 1794 Federalist
10 Robert Brooke December 1, 1794 November 30, 1796 Democratic-Republican
11 James Wood November 30, 1796 December 6, 1799 Federalist
– Hardin Burnley December 7, 1799 December 9, 1799
– John Pendleton Jr. December 11, 1799 December 19, 1799
12 James Monroe December 19, 1799 December 24, 1802 Democratic-Republican U.S. Senator 1790–1794, fifth president of the United States
13 John Page December 24, 1802 December 11, 1805 Democratic-Republican
14 William H. Cabell December 11, 1805 December 12, 1808 Democratic-Republican
15 John Tyler Sr. December 12, 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 1790–1794, 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 4, 1812 Democratic-Republican Acting Governor
(member of Council of State)
18 James Barbour January 4, 1812 December 11, 1814 Democratic-Republican U.S. Senator 1815–1825
19 Wilson Cary Nicholas December 11, 1814 December 11, 1816 Democratic-Republican
20 James Patton Preston December 11, 1816 December 11, 1819 Democratic-Republican
21 Thomas Mann Randolph Jr. December 11, 1819 December 11, 1822 Democratic-Republican
22 James Pleasants December 11, 1822 December 11, 1825 Democratic-Republican Resigned U.S. Senate to assume Governorship
23 John Tyler December 11, 1825 March 4, 1827 Democratic-Republican U.S. Senator 1827–1836, 10th president of the United States
24 William Branch Giles March 4, 1827 March 4, 1830 Democratic-Republican 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 March 30, 1836 Democratic U.S. Senator 1824–1832
— Wyndham Robertson March 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 5, 1843 Whig Acting Governor
(member of Council of State)
29 James McDowell January 5, 1843 January 1, 1846 Democratic
30 William Smith January 1, 1846 January 1, 1849 Democratic
31 John B. Floyd January 1, 1849 January 1, 1852 Democratic U.S. Secretary of War 1857–60

Governors under the constitution of 1851

Governors are elected to one term of four years, which cannot be renewed.

Governors of the Commonwealth of Virginia (1851–present)
No. Governor Party Term in office[lower-alpha 1] Time in Office Election Lieutenant Governor Notes
32   Joseph Johnson Democratic January 1, 1852
–
January 1, 1856

(term limited)

 4 years 1851   Shelton Leake First popularly elected
33   Henry A. Wise Democratic January 1, 1856
–
January 1, 1860

(term limited)

 4 years 1855 Elisha W. McComas
  William Lowther Jackson
34   John Letcher Democratic January 1, 1860
–
May 15, 1861

(Overthrown)[lower-alpha 2]

 1 year, 5 months 1859   Robert Latane Montague
State government dissolved
35   Francis Harrison Pierpont Republican May 15, 1861
–
April 4, 1868
 7 years Elected by Wheeling Convention   Daniel Polsley
  Leopold Copeland Parker Cowper
—   Henry H. Wells Republican April 4, 1868
–
September 21, 1869

(Acting)

 1.5 years Appointed by

First Military District
36   Gilbert Carlton Walker Republican September 21, 1869
–
January 1, 1870
 1 year, 3 months Appointed by

First Military District

   John F. Lewis
State government reestablished with popular elections
  Gilbert Carlton Walker Democratic January 1, 1870
–
January 1, 1874

(term limited)

 4 years 1869 John Lawrence Marye Jr. Switched from Republican to Democratic Party
37   James L. Kemper Democratic January 1, 1874
–
January 1, 1878

(term limited)

 4 years 1873   Robert E. Withers
  Henry Wirtz Thomas
38   Frederick Holiday Democratic January 1, 1878
–
January 1, 1882

(term limited)

 4 years 1877   James A. Walker
39   William E. Cameron Readjuster January 1, 1882
–
January 1, 1886

(term limited)

 4 years 1881   John F. Lewis
40   Fitzhugh Lee Democratic January 1, 1886
–
January 1, 1890

(term limited)

 4 years 1885   John E. Massey
41   Philip W. McKinney Democratic January 1, 1890
–
January 1, 1894

(term limited)

 4 years 1889   James H. Tyler
42   Charles Triplett O'Ferrall Democratic January 1, 1894
–
January 1, 1898

(term limited)

 4 years 1893   Robert C. Kent
43   James Hoge Tyler Democratic January 1, 1898
–
January 1, 1902

(term limited)

 4 years 1897   Edward Echols
44   Andrew Jackson Montague Democratic January 1, 1902
–
February 1, 1906

(term limited)

 4 years, 1 month[lower-alpha 3] 1901   Joseph Edward Willard
45   Claude A. Swanson Democratic February 1, 1906
–
February 1, 1910

(term limited)

 4 years 1905   James Taylor Ellyson
46   William Hodges Mann Democratic February 1, 1910
–
February 1, 1914

(term limited)

 4 years 1909
47   Henry Carter Stuart Democratic February 1, 1914
–
February 1, 1918

(term limited)

 4 years 1913
48   Westmoreland Davis Democratic February 1, 1918
–
February 1, 1922

(term limited)

 4 years 1917   Benjamin Franklin Buchanan
49   Elbert Lee Trinkle Democratic February 1, 1922
–
February 1, 1926

(term limited)

 4 years 1921   Junius Edgar West
50   Harry F. Byrd Democratic February 1, 1926
–
January 15, 1930

(term limited)

 4 years 1925
51   John Garland Pollard Democratic January 15, 1930
–
January 16, 1934

(term limited)

 4 years 1929   James Hubert Price
52   George C. Peery Democratic January 17, 1934
–
January 18, 1938

(term limited)

 4 years 1933
53   James Hubert Price Democratic January 19, 1938
–
January 20, 1942

(term limited)

 4 years 1937   Saxon W. Holt

(Died)
Vacant
54   Colgate Darden Democratic January 21, 1942
–
January 15, 1946

(term limited)

 4 years 1941   William M. Tuck
55   William M. Tuck Democratic January 16, 1946
–
January 17, 1950

(term limited)

 4 years 1945   Lewis Preston Collins II

(Died)
56   John S. Battle Democratic January 18, 1950
–
January 19, 1954

(term limited)

 4 years 1949
Vacant
  Allie Edward Stakes Stephens
57   Thomas B. Stanley Democratic January 20, 1954
–
January 11, 1958

(term limited)

 4 years 1953
58   J. Lindsay Almond Democratic January 11, 1958
–
January 13, 1962

(term limited)

 4 years 1957
59   Albertis Harrison Democratic January 13, 1962
–
January 15, 1966

(term limited)

 4 years 1961   Mills Godwin
60   Mills Godwin Democratic January 15, 1966
–
January 17, 1970

(term limited)

 4 years 1965   Fred G. Pollard
61   Linwood Holton Republican January 17, 1970
–
January 12, 1974

(term limited)

 4 years 1969   J. Sargeant Reynolds

(Died)
Vacant
Henry Howell
62   Mills Godwin Republican January 12, 1974
–
January 14, 1978

(term limited)

 4 years 1973   John N. Dalton 2nd time

Changed parties

63   John N. Dalton Republican January 14, 1978
–
January 16, 1982

(term limited)

 4 years 1977   Chuck Robb
64   Chuck Robb Democratic January 16, 1982
–
January 11, 1986

(term limited)

 4 years 1981   Gerald L. Baliles
65   Gerald Baliles Democratic January 11, 1986
–
January 13, 1990

(term limited)

 4 years 1985   Douglas Wilder
66   Douglas Wilder Democratic January 13, 1990
–
January 15, 1994

(term limited)

 4 years 1989   Don Beyer First African American elected governor in U.S. history
67   George Allen Republican January 15, 1994
–
January 17, 1998

(term limited)

 4 years 1993
68   Jim Gilmore Republican January 17, 1998
–
January 12, 2002

(term limited)

 4 years 1997   John H. Hager
69   Mark Warner Democratic January 12, 2002
–
January 14, 2006

(term limited)

 4 years 2001   Tim Kaine
70   Tim Kaine Democratic January 14, 2006
–
January 16, 2010

(term limited)

 4 years 2005   Bill Bolling
71   Bob McDonnell Republican January 16, 2010
–
January 11, 2014

(term limited)

 4 years 2009
72   Terry McAuliffe Democratic January 11, 2014
–
January 13, 2018

(term limited)

 4 years 2013   Ralph Northam
73   Ralph Northam Democratic January 13, 2018
–
January 15, 2022

(term limited)

 4 years 2017   Justin Fairfax
74   Glenn Youngkin Republican January 15, 2022
–
Incumbent[lower-alpha 4]		 1 year, 16 days[lower-alpha 5] 2021   Winsome Sears

See also
  • List of Virginia state legislatures

Notes
  1. Years are rounded
  2. The United States government no longer recognized Letcher as Virginia's governor. Instead, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Francis Harrison Pierpont as governor.
  3. Inauguration day moved one month later
  4. Youngkin's term will expire on January 17, 2026. He will be term-limited.
  5. As of January 31, 2023

References
  1. VA Const. art. V
  2. 1776 Const.
  3. 1830 Const. Art IV section 1.
  4. VA Const. Art V sec 1
  5. 1851 Const. art V section 1.
  6. 1851 Const. Art V section 2.
  7. 1902 Const. Art V section 69.
  8. VA Const. art V section 1.
  9. VA Const. Art V section 16.
  10. 1851 Const. art V section 8.
  11. 1830 Const. art IV section 5.

General
  • Virginia State Government Website
  • 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

Specific

See also
  • List of Virginia state legislatures
  • First ladies of Virginia
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