List of Governors of Virginia

The following is a list of the Governors of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The governor is the head of the executive branch of Virginia's government 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 bill 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 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 becomes governor.[9] The office of lieutenant governor was created in 1851[10] Prior to then, a Council of State existed, which chose a president among its members who would be "Lieutenant-Governor", who would act as governor in a time of absence in the office.[2][11]

There have officially been 71 governors of Virginia; the acting governors are not counted.

It is an interesting note that in every Virginia gubernatorial election since 1977, the political party of the President at the time has lost the election, even when the state of Virginia had strongly voted for the President in question.[12] During the most recent Virginia gubernatorial election, the President was a Democrat (Barack Obama), who won Virginia in the 2008 election by 6 percentage points. Republican Bob McDonnell won the governor's race by 17 percentage points.

Contents

Colonial Governors

Main article: List of colonial governors of Virginia

President of the Committee for Public Safety

List of Governors

# Image Name Took office Left office Party Notes
1 Patrick Henry July 5, 1776 June 1, 1779 No party
2 Thomas Jefferson June 1, 1779 June 3, 1781 No party
3 William Fleming June 3, 1781 June 12, 1781 No party
4 Thomas Nelson, Jr. June 12, 1781 November 22, 1781 No party
— David Jameson November 22, 1781 December 1, 1781 No party [13]
5 Benjamin Harrison V December 1, 1781 December 1, 1784 No party
6 Patrick Henry December 1, 1784 December 1, 1786 No party
7 Edmund Randolph December 1, 1786 December 1, 1788 No party
8 Beverley Randolph December 1, 1788 December 1, 1791 No party
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 Democratic-Republican
— 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
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 [13]
16 James Monroe January 19, 1811 April 3, 1811 Democratic-Republican
17 George William Smith April 3, 1811 December 26, 1811 Democratic-Republican [14][15]
N/A Peyton Randolph December 27, 1811 January 3, 1812 Democratic-Republican [13]
18 James Barbour January 3, 1812 December 1, 1814 Democratic-Republican
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
23 John Tyler December 10, 1825 March 4, 1827 Democratic-Republican [16]
24 William Branch Giles March 4, 1827 March 4, 1830 Democratic
25 John Floyd March 4, 1830 March 31, 1834 Democratic
26 Littleton Waller Tazewell March 31, 1834 April 30, 1836 Whig
— Wyndham Robertson April 30, 1836 March 31, 1837 Whig [13]
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 [13]
— John Rutherford March 31, 1841 March 31, 1842 Whig [13]
— John Munford Gregory March 31, 1842 January 1, 1843 Whig [13]
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
32 Joseph Johnson January 16, 1852 January 1, 1856 Democratic [17]
33 Henry A. Wise January 1, 1856 January 1, 1860 Democratic
34 John Letcher January 1, 1860 January 1, 1864 Democratic (June 20, 1863 West Virginia was formed)
35 William Smith January 1, 1864 May 9, 1865 Democratic
— Francis Harrison Pierpont May 9, 1865 April 4, 1868 Republican [18]
— Henry H. Wells April 4, 1868 September 21, 1869 Republican [18]
36 Gilbert Carlton Walker September 21, 1869 January 1, 1874 Democratic [19]
37 James L. Kemper January 1, 1874 January 1, 1878 Democratic
38 Frederick W. M. Holliday January 1, 1878 January 1, 1882 Democratic
39 William E. Cameron January 1, 1882 January 1, 1886 Re-adjuster
40 Fitzhugh Lee January 1, 1886 January 1, 1890 Democratic
41 Philip W. McKinney January 1, 1890 January 1, 1894 Democratic
42 Charles Triplett O'Ferrall January 1, 1894 January 1, 1898 Democratic
43 James Hoge Tyler January 1, 1898 January 1, 1902 Democratic
44 Andrew Jackson Montague January 1, 1902 February 1, 1906 Democratic
45 Claude A. Swanson February 1, 1906 February 10, 1910 Democratic
46 William Hodges Mann February 10, 1910 February 1, 1914 Democratic
47 Henry Carter Stuart February 1, 1914 February 1, 1918 Democratic
48 Westmoreland Davis February 1, 1918 February 1, 1922 Democratic
49 Elbert Lee Trinkle February 1, 1922 February 1, 1926 Democratic
50 Harry F. Byrd February 1, 1926 January 15, 1930 Democratic
51 John Garland Pollard January 15, 1930 January 17, 1934 Democratic
52 George C. Peery January 17, 1934 January 15, 1938 Democratic
53 James H. Price January 15, 1938 January 21, 1942 Democratic
54 Colgate Darden January 21, 1942 January 16, 1946 Democratic
55 William M. Tuck January 16, 1946 January 18, 1950 Democratic
56 John S. Battle January 18, 1950 January 20, 1954 Democratic
57 Thomas Bahnson Stanley January 20, 1954 January 11, 1958 Democratic
58 James Lindsay Almond, Jr. January 11, 1958 January 13, 1962 Democratic
59 Albertis S. Harrison, Jr. January 13, 1962 January 15, 1966 Democratic
60 Mills E. Godwin, Jr. January 15, 1966 January 17, 1970 Democratic
61 A. Linwood Holton, Jr. January 17, 1970 January 12, 1974 Republican
62 Mills E. Godwin, Jr. January 12, 1974 January 14, 1978 Republican
63 John N. Dalton January 14, 1978 January 16, 1982 Republican
64 Chuck Robb January 16, 1982 January 18, 1986 Democratic
65 Gerald L. Baliles January 18, 1986 January 14, 1990 Democratic
66 Douglas Wilder January 14, 1990 January 15, 1994 Democratic
67 George Allen January 15, 1994 January 17, 1998 Republican
68 Jim Gilmore January 17, 1998 January 12, 2002 Republican
69 Mark Warner January 12, 2002 January 14, 2006 Democratic
70 Tim Kaine January 14, 2006 January 16, 2010 Democratic
71 Bob McDonnell January 16, 2010 present Republican

Notes

  1. ^ VA Const. art. V
  2. ^ a b 1776 Const.
  3. ^ 1830 Const. Art IV sec 1
  4. ^ VA Const. Art V sec 1
  5. ^ 1851 Const. art V sec 1
  6. ^ 1851 Const. Art V sec 2
  7. ^ 1902 Const. Art V sec 69
  8. ^ VA Const. art V sec 1
  9. ^ VA Const. Art V sec 16
  10. ^ 1851 Const. art V sec 8
  11. ^ 1830 Const. art IV sec 5
  12. ^ McDonnell wins Virginia governor's race
  13. ^ a b c d e f g Member of the Council of State acting as Governor.
  14. ^ Member of the Council of State acting as governor; was later elected in his own right.
  15. ^ Died in office.
  16. ^ Resigned to be in the U.S. Senate.
  17. ^ First governor popularly elected.
  18. ^ a b Unelected military governor
  19. ^ Unelected Republican military governor, then elected in his own right as a Democrat.

Living former governors

As of December 2009, eight former governors were alive, the oldest being A. Linwood Holton, Jr. (1970–1974, born 1923). The most recent governor to die was Mills E. Godwin, Jr. (1966–1970, 1974–1978, born 1914), on January 30, 1999. The most recently serving governor to die was John N. Dalton (1978–1982), on July 30, 1986.

Name Gubernatorial term Date of birth
A. Linwood Holton, Jr. 1970–1974 September 21, 1923 (1923-09-21) (age 88)
Chuck Robb 1982–1986 June 26, 1939 (1939-06-26) (age 72)
Gerald L. Baliles 1986–1990 July 8, 1940 (1940-07-08) (age 71)
Douglas Wilder 1990–1994 January 17, 1931 (1931-01-17) (age 81)
George Allen 1994–1998 March 8, 1952 (1952-03-08) (age 59)
Jim Gilmore 1998–2002 October 6, 1949 (1949-10-06) (age 62)
Mark Warner 2002–2006 December 15, 1954 (1954-12-15) (age 57)
Tim Kaine 2006–2010 February 26, 1958 (1958-02-26) (age 53)

References

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