List of Governors of Virginia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of Governors of Virginia since Virginia became a U.S. state following the American Revolutionary War. The Governor of Virginia is forbidden by the Constitution of the Commonwealth from serving consecutive terms (making Virginia the only U.S. state in which all gubernatorial elections are imposed as non-incumbent elections); however, several governors have served two non-consecutive terms. In Virginia, governors and lieutenant governors are elected separately, so the two can be of different political parties and can be political rivals. Each new gubernatorial term begins on the Saturday after the second Wednesday in January.

Contents

[edit] Colonial Governors

Main article: List of colonial governors of Virginia

[edit] President of the Committee for Public Safety

[edit] Governors chosen by state legislature

# Name Party Term Previous Office
1 Patrick Henry No party July 5, 1776–June 1, 1779
2 Thomas Jefferson No party June 1, 1779–June 3, 1781
3 William Fleming (acting) No party June 3, 1781–June 12, 1781
4 Thomas Nelson, Jr. No party June 12, 1781–November 22, 1781
5 Benjamin Harrison V No party December 1, 1781–November 30, 1784
6 Patrick Henry No party November 30, 1784–December 1, 1786
7 Edmund Randolph No party December 1, 1786–December 1, 1788
8 Beverley Randolph No party December 1, 1788–December 1, 1791
9 Henry Lee III Federalist December 1, 1791–December 1, 1794
10 Robert Brooke Democratic-Republican December 1, 1794–December 1, 1796
11 James Wood Democratic-Republican December 1, 1796–December 1, 1799
12 James Monroe Democratic-Republican December 1, 1799–December 1, 1802
13 John Page Democratic-Republican December 1, 1802–December 1, 1805
14 William H. Cabell Democratic-Republican December 1, 1805–December 1, 1808
15 John Tyler, Sr. Democratic-Republican December 1, 1808–January 15, 1811
N/A George William Smith Democratic-Republican January 15, 1811–January 19, 1811 Member of the Council of State acting as Governor
16 James Monroe Democratic-Republican January 19, 1811–April 3, 1811
N/A George William Smith Democratic-Republican April 3, 1811–December 27, 1811 Member of the Council of State acting as Governor
17 George William Smith Democratic-Republican December 1811
N/A Peyton Randolph Democratic-Republican December 27, 1811–January 3, 1812 Member of the Council of State acting as Governor
18 James Barbour Democratic-Republican January 3, 1812–December 1, 1814
19 Wilson Cary Nicholas Democratic-Republican December 1, 1814–December 1, 1816
20 James Patton Preston Democratic-Republican December 1, 1816–December 1, 1819
21 Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr. Democratic-Republican December 1, 1819–December 1, 1822
22 James Pleasants Democratic-Republican December 1, 1822–December 10, 1825
23 John Tyler Democratic-Republican December 10, 1825–March 4, 1827
24 William Branch Giles Democrat March 4, 1827–March 4, 1830
25 John Floyd Democrat March 4, 1830–March 31, 1834
26 Littleton Waller Tazewell Whig March 31, 1834–April 30, 1836
N/A Wyndham Robertson Whig April 30, 1836–March 31, 1837 Member of the Council of State acting as Governor
27 David Campbell Democrat March 31, 1837–March 31, 1840
28 Thomas Walker Gilmer Whig March 31, 1840–March 20, 1841
N/A John M. Patton Whig March 20, 1841–March 31, 1841 Member of the Council of State acting as Governor
N/A John Rutherford Whig March 31, 1841–March 31, 1842 Member of the Council of State acting as Governor
N/A John Munford Gregory Whig March 31, 1842–January 1, 1843 Member of the Council of State acting as Governor
29 James McDowell Democrat January 1, 1843–January 1, 1846
30 William Smith Democrat January 1, 1846–January 1, 1849
31 John B. Floyd Democrat January 1, 1849–January 16, 1852

[edit] Governors elected by popular vote

# Name Party Term Previous Office Notes
32 Joseph Johnson Democratic January 16, 1852–January 1, 1856 US Congress
33 Henry A. Wise Democratic January 1, 1856–January 1, 1860 US Congress
34 John Letcher Democratic January 1, 1860–January 1, 1864 US Congress
35 William Smith Democratic January 1, 1864–May 1865 US Congress
N/A Francis Harrison Pierpont Republican May 1865–April 4, 1868 Unelected Military Governor
N/A Henry H. Wells Republican April 4, 1868–September 21, 1869 Unelected Military Governor
N/A Gilbert Carlton Walker Republican September 21, 1869–January 1, 1870 Unelected Military Governor
36 Gilbert Carlton Walker Democratic January 1, 1870–January 1, 1874 Provisional Governor
37 James L. Kemper Democratic January 1, 1874–January 1, 1878 Confederate General
38 Frederick W. M. Holliday Democratic January 1, 1878–January 1, 1882 Confederate Colonel
39 William E. Cameron Re-adjuster January 1, 1882–January 1, 1886 Mayor of Petersburg, VA
40 Fitzhugh Lee Democratic January 1, 1886–January 1, 1890 Confederate General
41 Philip W. McKinney Democratic January 1, 1890–January 1, 1894
42 Charles Triplett O'Ferrall Democratic January 1, 1894–January 1, 1898 US Congress
43 James Hoge Tyler Democratic January 1, 1898–January 1, 1902 Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
44 Andrew Jackson Montague Democratic January 1, 1902–February 1, 1906 Attorney General of Virginia
45 Claude A. Swanson Democratic February 1, 1906–February 10, 1910 US Congress
46 William Hodges Mann Democratic February 10, 1910–February 1, 1914
47 Henry Carter Stuart Democratic February 1, 1914–February 1, 1918
48 Westmoreland Davis Democratic February 1, 1918–February 1, 1922 Farmer and Magazine Editor
49 Elbert Lee Trinkle Democratic February 1, 1922–February 1, 1926 Virginia State Senate
50 Harry F. Byrd Democratic February 1, 1926–January 15, 1930 President of The Valley Turnpike Company
51 John Garland Pollard Democratic January 15, 1930–January 17, 1934 Attorney General of Virginia
52 George C. Peery Democratic January 17, 1934–January 15, 1938 US Congress
53 James H. Price Democratic January 15, 1938–January 21, 1942 Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
54 Colgate Darden Democratic January 21, 1942–January 16, 1946 US Congress
55 William M. Tuck Democratic January 16, 1946–January 18, 1950 Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
56 John S. Battle Democratic January 18, 1950–January 20, 1954 Virginia State Senate
57 Thomas Bahnson Stanley Democratic January 20, 1954–January 11, 1958 US Congress
58 James Lindsay Almond, Jr. Democratic January 11, 1958–January 13, 1962 Attorney General of Virginia
59 Albertis S. Harrison, Jr. Democratic January 13, 1962–January 15, 1966 Attorney General of Virginia
60 Mills E. Godwin, Jr. Democratic January 15, 1966–January 17, 1970 Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
61 A. Linwood Holton, Jr. Republican January 17, 1970–January 12, 1974 US Senate Candidate
62 Mills E. Godwin, Jr. Republican January 12, 1974–January 14, 1978 Governor of Virginia
63 John N. Dalton Republican January 14, 1978–January 16, 1982 Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
64 Chuck Robb Democratic January 16, 1982–January 18, 1986 Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
65 Gerald L. Baliles Democratic January 18, 1986–January 14, 1990 Attorney General of Virginia
66 Douglas Wilder Democratic January 14, 1990-January 15, 1994 Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
67 George Allen Republican January 15, 1994–January 17, 1998 US Congress
68 Jim Gilmore Republican January 17, 1998–January 12, 2002 Attorney General of Virginia
69 Mark Warner Democratic January 12, 2002–January 14, 2006 US Senate Candidate
70 Tim Kaine Democratic January 14, 2006–Present Lieutenant Governor of Virginia

[edit] Sources

  • 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)

[edit] External links

Flag of Virginia
v • d • e

 
Commonwealth of Virginia
Richmond (capital)
Topics
Regions
Metro areas
Counties

Accomack | Albemarle | Alleghany | Amelia | Amherst | Appomattox | Arlington | Augusta | Bath | Bedford | Bland | Botetourt | Brunswick | Buchanan | Buckingham | Campbell | Caroline | Carroll | Charles City | Charlotte | Chesterfield | Clarke | Craig | Culpeper | Cumberland | Dickenson | Dinwiddie | Essex | Fairfax | Fauquier | Floyd | Fluvanna | Franklin | Frederick | Giles | Gloucester | Goochland | Grayson | Greene | Greensville | Halifax | Hanover | Henrico | Henry | Highland | Isle of Wight | James City | King and Queen | King George | King William | Lancaster | Lee | Loudoun | Louisa | Lunenburg | Madison | Mathews | Mecklenburg | Middlesex | Montgomery | Nelson | New Kent | Northampton | Northumberland | Nottoway | Orange | Page | Patrick | Pittsylvania | Powhatan | Prince Edward | Prince George | Prince William | Pulaski | Rappahannock | Richmond | Roanoke | Rockbridge | Rockingham | Russell | Scott | Shenandoah | Smyth | Southampton | Spotsylvania | Stafford | Surry | Sussex | Tazewell | Warren | Washington | Westmoreland | Wise | Wythe | York
Independent Cities
Towns
v • d • e
Lists of chief executives of the United States
President
State governors
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming
Territorial executives
Defunct