The governor of West Virginia is the
head of government
The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, ...
of
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the B ...
[WV Constitution article VII, § 5.] and the commander-in-chief of the
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
's
military forces
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
.
[WV Constitution article VII, § 12.] The governor has a duty to enforce state laws,
and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the
West Virginia Legislature
The West Virginia Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of West Virginia. A bicameral legislative body, the legislature is split between the upper Senate and the lower House of Delegates. It was established under Article VI o ...
, to convene the legislature at any time, and, except when prosecution has been carried out by the
House of Delegates, to grant
pardons and
reprieves.
Since West Virginia was
admitted to the Union
''Admitted'' is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language docudrama film directed by Chandigarh-based director Ojaswwee Sharma. The film is about Dhananjay Chauhan, the first transgender student at Panjab University. The role of Dhananjay Chauhan has been p ...
on June 20, 1863, during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
, 34 men have served as governor. Two,
Arch A. Moore Jr. (West Virginia's 28th and 30th governors) and
Cecil H. Underwood (West Virginia's 25th and 32nd governors), served two nonconsecutive stints in office. The longest-serving governor was Moore, who served for three terms over twelve years. The state's first governor after admission into the Union,
Arthur I. Boreman, served the most consecutive terms, resigning a week before the end of his third term. Before the state's admission,
Francis H. Pierpont, the, "Father of West Virginia,"
was elected governor during the
Wheeling Convention
The 1861 Wheeling Convention was an assembly of Virginia Southern Unionist delegates from the northwestern counties of Virginia, aimed at repealing the Ordinance of Secession, which had been approved by referendum, subject to a vote.
The first ...
of 1861.
Daniel D.T. Farnsworth was senate president at the time; he filled the last seven days of Boreman's term and remains the shortest-serving governor. Underwood has the unusual distinction of being both the youngest person to be elected as governor (age 34 upon his first term in 1957) and the oldest to both be elected and serve (age 74 upon his second term in 1997; age 78 at the end of his second term in 2001).
The current governor is
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Jim Justice, who assumed office on January 16, 2017. West Virginia's 36th governor, Justice was elected as a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
, but switched to the Republican Party on August 4 of that year.
To serve as governor, a person must be at least 30 years old, and must have been a citizen of West Virginia for at least five years at the time of inauguration.
[WV Constitution article VII, § 1.] Under the current
Constitution of West Virginia
The Constitution of the State of West Virginia West Virginia State Constitution is the supreme law of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It expresses the rights of the state's citizens and provides the framework for the organization of law and gover ...
, ratified in 1872, the governor serves a four-year term commencing on the Monday after the second Wednesday in the January following an election.
The original constitution of 1863 only called for a two-year term. He may be reelected any number of times, but not more than twice in a row.
[WV Constitution, Article VII, section 4.] Any partial term served counts toward the limit of two consecutive terms.
[
The constitution makes no mention of a lieutenant governor; if the governorship becomes vacant, the senate president acts as governor. If more than one year remains in the governor's term at the time of vacancy, a new election is held; otherwise, the senate president acts as governor for the remainder of the term.][WV Constitution article VII, § 16.] A bill passed in 2000 grants the senate president the honorary title of lieutenant governor,
Qualifications
Anyone who seeks to be elected Governor of West Virginia must meet the following qualifications:
*Be a citizen of the United States
*Be a resident of West Virginia for at least five years preceding the election
*Be a duly qualified elector of West Virginia
*Be at least 30 years old
List of governors
The following list is based on that contained in the ''West Virginia Blue Book'', the official guide to West Virginia state government.[.]
; Parties
Succession
Notes
References
;Specific
;General
*
* Richard E. Fast. ''The history and government of West Virginia'' (1901) to 190
online edition
;Constitutions
*
*
External links
*
Office of the Governor of West Virginia
{{DEFAULTSORT:West Virginia, List Of Governors Of
Lists of state governors of the United States
Governors of West Virginia
Governors of West Virginia, List of