President of the West Virginia Senate

American political office

President of the West Virginia Senate

Lieutenant Governor of West Virginia

Seal of West Virginia

Incumbent
Randy Smith

since January 8, 2025

West Virginia Senate
Status| Presiding officer
Seat| West Virginia State Capitol, Charleston
Appointer| West Virginia Senate
Constituting instrument| West Virginia Constitution
Formation| June 20, 1863; 162 years ago (1863-06-20)
First holder| John M. Phelps
Succession| First
Website| www.wvlegislature.gov/Senate1/president.cfm

The president of the West Virginia Senate is a member of the West Virginia Senate who has been elected to be its president by the other senators. The current Senate president is Randy Smith, who has been in office since January 8, 2025.

In addition to serving as the Senate's presiding officer, the Senate President is also first in the line of succession to the office of governor of West Virginia (the Senate president does not succeed to that office, but rather assumes that office's powers and duties as acting governor, with the governorship remaining vacant). As stated in Article 7, Section 16 of the West Virginia Constitution: "In case of the death, conviction or impeachment, failure to qualify, resignation, or other disability of the governor, the president of the Senate shall act as governor until the vacancy is filled, or the disability removed."[1] However, the Senate President may not always serve that role for the whole remainder of the gubernatorial term, as the constitution also states: "Whenever a vacancy shall occur in the office of governor before the first three years of the term shall have expired, a new election for governor shall take place to fill the vacancy."[1]

The West Virginia Constitution does not create or even mention the title of lieutenant governor. However, in 2000, the West Virginia Legislature adopted West Virginia Code chapter 6A, section 1-4(b), which says "the president of the Senate shall be additionally designated the title of lieutenant governor".[2] Earl Ray Tomblin was the first Senate president to thus have the title lieutenant governor of West Virginia.

## List

[edit]

The presidents of the West Virginia Senate since 1863:

Democratic – 31;   Republican – 23

#  | Senate President  | Term start  | Term end  | Party  | Governor

|
|
|
|
|

1  |  |  | John Phelps

1821 – August 26, 1884
(aged 63)

| June 20, 1863  | January 19, 1864  | Republican |  | Arthur Boreman
2  |  |  | William Stevenson

March 18, 1820 – November 29, 1883
(aged 63)

| January 19, 1864  | January 19, 1869  | Republican
3  |  |  | Daniel Farnsworth

December 23, 1819 – December 5, 1892
(aged 72)

| January 19, 1869  | January 17, 1871  | Republican
A. |  |  | Joseph T. Hoke

February 6, 1835 – July 27, 1910
(aged 75)

| February 26, 1869 | March 4, 1869 | Republican |  | Daniel Farnsworth
(acting)
3  |  |  | Daniel Farnsworth

December 23, 1819 – December 5, 1892
(aged 72)

| January 19, 1869  | January 17, 1871  | Republican |  | William Stevenson
4  |  |  | Lewis Baker

November 11, 1832 – April 30, 1899
(aged 66)

| January 17, 1871  | January 16, 1872  | Democratic | ​
| John Jacob
5  |  |  | Carlos Sperry

July 28, 1832 – May 9, 1905
(aged 72)

| January 16, 1872  | August 22, 1872  | Democratic
6  |  |  | Daniel Johnson

April 28, 1836 – December 18, 1893
(aged 57)

| November 19, 1872  | January 10, 1877  | Democratic |
7  |  |  | Ulysses Arnett

November 7, 1820 – December 1, 1880
(aged 60)

| January 10, 1877  | January 8, 1879  | Democratic | ​
| Henry Mathews
8  |  |  | Daniel Johnson

April 28, 1836 – December 18, 1893
(aged 57)

| January 8, 1879  | January 12, 1881  | Democratic
9  |  |  | Albert Summers

January 1, 1824 – April 1, 1901
(aged 77)

| January 12, 1881  | January 10, 1883  | Democratic | ​
| Jacob Jackson
10  |  |  | Thomas Farnsworth

May 17, 1829 – October 12, 1916
(aged 87)

| January 10, 1883  | January 14, 1885  | Democratic
11  |  |  | George Price

November 9, 1848 – February 6, 1938
(aged 89)

| January 14, 1885  | January 9, 1889  | Democratic | ​
| Emmanuel Watson
12  |  |  | Robert Carr

November 17, 1845 – May 6, 1925
(aged 79)

| January 22, 1889  | January 14, 1891  | Democratic | ​
| Aretas Fleming
13  |  |  | John McCreery

July 31, 1845 – May 22, 1917
(aged 71)

| January 14, 1891  | January 11, 1893  | Democratic
14  |  |  | Rankin Wiley

April 6, 1853 – February 21, 1929
(aged 75)

| January 11, 1893  | January 9, 1895  | Democratic | ​
| William MacCorkle
15  |  |  | William Worley

August 1, 1846 – October 7, 1928
(aged 82)

| January 9, 1895  | January 13, 1897  | Republican
16  |  |  | Nelson Whitaker

November 9, 1839 – December 28, 1909
(aged 70)

| January 13, 1897  | January 11, 1899  | Republican | ​
| George Atkinson
17  |  |  | Oliver Marshall

September 24, 1850 – May 19, 1934
(aged 83)

| January 11, 1899  | January 9, 1901  | Republican
18  |  |  | Anthony Smith

January 9, 1844 – July 10, 1927
(aged 83)

| January 9, 1901  | January 14, 1903  | Republican | ​
| Albert White
19  |  |  | Clark May

July 14, 1869 – April 25, 1908
(aged 38)

| January 14, 1903  | January 11, 1905  | Republican
20  |  |  | Gustavus Northcott

April 4, 1861 – December 8, 1938
(aged 77)

| January 11, 1905  | January 9, 1907  | Republican | ​
| William Dawson
21  |  |  | Joseph McDermott

July 28, 1871 – December 12, 1930
(aged 59)

| January 9, 1907  | January 13, 1909  | Republican
22  |  |  | Lewis Forman

January 7, 1855 – January 3, 1933
(aged 77)

| January 13, 1909  | January 11, 1911  | Republican | ​
| William Glasscock
23  |  |  | Robert F. Kidd

February 11, 1853 – June 8, 1930
(aged 77)

| January 17, 1911  | January 30, 1911  | Democratic
24  |  |  | Henry Hatfield

September 15, 1875 – October 13, 1962
(aged 87)

| January 30, 1911  | January 24, 1913  | Republican
25  |  |  | Samuel Woods

August 31, 1856 – June 1, 1937
(aged 80)

| January 24, 1913  | January 13, 1915  | Democratic | ​
| Henry Hatfield
26  |  |  | Edward England

September 29, 1869 – September 9, 1934
(aged 64)

| January 13, 1915  | January 10, 1917  | Republican
27  |  |  | Wells Goodykoontz

June 3, 1872 – March 2, 1944
(aged 71)

| January 10, 1917  | January 8, 1919  | Republican | ​
| John Cornwell
28  |  |  | Charles Sinsel

June 5, 1864 – December 8, 1923
(aged 59)

| January 8, 1919  | January 12, 1921  | Republican
29  |  |  | Gohen Arnold

January 5, 1885 – June 9, 1939
(aged 54)

| January 12, 1921  | January 10, 1923  | Republican | ​
| Ephraim Morgan
30  |  |  | Harry Schaffer

January 22, 1885 – July 3, 1971
(aged 86)

| January 10, 1923  | January 14, 1925  | Republican
31  |  |  | Charles Coffman

August 30, 1875 – August 15, 1929
(aged 53)

| January 14, 1925  | April 15, 1925  | Republican
32  |  |  | Montezuma White

September 6, 1872 – May 10, 1945
(aged 72)

| April 15, 1925  | January 11, 1933  | Republican | ​
| Howard Gore
| William Conley
33  |  |  | Albert Mathews

July 31, 1872 – December 5, 1958
(aged 86)

| January 11, 1933  | January 9, 1935  | Democratic | ​
| Herman Kump
34  |  |  | Charles Hodges

September 27, 1892 – May 1, 1968
(aged 75)

| January 9, 1935  | January 11, 1939  | Democratic | ​
| Homer Holt
35  |  |  | William LaFon

March 8, 1888 – February 4, 1941
(aged 52)

| January 11, 1939  | January 8, 1941  | Democratic
36  |  |  | Byron Randolph

June 12, 1906 – November 7, 1979
(aged 73)

| January 8, 1941  | January 13, 1943  | Democratic |  | Matthew Neely
37  |  |  | James Paull

May 3, 1901 – March 8, 1983
(aged 81)

| January 13, 1943  | January 10, 1945  | Democratic
38  |  |  | Arnold Vickers

August 8, 1908 – December 25, 1967
(aged 59)

| January 10, 1945  | January 12, 1949  | Democratic |  | Clarence Meadows
39  |  |  | W. Broughton Johnston

May 21, 1905 – August 24, 1978
(aged 73)

| January 12, 1949  | January 14, 1953  | Democratic |  | Okey Patteson
40  |  |  | Ralph Bean

December 15, 1912 – June 7, 1978
(aged 65)

| January 14, 1953  | January 11, 1961  | Democratic |  | William Marland
| Cecil Underwood
41  |  |  | Howard Carson

April 30, 1910 – August 9, 1994
(aged 84)

| January 11, 1961  | January 8, 1969  | Democratic |  | Wally Barron
| Hulett Smith
42  |  |  | Lloyd Jackson

May 30, 1918 – October 29, 2011
(aged 93)

| January 8, 1969  | January 13, 1971  | Democratic |  | Arch Moore
43  |  |  | E. Hansford McCourt

April 21, 1909 – August 3, 1992
(aged 83)

| January 13, 1971  | January 10, 1973  | Democratic
44  |  |  | William Brotherton

April 17, 1926 – April 6, 1997
(aged 70)

| January 10, 1973  | January 14, 1981  | Democratic | ​
| Jay Rockefeller
45  |  |  | Warren McGraw

May 10, 1939 – June 14, 2023
(aged 84)

| January 14, 1981  | January 9, 1985  | Democratic
46  |  |  | Dan Tonkovich

April 17, 1946 – February 10, 2002
(aged 55)

| January 9, 1985  | January 11, 1989  | Democratic |  | Arch Moore
47  |  |  | Larry Tucker

April 11, 1935 – November 16, 2016
(aged 81)

| January 11, 1989  | September 7, 1989  | Democratic
48  |  |  | Keith Burdette
(1955-04-27) April 27, 1955 (age 70) | September 12, 1989  | January 3, 1995  | Democratic |
| Gaston Caperton
49  |  |  | Earl Ray Tomblin
(1952-03-15) March 15, 1952 (age 73) | January 3, 1995  | November 13, 2011  | Democratic | ​
| Cecil Underwood
| Bob Wise
| Joe Manchin
| ​
50  |  |  | Jeff Kessler
(1955-11-16) November 16, 1955 (age 69) | November 15, 2010 | November 14, 2011 | Democratic | Earl Ray Tomblin
November 14, 2011  | January 14, 2015
51  |  |  | Bill Cole
(1956-05-16) May 16, 1956 (age 69) | January 14, 2015  | January 11, 2017  | Republican
52  |  |  | Mitch Carmichael
(1960-04-15) April 15, 1960 (age 65) | January 11, 2017  | January 13, 2021  | Republican |  | Jim Justice
53  |  |  | Craig Blair
(1959-10-17) October 17, 1959 (age 65) | January 13, 2021  | January 8, 2025  | Republican
54  |  |  | Randy Smith
(1960-03-03) March 3, 1960 (age 65) | January 8, 2025  | Incumbent  | Republican |  | Patrick Morrisey

## See also

[edit]

* West Virginia Senate
* List of current United States lieutenant governors
* List of West Virginia state legislatures

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Constitution of West Virginia". West Virginia Legislature. State of West Virginia. 2004. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
2. ^ "West Virginia Code: Additional successors to office of governor". West Virginia Legislature. State of West Virginia. 2017. Retrieved October 1, 2017.

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Insular areas|

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Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon, Wyoming, and Puerto Rico do not have lieutenant governors.
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