President of the West Virginia Senate
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 Craig Blair, who has been in office since January 2021.
| President of the West Virginia Senate | |
|---|---|
| Lieutenant Governor of West Virginia | |
 | |
| 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 |
| First holder | John M. Phelps |
| Succession | First |
| Website | www |
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
The presidents of the West Virginia Senate since 1863:
Democratic – 31; Republican – 22
| # | Senate President | Term start | Term end | Party | Governor | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | John Phelps 1821 – August 26, 1884 | June 20, 1863 | January 19, 1864 | Republican | Arthur Boreman | ||
| 2 |  | William Stevenson March 18, 1820 – November 29, 1883 | January 19, 1864 | January 19, 1869 | Republican | |||
| 3 |  | Daniel Farnsworth December 23, 1819 – December 5, 1892 | January 19, 1869 | January 17, 1871 | Republican | |||
| A. | Joseph T. Hoke February 6, 1835 – July 27, 1910 | February 26, 1869 | March 4, 1869 | Republican | Daniel Farnsworth (acting) | |||
| 3 | | Daniel Farnsworth December 23, 1819 – December 5, 1892 | January 19, 1869 | January 17, 1871 | Republican | William Stevenson | ||
| 4 | .jpg) | Lewis Baker November 11, 1832 – April 30, 1899 | January 17, 1871 | January 16, 1872 | Democratic | | ||
| John Jacob | ||||||||
| 5 |  | Carlos Sperry July 28, 1832 – May 9, 1905 | January 16, 1872 | August 22, 1872 | Democratic | |||
| 6 |  | Daniel Johnson April 28, 1836 – December 18, 1893 | November 19, 1872 | January 10, 1877 | Democratic | |||
| 7 |  | Ulysses Arnett November 7, 1820 – December 1, 1880 | January 10, 1877 | January 8, 1879 | Democratic | | ||
| Henry Mathews | ||||||||
| 8 | | Daniel Johnson April 28, 1836 – December 18, 1893 | January 8, 1879 | January 12, 1881 | Democratic | |||
| 9 | Albert Summers January 1, 1824 – April 1, 1901 | January 12, 1881 | January 10, 1883 | Democratic | | |||
| Jacob Jackson | ||||||||
| 10 | Thomas Farnsworth May 17, 1829 – October 12, 1916 | January 10, 1883 | January 14, 1885 | Democratic | ||||
| 11 | George Price November 9, 1848 – February 6, 1938 | January 14, 1885 | January 9, 1889 | Democratic | | |||
| Emmanuel Watson | ||||||||
| 12 | Robert Carr November 17, 1845 – May 6, 1925 | January 22, 1889 | January 14, 1891 | Democratic | | |||
| Aretas Fleming | ||||||||
| 13 | John McCreery July 31, 1845 – May 22, 1917 | January 14, 1891 | January 11, 1893 | Democratic | ||||
| 14 | Rankin Wiley April 6, 1853 – February 21, 1929 | January 11, 1893 | January 9, 1895 | Democratic | | |||
| William MacCorkle | ||||||||
| 15 | William Worley August 1, 1846 – October 7, 1928 | January 9, 1895 | January 13, 1897 | Republican | ||||
| 16 | Nelson Whitaker November 9, 1839 – December 28, 1909 | January 13, 1897 | January 11, 1899 | Republican | | |||
| George Atkinson | ||||||||
| 17 |  | Oliver Marshall September 24, 1850 – May 19, 1934 | January 11, 1899 | January 9, 1901 | Republican | |||
| 18 | Anthony Smith January 9, 1844 – July 10, 1927 | January 9, 1901 | January 14, 1903 | Republican | | |||
| Albert White | ||||||||
| 19 | Clark May July 14, 1869 – April 25, 1908 | January 14, 1903 | January 11, 1905 | Republican | ||||
| 20 | _(1).jpg) | Gustavus Northcott April 4, 1861 – December 8, 1938 | January 11, 1905 | January 9, 1907 | Republican | | ||
| William Dawson | ||||||||
| 21 | Joseph McDermott July 28, 1871 – December 12, 1930 | January 9, 1907 | January 13, 1909 | Republican | ||||
| 22 | Lewis Forman January 7, 1855 – January 3, 1933 | January 13, 1909 | January 11, 1911 | Republican | | |||
| William Glasscock | ||||||||
| 23 | Robert F. Kidd February 11, 1853 – June 8, 1930 | January 17, 1911 | January 30, 1911 | Democratic | ||||
| 24 |  | Henry Hatfield September 15, 1875 – October 13, 1962 | January 30, 1911 | January 24, 1913 | Republican | |||
| 25 | Samuel Woods August 31, 1856 – June 1, 1937 | January 24, 1913 | January 13, 1915 | Democratic | | |||
| Henry Hatfield | ||||||||
| 26 |  | Edward England September 29, 1869 – September 9, 1934 | January 13, 1915 | January 10, 1917 | Republican | |||
| 27 | .jpg) | Wells Goodykoontz June 3, 1872 – March 2, 1944 | January 10, 1917 | January 8, 1919 | Republican | | ||
| John Cornwell | ||||||||
| 28 | Charles Sinsel June 5, 1864 – December 8, 1923 | January 8, 1919 | January 12, 1921 | Republican | ||||
| 29 | Gohen Arnold January 5, 1885 – June 9, 1939 | January 12, 1921 | January 10, 1923 | Republican | | |||
| Ephraim Morgan | ||||||||
| 30 | Harry Schaffer January 22, 1885 – July 3, 1971 | January 10, 1923 | January 14, 1925 | Republican | ||||
| 31 | Charles Coffman August 30, 1875 – August 15, 1929 | January 14, 1925 | April 15, 1925 | Republican | ||||
| 32 | .jpg) | Montezuma White September 6, 1872 – May 10, 1945 | April 15, 1925 | January 11, 1933 | Republican | | ||
| Howard Gore | ||||||||
| William Conley | ||||||||
| 33 | Albert Mathews July 31, 1872 – December 5, 1958 | January 11, 1933 | January 9, 1935 | Democratic | | |||
| Herman Kump | ||||||||
| 34 | Charles Hodges September 27, 1892 – May 1, 1968 | January 9, 1935 | January 11, 1939 | Democratic | | |||
| Homer Holt | ||||||||
| 35 | William LaFon March 8, 1888 – February 4, 1941 | January 11, 1939 | January 8, 1941 | Democratic | ||||
| 36 | Byron Randolph June 12, 1906 – November 7, 1979 | January 8, 1941 | January 13, 1943 | Democratic | Matthew Neely | |||
| 37 | James Paull May 3, 1901 – March 8, 1983 | January 13, 1943 | January 10, 1945 | Democratic | ||||
| 38 | Arnold Vickers August 8, 1908 – December 25, 1967 | January 10, 1945 | January 12, 1949 | Democratic | Clarence Meadows | |||
| 39 | W. Broughton Johnston May 21, 1905 – August 24, 1978 | January 12, 1949 | January 14, 1953 | Democratic | Okey Patteson | |||
| 40 | .jpg) | Ralph Bean December 15, 1912 – June 7, 1978 | January 14, 1953 | January 11, 1961 | Democratic | William Marland | ||
| Cecil Underwood | ||||||||
| 41 | Howard Carson April 30, 1910 – August 9, 1994 | January 11, 1961 | January 8, 1969 | Democratic | Wally Barron | |||
| Hulett Smith | ||||||||
| 42 |  | Lloyd Jackson May 30, 1918 – October 29, 2011 | January 8, 1969 | January 13, 1971 | Democratic | Arch Moore | ||
| 43 |  | E. Hansford McCourt April 21, 1909 – August 3, 1992 | January 13, 1971 | January 10, 1973 | Democratic | |||
| 44 | William Brotherton April 17, 1926 – April 6, 1997 | January 10, 1973 | January 14, 1981 | Democratic | | |||
| Jay Rockefeller | ||||||||
| 45 | Warren McGraw May 10, 1939 – June 14, 2023 | January 14, 1981 | January 9, 1985 | Democratic | ||||
| 46 | Dan Tonkovich April 17, 1946 – February 10, 2002 | January 9, 1985 | January 11, 1989 | Democratic | Arch Moore | |||
| 47 | Larry Tucker April 11, 1935 – November 16, 2016 | January 11, 1989 | September 7, 1989 | Democratic | ||||
| 48 | Keith Burdette April 27, 1955 | September 12, 1989 | January 3, 1995 | Democratic | ||||
| Gaston Caperton | ||||||||
| 49 | .jpg) | Earl Ray Tomblin March 15, 1952 | January 3, 1995 | November 13, 2011 | Democratic | | ||
| Cecil Underwood | ||||||||
| Bob Wise | ||||||||
| Joe Manchin | ||||||||
| | ||||||||
| 50 |  | Jeff Kessler November 16, 1955 | November 15, 2010 | November 14, 2011 | Democratic | Earl Ray Tomblin | ||
| November 14, 2011 | January 14, 2015 | |||||||
| 51 |  | Bill Cole May 16, 1956 | January 14, 2015 | January 11, 2017 | Republican | |||
| 52 |  | Mitch Carmichael April 15, 1960 | January 11, 2017 | January 13, 2021 | Republican | Jim Justice | ||
| 53 | Craig Blair October 17, 1959 | January 13, 2021 | Incumbent | Republican | ||||