List of speakers of the Virginia House of Delegates

This is a complete list of the speakers of the Virginia House of Delegates. Elected by the members of the House, the Speaker is the presiding officer of that body. In addition to duties as chair, the adopted rules of the House of Delegates specify other powers and duties of the post. The Speaker is currently elected for a two-year term in the odd-numbered years in which the Legislature convenes.

Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates
Great Seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia
Incumbent
Don Scott
since January 10, 2024
Virginia House of Delegates
StyleThe Honorable
ResidenceVirginia General Assembly
AppointerElected by the Virginia House of Delegates
Inaugural holderEdmund Pendleton

List of speakers

Parties

  No party  Democratic  Republican  Democratic-Republican  Whig  Re-adjuster  Conservative

#NameCounty or cityTerm beganTerm endedParty
1 Edmund PendletonCaroline County17761776None
2 George WytheWilliamsburg17771778None
3 Benjamin Harrison VCharles City County17781781None
4 Richard Henry LeeWestmoreland County17811781None
3 Benjamin Harrison V[1]Charles City County17811781None
5 John Tyler Sr.Charles City County17811785None
3 Benjamin Harrison VCharles City County17851786None
6 Joseph PrentisWilliamsburg17861788None
7 Thomas MathewsNorfolk County17881794None
8 John WiseAccomack County17941799None
9Larkin SmithKing and Queen County17991802None
10Edmund HarrisonAmelia County18021803None
11Hugh HolmesFrederick County18031805None
12 Peter Johnston Jr.Prince Edward County18051807None
13 Hugh NelsonAlbemarle County18071809Democratic-Republican
14 James BarbourOrange County18091812Democratic-Republican
15 Andrew StevensonAlbemarle County18121816Democratic-Republican
16 Robert StanardSpotsylvania County18161817None
17 Linn BanksMadison County18171838Democratic
18 Thomas W. GilmerAlbemarle County18391840Whig
19Valentine W. SouthallAlbemarle County18401842None
20 Joel HollemanIsle of Wight County18421844Democratic
21 William O. GoodeMecklenburg County18451846Democratic
22 John W. JonesChesterfield County18471847Democratic
23 James F. StrotherRappahannock County18471848Whig
24 Henry L. HopkinsPowhatan County18481850Democratic
25 George W. HopkinsWashington County18501852None
26 Oscar M. CrutchfieldSpotsylvania County18521861None
27 James L. KemperMadison County18611863Democratic
28 Hugh W. SheffeyAugusta County18631865None
29 John B. BaldwinAugusta County18651869Conservative
30 Zephaniah Turner Jr.Rappahannock County18691871Democratic
31 J. Marshall HangerAugusta County18711877Democratic
32 Henry C. AllenShenandoah County18771879Democratic
33 Benjamin W. LacyNew Kent County18791881Democratic
34 Isaac C. FowlerWashington County18811882Readjuster
35 Charles E. StuartAlexandria18831887Democratic
36 Richard H. CardwellHanover County18871894Democratic
37 John F. RyanLoudoun County18941899Democratic
38 Edward W. SaundersFranklin County18991901Democratic
37 John F. RyanLoudoun County19011906Democratic
39 William D. CardwellHanover County19061908Democratic
40 Richard E. ByrdWinchester19081914Democratic
41 Edwin P. CoxRichmond19141916Democratic
42 Harry R. HoustonElizabeth City County19161920Democratic
43 Richard L. Brewer Jr.Suffolk19201926Democratic
44 Thomas W. OzlinLunenburg County19261930Democratic
45 J. Sinclair BrownRoanoke County19301936Democratic
46 G. Aston DovellWilliamsburg19361942Democratic
47 Thomas B. StanleyHenry County19421946Democratic
48 G. Alvin MassenburgHampton19471950Democratic
49 E. Blackburn MooreFrederick County19501968Democratic
50 John Warren CookeMathews County19681980Democratic
51 Albert L. PhilpottHenry County19801991Democratic
52 Tom MossNorfolk19912000Democratic
53 S. Vance Wilkins Jr.Amherst County20002002Republican
54 William J. HowellStafford County20032018Republican
55 Kirk CoxColonial Heights20182020Republican
56 Eileen Filler-CornFairfax County20202022Democratic
57 Todd GilbertShenandoah County20222024Republican
58 Don ScottPortsmouth2024IncumbentDemocratic

Acting Speaker

According to Rules 2 and 16 of the House of Delegates, the chair of the Committee on Privileges and Elections serves as Acting Speaker when there is a vacancy in the Speaker's office. This has occurred twice since 1990:

  • Ford C. Quillen of Scott County was Acting Speaker from the death of A. L. Philpott on September 28, 1991, until the House met in a special redistricting session in November, when Thomas W. Moss Jr. was elected Speaker.
  • Lacey E. Putney of Bedford was Acting Speaker from the resignation of S. Vance Wilkins Jr. on June 15, 2002, until the House met in regular session in January 2003, when William J. Howell was elected Speaker.

List of speakers by time in office (incomplete)

RankNameTime in officeTEYear(s) in which elected
1Linn Banks20 years, 148 days111817; 1819; 1821; 1823; 1825; 1827; 1829; 1831; 1833; 1835; 1837
2E. Blackburn Moore17 years, 364 days91950; 1952; 1954; 1956; 1958; 1960; 1962; 1964; 1966
3William J. Howell15 years, 2 days82003; 2004; 2006; 2008; 2010; 2012; 2014; 2016
4John Warren Cooke11 years, 364 days61968; 1970; 1972; 1974; 1976; 1978
5A. L. Philpott11 years, 262 days61980; 1982; 1984; 1986; 1988; 1990
6John F. Ryan9 years, 315 days51894; 1895; 1897; 1901; 1904
7Oscar M. Crutchfield9 years, 123 days51852; 1853; 1855; 1857; 1859
8Thomas W. Moss Jr.8 years, 54 days51991; 1992; 1994; 1996; 1998
9Richard H. Cardwell6 years, 85 days41887; 1889; 1891; 1893
10
(tie)
Richard E. Byrd Sr.6 years, 6 days31908; 1910; 1912
Ashton Dovell31936; 1938; 1940
11J. Sinclair Brown6 years31930; 1932; 1934
12
(tie)
J. Marshall Hanger5 years, 364 days31871; 1873; 1875
Richard L. Brewer Jr.31920; 1922; 1924
13Thomas B. Stanley4 years, 295 days31942; 1944; 1946
14Charles E. Stuart4 years, 3 days21883; 1885
15Harry R. Houston4 years, 2 days21916; 1918
16Thomas W. Ozlin3 years, 360 days21926; 1928
17John Brown Baldwin3 years, 305 days11865
18G. Alvin Massenburg3 years, 5 days21947; 1948
19Hugh W. Sheffey2 years, 324 days21863; 1863
20Vance Wilkins2 years, 154 days22000; 2002
21Zephaniah Turner Jr.2 years, 62 days11869
22Eileen Filler-Corn2 years, 3 days12019
23
(tie)
Henry Clay Allen1 year, 363 days11877
Isaac C. Fowler11881
Edward W. Saunders11899
William D. Cardwell11906
Edwin P. Cox11914
Kirk Cox12018
Todd Gilbert12021
24James L. Kemper1 year, 43 days11861
25Benjamin W. Lacy97 days11879
26Donald L. Scott110 days12023

See also

References