President of the West Virginia Senate

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
StatusPresiding officer
SeatWest Virginia State Capitol, Charleston
AppointerWest Virginia Senate
Constituting instrumentWest Virginia Constitution
FormationJune 20, 1863; 161 years ago (1863-06-20)
First holderJohn M. Phelps
SuccessionFirst
Websitewww.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

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 69) 		September 12, 1989 January 3, 1995 Democratic
Gaston Caperton
49 Earl Ray Tomblin
(1952-03-15) March 15, 1952 (age 72) 		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 68) 		January 14, 2015 January 11, 2017 Republican
52 Mitch Carmichael
(1960-04-15) April 15, 1960 (age 64) 		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 64) 		January 8, 2025 Incumbent Republican Patrick Morrisey

See also

References

  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.