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This is a list of Governors of Virginia since Virginia became a U.S. state following the American Revolutionary War. The Governor of Virginia is forbidden by the Constitution of the Commonwealth from serving consecutive terms (the only U.S. state in which gubernatorial incumbents are forbidden from running for governor); however, several governors have served multiple non-consecutive terms. In Virginia, governors and lieutenant governors are elected separately, so the two can be of different political parties and can be political rivals. See also: List of colonial governors of Virginia. Each new gubernatorial term begins on the Saturday after the second Wednesday in January.

See also Virginia State Government Website

Colonial Governors

Virginia Company of London Governors (1607-1624)

Crown Governors (1624-1652)

Commonwealth of England Governors (1652-1660)

Crown Governors (1660-1775)

President of the Committee for Public safety

Governors chosen by state legislature


# Name Party Term Previous Office
1 Patrick Henry No party 1776–1779
2 Thomas Jefferson No party 1779–1781
3 William Fleming No party 1781
4 Thomas Nelson, Jr. No party 1781
5 Benjamin Harrison No party 1781–1784
6 Patrick Henry No party 1784–1786
7 Edmund Randolph No party 1786–1788
8 Beverley Randolph No party 1788–1791
9 Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee Federalist 1791–1794
10 Robert Brooke Democratic-Republican 1794–1796
11 James Wood Democratic-Republican 1796–1799
12 James Monroe Democratic-Republican 1799–1802
13 John Page Democratic-Republican 1802–1805
14 William H. Cabell Democratic-Republican 1805–1808
15 John Tyler, Sr. Democratic-Republican 1808–1811
N/A George William Smith Democratic-Republican Jan. 1811 Member of the Council of State acting as Governor
16 James Monroe Democratic-Republican Jan. 1811–April 1811
N/A George William Smith Democratic-Republican April 1811–Dec. 1811 Member of the Council of State acting as Governor
17 George William Smith Democratic-Republican Dec. 1811
N/A Peyton Randolph Democratic-Republican Dec. 1811–Jan. 1812 Member of the Council of State acting as Governor
18 James Barbour Democratic-Republican 1812–1814
19 Wilson Cary Nicholas Democratic-Republican 1814–1816
20 James Patton Preston Democratic-Republican 1816–1819
21 Thomas Mann Randolph Democratic-Republican 1819–1822
22 James Pleasants Democratic-Republican 1822–1825
23 John Tyler Democratic-Republican 1825–1827
24 William Branch Giles Democrat 1827–1830
25 John Floyd Democrat 1830–1834
26 Littleton Waller Tazewell Whig 1834–1836
N/A Wyndham Robertson Whig March 1836–March 1837 Member of the Council of State acting as Governor
27 David Campbell Democrat 1837–1840
28 Thomas Walker Gilmer Whig 1840–1841
N/A John Mercer Patton Whig March 20, 1841–March 31, 1841 Member of the Council of State acting as Governor
N/A John Rutherford Whig March 1841–March 1842 Member of the Council of State acting as Governor
N/A John Munford Gregory Whig March 1842–Jan. 1843 Member of the Council of State acting as Governor
29 James McDowell Democrat 1843–1846
30 William Smith Democrat 1846–1849
31 John Buchanan Floyd Democrat 1849–1852

Governors elected by popular vote


# Name Party Term Previous Office
32 Joseph Johnson Democrat 1852–1856 US Congress
33 Henry A. Wise Democrat 1856–1860 US Congress
34 John Letcher Democrat 1860–1864 US Congress
35 William Smith Democrat 1864–1865 US Congress
N/A Francis H. Pierpont Republican May 1865–April 1868 Unelected Military Governor
N/A Henry H. Wells Republican April 1868–Sept. 1869 Unelected Military Governor
N/A Gilbert C. Walker Republican Sept. 1869–Dec. 1869 Unelected Military Governor
36 Gilbert C. Walker Democrat 1870–1874 Provisional Governor
37 James L. Kemper Democrat 1874–1878 Confederate General
38 Frederick W. M. Holliday Democrat 1878–1882 Confederate Colonel
39 William E. Cameron Re-adjuster 1882–1886 Mayor of Petersburg, VA
40 Fitzhugh Lee Democrat 1886–1890 Confederate General
41 Philip W. McKinney Democrat 1890–1894
42 Charles T. O'Ferrall Democrat 1894–1898 US Congress
43 James Hoge Tyler Democrat 1898–1902 Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
44 Andrew Jackson Montague Democrat 1902–1906 Attorney General of Virginia
45 Claude A. Swanson Democrat 1906–1910 US Congress
46 William H. Mann Democrat 1910–1914
47 Henry Carter Stuart Democrat 1914–1918
48 Westmoreland Davis Democrat 1918–1922 Farmer and Magazine Editor
49 Elbert Lee Trinkle Democrat 1922–1926 Virginia State Senate
50 Harry F. Byrd Sr. Democrat 1926–1930 President of The Valley Turnpike Company
51 John Garland Pollard Democrat 1930–1934 Attorney General of Virginia
52 George C. Peery Democrat 1934–1938 US Congress
53 James H. Price Democrat 1938–1942 Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
54 Colgate W. Darden Jr. Democrat 1942–1946 US Congress
55 William M. Tuck Democrat 1946–1950 Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
56 John S. Battle Democrat 1950–1954 Virginia State Senate
57 Thomas B. Stanley Democrat 1954–1958 US Congress
58 James Lindsay Almond, Jr. Democrat 1958–1962 Attorney General of Virginia
59 Albertis S. Harrison Jr. Democrat 1962–1966 Attorney General of Virginia
60 Mills E. Godwin Jr. Democrat 1966–1970 Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
61 A. Linwood Holton Jr. Republican 1970–1974 US Senate Candidate
62 Mills E. Godwin Jr. Republican 1974–1978 Governor of Virginia
63 John N. Dalton Republican 1978–1982 Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
64 Charles S. Robb Democrat 1982–1986 Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
65 Gerald L. Baliles Democrat 1986–1990 Attorney General of Virginia
66 L. Douglas Wilder Democrat 1990-1994 Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
67 George F. Allen Republican 1994–1998 US Congress
68 James S. Gilmore III Republican 1998–2002 Attorney General of Virginia
69 Mark R. Warner Democrat 2002–2006 US Senate Candidate
70 Tim Kaine Democrat 2006–Present Lieutenant Governor of Virginia

Sources

  • Virginia State Government Website
  • Congressional Quarterly
    • Virginia governors. (2000). In Congressional Quarterly (Ed.), American political leaders 1789-2000. Washington: CQ Press. Retrieved January 10, 2006, from CQ Electronic Library, CQ Voting and Elections Collection, . Document ID: amldrs-147-7136-390228. (Requires Subscription)

Lists of United States governors Governors of Virginia

Liste der Gouverneure von Virginia | Listă a guvernatorilor statului Virginia, SUA

 

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