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 Randy Smith, who has been in office since January 8, 2025.

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

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 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

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