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." 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."
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". 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:
#Senate PresidentTerm startTerm endPartyGovernor1John Phelps 1821 – August 26, 1884 (aged 63)June 20, 1863January 19, 1864RepublicanArthur Boreman2William Stevenson March 18, 1820 – November 29, 1883 (aged 63)January 19, 1864January 19, 1869Republican3Daniel Farnsworth December 23, 1819 – December 5, 1892 (aged 72)January 19, 1869January 17, 1871RepublicanJoseph T. Hoke February 6, 1835 – July 27, 1910 (aged 75)February 26, 1869March 4, 1869RepublicanDaniel Farnsworth(acting)3Daniel Farnsworth December 23, 1819 – December 5, 1892 (aged 72)January 19, 1869January 17, 1871RepublicanWilliam Stevenson4Lewis Baker November 11, 1832 – April 30, 1899 (aged 66)January 17, 1871January 16, 1872DemocraticJohn Jacob5Carlos Sperry July 28, 1832 – May 9, 1905 (aged 72)January 16, 1872August 22, 1872Democratic6Daniel Johnson April 28, 1836 – December 18, 1893 (aged 57)November 19, 1872January 10, 1877Democratic7Ulysses Arnett November 7, 1820 – December 1, 1880 (aged 60)January 10, 1877January 8, 1879DemocraticHenry Mathews8Daniel Johnson April 28, 1836 – December 18, 1893 (aged 57)January 8, 1879January 12, 1881Democratic9Albert Summers January 1, 1824 – April 1, 1901 (aged 77)January 12, 1881January 10, 1883DemocraticJacob Jackson10Thomas Farnsworth May 17, 1829 – October 12, 1916 (aged 87)January 10, 1883January 14, 1885Democratic11George Price November 9, 1848 – February 6, 1938 (aged 89)January 14, 1885January 9, 1889DemocraticEmmanuel Watson12Robert Carr November 17, 1845 – May 6, 1925 (aged 79)January 22, 1889January 14, 1891DemocraticAretas Fleming13John McCreery July 31, 1845 – May 22, 1917 (aged 71)January 14, 1891January 11, 1893Democratic14Rankin Wiley April 6, 1853 – February 21, 1929 (aged 75)January 11, 1893January 9, 1895DemocraticWilliam MacCorkle15William Worley August 1, 1846 – October 7, 1928 (aged 82)January 9, 1895January 13, 1897Republican16Nelson Whitaker November 9, 1839 – December 28, 1909 (aged 70)January 13, 1897January 11, 1899RepublicanGeorge Atkinson17Oliver Marshall September 24, 1850 – May 19, 1934 (aged 83)January 11, 1899January 9, 1901Republican18Anthony Smith January 9, 1844 – July 10, 1927 (aged 83)January 9, 1901January 14, 1903RepublicanAlbert White19Clark May July 14, 1869 – April 25, 1908 (aged 38)January 14, 1903January 11, 1905Republican20Gustavus Northcott April 4, 1861 – December 8, 1938 (aged 77)January 11, 1905January 9, 1907RepublicanWilliam Dawson21Joseph McDermott July 28, 1871 – December 12, 1930 (aged 59)January 9, 1907January 13, 1909Republican22Lewis Forman January 7, 1855 – January 3, 1933 (aged 77)January 13, 1909January 11, 1911RepublicanWilliam Glasscock23Robert F. Kidd February 11, 1853 – June 8, 1930 (aged 77)January 17, 1911January 30, 1911Democratic24Henry Hatfield September 15, 1875 – October 13, 1962 (aged 87)January 30, 1911January 24, 1913Republican25Samuel Woods August 31, 1856 – June 1, 1937 (aged 80)January 24, 1913January 13, 1915DemocraticHenry Hatfield26Edward England September 29, 1869 – September 9, 1934 (aged 64)January 13, 1915January 10, 1917Republican27Wells Goodykoontz June 3, 1872 – March 2, 1944 (aged 71)January 10, 1917January 8, 1919RepublicanJohn Cornwell28Charles Sinsel June 5, 1864 – December 8, 1923 (aged 59)January 8, 1919January 12, 1921Republican29Gohen Arnold January 5, 1885 – June 9, 1939 (aged 54)January 12, 1921January 10, 1923RepublicanEphraim Morgan30Harry Schaffer January 22, 1885 – July 3, 1971 (aged 86)January 10, 1923January 14, 1925Republican31Charles Coffman August 30, 1875 – August 15, 1929 (aged 53)January 14, 1925April 15, 1925Republican32Montezuma White September 6, 1872 – May 10, 1945 (aged 72)April 15, 1925January 11, 1933RepublicanHoward GoreWilliam Conley33Albert Mathews July 31, 1872 – December 5, 1958 (aged 86)January 11, 1933January 9, 1935DemocraticHerman Kump34Charles Hodges September 27, 1892 – May 1, 1968 (aged 75)January 9, 1935January 11, 1939DemocraticHomer Holt35William LaFon March 8, 1888 – February 4, 1941 (aged 52)January 11, 1939January 8, 1941Democratic36Byron Randolph June 12, 1906 – November 7, 1979 (aged 73)January 8, 1941January 13, 1943DemocraticMatthew Neely37James Paull May 3, 1901 – March 8, 1983 (aged 81)January 13, 1943January 10, 1945Democratic38Arnold Vickers August 8, 1908 – December 25, 1967 (aged 59)January 10, 1945January 12, 1949DemocraticClarence Meadows39W. Broughton Johnston May 21, 1905 – August 24, 1978 (aged 73)January 12, 1949January 14, 1953DemocraticOkey Patteson40Ralph Bean December 15, 1912 – June 7, 1978 (aged 65)January 14, 1953January 11, 1961DemocraticWilliam MarlandCecil Underwood41Howard Carson April 30, 1910 – August 9, 1994 (aged 84)January 11, 1961January 8, 1969DemocraticWally BarronHulett Smith42Lloyd Jackson May 30, 1918 – October 29, 2011 (aged 93)January 8, 1969January 13, 1971DemocraticArch Moore43E. Hansford McCourt April 21, 1909 – August 3, 1992 (aged 83)January 13, 1971January 10, 1973Democratic44William Brotherton April 17, 1926 – April 6, 1997 (aged 70)January 10, 1973January 14, 1981DemocraticJay Rockefeller45Warren McGraw May 10, 1939 – June 14, 2023 (aged 84)January 14, 1981January 9, 1985Democratic46Dan Tonkovich April 17, 1946 – February 10, 2002 (aged 55)January 9, 1985January 11, 1989DemocraticArch Moore47Larry Tucker April 11, 1935 – November 16, 2016 (aged 81)January 11, 1989September 7, 1989Democratic48Keith BurdetteSeptember 12, 1989January 3, 1995Democratic Gaston Caperton49Earl Ray TomblinJanuary 3, 1995November 13, 2011DemocraticCecil UnderwoodBob WiseJoe Manchin50Jeff KesslerNovember 15, 2010November 14, 2011DemocraticEarl Ray TomblinNovember 14, 2011January 14, 201551Bill ColeJanuary 14, 2015January 11, 2017Republican52Mitch CarmichaelJanuary 11, 2017January 13, 2021RepublicanJim Justice53 Craig BlairJanuary 13, 2021January 8, 2025Republican54 Randy SmithJanuary 8, 2025IncumbentRepublicanPatrick Morrisey
See also West Virginia Senate List of current United States lieutenant governors List of West Virginia state legislatures
References