Governors of West Virginia

West Virginia is located between Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, and Kentucky. It was admitted to the United States close to the start of the Civil War when it broke away from the larger state of Virginia. Since West Virginia was admitted to the union, it has had a total of 34 governors. The current governor is Jim Justice, who was elected to the office in 2017. He is a member of the Republican Party although he switched from the Democratic Party after being elected. He has led West Virginia's response to a variety of significant issues that have taken place during the past few years.

Who Was the Last Republican Governor of West Virginia?

Before Jim Justice's party switch, West Virginia had a run of Democratic governors. Bob Wise, Joe Manchin, and Earl Ray Tomblin have all been members of the Democratic Party. Of note, Joe Manchin left office in 2010 to join the United States Senate, with Earl Ray Tomblin finishing out his term. The last Republican governor of West Virginia was Cecil H. Underwood, who served as the Governor from 1997 to 2001. Prior to Underwood taking over, the governor was Gaston Caperton, who was also a member of the Democratic Party.

How Long Do West Virginia Governors Serve For?

West Virginia Governors are elected to serve for a total of four years. After that, governors have to stand for re-election, with some being elected to a second four-year term, serving for a total of eight years. In recent history, most West Virginia governors only serve for one term. The last governor of West Virginia to serve for a total of eight years was Gaston Caperton, who held the office from 1989 to 1997. So far, Jim Justice has been in office for a total of five years, winning the governor’s office back in 2017.