Virginia Governors

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GOVERNORS of the COMMONWEALTH of VIRGINIA 1776 - 1852

Link to US Black Heritage Project Virginia Team

Under the Constitution of 1776, the General Assembly elected Virginia’s governors for one-year terms. No governor could serve more than three consecutive terms or be elected again until after an interval of four years. When the office became vacant by death or resignation, the president or senior member of the Council of State acted as governor until the assembly was able to choose a successor. The Constitution of 1830 left the election of the governor with the General Assembly but changed the term of office to three years with no eligibility for immediate reelection. Since the adoption of the Constitution of 1851, the voters have elected the governors for four-year terms with no eligibility for immediate reelection. The exception is the period Reconstruction, 1865–1870, when the commanding general of the military district of Virginia named the governor.

Sources: Encyclopedia of Virginia; National Governors Association

#	Picture	Governor	Took office	Left office	Party	Slave holder
1		Patrick Henry	6 Jul 1776	1 Jun 1779	None	YES
2		Thomas Jefferson	2 Jun 1779	3 Jun 1781	None	YES
3		William Fleming	4 Jun 1781	12 Jun 1781	None	YES
4		Thomas Nelson Jr.	12 Jun 1781	22 Nov 1781	None	YES
5	Acting Governor	David Jameson	22 Nov 1781	30 Nov 1781	None	YES
6		Benjamin Harrison V	1 Dec 1781	30 Nov 1784	None	YES
7		Patrick Henry	30 Nov 1784	30 Nov 1786	None	YES
8		Edmund Randolph	30 Nov 1786	12 Nov 1788	None	YES
9		Beverley Randolph	12 Nov 1788	1 Dec 1791	None	YES
10		Henry Lee III	1 Dec 1791	1 Dec 1794	Federalist Party	YES
11		Robert Brooke	1 Dec 1794	30 Nov 1796	Democratic-Republican
12		James Wood	30 Nov 1796	6 Dec 1799	Federalist
13	Acting Governor	Hardin Burnley	6 Dec 1799	9 Dec 1799
14	Acting Governor	John Pendleton Jr.	11 Dec 1799	19 Dec 1799
15		James Monroe	19 Dec 1799	24 Dec 1802	Democratic-Republican	YES
16		John Page	24 Dec 1802	11 Dec 1805	Democratic-Republican	YES
17		William H. Cabell	11 Dec 1805	12 Dec 1808	Democratic-Republican	YES
18		John Tyler Sr.	12 Dec 1808	15 Jan 1811	Democratic-Republican
19	Acting Governor	George William Smith	15 Jan 1811	19 Jan 1811	Democratic-Republican
20		James Monroe	19 Jan 1811	3 Apr 1811	Democratic-Republican	YES
21		George William Smith (politician)	3 Apr 1811	6 Dec 1811	Democratic-Republican
22		Peyton Randolph	27 Dec 1811	4 Jan 1812	Democratic-Republican
23		James Barbour	4 Jan 1812	11 Dec 1814	Democratic-Republican
24		Wilson Cary Nicholas	11 Dec 1814	11 Dec 1816	Democratic-Republican	YES
25		James Patton Preston	11 Dec 1816	11 Dec 1819	Democratic-Republican
26		Thomas Mann Randolph Jr.	11 Dec 1819	11 Dec 1822	Democratic-Republican
27		James Pleasants	11 Dec 1822	11 Dec 1825	Democratic-Republican
28		John Tyler	11 Dec 1825	4 Mar 1827	Democratic-Republican
29		William Branch Giles	4 Mar 1827	4 Mar 1830	Democratic-Republican
30		John Floyd	4 Mar 1830	31 Mar 1834	Democratic
31		Littleton Waller Tazewell	31 Mar 1834	30 Mar 1836	Democratic
32		Wyndham Robertson	30 Mar 1836	31 Mar 1837	Whig
33		David Campbell	31 Mar 1837	31 Mar 1840	Democratic
34		Thomas Walker Gilmer	31 Mar 1840	20 Mar 1841	Whig
35	Acting Governor	John M. Patton	20 Mar 1841	31 Mar 1841	Whig
36		John Rutherfoord	31 Mar 1841	31 Mar 1842	Democratic
37		John Munford Gregory	31 Mar 1842	5 Jan 1843	Whig
38		James McDowell	5 Jan 1843	1 Jan 1846	Democratic
39		William Smith	1 Jan 1846	1 Jan 1849	Democratic
40		John B. Floyd	1 Jan 1849	1 Jan 1852	Democratic

Sources