List of West Virginia governors from first to last

West Virginia joined the Union on June 20, 1863, during the American Civil War. It became the 35th state of the United States. The region that would become West Virginia was part of Virginia until it separated due to differences over the issue of slavery and secession from the Union. The state’s formation is unique in American history as it was the only state to form by seceding from a Confederate state.

Arthur Ingram Boreman became the first governor of the state of West Virginia on June 20, 1863.

Here is a chronological list of the governors of West Virginia from first to last.

No.	Name	Term in Office	Party
1	Arthur I. Boreman	June 20, 1863 – February 26, 1869	Republican
2	Daniel D. T. Farnsworth	February 26, 1869 – March 4, 1869	Republican
3	William E. Stevenson	March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1871	Republican
4	John J. Jacob	March 4, 1871 – March 4, 1877	Democratic / People’s Independent
5	Henry M. Mathews	March 4, 1877 – March 4, 1881	Democratic
6	Jacob B. Jackson	March 4, 1881 – March 4, 1885	Democratic
7	Emanuel Willis Wilson	March 4, 1885 – February 6, 1890	Democratic
8	Aretas B. Fleming	February 6, 1890 – March 4, 1893	Democratic
9	William A. MacCorkle	March 4, 1893 – March 4, 1897	Democratic
10	George W. Atkinson	March 4, 1897 – March 4, 1901	Republican
11	Albert B. White	March 4, 1901 – March 4, 1905	Republican
12	William M. O. Dawson	March 4, 1905 – March 4, 1909	Republican
13	William E. Glasscock	March 4, 1909 – March 4, 1913	Republican
14	Henry D. Hatfield	March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1917	Republican
15	John J. Cornwell	March 4, 1917 – March 4, 1921	Democratic
16	Ephraim F. Morgan	March 4, 1921 – March 4, 1925	Republican
17	Howard Mason Gore	March 4, 1925 – March 4, 1929	Republican
18	William G. Conley	March 4, 1929 – March 4, 1933	Republican
19	Herman G. Kump	March 4, 1933 – January 18, 1937	Democratic
20	Homer A. Holt	January 18, 1937 – January 13, 1941	Democratic
21	Matthew M. Neely	January 13, 1941 – January 15, 1945	Democratic
22	Clarence W. Meadows	January 15, 1945 – January 17, 1949	Democratic
23	Okey Patteson	January 17, 1949 – January 19, 1953	Democratic
24	William C. Marland	January 19, 1953 – January 14, 1957	Democratic
25	Cecil H. Underwood	January 14, 1957 – January 16, 1961	Republican
26	Wally Barron	January 16, 1961 – January 18, 1965	Democratic
27	Hulett C. Smith	January 18, 1965 – January 13, 1969	Democratic
28	Arch A. Moore Jr.	January 13, 1969 – January 17, 1977	Republican
29	Jay Rockefeller	January 17, 1977 – January 14, 1985	Democratic
30	Arch A. Moore Jr.	January 14, 1985 – January 16, 1989	Republican
31	Gaston Caperton	January 16, 1989 – January 13, 1997	Democratic
32	Cecil H. Underwood	January 13, 1997 – January 15, 2001	Republican
33	Bob Wise	January 15, 2001 – January 17, 2005	Democratic
34	Joe Manchin	January 17, 2005 – November 15, 2010	Democratic
35	Earl Ray Tomblin	November 15, 2010 – January 16, 2017	Democratic
36	Jim Justice	January 16, 2017 –	Democratic, then Republican