Lieutenant Governor of West Virginia

The Senate elects its own president from its membership. On January 14, 2015, the Senate named Bill Cole Senate President after Republicans regained control of the Senate after 80 years.

While the West Virginia Constitution does not create or even mention the title of lieutenant governor, West Virginia Code 6A-1-4 creates this designation for the Senate President. The Senate President is first in the line of succession to the office of governor. As stated in Article 7 Section 16 of the 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 the remainder of the 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."

Below is a list of Presidents of the West Virginia Senate since 1863:

*By an act of the West Virginia Legislature and beginning with Tomblin in 2000, WV Code 6A-1-4(b) assigns the title "Lieutenant Governor" to the President of the West Virginia Senate
#Concurrently served as Acting Governor from November 15, 2010 until inaugurated as Governor on November 13, 2011. During this time, the West Virginia Senate named Jeffrey V. Kessler as Acting President of the Senate.

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