List of United States senators from West Virginia
This is a list of United States Senators from West Virginia. Its senators belong to Classes 1 and 2. West Virginia is currently represented in the U.S. Senate by Jay Rockefeller and Carte Goodwin, both Democrats.
Class 1
| # | Senator | Party | Took office | Left office | Other offices | Term | Electoral history |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Peter G. Van Winkle
|
Republican | August 4, 1863 | March 4, 1869 | West Virginia House of Delegates (1863) |
1 | Elected in 1863 |
| 2 |  Arthur I. Boreman
|
Republican | March 4, 1869 | March 4, 1875 | Virginia House of Delegates (1855-1861) Governor of West Virginia (1863-1869) |
2 | Elected in 1869 Retired |
| 3 |  Allen T. Caperton
|
Democratic | March 4, 1875 | July 26, 1876 | Virginia House of Delegates (1841-1842; 1857-1861) Senate of Virginia (1845-1848) Confederate Senator from Virginia (1863-1865) |
3 | Elected in 1874 Died |
| Vacant | July 26, 1876 | August 26, 1876 | |||||
| 4 |  Samuel Price
|
Democratic | August 26, 1876 | January 26, 1877 | Virginia House of Delegates (1834-1836; 1847-1850; 1852) Lieutenant Governor of Virginia (1864-1865) |
Appointed to continue Caperton's term Lost special election to finish Caperton's term | |
| 5 |  Frank Hereford
|
Democratic | January 31, 1877 | March 4, 1881 | U.S. House of Representatives (1871-1877) |
Elected to finish Caperton's term | |
| 6 | File:JohnsonMCamden.jpg Johnson N. Camden | Democratic | March 4, 1881 | March 4, 1887 | Also served in West Virginia's Class 2 seat | 4 | Elected in 1880 |
| 7 |  Charles J. Faulkner
|
Democratic | March 4, 1887 | March 4, 1899 | 5 | Elected in 1886 | |
| 6 | Re-elected in 1892 Retired | ||||||
| 8 |  Nathan B. Scott
|
Republican | March 4, 1899 | March 4, 1911 | West Virginia Senate (1883-1890) Commissioner of Internal Revenue (1898-1899) |
7 | Elected in 1898 |
| 8 | Re-elected in 1904 Lost renomination | ||||||
| 9 | File:William Edwin Chilton.jpg William E. Chilton | Democratic | March 4, 1911 | March 4, 1917 | West Virginia Secretary of State (1893–1897) |
9 | Elected in 1910 Lost re-election in 1916 |
| 10 |  Howard Sutherland
|
Republican | March 4, 1917 | March 4, 1923 | West Virginia Senate (1909-1912) U.S. House of Representatives (1913-1917) |
10 | Elected in 1916 Lost re-election in 1922 |
| 11 |  Matthew M. Neely
|
Democratic | March 4, 1923 | March 4, 1929 | U.S. House of Representatives (1913-1921; 1945-1947) Governor of West Virginia (1941–1945) Also served in West Virginia's Class 2 seat |
11 | Elected in 1922 Lost re-election in 1928 |
| 12 |  Henry D. Hatfield
|
Republican | March 4, 1929 | January 3, 1935 | Governor of West Virginia (1913–1917) President of the West Virginia Senate (1911-1913) |
12 | Elected in 1928 Lost re-election in 1934 |
| 13 |  Rush D. Holt, Sr.
|
Democratic | January 3, 1935 | January 3, 1941 | West Virginia House of Delegates (1931-1935; 1954-1955) |
13 | Elected in 1934 Lost renomination in 1940 |
| 14 |  Harley M. Kilgore
|
Democratic | January 3, 1941 | February 28, 1956 | 14 | Elected in 1940 | |
| 15 | Re-elected in 1946 | ||||||
| 16 | Re-elected in 1952 Died | ||||||
| Vacant | February 28, 1956 | March 13, 1956 | |||||
| 15 |  William R. Laird, III
|
Democratic | March 13, 1956 | November 6, 1956 | West Virginia State Tax Commissioner (1955-1956) |
Appointed to continue Kilgore's term Retired when successor elected | |
| 16 |  W. Chapman Revercomb
|
Republican | November 7, 1956 | January 3, 1959 | Also served in West Virginia's Class 2 seat | Elected to finish Kilgore's term Lost re-election in 1958 | |
| 17 |  Robert Byrd
|
Democratic | January 3, 1959 | June 28, 2010 | West Virginia House of Delegates (1947-1950) West Virginia Senate (1951-1952) U.S. House of Representatives (1953-1959) Senate Democratic Whip (1971–1977) Senate Democratic Leader (1977–1989) President pro tempore of the Senate (1989–1995; 2001–2003; 2007–2010) |
17 | Elected in 1958 |
| 18 | Re-elected in 1964 | ||||||
| 19 | Re-elected in 1970 | ||||||
| 20 | Re-elected in 1976 | ||||||
| 21 | Re-elected in 1982 | ||||||
| 22 | Re-elected in 1988 | ||||||
| 23 | Re-elected in 1994 | ||||||
| 24 | Re-elected in 2000 | ||||||
| 25 | Re-elected in 2006 Died | ||||||
| Vacant | June 28, 2010 | July 16, 2010 | |||||
| 18 |  Carte Goodwin
|
Democratic | July 16, 2010 | TBD | Counsel to the Governor | Appointed to continue Byrd's term | |
| 19 |  Joe Manchin (elect)
|
Democratic | TBD | TBD | West Virginia House of Delegates (1983-1986) West Virginia Senate (1987-1996) West Virginia Secretary of State (2001-2005) Governor of West Virginia (2005-2010) |
Elected to complete remainder of Byrd's term | |
Class 2
| # | Senator | Party | Took office | Left office | Other offices | Term | Electoral history |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Waitman T. Willey
|
Unionist | August 4, 1863 | March 3, 1865 | U.S. Senator from Virginia (1861–1863) |
1 | Elected in 1863 |
| Republican | March 4, 1865 | March 3, 1871 | 2 | Re-elected in 1865 | |||
| 2 |  Henry G. Davis
|
Democratic | March 4, 1871 | March 4, 1883 | West Virginia House of Delegates (1865-1869) West Virginia Senate (1869-1870) Democratic Nominee for Vice President (1904) |
3 | Elected in 1871 or 1872 |
| 4 | Re-elected in 1877 Retired | ||||||
| 3 |  John E. Kenna
|
Democratic | March 4, 1883 | January 11, 1893 | U.S. House of Representatives (1877-1883) |
5 | Elected in 1882 or 1883 |
| 6 | Re-elected in 1888/9 Died | ||||||
| Vacant | January 11, 1893 | March 4, 1893 | |||||
| 4 | File:JohnsonMCamden.jpg Johnson N. Camden | Democratic | March 4, 1893 | March 4, 1895 | Also served in West Virginia's Class 1 seat | Elected to finish Kenna's term | |
| 5 |  Stephen B. Elkins
|
Republican | March 4, 1895 | January 4, 1911 | New Mexico Territory Legislature (1865-1866) Attorney General of New Mexico Territory (1867) U.S. District Attorney for New Mexico Territory (1867-1870) Delegate from New Mexico Territory (1873-1877) U.S. Secretary of War (1891–1893) |
7 | Elected in 1894 or 1895 |
| 8 | Re-elected in 1900 | ||||||
| 9 | Re-elected in 1906 Died | ||||||
| Vacant | January 4, 1911 | January 9, 1911 | |||||
| 6 |  Davis Elkins
|
Republican | January 9, 1911 | January 31, 1911 | Appointed to continue his father's term Successor elected | ||
| 7 |  Clarence W. Watson
|
Democratic | February 1, 1911 | March 4, 1913 | Elected to finish Stephen Elkins's term Lost Election to full term | ||
| Vacant | March 4, 1913 | April 1, 1913 | 8 | ||||
| 8 |  Nathan Goff
|
Republican | April 1, 1913 | March 4, 1919 | West Virginia House of Delegates (1867-1868) U.S. District Attorney for West Virginia (1868-1881) U.S. Secretary of the Navy (1881) U.S. House of Representatives (1883-1889) U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (1892-1913) |
Chose to take office late Retired | |
| 9 | Davis Elkins
|
Republican | March 4, 1919 | March 4, 1925 | 9 | Elected in 1918 Retired | |
| 10 |  Guy D. Goff
|
Republican | March 4, 1925 | March 4, 1931 | United States District Attorney Eastern District of Wisconsin (1911-1915) |
10 | Elected in 1924 Retired |
| 11 | Matthew M. Neely
|
Democratic | March 4, 1931 | January 12, 1941 | U.S. House of Representatives (1913-1921; 1945-1947) Governor of West Virginia (1941–1945) Also served in West Virginia's Class 1 seat |
11 | Elected in 1930 |
| 12 | Re-elected in 1936 Resigned | ||||||
| 12 |  Joseph Rosier
|
Democratic | January 13, 1941 | November 17, 1942 | Appointed to continue Neely's term Lost special election to finish Neely's term | ||
| 13 |  Hugh I. Shott
|
Republican | November 18, 1942 | January 3, 1943 | U.S. House of Representatives (1929-1933) |
Elected to finish Neely's term Retired | |
| 14 | W. Chapman Revercomb
|
Republican | January 3, 1943 | January 3, 1949 | Also served in West Virginia's Class 1 seat | 13 | Elected in 1942 Lost re-election |
| 15 | Matthew M. Neely
|
Democratic | January 3, 1949 | January 8, 1958 | U.S. House of Representatives (1913-1921; 1945-1947) Governor of West Virginia (1941–1945) Also served in West Virginia's Class 1 seat |
14 | Elected in 1948 |
| 15 | Re-elected in 1954 Died | ||||||
| Vacant | January 8, 1958 | November 4, 1958 | |||||
| 16 |  John D. Hoblitzell, Jr.
|
Republican | January 25, 1958 | November 4, 1958 | Wood County Board of Education (1950-1956) |
Appointed to continue Neely's term Lost special election to finish Neely's term | |
| 17 |  Jennings Randolph
|
Democratic | November 5, 1958 | January 3, 1985 | U.S. House of Representatives (1933-1947) |
Elected to finish Neely's term | |
| 16 | Elected to full term in 1960 | ||||||
| 17 | Re-elected in 1966 | ||||||
| 18 | Re-elected in 1972 | ||||||
| 19 | Re-elected in 1978 Retired | ||||||
| Vacant | January 3, 1985 | January 15, 1985 | 20 | ||||
| 18 |  Jay Rockefeller
|
Democratic | January 15, 1985 | Incumbent | West Virginia House of Delegates (1967-1968) Secretary of State of West Virginia (1969-1972) Governor of West Virginia (1977–1985) |
Elected in 1984 | |
| 21 | Re-elected in 1990 | ||||||
| 22 | Re-elected in 1996 | ||||||
| 23 | Re-elected in 2002 | ||||||
| 24 | Re-elected in 2008 | ||||||
See also
- List of United States Representatives from West Virginia
- United States congressional delegations from West Virginia
