List of United States senators from West Virginia

Below is a list of United States senators from West Virginia. The state's U.S. senators belong to classes 1 and 2. West Virginia is currently represented in the Senate by Independent Joe Manchin (serving since 2010) and Republican Shelley Moore Capito (serving since 2015), making it one of seven states to have a split United States Senate delegation.

Current delegation

Robert Byrd was the state's longest serving senator, served from 1959 until his death in 2010.

List of senators edit

Class 1
Class 1 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 2006, 2010 (special election), 2012, and 2018. The next election will be in 2024.
C Class 2
Class 2 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2020. The next election will be in 2026.
#SenatorPartyDates in officeElectoral historyTTElectoral historyDates in officePartySenator#
VacantJun 19, 1863 –
Aug 4, 1863
West Virginia did not elect its first Senators until Aug 4, 1863.138th1West Virginia did not elect its first Senators until Aug 4, 1863.Jun 19, 1863 –
Aug 4, 1863
Vacant
1
Peter G. Van Winkle
Unconditional UnionistAug 4, 1863 –
Mar 3, 1869
Elected in 1863.
Retired.
Elected in 1863.Aug 4, 1863 –
Mar 3, 1865
Unconditional Unionist
Waitman T. Willey
1
39th2Re-elected in 1865.
Retired.
Mar 4, 1865 –
Mar 3, 1871
Republican
Republican40th
2
Arthur I. Boreman
RepublicanMar 4, 1869 –
Mar 3, 1875
Elected in 1868 or 1869.
Retired.
241st
42nd3Elected in 1871.Mar 4, 1871 –
Mar 3, 1883
Democratic
Henry G. Davis
2
43rd
3
Allen T. Caperton
DemocraticMar 4, 1875 –
Jul 26, 1876
Elected in 1875.
Died.
344th
VacantJul 26, 1876 –
Aug 26, 1876
 
4
Samuel Price
DemocraticAug 26, 1876 –
Jan 26, 1877
Appointed to continue Caperton's term.
Lost election to finish Caperton's term.
VacantJan 26, 1877 –
Jan 31, 1877
5
Frank Hereford
DemocraticJan 31, 1877 –
Mar 3, 1881
Elected in 1877 to finish Caperton's term.
45th4Re-elected in 1877.
Retired.
46th
6
Johnson N. Camden
DemocraticMar 4, 1881 –
Mar 3, 1887
Elected in 1880 or 1881.447th
48th5Elected in 1883.Mar 4, 1883 –
Jan 11, 1893
Democratic
John E. Kenna
3
49th
7
Charles J. Faulkner
DemocraticMar 4, 1887 –
Mar 3, 1899
Elected in 1887.550th
51st6Re-elected in 1889.
Died.
52nd
 Jan 11, 1893 –
Jan 25, 1893
Vacant
Elected in 1893 to finish Kenna's term.Jan 25, 1893 –
Mar 3, 1895
Democratic
Johnson N. Camden
4
Re-elected in 1893.
Retired.
653rd
54th7Elected in 1895.[1]Mar 4, 1895 –
Jan 4, 1911
Republican
Stephen B. Elkins
5
55th
8
Nathan B. Scott
RepublicanMar 4, 1899 –
Mar 3, 1911
Elected in 1899.[2]756th
57th8Re-elected in 1901.
58th
Re-elected in 1905.
Lost renomination.
859th
60th9Re-elected in 1907.
Died.
61st
 Jan 4, 1911 –
Jan 9, 1911
Vacant
Appointed to continue his father's term.
Lost election to finish his father's term.
Jan 9, 1911 –
Jan 31, 1911
Republican
Davis Elkins
6
Elected in 1911 to finish Stephen Elkins' term.
Lost re-election.
Feb 1, 1911 –
Mar 3, 1913
Democratic
Clarence W. Watson
7
9
William E. Chilton
DemocraticMar 4, 1911 –
Mar 3, 1917
Elected in 1911.
Lost re-election.
962nd
63rd10 Mar 4, 1913 –
Apr 1, 1913
Vacant
Elected in 1913 but took office late.
Retired.
Apr 1, 1913 –
Mar 3, 1919
Republican
Nathan Goff Jr.
8
64th
10
Howard Sutherland
RepublicanMar 4, 1917 –
Mar 3, 1923
Elected in 1916.
Lost re-election.
1065th
66th11Elected in 1918.
Retired.
Mar 4, 1919 –
Mar 3, 1925
Republican
Davis Elkins
9
67th
11
Matthew M. Neely
DemocraticMar 4, 1923 –
Mar 3, 1929
Elected in 1922.
Lost re-election.
1168th
69th12Elected in 1924.
Retired.
Mar 4, 1925 –
Mar 3, 1931
Republican
Guy D. Goff
10
70th
12
Henry D. Hatfield
RepublicanMar 4, 1929 –
Jan 3, 1935
Elected in 1928.
Lost re-election.
1271st
72nd13Elected in 1930.Mar 4, 1931 –
Jan 12, 1941
Democratic
Matthew M. Neely
11
73rd
VacantJan 3, 1935 –
Jun 21, 1935
Senator-elect was not yet qualified to serve.1374th
13
Rush Holt Sr.
DemocraticJun 21, 1935 –
Jan 3, 1941
Elected in 1934.
Could not take seat until 2 days after reaching age 30 on Jun 19, 1935.
Lost renomination.
75th14Re-elected in 1936.
Resigned.
76th
14
Harley M. Kilgore
DemocraticJan 3, 1941 –
Feb 28, 1956
Elected in 1940.1477th
Appointed to continue Neely's term.
Lost election to finish Neely's term.
Jan 13, 1941 –
Nov 17, 1942
Democratic
Joseph Rosier
12
Elected in 1942 to finish Neely's term.
Retired.
Nov 18, 1942 –
Jan 3, 1943
Republican
Hugh I. Shott
13
78th15Elected in 1942.
Lost re-election.
Jan 3, 1943 –
Jan 3, 1949
Republican
Chapman Revercomb
14
79th
Re-elected in 1946.1580th
81st16Elected in 1948.Jan 3, 1949 –
Jan 18, 1958
Democratic
Matthew M. Neely
15
82nd
Re-elected in 1952.
Died.
1683rd
84th17Re-elected in 1954.
Died.
VacantFeb 28, 1956 –
Mar 13, 1956
 
15
William Laird III
DemocraticMar 13, 1956 –
Nov 6, 1956
Appointed to continue Kilgore's term.
Retired when his successor was elected.
16
Chapman Revercomb
RepublicanNov 7, 1956 –
Jan 3, 1959
Elected in 1956 to finish Kilgore's term.
Lost re-election.
85th
 Jan 18, 1958 –
Jan 25, 1958
Vacant
Appointed to continue Neely's term.
Lost election to finish Neely's term.
Jan 25, 1958 –
Nov 4, 1958
Republican
John Hoblitzell
16
Elected in 1958 to finish Neely's term.Nov 5, 1958 –
Jan 3, 1985
Democratic
Jennings Randolph
17
17
Robert Byrd
DemocraticJan 3, 1959 –
Jun 28, 2010
Elected in 1958.1786th
87th18Re-elected in 1960.
88th
Re-elected in 1964.1889th
90th19Re-elected in 1966.
91st
Re-elected in 1970.1992nd
93rd20Re-elected in 1972.
94th
Re-elected in 1976.2095th
96th21Re-elected in 1978.
Retired.
97th
Re-elected in 1982.2198th
99th22 Jan 3, 1985 –
Jan 15, 1985
Vacant
Elected in 1984.
Seated late in order to complete his term as Governor of West Virginia.
Jan 15, 1985 –
Jan 3, 2015
Democratic
Jay Rockefeller
18
100th
Re-elected in 1988.22101st
102nd23Re-elected in 1990.
103rd
Re-elected in 1994.23104th
105th24Re-elected in 1996.
106th
Re-elected in 2000.24107th
108th25Re-elected in 2002.
109th
Re-elected in 2006.
Died.
25110th
111th26Re-elected in 2008.
Retired.
VacantJun 28, 2010 –
Jul 16, 2010
 
18
Carte Goodwin
DemocraticJul 16, 2010 –
Nov 15, 2010
Appointed to continue Byrd's term.
Retired when his successor was elected.
19
Joe Manchin
DemocraticNov 15, 2010 –
present
Elected in 2010 to finish Byrd's term.
112th
Re-elected in 2012.26113th
114th27Elected in 2014.Jan 3, 2015 –
present
Republican
Shelley Moore Capito
19
115th
Re-elected in 2018.
Left the Democratic Party on May 31, 2024.
Retiring at the end of term.
27116th
117th28Re-elected in 2020.
118th
Independent
To be determined in the 2024 election.28119th
120th29To be determined in the 2026 election.
#SenatorPartyYears in officeElectoral historyTCTElectoral historyYears in officePartySenator#
Class 1 Class 2

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Elkins Elected in West Virginia". The New York Times. January 24, 1895. p. 5.
  2. ^ "WEST VIRGINIA'S NEW SENATOR". The New York Times. January 26, 1899. p. 2.