Governor of Virginia

Governor of Virginia

The position of Governor of Virginia dates back to the 1607 first permanent English settlement in America, at Jamestown. From the Revolution until 1851, the governor was elected by the General Assembly of Virginia. The current governor of Virginia is Ralph Northam, who was sworn in January 13, 2018.

About Governor of Virginia in brief

Summary Governor of VirginiaThe position of Governor of Virginia dates back to the 1607 first permanent English settlement in America, at Jamestown. From the Revolution until 1851, the governor was elected by the General Assembly of Virginia. The governor must ensure that the laws of the Commonwealth are faithfully executed by either signing, or allowing it to come into law, or vetoing. They are responsible for the safety of the state, as they serve as commander-in-chief of the Virginia Militia. To get on the ballot, each candidate must file 10,000 signatures, including the signatures of at least 400 qualified voters from each of the 11 congressional districts in the Commonwealth.

There are no national elections; Virginia’s gubernatorial elections are held one year after the U.S. presidential election, with every gubernatorial election since 1851 starting with the presidential election in 1977. The current governor of Virginia is Ralph Northam, who was sworn in January 13, 2018. The incumbent is a Democrat who was elected to a four-year term in 2012. The state’s first black governor was Douglas Wilder, who served from 1990 to 1994. The first African-American governor was Linwood Holton Jr., who served in 1969 to 1969.