List of speakers of the Virginia House of Delegates explained

Post:Speaker
Body:the Virginia House of Delegates
Insignia:Seal of Virginia.svg
Insigniacaption:Great Seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia
Department:Virginia House of Delegates
Incumbent:Don Scott
Incumbentsince:January 10, 2024
Style:The Honorable
Style1:Mister Speaker
Residence:Virginia General Assembly
Appointer:Elected by the Virginia House of Delegates
Inaugural:Edmund Pendleton

This is a complete list of the speakers of the Virginia House of Delegates. Elected by the members of the House, the Speaker is the presiding officer of that body. In addition to duties as chair, the adopted rules of the House of Delegates specify other powers and duties of the post. The Speaker is currently elected for a two-year term in the odd-numbered years in which the Legislature convenes.

List of speakers

Parties
Name County or city Term began Term endedParty
1Edmund PendletonCaroline County17761776None
2George WytheWilliamsburg17771778None
3Benjamin Harrison VCharles City County17781781None
4Richard Henry LeeWestmoreland County17811781None
3Benjamin Harrison V[1] Charles City County17811781None
5John Tyler Sr.Charles City County17811785None
3Benjamin Harrison VCharles City County17851786None
6Joseph PrentisWilliamsburg17861788None
7Thomas MathewsNorfolk County17881794None
8 John WiseAccomack County17941799None
9Larkin SmithKing and Queen County17991802None
10Edmund HarrisonAmelia County18021803None
11Hugh HolmesFrederick County18031805None
12Peter Johnston Jr.Prince Edward County18051807None
13Hugh NelsonAlbemarle County18071809Democratic-Republican
14James BarbourOrange County18091812Democratic-Republican
15Andrew StevensonAlbemarle County18121816Democratic-Republican
16Robert StanardSpotsylvania County18161817None
17Linn BanksMadison County18171838Democratic
18Thomas W. GilmerAlbemarle County18391840Whig
19Valentine W. SouthallAlbemarle County18401842None
20Joel HollemanIsle of Wight County18421844Democratic
21William O. GoodeMecklenburg County18451846Democratic
22John W. JonesChesterfield County18471847Democratic
23James F. StrotherRappahannock County18471848Whig
24Henry L. HopkinsPowhatan County18481850Democratic
25George W. HopkinsWashington County18501852None
26Oscar M. CrutchfieldSpotsylvania County18521861None
27James L. KemperMadison County18611863Democratic
28Hugh W. SheffeyAugusta County18631865None
29John B. BaldwinAugusta County18651869Conservative
30Zephaniah Turner Jr.Rappahannock County18691871Democratic
31J. Marshall HangerAugusta County18711877Democratic
32Henry C. AllenShenandoah County18771879Democratic
33Benjamin W. LacyNew Kent County18791881Democratic
34Isaac C. FowlerWashington County18811882Readjuster
35Charles E. StuartAlexandria18831887Democratic
36Richard H. CardwellHanover County18871894Democratic
37John F. RyanLoudoun County18941899Democratic
38Edward W. SaundersFranklin County18991901Democratic
37John F. RyanLoudoun County19011906Democratic
39William D. CardwellHanover County19061908Democratic
40Richard E. ByrdWinchester19081914Democratic
41Edwin P. CoxRichmond19141916Democratic
42Harry R. HoustonElizabeth City County19161920Democratic
43Richard L. Brewer Jr.Suffolk19201926Democratic
44Thomas W. OzlinLunenburg County19261930Democratic
45J. Sinclair BrownRoanoke County19301936Democratic
46G. Aston DovellWilliamsburg19361942Democratic
47Thomas B. StanleyHenry County19421946Democratic
48G. Alvin MassenburgHampton19471950Democratic
49E. Blackburn MooreFrederick County19501968Democratic
50John Warren CookeMathews County19681980Democratic
51Albert L. PhilpottHenry County19801991Democratic
52Tom MossNorfolk19912000Democratic
53S. Vance Wilkins Jr.Amherst County20002002Republican
54William J. HowellStafford County20032018Republican
55Kirk CoxColonial Heights20182020Republican
56Eileen Filler-CornFairfax County20202022Democratic
57Todd GilbertShenandoah County20222024Republican
58Don ScottPortsmouth2024IncumbentDemocratic

Acting Speaker

According to Rules 2 and 16 of the House of Delegates, the chair of the Committee on Privileges and Elections serves as Acting Speaker when there is a vacancy in the Speaker's office. This has occurred twice since 1990:

List of speakers by time in office (incomplete)

data-sort-type="number" RankNameTime in officeTEdata-sort-type="number"
20 years, 148 days
1819; 1821; 1823; 1825; 1827; 1829; 1831; 1833; 1835; 1837
17 years, 364 days
1952; 1954; 1956; 1958; 1960; 1962; 1964; 1966
15 years, 2 days
2004; 2006; 2008; 2010; 2012; 2014; 2016
11 years, 364 days
1970; 1972; 1974; 1976; 1978
11 years, 262 days
1982; 1984; 1986; 1988; 1990
9 years, 315 days
1895; 1897; 1901; 1904
9 years, 123 days
1853; 1855; 1857; 1859
8 years, 54 days
1992; 1994; 1996; 1998
6 years, 85 days
1889; 1891; 1893

6 years, 6 days
1910; 1912
1938; 1940
6 years
1932; 1934

5 years, 364 days
1873; 1875
1922; 1924
4 years, 295 days
1944; 1946
4 years, 3 days
1885
4 years, 2 days
1918
3 years, 360 days
1928
3 years, 305 days
3 years, 5 days
1948
2 years, 324 days
1863
2 years, 154 days
2002
2 years, 62 days
2 years, 3 days

1 year, 363 days
1 year, 43 days
97 days

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. Book: Holleman. Joseph H. Jr.. Speakers and Clerks of the Virginia House of Delegates, 1776–1976. Virginia House of Delegates. 1976. Richmond, Virginia. 15.