Earl Ray Tomblin

Earl Ray Tomblin ( born March 15, 1952 at Logan County, West Virginia ) is an American politician (Democratic Party) and since November 15, 2010 Governor of the State of West Virginia. After he had previously exercised the office of Lieutenant Governor since 2000, he advanced through the election of Governor Joe Manchin in the Senate of the United States as his successor on.

Life

Earl Tomblin attended West Virginia University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science. It was followed by the MBA at the Marshall University; besides, he was still studying at the University of Charleston. He has been married since 1979 and has a son. The Marshall University awarded him an honorary doctorate, as well as the Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College. After completing his education Tomblin operated first as a teacher and later as a businessman. He lives with his wife in Chapmanville.

His political career began with the election in the House of Representatives from West Virginia, where he remained from 1974 to 1978. He then moved in 1980 to the State Senate, where he served continuously since then. On January 11, 1995, he was promoted to president of this chamber of parliament. With 15 years in office, Tomblin is the longest serving Senate president in the history of West Virginia.

In 2000 was created by a decision of the State Parliament of the post of Deputy Governor as the representative of the governor, and this object automatically fell to the reigning President of the State Senate. The victory of Governor Manchin in the special election to the mandate of the late U.S. Senator Robert Byrd - by Carte Goodwin was an interim successor in the meantime been appointed - whose office was about to Tomblin, who took off his oath of office on November 15, 2010.

On 18 January 2011 ordered the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, the highest court of the state, to the positing a by-election for the 4th of October of the same year. Earl Ray Tomblin sat in his party's primary with 40.4 percent of the votes ahead of Rick Thompson ( 24.1 percent ), the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Secretary of State Natalie Tennant ( 17.3 percent ) through and thus met at the election to the Republican Bill Maloney, a politically inexperienced businessman. The polls predicted a close outcome, but ultimately succeeded Tomblin to prevail with 50:47 percent of the vote. In 2012, he now has to face the election for a full four -year term.