Governor of Virginia

The Governor of Virginia ( Governor of Virginia) is the head of government of the U.S. state of Virginia. Incumbent Democrat Terry McAuliffe is currently the, the Republican Bob McDonnell replaced in January 2014.

Choice

The governor is elected for four years immediately by the people. The choices are United States citizens who are resident for at least five years in Virginia and are at least 30 years old. Not selectable is the respective incumbents. Virginia is ( according to the state of 2014) the only state in which an immediate re- election of the governor is excluded.

Rights and obligations

• The governor must be resident at the seat of government of Virginia.
• He must at each regular session of the state legislature, the Virginia General Assembly, report. He may convene a special meeting at the Parliament and must do so if a two-thirds majority of both houses of Parliament so requests.
• The governor has to take care of the execution of the law.

• The governor receives a year's wages of 135,000 U.S. dollars.
• The governor has to be addressed with regard to the legislation the right recommendations to Parliament.
• The governor has a veto. All laws passed must be submitted to the Governor before they become law. The governor can sign the bill or seven days ununterzeichnet leave until it becomes law, or appeal. The veto is ineffective if the Parliament by a two -thirds majority in both houses so decides.
• The governor also has the right to a Linked with recommendations and requests for changes veto (line -item veto ). The Parliament has to accept or reject in both houses with two-thirds majority in both houses of the veto in this case, either the changes with majority.
• The governor carries as supreme commander of the Virginia militia responsible for the security of the state.
• The Governor representing Virginia compared to other states and foreign powers.
• The Governor may make appointments to vacant positions until the Parliament occupied the sites.
• The governor can mitigate fines or penalties or make pardons. The governor may also restore the right to vote or pick up other penalties for them the rights of citizenship.

History

The Office of the Governor of Virginia goes back to the first permanent English settlement in America, Jamestown. The Virginia Company of London continued to exercise the government a one London-based Council, whose president served as governor. Nominally Thomas Smith was the first president of the Council, however, never left England. Edward Maria Wingfield was the first local President of the Council and thus the first, the fact exercised the power to govern over Virginia. The Virginia Company managed from the Council on 23 May 1609 and replaced him with a Governor, John Smith.

The English monarchy took over in 1624 the dominion of Virginia by the Virginia Company and made ​​the country a crown colony. The members appointed by the crown governors resided mostly in England, so its of local deputy ( Deputy Governor or Lieutenant Governor ) in fact exercised the power. During the reign of Oliver Cromwell, the governor was appointed by the British Republic.

Virginia became independent during the American Revolution, with Patrick Henry as its first governor. The governor was elected by the state legislature until 1851 and since then directly by the people. During the Civil War was Francis Harrison Pierpont governor of the areas controlled by the Union parts of the state. Pierpont served as appointed by the Federal Government provisional governor in the phase of Reconstruction.

After regaining the right to self-government in 1874 Virginia James Lawson Kemper elected governor. First Republican governor since Reconstruction was from 1969 A. Linwood Holton.

Douglas Wilder became the first elected in 1990 and (according to P. B. S. Pinchback total second ) African-American governor of any state.

Since 1851 the gubernatorial elections in Virginia are held in such years, unlike other states in which take place no national elections (President, Senate, House of Representatives ), namely, one year after the presidential elections (2001, 2005, 2009, etc ). This, together with the exclusion of the immediate re-election are cited as reasons for the low turnout.

Tim Kaine, Governor from 2006 to 2010, was inaugurated on 14 January 2006. Due to the renovation of the State Capitol in Richmond, the inauguration took place for the first time since the inauguration of Thomas Jefferson in 1779 in Williamsburg instead.

Salutation

In contrast to the governors of most other states, the governor of Virginia is not to be regarded as The Honorable, but as His Excellency.