History of West Virginia Secretaries of State

Boyers of Tyler County, who published the Virginia Plaindealer, was elected as the first Secretary of State of West Virginia.

He later served as president of the Board of Supervisors and was Free School Superintendent of Tyler County for six years.

Hall of Harrison County served as the second Secretary of State.

He was a chronicler, businessman, and state founder. He also served as private secretary to West Virginia's first governor, Arthur I. Boreman.

Witcher of Harrison County served as the third Secretary of State.

He enrolled in the Union Army as a first lieutenant and went up through the ranks to lieutenant colonel before the end of the Civil War. In 1869 he was elected to the United States House of Representatives where he served until 1871.

Pipes was born in Green County, Pennsylvania and served as the fourth Secretary of State.

Pipes was a Captain in the 140th Pennsylvania Infantry, and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism at Gettysburg.

Phelps was born in 1821 and served as the fifth Secretary of State.

He was elected as the first President of the West Virginia State Senate which first convened in Wheeling on June 20, 1863. He served in the State Senate until 1865 and again from 1869–1870.

Hedrick of Kanawha County served as the sixth Secretary of State.

He was an able accomplished lawyer, being at one time a candidate for the West Virginia Supreme Court.

Sobieski Brady was born in 1816 in the state of Pennsylvania and served as the seventh Secretary of State.

With the election of Governor Henry M. Mathews, Mr. Brady received the appointment of Secretary of State, which office he ably occupied till the expiration of Governor Mathews' term.

Randolph Stalnaker was born in what is known today as Greenbrier County in 1847 and served as the eighth Secretary of State.

From 1868 until 1876 he was a merchant in Lewisburg. In 1877 he became private secretary to Governor H. M. Mathews, and served in that capacity four years.

Walker served as the ninth Secretary of State.

He was the editor of the Charleston Courier.

Ohley served as the tenth Secretary of State.

He only served for three years instead of the customary four-year term due to the close gubernatorial race in 1888. The state legislature was forced to determine the outcome.

William Chilton was born in what is known today as St. Albans and served as the eleventh Secretary of State.

He became involved in the newspaper business and was a very big part of what is today's Charleston Gazette.

Dawson was born in Bloomington, Maryland and served as the twelfth Secretary of State.

He served two terms as Secretary of State until 1905, at which time he was elected as the twelfth Governor of West Virginia and served until 1909.

Swisher was born in Marion County and served as the thirteenth Secretary of State.

He started out in life as a mine boy in the employ of the Fairmont Coal Company, driving mules.

Reed was born near Philippi in Barbour County and served as the fourteenth Secretary of State.

He was elected to WV's 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House and served there until 1925.

Young was born in Harrison County and served as the fifteenth Secretary of State.

He briefly served as Secretary of the Capitol Complex Planning Commission while serving as Secretary of State.

Sharp was from Pocahontas County and served as the sixteenth Secretary of State.

After leaving office he served as chair of the Pocahontas Republican Party from 1940–1945.

O'Brien was born in Barbour County and served 4 terms as the seventeenth Secretary of State.

He was also elected to the 3rd West Virginia Congressional District to the U.S. House of Representatives from 1927 to 1929.

O'Brien was born in Buckhannon and served as the eighteenth Secretary of State.

He served in the U.S. Army during both World Wars and was the son of Secretary of State William O'Brien.

Holt was appointed as the nineteenth Secretary of State by Governor Cecil Underwood after the sudden passing of D. Pitt O'Brien.

She became the first female to serve as Secretary of State and the first female to serve on the West Virginia Board of Public Works.

Burdett was born in Frankfort, Kentucky and served as the twentieth Secretary of State.

He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

Robert Bailey was born in Wyoming County and served as the twenty-first Secretary of State.

He was appointed in 1965 to fill an unexpired term and was elected to a full term in 1966.

Rockefeller was born in New York City and served as the twenty-second Secretary of State.

He served 2 terms as Governor and 5 terms as a U.S. Senator. He retired in 2014.

Heiskell was born in Morgantown and served as the twenty-third Secretary of State.

He joined the USAF and became a combat-qualified F-102 fighter pilot with the North American Air Defense Command and Air National Guard.

McCartney was born in Meyersdale Somerset, Pennsylvania and served as the twenty-fourth Secretary of State.

He served 4½ years in the U.S. Army as a tank company commander. He was awarded the Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation, French Croix de Guerre, Belgian Fougerre, and was cited for bravery by the British Army.

Manchin was born in Farmington and served as the twenty-fifth Secretary of State.

Between his time in the West Virginia legislature and his tenure as Secretary of State and State Treasurer, Manchin was also appointed State Director of the Farmers Home Administration by President John F. Kennedy in 1961.

Hechler was born in Roslyn, New York and served as the twenty-sixth Secretary of State.

During World War II he was awarded a Bronze Star and 5 battle stars as an Army Officer. He served 3 terms as Secretary of State.

Manchin was born in Farmington and served as the twenty-seventh Secretary of State.

He went on to serve as Governor and as a U.S. Senator.

Ireland was born in Charleston and served as the twenty-eighth Secretary of State.

She was also the first woman elected to the executive branch of West Virginia state government.

Tennant was born in Fairview and served as the twenty-ninth Secretary of State.

While at WVU, she was selected in 1990 as the first woman to represent the university as the Mountaineers' mascot.

Warner is a sixth generation West Virginian born in Charleston and served as the thirtieth Secretary of State.

Warner was a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and enjoyed a decorated 23-year military career with the United States Army before retiring at the rank of Lt. Colonel. Warner was also a graduate of the WVU School of Law and has a Masters Degree in International Law.

Kris Warner is a sixth generation West Virginian having been born and raised in Kanawha County. He was elected in 2024 to serve as West Virginia's 31st Secretary of State.

In 2017, Secretary Warner was appointed by President Donald J. Trump to serve as the WV Director of the USDA — a position he held until 2021. From 2021 to 2025, he served as the Executive Director of the WV Economic Development Authority. Prior to his public service, Secretary Warner was a successful real estate developer and entrepreneur.