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Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia

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The secretary of the Commonwealth is a member of the Virginia Governor's Cabinet. The office is currently held by secretary Kelly Gee.

Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia
Seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia
Flag of Virginia
Incumbent
Kelly Gee
since September 1, 2023
Member ofVirginia Governor's Cabinet
Reports toGovernor of Virginia
SeatRichmond, Virginia
AppointerGovernor of Virginia
Websitecommonwealth.virginia.gov

Duties of the secretary of the Commonwealth

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  1. Serving as the Keeper of the Seal of the Commonwealth
  2. Assisting the Governor in the appointment of thousands of individuals to serve on state boards and commissions
  3. Issuing the Commissions of Notaries Public
  4. Authenticating documents
  5. Registering lobbyists
  6. Issuing the "Bluebook," officially "The Report of the Secretary of the Commonwealth," an annual publication that identifies, "(a) the boards of visitors of all public institutions, and other boards appointed by the Governor; (b) all commissions issued under appointments made by the Governor, except commissions to notaries public; (c) all departments, boards, councils, commissions, and other collegial bodies created in the executive branch of state government; and (d) such other matters as the Governor requires." – The Report as defined by the Code of Virginia
  7. Issuing a State Government Organization Chart
  8. Handling pardons and clemencies, restoration of civil rights of former felons, extradition, and service of process. Although the secretary is involved, the governor is responsible for granting pardons, clemency, and restorations of rights, as well as authorizing extradition. The secretary of the Commonwealth's Office handles the paperwork on behalf of the Governor.

In a unique twist of Virginia law, unlike other members of the Governor's Cabinet, the secretary of the Commonwealth does not resign immediately upon the inauguration of a new Governor, but remains in office for an additional week, serving a fixed term of four years, in order to ensure a smooth transition and ensure continuity in government.

History

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Although the office has evolved over the years, the job has always involved the safekeeping of the Great Seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Under the Virginia Constitution of 1901, the secretary of the Commonwealth was an elected post, along with the governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. Under Virginia's current constitution, enacted in 1971, and with the creation of the Governor's Cabinet during the administration of Governor A. Linwood Holton Jr., the secretary of the Commonwealth has been an appointed member of the Governor's Cabinet.

List of secretaries of the Commonwealth (1788-present)

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Name Tenure Party
John Harvie 1788-1800
Daniel L. Hylton 1801-1811
William Robertson 1811-1820
John Burfoot 1820-1821
William H. Richardson 1821-1852
George W. Munford 1853-1865
Charles H. Lewis 1865-1867
John M. Herndon 1867-1869
Brevet Col. Garrick Mallery[1] 1869-1870
James McDonald 1870-1879
Thomas T. Flournoy* 1880-1881
William C. Elam 1882-1883
Henry W. Flournoy 1884-1893
Joseph T. Lawless 1894-1900
David Q. Eggleston 1901-1910
B. O. James 1910-1926
Martin A. Hutchinson 1927-1929
Peter H. Saunders 1930-1937
Raymond L. Jackson 1938-1941
Ralph E. Wilkins 1942-1944
Thelma Y. Gordon (acting) 1945-1946
Jesse W. Dillon 1946-1948
M. W. Armistead 1948
Thelma Y. Gordon 1948-1952
Martha Bell Conway 1952-1970
Cynthia Newman 1970-1974
Patricia Perkinson 1974-1978
Stanford E. Parris 1978
Frederick T. Gray Jr. 1978-1981
Marilyn Lussen (acting) 1981-1982
Laurie Naismith 1982-1985
H. Benson Dendy, III 1985-1986
Sandra D. Bowen 1986-1990
Pamela M. Womack 1990-1993
Scott Bates 1993
Ruby Grant Martin 1993-1994
Betsy Davis Beamer 1994-1998
Anne P. Petera 1998-2002
Anita A. Rimler 2002-2006
Daniel G. LeBlanc 2006 Democratic
Katherine Hanley 2006-2010 Democratic
Janet Vestal Kelly 2010-2014 Republican
Levar Stoney 2014-2016 Democratic
Kelly Thomasson 2016-2022 Democratic
Kay Coles James 2022-2023 Republican
Kelly Gee 2023-present Republican

References

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Notes
  1. ^ Fletcher 1895, p. 5.
Bibliography
  • Fletcher, Robert (16 February 1895), Brief memoirs of Colonel Garrick Mallery, U.S.A., who died October 24, 1894, Washington: Judd & Detweiler, pp. 3–8, briefmemoirsofco00fletrich at the Internet Archive
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Archival Records
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