| President pro tempore of the Senate of Virginia | |
|---|---|
| Virginia Senate | |
| Seat | State Senate Chamber, Virginia State Capitol, Richmond, Virginia |
| Appointer | Virginia Senate |
| Term length | At the pleasure of the Senate, and until another is elected or their term of office as a senator expires |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia |
| Formation | January 12, 1851 |
| First holder | George E. Deneale |
The President pro tempore of the Senate of Virginia is a Virginia constitutional office whose role is to serve as the presiding officer of the Senate of Virginia in the absence of the Lieutenant Governor, who ordinarily serves as presiding officer in their role as president of the Senate. The office is established in Article IV, Section 7 of the Constitution of Virginia.[1] The current office holder is Louise Lucas.
Formation
A president pro tempore is not mentioned as an officer of the Senate in the 1776 or 1830 Virginia constitutions, the first mention of the office was in the 1851 Virginia constitution, and appeared in the subsequent 1864, 1870, 1902, and 1971 constitutions of Virginia.
List of presidents pro tempore
See also
References
- "Constitution of Virginia". Division of Legislative Automated Systems. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
- SUSAN CLARKE, SCHAAR. "Manual of the Senate - General Assembly of Virginia 2024 – 2025" (PDF). senate.virginia.gov. Clerk's Office of the Senate of Virginia. Retrieved June 13, 2026.
- SWEM, EARL G.; WILLIAMS, JOHN W. (1918). A register of the General Assembly of Virginia, 1776–1918, and of the Constitutional Conventions. Davis Bottom, SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC PRINTING. p. 236.