Earl Ray Tomblin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Earl Ray Tomblin
35th Governor of West Virginia
In office November 15, 2010 – January 16, 2017 Acting: November 15, 2010 – November 13, 2011
Lieutenant	Jeff Kessler Bill Cole
Preceded by	Joe Manchin
Succeeded by	Jim Justice
President of the West Virginia Senate Lieutenant Governor of West Virginia
In office January 3, 1995 – November 13, 2011 On leave: November 15, 2010 – November 13, 2011
Preceded by	Keith Burdette
Succeeded by	Jeff Kessler
Member of the West Virginia Senate from the 7th district
In office December 1, 1980 – November 13, 2011
Preceded by	Ned Grubb
Succeeded by	Art Kirkendoll
Personal details
Born	(1952-03-15) March 15, 1952 (age 73) Logan County, West Virginia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Joanne Jaeger ​ (m. 1979)​
Children	1
Education	West Virginia University (BS) Marshall University (MBA)
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Earl Ray Tomblin, born on March 15, 1952, is an American politician. He served as the 35th governor of West Virginia from 2011 to 2017. Before becoming governor, he was a member of the Democratic Party. He spent many years in the West Virginia Senate, from 1980 to 2011. He also led the Senate as its president of the West Virginia Senate from 1995 to 2011.

Tomblin became the acting governor in November 2010. This happened after Joe Manchin was elected to the U.S. Senate. In October 2011, Tomblin won a special election to finish the governor's term. He was then elected for a full term as governor in November 2012.

Early Life and School

Earl Ray Tomblin was born in Logan County, West Virginia. His parents were Freda M. and Earl Tomblin. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from West Virginia University. While there, he was part of the Kappa Alpha Order group. Later, he received a Master of Business Administration degree from Marshall University.

Time in the State Legislature

Tomblin began his political career in 1974. He was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates. He was re-elected to this position in 1976 and 1978. In 1980, he won an election to the Senate for the 7th district. He continued to be re-elected every four years until he became governor.

On January 3, 1995, Tomblin was chosen as the 48th President of the West Virginia Senate. He held this important role for almost 17 years. This makes him the longest-serving Senate President in West Virginia's history. In 2000, he also became the first Lieutenant Governor of West Virginia. This was an honorary title created that year. As a senator, he represented several counties. These included Boone, Lincoln, Logan, and Wayne counties.

Becoming Acting Governor

Tomblin became the acting governor when Joe Manchin left his position. Manchin had been elected to the United States Senate. Tomblin was the first person to serve as acting governor under West Virginia's current constitution.

While he was acting governor, Tomblin also kept his title as Senate President. This was allowed by the state constitution. However, he did not take part in lawmaking or lead the Senate during this time.

Governor of West Virginia

Elections for Governor

Special Election in 2011

The West Virginia constitution says that if the governor's job becomes empty with more than a year left, a special election must be held. This happened when Joe Manchin left office two years into his term. Tomblin wanted to run to finish the term. The Supreme Court of Appeals decided on January 18, 2011, that a special election would be on October 4, 2011.

Tomblin won the Democratic primary election. He competed against six other candidates. Bill Maloney, a businessman from Morgantown, became the Republican candidate. Tomblin then won the main election against Maloney. He was sworn in as governor on November 13, 2011. Right before becoming governor, Tomblin resigned from the state senate.

Election in 2012

Tomblin ran for re-election for a full term in 2012. He won against Maloney again in this election.

Time as Governor

During the 2016 presidential election, Tomblin supported Hillary Clinton. She was also a Democrat.

Views on Bills

Tomblin held strong views on certain topics. In March 2014, he vetoed a bill that would have limited certain medical procedures in West Virginia. He explained that he believed the bill had issues with the state's constitution. In March 2015, Tomblin vetoed the same bill again. However, the West Virginia legislature voted to pass the bill anyway, overriding his veto.

Public Opinion

A survey in May 2013 showed that 69 percent of people approved of Tomblin's work as governor. This was the same as two months before. Another poll in September 2013 found his approval rating was 47 percent. Only 35 percent disapproved, which was an increase from 2011.

Term Limits

Tomblin could not run for a second full term in 2016. The state constitution counts a partial term as part of the limit. This limit allows a governor to serve only two terms in a row.

Personal Life

Earl Ray Tomblin married Joanne Jaeger on September 8, 1979. Joanne is from New York and also graduated from Marshall University. She was the president of Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College from 1999 to 2015. The couple lives in Chapmanville. They have one son named Brent. Tomblin attends the First Presbyterian Church of Logan.

See also

In Spanish: Earl Ray Tomblin para niños