That experience is the parent of wisdom, is an adage the truth of which is recognized by the wisest as well as the simplest of mankind.
Our Governor today is a very powerful executive. But it hasnât always been that way. The first Governor under the constitution was the great patriot, Patrick Henry. The Virginia Convention elected him Governor on June 29, 1776, the same day it proclaimed the new constitution. He had virtually no power, nor did Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, and the other early governors.
Candidates for governor must be United States citizens who have resided in Virginia and been a registered voter for five years prior to the election in which they are running. The candidates must be at least 30 years of age. Virginia governors are not allowed to serve more than one term at a time and therefore cannot stand for reelection at the end of their term as per the 1830 state constitution. However, a former governor is permitted to run for a second term in a future election.