| Back to e-WV The West Virginia Encyclopedia

John Perdue

John D. Perdue, West Virginia’s 24th treasurer, was born June 22, 1950, in Boone County. He attended West Virginia University and received his degree in 1972.

He started working for the Department of Agriculture in 1973 and held several positions, including assistant commissioner. In 1989, he went to work for Governor Gaston Caperton and served on his staff for eight years.

Perdue, a Democrat, was first elected to the office of state treasurer in 1996, and was reelected three times. He is the only West Virginia treasurer to serve as president of the National Association of State Treasurers. Under his leadership, the treasurer’s office launched a program called Smart 529 that allows parents to save for their child’s college education.

Perdue ran for governor in 2011 but lost in the Democratic primary to Earl Ray Tomblin, who was serving as acting governor at the time. Perdue was elected to a sixth term as treasurer on November 8, 2016. He and his wife, Robin, have two daughters and live in Cross Lanes, Kanawha County.