Bob Wise

Robert Ellsworth "Bob" Wise, Jr. (born January 6, 1948) is an American politician. A Democrat, Wise currently serves as the Governor of West Virginia.

Wise was born in Washington, D.C. He received a B.A. from Duke University in 1970 and a law degree from Tulane University's College of Law in 1975. Wise's political career began in 1980, when he was elected to the state Senate of West Virginia as a Democrat. In 1982, Wise was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served 18 years in nine consecutive terms. In Congress, Wise served as an at-large whip, regional whip, and parliamentarian for the Democratic Party. He also became the ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

In 2000, Wise ran for governor against Republican incumbent Cecil H. Underwood, winning 51 percent to 47 percent. He currently chairs the National Governors Association Committee on Natural Resources.

In May 2003, Wise made national headlines when allegations of an extramarital affair with a woman who worked in the state's economic development office surfaced in the Charleston Daily Mail. The resulting scandal forced Wise to drop his plans for re-election in 2004.

Wise is credited with creating the PROMISE scholarship, which allows West Virginia students to attend any public in-state university free of charge. The program was clearly inspired by the HOPE scholarship program in Georgia.