# United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs

The United States secretary of veterans affairs is the head of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the department concerned with veterans' benefits, health care, and national veterans' memorials and cemeteries. The secretary is a member of the Cabinet and second to last at seventeenth in the line of succession to the presidency (the position was last until the addition of the United States Department of Homeland Security in 2006). Until the appointment of David Shulkin in 2017, all appointees and acting appointees to the post were United States military veterans, but that is not a requirement to fill the position.
When the post of secretary is vacant, the deputy secretary or any other person designated by the president serves as acting secretary until the president nominates and the United States Senate confirms a new secretary.

## List of secretaries of veterans affairs
### Parties

No party (2)  Democratic (3)  Republican (7)

### Status

| No. | Secretary | Secretary | Secretary | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | President(s) | President(s) |
| No. | Portrait | Name | State of residence | Took office | Left office | Term length | President(s) | President(s) |
| 1 | | Ed Derwinski | Illinois | March 15, 1989 | September 26, 1992 | 3 years, 195 days | | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
| – | | Anthony Principi Acting | California | September 26, 1992 | January 20, 1993 | 116 days | | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
| 2 | | Jesse Brown | Illinois | January 22, 1993 | July 13, 1997 | 4 years, 172 days | | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| – | | Hershel W. Gober Acting | Arkansas | July 13, 1997 | January 2, 1998 | 173 days | | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| 3 | | Togo D. West Jr. | District of Columbia | January 2, 1998 | May 4, 1998 | 122 days | | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| 3 | | Togo D. West Jr. | District of Columbia | May 4, 1998 | July 25, 2000 | 2 years, 82 days | | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| – | | Hershel W. Gober Acting | Arkansas | July 25, 2000 | January 20, 2001 | 179 days | | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| 4 | | Anthony Principi | California | January 23, 2001 | January 26, 2005 | 4 years, 3 days | | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| 5 | | Jim Nicholson | Colorado | January 26, 2005 | October 1, 2007 | 2 years, 248 days | | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| – | | Gordon H. Mansfield Acting | Florida | October 1, 2007 | December 20, 2007 | 80 days | | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| 6 | | James Peake | District of Columbia | December 20, 2007 | January 20, 2009 | 1 year, 31 days | | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| 7 | | Eric Shinseki | Hawaii | January 20, 2009 | May 30, 2014 | 5 years, 130 days | | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| – | | Sloan D. Gibson Acting | Alabama | May 30, 2014 | July 30, 2014 | 61 days | | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| 8 | | Bob McDonald | Ohio | July 30, 2014 | January 20, 2017 | 2 years, 174 days | | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| – | | Robert Snyder Acting | West Virginia | January 20, 2017 | February 14, 2017 | 25 days | | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| 9 | | David Shulkin | Pennsylvania | February 14, 2017 | March 28, 2018 | 1 year, 42 days | | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| – | | Robert Wilkie Acting | North Carolina | March 28, 2018 | May 29, 2018 | 62 days | | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| – | | Peter O'Rourke Acting | Virginia | May 29, 2018 | July 30, 2018 | 62 days | | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| 10 | | Robert Wilkie | North Carolina | July 30, 2018 | January 20, 2021 | 2 years, 174 days | | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| – | | Dat Tran Acting | Ohio | January 20, 2021 | February 9, 2021 | 20 days | | Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
| 11 | | Denis McDonough | Minnesota | February 9, 2021 | January 20, 2025 | 3 years, 346 days | | Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
| – | | Todd B. Hunter Acting | | January 20, 2025 | February 5, 2025 | 43 days | | Donald Trump (2025–present) |
| 12 | | Doug Collins | Georgia | February 5, 2025 | Incumbent | 27 days | | Donald Trump (2025–present) |
$^1$ Anthony Principi served as Acting Secretary in his capacity as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs September 26, 1992 – January 20, 1993.
$^2$ Hershel W. Gober served as Acting Secretary in his capacity as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs July 13, 1997 – January 2, 1998 and July 25, 2000 – January 20, 2001.
$^3$ West served as Acting Secretary from January 2, 1998 to May 4, 1998.
$^4$ Gordon H. Mansfield served as Acting Secretary in his capacity as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs October 1 – December 20, 2007.