Ballotpedia's 2012 General Election Preview Articles: West Virginia State Legislature
From Ballotpedia
October 31, 2012
By Ballotpedia's State legislative team
| West Virginia's State Legislative Elections in 2012 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate seats | Contested senate seats | House seats | Contested house seats |
| 17 | 8 (47%) | 100 | 73 (73%) |
CHARLESTON: West Virginia: There are 117 total legislative seats with 2012 elections in West Virginia, where polling places are open from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM Eastern Time.[1]
Democrats currently enjoy a sizable majority in the Senate as well as the House of Delegates. It appears unlikely that either chamber will change partisan control.
Of the 117 incumbents up for election in 2012, 83 (70.9%) of them are running for re-election. A total of 81 of 117 (69.2%) districts will see more than one major party candidate in the general election.
Here are a few races to watch:
Senate
- In District 8: With the seat open due to redistricting, Joshua R. Martin (D) will face off against Chris Walters (R).
- In District 9: Current state Rep. Daniel Hall defeated incumbent Richard Browning in the Democratic primary. Hall will face Epp E. Cline (R) in the general election. Browning was the only Senate incumbent to be defeated in the primary.
House
- In District 35: While four positions are open and four incumbents are running, District 35 has seen some of the highest spending of any House race. Incumbents Bonnie Brown (D), Barbara "Bobbie" Hatfield (D), Doug Skaff, Jr. (D) and Eric Nelson (R) are seeking re-election. Challengers include Christopher "Chris" Morris (D), Fred Joseph (R), John B. McCuskey (R) and Suzette Raines (R).[2]
- In District 65: In this single seat district, incumbent Tiffany Lawrence (D) faces off against Jill Upson (R). Upson loaned her campaign $20,000, the most of any House candidate.[2]
| West Virginia State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 28 | 24 | |
| Republican Party | 6 | 10 | |
| Total | 34 | 34 | |
| West Virginia House of Delegates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 65 | 54 | |
| Republican Party | 35 | 46 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
Articles
- 2012 elections review: Little surprise in West Virginia primaries May 9
- 2012 elections preview: West Virginia voters to select winners in congressional, legislative primaries May 7
See also
- Ballotpedia's 2012 General Election Preview Articles: West Virginia Congressional Seats
- Ballotpedia's 2012 General Election Preview Articles: West Virginia State Executive Officials
- Ballotpedia:2012 general election preview articles
- State legislative elections, 2012
- West Virginia elections, 2012
Footnotes
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