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West Virginia State Senate elections, 2020
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| 2020 West Virginia Senate Elections | |
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| General | November 3, 2020 |
| Primary | June 9, 2020 |
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Out of the 34 seats in the West Virginia State Senate, 17 seats were up for election in 2020. Heading into the 2020 elections, Democrats held 14 seats and Republicans held 20. Out of the 17 seats up for election in 2020, Democrats won three seats and Republicans won 14 seats. Republicans gained three seats and increased their veto-proof majority from 20-14 to 23-11.
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia identified 13 of the races as battlegrounds, six of which were Democrat-held districts while the other seven were Republican-held districts.
Heading into the election, West Virginia had been under a Republican trifecta since 2017 when Gov. Jim Justice switched his registration from Democrat to Republican. Republicans took control of the state Senate and House in the 2014 elections.
Democrats needed to flip four of the battleground seats to take control of the state Senate, while Republicans needed to prevent two of these seats from flipping to hold their veto-proof majority.
The West Virginia State Senate was one of 86 state legislative chambers with elections in 2020. In 2018, 87 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections. Seventeen seats in the West Virginia State Senate were up for election in 2018.
West Virginia's 2020 gubernatorial and state legislative elections affected partisan control of redistricting following the 2020 census. At the time of the 2020 elections, the state legislature was responsible for drafting both congressional and state legislative district plans. District plans were subject to gubernatorial veto.
Click here for more information on redistricting procedures in West Virginia.
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
West Virginia modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:
- Absentee/mail-in voting: All voters "concerned about their health and safety because of COVID-19" were eligible to vote absentee in the general election. An online absentee ballot request portal was created.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Party control
| West Virginia State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 14 | 11 | |
| Republican Party | 20 | 23 | |
| Total | 34 | 34 | |
Districts
Use the interactive map below to find your district.
Candidates
General election
West Virginia State Senate general 2020 |
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Travis Shultz (Libertarian Party) |
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Loyd Butcher (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 12 |
Douglas Facemire (i) |
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Donald Kinnie (Mountain Party) |
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= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection
Primary election
The candidate list below is based on candidate filing lists provided by the West Virginia Secretary of State. (i) denotes an incumbent.[1]
West Virginia State Senate primary 2020 |
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The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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2020 battleground chamber
The West Virginia State Senate was among 24 state legislative chambers Ballotpedia identified as battleground chambers for the 2020 cycle. Click here for more information on state legislative battlegrounds.
What was at stake?
- Democrats needed to gain four seats to take control of the chamber in 2020.
Why was it a battleground?
- Seats flipped in 2016: The last time this set of seats was up, control of four seats (12% of the chamber) changed hands.
- Race ratings: The Cook Political Report rated the West Virginia State Senate a likely Republican chamber in 2020, meaning that that Republicans were favored to retain control.[2]
Battleground races
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia identified 13 battleground races in the West Virginia State Senate 2020 elections, six of which were Democrat-held districts while the other seven were Republican-held districts. Based on analysis of these districts' electoral histories, these races had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could possibly have led to shifts in a chamber's partisan balance.
To determine state legislative battleground races in 2020, Ballotpedia looked for races that fit one or more of the four factors listed below:
- In the last state legislative election, the winner received less than 55% of the vote.
- The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and the most recent state legislative election winner won by a margin of 10 percentage points or less.
- The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and the incumbent is not on the ballot this year.
- The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and that presidential candidate won the district by a margin of 20 percentage points or more.
In the table below, a bolded name indicates the winner of an election.
| 2020 West Virginia State Senate Battlegrounds | ||||||
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| District | Democratic
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Republican
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2018 margin of victory | 2016 presidential result | Incumbent running? | Conditions met |
| District 1 | Randy Swartzmiller | Ryan Weld (i) | R+2.1 | R+38.9 | Yes | 1 |
| District 2 | Josh Gary | Mike Maroney (i) | R+17 | R+53.1 | Yes | 1 |
| District 4 | Bruce Ashworth | Amy Nichole Grady | R+2.1 | R+50.3 | No | 1 |
| District 5 | Robert Plymale (i) | Charles Shaffer | D+20.5 | R+28.1 | Yes | 4 |
| District 7 | Ralph Rodighiero | Rupie Phillips | D+17.6 | R+58.9 | No | 3,4 |
| District 8 | Glenn Jeffries (i) | Kathie Hess Crouse | D+6.2 | R+22.8 | Yes | 1,2,4 |
| District 10 | William Laird | Jack Woodrum | R+9.5 | R+43.6 | No | 1 |
| District 11 | Denise L. Campbell | Robert Karnes | R+2.1 | R+54.2 | No | 1 |
| District 12 | Douglas Facemire (i) | Patrick Martin | D+0.3 | R+44.1 | Yes | 1,2,4 |
| District 13 | Michael Caputo | Rebecca Polis | D+19.2 | R+13.2 | No | 3 |
| District 14 | David Childers | Randy E. Smith (i) | R+11.3 | R+50.5 | Yes | 1 |
| District 16 | Pete Dougherty | Patricia Rucker (i) | R+5.6 | R+19.2 | Yes | 1 |
| District 17 | Andrew Robinson | Eric Nelson | D+10.8 | R+23 | No | 3,4 |
Battleground races map
Incumbents who were not re-elected
Incumbents defeated in the general election
One incumbent lost in the Nov. 3 general election. That incumbent was:
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Douglas Facemire |  Democratic |
Senate District 12 |
Incumbents defeated in primary elections
Three incumbents lost in the June 9 primaries, including Sen. Mitch Carmichael (R). As president of the state Senate, Carmichael also served as the lieutenant governor of West Virginia.
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Mitch Carmichael |  Republican |
Senate District 4 |
| Sue Cline | Republican |
Senate District 9 |
| John Pitsenbarger | Republican |
Senate District 11 |
Retiring incumbents
There were four open seats where the incumbent legislator did not file for re-election in 2020.[3] Those incumbents were:
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Paul Hardesty | Democratic |
Senate District 7 |
| Kenny Mann | Republican |
Senate District 10 |
| Roman Prezioso | Democratic |
Senate District 13 |
| Corey Palumbo | Democratic |
Senate District 17 |
The four seats open in 2020 were an increase from 2018 when every incumbent sought re-election. In 2016, there were similarly four open seats. The table below shows the number of open seats in each election held between 2010 and 2020.
| Open Seats in West Virginia State Senate elections: 2010 - 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2020 | 17 | 4 (24 percent) | 13 (76 percent) |
| 2018 | 17 | 0 (0 percent) | 17 (100 percent) |
| 2016 | 18 | 4 (22 percent) | 14 (78 percent) |
| 2014 | 17 | 2 (12 percent) | 15 (88 percent) |
| 2012 | 17 | 3 (18 percent) | 14 (82 percent) |
| 2010 | 17 | 3 (18 percent) | 14 (82 percent) |
Process to become a candidate
See statutes: Chapter 3, Article 5 of the West Virginia Code
Political party candidates
Before raising money for a campaign, a candidate must file a pre-candidacy registration form. The form must identify a campaign treasurer, who will be responsible for the campaign's financial transactions. A candidate must file a certificate of announcement declaring his or her candidacy with the West Virginia Secretary of State. The candidate must pay a filing fee, which is calculated as a percentage of the salary of the office sought. The candidate must also file a financial disclosure statement with the West Virginia Ethics Commission within 10 days of filing the certificate of announcement.[4][5][6]
Independent candidates
An independent candidate must gain authorization to collect petition signatures by obtaining an official credentials form from the county clerk in each county in which the candidate wishes to collect signatures. This form must be presented to each voter canvassed or solicited.[4][7]
The candidate must obtain a candidate nomination petition at the time of gaining authorization. The candidate must obtain signatures equaling at least 1 percent of the entire vote cast at the last preceding general election for the office being sought (or at least 25 signatures).[4][8][9]
The candidate must file the certificate of announcement and nominating petition with the appropriate office. An independent candidate must also pay a filing fee (the same as that paid by political party candidates).[4][10]
Write-in candidates
A write-in candidate must file a certificate of announcement with the West Virginia Secretary of State. Write-in candidates are not listed on the ballot, but a list of official write-in candidates is posted at each polling place during early voting and on Election Day.[4]
A write-in candidate is not required to pay a filing fee or collect signatures.[4]
Qualifications
2020 ballot access requirements
The table below details filing requirements for West Virginia State Senate candidates in the 2020 election cycle.
| Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber name | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| West Virginia State Senate | Qualified party | N/A | $200.00 | 1/25/2020 | Source |
| West Virginia State Senate | Unaffiliated | 1% of all votes cast for the office in the last general election | N/A | 8/3/2020 | Source |
Section 13 of Article 6 of the West Virginia Constitution states, "No person holding any other lucrative office or employment under this state, the United States, or any foreign government; no member of Congress; and no person who is sheriff, constable, or clerk of any court of record, shall be eligible to a seat in the Legislature."
Salaries and per diem
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[11] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $20,000/year | $75/day for members who commute daily. $175/day for members who do not commute daily. |
When sworn in
West Virginia legislators assume office on the first day of December following their election.[12]
Redistricting in West Virginia
- See also: Redistricting in West Virginia
In West Virginia, congressional and state legislative district boundaries are set by the West Virginia State Legislature. These lines are subject to veto by the governor.[13]
The West Virginia Constitution requires that state Senate districts be "compact, contiguous, and bounded by county lines where doing so is not otherwise unlawful." There are no such requirements in place for congressional or state House districts.[13]
West Virginia political history
Trifectas
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
West Virginia Party Control: 1992-2024
Nineteen years of Democratic trifectas • Seven years of Republican trifectas
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D[14] | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Presidential politics in West Virginia
2016 Presidential election results
| U.S. presidential election, West Virginia, 2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine | 26.4% | 188,794 | 0 | |
| Republican |  Donald Trump/Mike Pence |
68.5% | 489,371 | 5 | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson/Bill Weld | 3.2% | 23,004 | 0 | |
| Green | Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka | 1.1% | 8,075 | 0 | |
| Constitution | Darrell Lane Castle/Scott Bradley | 0.5% | 3,807 | 0 | |
| - | Other/Write-in | 0.2% | 1,372 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 714,423 | 5 | |||
| Election results via: Federal Election Commission | |||||
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. West Virginia utilizes a semi-closed primary system where parties may decide if unaffiliated voters can vote in their primaries.[15][16]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In West Virginia, all polling places are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. A voter who is in line at the time polls close must still be permitted to vote.[17]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To vote in West Virginia, an individual must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of West Virginia, and at least 18 years of age by the date of the next general election.[18]
The registration deadline is 21 days prior to an election. An individual may register to vote by submitting a form by mail to his or her county clerk's office or the Secretary of State's Office. Registration can be completed online, in person at the county clerk's office, the Secretary of State's office, the Department of Motor Vehicles, any public assistance office, any agency that serves people with disabilities, any marriage license office, or any military recruiting agency.[18]
Automatic registration
- See also: Automatic voter registration
West Virginia automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles.[19]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
West Virginia has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
- See also: Same-day voter registration
West Virginia does not allow same-day voter registration.
Residency requirements
An individual must have resided in the state for at least 30 days of residency before they may vote.
Verification of citizenship
West Virginia does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[20] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The West Virginia Secretary of State's office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.
Voter ID requirements
West Virginia requires voters to present identification while voting. The identification provided must be issued either by the State of West Virginia, or one of its subsidiaries, or by the United States government.[21][22]
Signed into law in 2025, HB 3016 established that a document was valid if it:[22]
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State law enumerates the following identifications that an individual may use to vote:[22]
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Lastly, state law provided for the following exceptions and alternative methods of verifying a voter's identity:[22]
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Voters can obtain a free voter ID card at their county clerk’s office.[24]
Early voting
West Virginia permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
Voters in West Virginia are eligible to vote absentee in an election "if the voter is 'confined,' or not in their home county, for the entire duration of in-person voting (both the early voting period and on Election Day)," for one of the following reasons:[25]
- “Injury or illness”
- “Disability or 'extreme advanced age'”
- “Incarceration or home detention (does not include individuals convicted of any felony, treason, or election bribery)”
- “Work hours and distance from county seat”
- “Inaccessible early voting site and polling place”
- “Personal or business travel”
- “Attendance at college or other place of education or training”
- “Temporary residence outside of the county”
- “Service as an elected or appointed state or federal official”
To vote absentee, a request must be received by the county clerk no later than the sixth day prior to the election.[26]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "West Virginia Secretary of State" accessed January 30, 2020
- ↑ The Cook Political Report, "July Update: Handicapping the 2020 State Legislature Races," July 22, 2020
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 West Virginia Secretary of State, "Running for Office in West Virginia," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ West Virginia Code, "Chapter 3-8-5(e)," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ West Virginia Code, "Chapter 3-5-8," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ West Virginia Code, "Chapter 3-5-23," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ West Virginia Code, "Chapter 3-5-23," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ West Virginia Code, "Chapter 3-5-24," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ West Virginia Code, "Chapter 3-5-8," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ West Virginia Constitution, "Article IV, Section 7," accessed February 9, 2021
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 All About Redistricting, "West Virginia," accessed May 7, 2015
- ↑ Gov. Jim Justice switched his registration to Republican on August 4, 2017.
- ↑ West Virginia State Legislature, "WV Code § 3-4A-20," accessed June 30, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed June 30, 2025
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "Elections Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)," accessed June 30, 2025
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 West Virginia Secretary of State, "Elections Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)," accessed June 30, 2025
- ↑ NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed June 30, 2025
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ West Virginia State Legislature, "West Virginia Code, §3-1-34. Voting procedures generally; identification; assistance to voters; voting records; penalties." accessed May 2, 2023
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 West Virginia Legislature, "House Bill 3016 (2025)," accessed June 27, 2025
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "Be Registered and Ready" accessed June 29, 2025
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, “Eligibility for Absentee Voting In West Virginia,” accessed June 30, 2025
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, “Absentee Voting Information,” accessed June 30, 2025
