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West Virginia State Senate elections, 2022
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| 2022 West Virginia Senate Elections | |
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| Primary | May 10, 2022 |
| General | November 8, 2022 |
| Past Election Results |
| 2020・2018・2016・2014 2012・2010・2008 |
| 2022 Elections | |
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Elections for the West Virginia State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for May 10, 2022. The filing deadline was January 29, 2022.
The West Virginia State Senate was one of 88 state legislative chambers with elections in 2022. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.
Party control
| West Virginia State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 8, 2022 | After November 9, 2022 | |
| Democratic Party | 11 | 4 | |
| Republican Party | 23 | 30 | |
| Total | 34 | 34 | |
Candidates
General
West Virginia State Senate General Election 2022 |
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| Office |  Democratic |
 Republican |
Other |
| District 1 |
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| District 2 |
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| District 3 |
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| District 4 |
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| District 5 |
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| District 6 |
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| District 7 |
Ron Stollings (i) |
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| District 8 |
Richard Lindsay (i) |
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| District 9 |
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Kari Woodson (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 10 |
Stephen Baldwin (i) |
Aaron Ransom (Independent) Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 11 |
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| District 12 |
Austin Lynch (Libertarian Party) |
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| District 13 |
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| District 14 |
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| District 15 |
Robin Mills (Upwising WV) |
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| District 16 |
Hannah Geffert (i) |
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| District 17 |
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= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection
Primary
West Virginia State Senate Primary 2022 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| District 1 |
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| District 2 |
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| District 3 |
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| District 4 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 5 |
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| District 6 |
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| District 7 |
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| District 8 |
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Andrea Garrett Kiessling (disqualified appeared on ballot) |
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| District 9 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 10 |
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| District 11 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 12 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 13 |
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| District 14 |
Angela Iman |
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| District 15 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 16 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 17 |
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Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Click a link below to read survey responses from candidates in that district:
Incumbents who were not re-elected
Incumbents defeated in general elections
Four incumbents lost in the Nov. 8 general election.
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Ron Stollings |  Democratic |
Senate District 7 |
| Richard Lindsay | Democratic |
Senate District 8 |
| Stephen Baldwin | Democratic |
Senate District 10 |
| Hannah Geffert | Democratic |
Senate District 16 |
Incumbents defeated in primary elections
One incumbent lost in the May 10 primaries.
| Name | Party | Office |
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| Owens Brown | Democratic |
Senate District 1 |
Retiring incumbents
Three incumbents were not on the ballot in 2022.[1] Those incumbents were:
| Name | Party | Office | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Romano | Democratic |
Senate District 12 | Other office |
| Robert Beach | Democratic |
Senate District 13 | Retired |
| David Sypolt |  Republican |
Senate District 14 | Retired |
Primary election competitiveness
This section contains data on state legislative primary election competitiveness in West Virginia. These totals include data from all regularly-scheduled House and Senate elections. For more information about Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of state legislative elections, please click here.
Post-filing deadline analysis
The following analysis covers all state legislative districts up for election in West Virginia in 2022. Information below was calculated on Feb. 28, 2022, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.
The 2022 election cycle marked the first election following West Virginia’s redistricting process, which introduced structural changes to the state’s legislature.
Before the 2022 election cycle, the West Virginia House of Delegates used multi-member districts, with 100 seats divided between 67 districts. During the redistricting process, the legislature created 100 single-member districts. As a result, 84 of the 85 incumbents who filed for re-election did so in districts different from those they represented before 2022.
The Senate kept its multi-member districts, in which two senators represent each of the 17 districts. One seat from each district is up for election each cycle, and senators are elected to staggered four-year terms. The 13 incumbent senators seeking re-election all filed to run in the same districts they represented before redistricting.
Other takeaways from West Virginia's candidate filing deadline can be found below:
- Overall, 295 major party candidates filed for the 117 districts holding elections this year: 100 Democrats and 195 Republicans. This equals 2.5 candidates per seat, matching 2020 but lower than the 2.6 in 2018.
- Twenty-three of the 117 districts holding elections (20%) were left open, meaning no incumbents filed to run. Four were in the Senate and 19 were in the House. Among those in the House, nine were in districts that did not exist before 2022, three were in districts that were previously multi-member, and seven were in districts that remained single-member.
- Ninety-eight incumbents filed for re-election—22 Democrats and 76 Republicans. Thirty-six incumbents (37%) were set to face primary challengers as of the candidate filing deadline, the lowest percentage since 2014.
- 30.8% of possible primaries were set to be contested between multiple candidates, the lowest percentage since 2016. However, numerically, this equals 72 total contested primaries, the most since 2014. This shift was caused due to the 33 new single-member House districts.
Open seats
The table below shows the number and percentage of open seats in the West Virginia State Senate from 2010 to 2022.[2]
| Open Seats in West Virginia State Senate elections: 2010 - 2022 | |||
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| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2022 | 17 | 4 (24 percent) | 17 (76 percent) |
| 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.[3][4][5]
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.[3][6]
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).[3][7][8]
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).[3][9]
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.[3]
A write-in candidate is not required to pay a filing fee or collect signatures.[3]
Qualifications
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[10] | |
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| 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.[11]
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 |
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| 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[12] | 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
2020 Presidential election results
Presidential election in West Virginia, 2020
Candidate/Running mate |
% |
Popular votes |
Electoral votes |
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| ✔ |
 
| Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R) |
68.6
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545,382 | 5 |
 
| Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D) |
29.7
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235,984 | 0 | |
 
| Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (L) |
1.3
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10,687 | 0 | |
 
| Howie Hawkins/Angela Nicole Walker (Mountain Party of West Virginia) |
0.3
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2,599 | 0 | |
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Total votes: 794,652 |
Voting information
- See also: Voting in West Virginia
Redistricting following the 2020 census
West Virginia enacted district maps for the Senate and House of Delegates on October 22, 2021.[13] On September 30, 2021, the House Redistricting Committees released a single-member district map proposal for the West Virginia House of Delegates.[14] The proposal passed the House on October 13, 2021, in a 79-20 vote and passed the Senate on October 18, 2021, in a 28-5 vote.[15] On October 5, 2021, the Senate Redistricting Committee released five map proposals for West Virginia's State Senate districts.[16] On October 11, 2021, the Senate Redistricting Committee voted to recommend Sen. Charles S. Trump IV's (R) 8th proposed senate map to the full Senate.[17] The Senate approved a map that combined aspects of previous proposals in a 31-2 vote on October 19, 2021. The map, named after Sens. Trump, Tom Takubo (R), Eric Tarr (R) Patricia Rucker (R), and Robert Karnes (R) was approved by the House in a 72-19 vote. Both the House and Senate maps were signed into law by Gov. Jim Justice (R) on October 20, 2021.[18] These maps took effect for West Virginia's 2022 legislative elections.
Below is the state Senate map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle.
West Virginia State Senate Districts
until November 30, 2022
Click a district to compare boundaries.
West Virginia State Senate Districts
starting December 1, 2022
Click a district to compare boundaries.
See also
| West Virginia | State Legislative Elections | News and Analysis |
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2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines a seat as open if the incumbent did not file to run for re-election or filed but withdrew and did not appear on any ballot for his or her seat. If the incumbent withdrew from or did not participate in the primary but later chose to seek re-election to his or her seat as a third party or independent candidate, the seat would not be counted as open. If the incumbent retired or ran for a different seat in the same chamber, his or her original seat would be counted as open unless another incumbent from the same chamber filed to run for that seat, in which case it would not be counted as open due to the presence of an incumbent.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 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
- ↑ Gov. Jim Justice switched his registration to Republican on August 4, 2017.
- ↑ West Virginia Legislature, "Actions by the Governor," accessed October 25, 2021
- ↑ WSAZ, "First West Virginia redistricting maps released," September 30, 2021
- ↑ West Virginia Legislature, "Actions by the Governor," accessed October 25, 2021
- ↑ West Virginia Legislature, "Senate Select Committee on Redistricting," accessed October 7, 2021
- ↑ WV News, "(West Virginia) Senate Redistricting Committee selects proposed maps," October 11, 2021
- ↑ Metro News, "After days of trying, Senate overwhelmingly passes a map of its own districts," October 19, 2021
