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West Virginia state legislative districts
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List of state legislative districts |
There are 134 seats in the West Virginia State Legislature. All 100 seats of the West Virginia House of Delegates and 17 seats of the West Virginia State Senate are up for election every two years.
Chambers
Click the following tabs for more information about each chamber:
Senate
The West Virginia State Senate is the upper house of the West Virginia Legislature. There are 17 senatorial districts. Each district has two senators who serve staggered four-year terms.
As of the 2020 Census, West Virginia state senators represented an average of 52,795 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 54,700 residents.
Qualifications
Section 12 of Article 6 of the West Virginia Constitution states, "No person shall be a senator or delegate who has not for one year next preceding his election, been a resident within the district or county from which he is elected; and if a senator or delegate remove from the district or county for which he was elected, his seat shall be thereby vacated."[1]
Section 4 of Article IV states senators must be at least 25 years old.[2]
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."[3]
The West Virginia Secretary of State states that all candidates must be individuals entitled to vote and must be citizens of West Virginia for at least five years prior to seeking election.[4]
Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in the West Virginia State Legislature, the governor must select a replacement to fill the vacant seat.[5][6]
The executive committee of the political party that held the seat before the vacancy can submit a list of three candidates to the governor. The list must be submitted to the governor within 15 days of the vacancy. The governor must make a selection within five days of receiving the list. If the committee does not submit a list within 15 days, the governor must appoint someone of the same political party as the person who left office. The person that is selected to fill the vacancy serves the remainder of the unfilled term.[6]
See sources: West Virginia Const. Art. 4, Sec. 7 and West Virginia Code Ann. §3-10-5
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[7] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $20,000/year | $75/day for members who commute daily. $175/day for members who do not commute daily. |
Districts
These are links to every district in the West Virginia State Senate.
House
The West Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the West Virginia Legislature. Only three states—Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia—refer to their lower house as the House of Delegates. The House is composed of 100 members elected for two-year terms.
As of the 2020 Census, West Virginia state representatives represented an average of 17,950 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 18,598 residents.
Qualifications
Section 12 of Article 6 of the West Virginia Constitution states, "No person shall be a senator or delegate who has not for one year next preceding his election, been a resident within the district or county from which he is elected; and if a senator or delegate remove from the district or county for which he was elected, his seat shall be thereby vacated."[8]
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."[9]
The West Virginia Secretary of State states that candidates must be 18 years of age and must be entitled to vote.[10]
Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in the West Virginia State Legislature, the governor must select a replacement to fill the vacant seat.[11][6]
The executive committee of the political party that held the seat before the vacancy can submit a list of three candidates to the governor. The list must be submitted to the governor within 15 days of the vacancy. The governor must make a selection within five days of receiving the list. If the committee does not submit a list within 15 days, the governor must appoint someone of the same political party as the person who left office. The person that is selected to fill the vacancy serves the remainder of the unfilled term.[6]
See sources: West Virginia Const. Art. 4, Sec. 7 and West Virginia Code Ann. §3-10-5
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[12] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $20,000/year | $75/day for members who commute daily. $175/day for members who do not commute daily. |
Districts
These are links to every district in the West Virginia House of Delegates.
Redistricting
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 enacted district maps for the Senate and House of Delegates on October 22, 2021.[14] On September 30, 2021, the House Redistricting Committees released a single-member district map proposal for the West Virginia House of Delegates.[15] 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.[16] On October 5, 2021, the Senate Redistricting Committee released five map proposals for West Virginia's State Senate districts.[17] 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.[18] 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.[19] These maps took effect for West Virginia's 2022 legislative elections.
On the Senate map, Sen. Trump said, “This amendment I believe reconciles and harmonizes some of the issues that were points of contention. This is the product of conversations and compromises over a long period of time by a great number of people.”[20]
“There is a faction within the Republican Party that is worried about their reelection when they shouldn’t be. They should worry about how the state works and how to make it work," said Sen. Mike Romano (D).[21]
Senate elections
West Virginia state senators serve staggered, four-year terms and half of the Senate is up for election every two years. West Virginia holds elections for its legislature in even years.
2026
Elections for the West Virginia State Senate will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026. The primary is May 12, 2026. The filing deadline is January 31, 2026.
2024
Elections for the West Virginia State Senate took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was May 14, 2024. The filing deadline was January 27, 2024.
In the 2024 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the chamber, going from a 31-3 majority to a 32-2 majority.
| West Virginia State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2024 | After November 6, 2024 | |
| Democratic Party | 3 | 2 | |
| Republican Party | 31 | 32 | |
| Total | 34 | 34 | |
2022
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.
In the 2022 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the chamber by seven seats, going from a 23-11 majority to a 30-4 majority.
| 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 | |
2020
Elections for the office of West Virginia State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for June 9, 2020. The filing deadline was January 25, 2020.
In the 2020 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the West Virginia State Senate from 20-14 to 23-11.
| 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 | |
2018
Elections for the West Virginia State Senate took place in 2018. The semi-closed primary election took place on May 8, 2018, and the general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline for major party candidates was January 27, 2018. The candidate filing deadline for third-party candidates was August 1, 2018. The candidate filing deadline for write-in candidates was September 18, 2018.[22]
In the 2018 elections, the Republican majority in the West Virginia State Senate was reduced from 22-12 to 20-14.
| West Virginia State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 6, 2018 | After November 7, 2018 | |
| Democratic Party | 12 | 14 | |
| Republican Party | 22 | 20 | |
| Total | 34 | 34 | |
2016
Elections for the West Virginia State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on May 10, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was January 30, 2016. A total of 18 seats out of the 34 seats in the West Virginia State Senate were up for election in 2016.
Heading into the election, Republicans held a 18-16 majority. Republicans gained four seats in the election, giving them a 22-12 majority.
| West Virginia State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 7, 2016 | After November 8, 2016 | |
| Democratic Party | 16 | 12 | |
| Republican Party | 18 | 22 | |
| Total | 34 | 34 | |
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2014Elections for the West Virginia State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 13, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was January 25, 2014. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 24-10 majority. Democrats lost eight seats in the election, giving Republicans a 18-16 majority.
2012Elections for the office of West Virginia State Senate took place in 2012. The primary election was held on May 8, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was January 28, 2012. A total of 17 seats were up for election. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 28-6 majority. Democrats lost four seats in the election, giving them a 24-10 majority.
The table below details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election in 2012.
2010Elections for the office of West Virginia State Senate took place in 2010. The primary election was held on May 11, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was January 30, 2010. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 26-8 majority. Democrats gained one seat in the election, giving them a 27-7 majority.
In 2010, the candidates for state Senate raised a total of $2,663,291 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were:[23]
2008Elections for the office of West Virginia State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 13, 2008, and a general election on November 4, 2008. During the 2008 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $2,468,062. The top 10 contributors were:[24]
2006Elections for the office of West Virginia State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 9, 2006, and a general election on November 7, 2006. During the 2006 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $3,463,546. The top 10 contributors were:[25]
2004Elections for the office of West Virginia State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 11, 2004, and a general election on November 2, 2004. During the 2004 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $2,592,446. The top 10 contributors were:[26]
2002Elections for the office of West Virginia State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 14, 2002, and a general election on November 5, 2002. During the 2002 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $3,240,627. The top 10 contributors were:[27]
2000Elections for the office of West Virginia State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 9, 2000, and a general election on November 7, 2000. During the 2000 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $1,804,817. The top 10 contributors were:[28]
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House elections
West Virginia state delegates serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years. West Virginia holds elections for its legislature in even years.
2026
Elections for the West Virginia House of Delegates will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026. The primary is May 12, 2026. The filing deadline is January 31, 2026.
2024
Elections for the West Virginia House of Delegates took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was May 14, 2024. The filing deadline was January 27, 2024.
In the 2024 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the West Virginia House of Delegates from 89-11 to 91-9.
| West Virginia House of Delegates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2024 | After November 6, 2024 | |
| Democratic Party | 11 | 9 | |
| Republican Party | 89 | 91 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
2022
Elections for the West Virginia House of Delegates 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.
| West Virginia House of Delegates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 8, 2022 | After November 9, 2022 | |
| Democratic Party | 22 | 12 | |
| Republican Party | 78 | 88 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
2020
Elections for the office of West Virginia House of Delegates took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for June 9, 2020. The filing deadline was January 25, 2020.
In the 2020 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the West Virginia House of Delegates from 58-41 and one independent officeholder to 76-24. The Republican majority increased to 77-23 after Jason Barrett switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in December 2020.[29]
| West Virginia House of Delegates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 41 | 24 | |
| Republican Party | 58 | 76 | |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
2018
Elections for the West Virginia House of Delegates took place in 2018. The semi-closed primary election took place on May 8, 2018, and the general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline for major party candidates was January 27, 2018. The candidate filing deadline for third-party candidates was August 1, 2018. The candidate filing deadline for write-in candidates was September 18, 2018. [30]
In the 2018 elections, the Republican majority in the West Virginia House of Delegates was reduced from 63-35 to 59-41.
| West Virginia House of Delegates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 6, 2018 | After November 7, 2018 | |
| Democratic Party | 35 | 41 | |
| Republican Party | 63 | 59 | |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
2016
Elections for the West Virginia House of Delegates took place in 2016. The primary election took place on May 10, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was January 30, 2016. All 100 seats in the West Virginia House of Delegates were up for election in 2016.
Heading into the election, Republicans held a 64-36 majority. Republicans lost one seat in the election, giving them a 63-37 majority.
| West Virginia House of Delegates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 7, 2016 | After November 8, 2016 | |
| Democratic Party | 36 | 37 | |
| Republican Party | 64 | 63 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
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2014Elections for the West Virginia House of Delegates took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 13, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was January 25, 2014. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 53-47 majority. Democrats lost 17 seats in the election, giving Republicans a 64-36 majority.
2012Elections for the office of West Virginia House of Delegates took place in 2012. The primary election was held on May 8, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was January 28, 2012. All 100 seats were up for election. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 65-35 majority. Democrats lost 11 seats in the election, giving them a 54-46 majority.
2010Elections for the office of West Virginia House of Delegates took place in 2010. The primary election was held on May 11, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was January 30, 2010. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 71-29 majority. Democrats lost six seats in the election, giving them a 65-35 majority.
In 2010, the candidates for state House raised a total of $4,862,057 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were:[31]
2008Elections for the office of West Virginia House of Delegates consisted of a primary election on May 13, 2008, and a general election on November 4, 2008. During the 2008 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $4,355,230. The top 10 contributors were:[32]
2006Elections for the office of West Virginia House of Delegates consisted of a primary election on May 9, 2006, and a general election on November 7, 2006. During the 2006 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $4,894,204. The top 10 contributors were:[33]
2004Elections for the office of West Virginia House of Delegates consisted of a primary election on May 11, 2004, and a general election on November 2, 2004. During the 2004 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $4,043,863. The top 10 contributors were:[34]
2002Elections for the office of West Virginia House of Delegates consisted of a primary election on May 14, 2002, and a general election on November 5, 2002. During the 2002 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $3,362,345. The top 10 contributors were:[35]
2000Elections for the office of West Virginia House of Delegates consisted of a primary election on May 9, 2000, and a general election on November 7, 2000. During the 2000 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $3,601,514. The top 10 contributors were:[36]
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District maps
State Senate
State House
See also
- State legislature
- West Virginia State Legislature
- West Virginia State Senate
- West Virginia House of Delegates
- List of West Virginia state legislative elections
Footnotes
- ↑ Constitution of West Virginia, "Article VI, Section 12," accessed May 23, 2025
- ↑ Constitution of West Virginia, "Article IV, Section 4," accessed May 23, 2025
- ↑ Constitution of West Virginia, "Article VI, Section 13," accessed May 23, 2025
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "2026 Running for Office Guide," accessed May 29, 2025 (page 16)
- ↑ West Virginia Legislature, "West Virginia Constitution," accessed February 9, 2021 (Section, Article 4, Section 7)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 West Virginia Code, "Article 10 Filling Vacancies: §3-10-5 Vacancies in State Legislature," accessed February 8, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Constitution of West Virginia, "Article VI, Section 12," accessed May 23, 2025
- ↑ Constitution of West Virginia, "Article VI, Section 13," accessed May 23, 2025
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "2024 Running for Office Guide," accessed May 27, 2025 (pages 16, 18)
- ↑ West Virginia Legislature, "West Virginia Constitution," accessed February 9, 2021 (Section, Article 4, Section 7)
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 All About Redistricting, "West Virginia," accessed May 7, 2015
- ↑ 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
- ↑ The Center Square, "West Virginia Senate passes Senate redistricting bill," October 21, 2021
- ↑ 13 News, "West Virginia State Senate passes new district maps; House to return Wednesday," October 19, 2021
- ↑ Confirmed with the West Virginia Secretary of State on September 20, 2017
- ↑ Follow the Money: "West Virginia Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ Follow the Money, "West Virginia 2008 Candidates," accessed August 14, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "West Virginia 2006 Candidates," accessed August 14, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "West Virginia 2004 Candidates," accessed August 14, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "West Virginia 2002 Candidates," accessed August 14, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "West Virginia 2000 Candidates," accessed August 14, 2013
- ↑ Herald Media, "Martinsburg lawmaker switches parties, joins GOP supermajority in W.Va. House," December 11, 2020
- ↑ Confirmed with the West Virginia Secretary of State on September 20, 2017
- ↑ Follow the Money: "West Virginia House 2010 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ Follow the Money, "West Virginia 2008 Candidates," accessed August 14, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "West Virginia 2006 Candidates," accessed August 14, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "West Virginia 2004 Candidates," accessed August 14, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "West Virginia 2002 Candidates," accessed August 14, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "West Virginia 2000 Candidates," accessed August 14, 2013
