Party control of West Virginia state government
| Party control in West Virginia | |
|---|---|
| Governor | Republican |
| Senate | Republican |
| House | Republican |
| Click here for party control in all 50 states |
West Virginia has a Republican trifecta and a Republican triplex. The Republican Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and both chambers of the state legislature.
As of February 11, 2026, there are 23 Republican trifectas, 16 Democratic trifectas, and 11 divided governments where neither party holds trifecta control.
As of February 11, 2026, there are 24 Republican triplexes, 21 Democratic triplexes, and 5 divided governments where neither party holds triplex control.
A state government trifecta is a term to describe when one political party holds majorities in both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office. A state government triplex is a term to describe when one political party holds the following three positions in a state's government: governor, attorney general, and secretary of state. To learn more about trifectas and triplexes, click here.
Current leadership of key offices
Historical party control
West Virginia Party Control: 1992-2026
Nineteen years of Democratic trifectas • Nine years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| 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 | 25 | 26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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[1] | R | R | 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 | 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 | R | R |
Legislative party competitiveness score
The below chart shows the state's legislative party competitiveness score from 1880 to 1990. According to Gerald Gamm and Thad Kousser's study on party competition and policy outcomes, "This measure of competitiveness can range from 100% if the two parties are evenly matched to 0% if one party holds every seat in a legislature."[2]
See also
- West Virginia
- Gubernatorial and legislative party control of state government
- Who runs the states
- Who runs the states, West Virginia
Footnotes
- ↑ Gov. Jim Justice switched his registration to Republican on August 4, 2017.
- ↑ American Political Science Review, "Life, Literacy, and the Pursuit of Prosperity: Party Competition and Policy Outcomes in 50 States," August 2, 2021
Footnotes
State of West Virginia Charleston (capital) | |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2026 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
| ||||||||||||||||