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West Virginia Supreme Court elections
There are five justices on the West Virginia Supreme Court. For more information about these elections, visit the West Virginia judicial elections page.
Judicial selection
- See also: Judicial selection in West Virginia
The five justices of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals are chosen in nonpartisan statewide elections to serve 12-year terms. They must run for re-election when their terms expire.[1]
Qualifications
To serve on the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, a judge must be:
- a citizen of West Virginia for at least five years;
- at least 30 years old; and
- practiced in law for at least 10 years.[1]
Chief justice
The chief justice of the supreme court of appeals is selected by peer vote for a one-year term.[1]
Vacancies
In the event of a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement from a list of two to five qualified applicants submitted by a nominating commission.[2] The appointee serves until the next general election, at which point he or she may compete to fill the remainder of the unexpired term.[1]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
Elections
See also: West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals elections, 2026
Tom Ewing's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
Gerald M. Titus III's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
See also: West Virginia Supreme Court elections, 2024
John Hutchison's seat
General election
General election for Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
Charles S. Trump IV (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia on May 14, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Charles S. Trump IV (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 230,850 |
| Total votes: 230,850 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Haley Bunn's seat
General election
General election for Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
Incumbent Haley Bunn (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia on May 14, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Haley Bunn (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 246,083 |
| Total votes: 246,083 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
See also: West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals elections, 2020
Hutchison's seat
General election
General election for Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
Incumbent John A. Hutchison (Nonpartisan) defeated Lora Dyer (Nonpartisan) and William Schwartz (Nonpartisan) in the general election for Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | John A. Hutchison (Nonpartisan) | 39.2 | 141,176 |
 | Lora Dyer (Nonpartisan) | 35.6 | 128,106 | |
 | William Schwartz (Nonpartisan) | 25.2 | 90,829 | |
| Total votes: 360,111 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Armstead's seat
General election
General election for Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
Incumbent Tim Armstead (Nonpartisan) defeated Richard Neely (Nonpartisan) and David W. Hummel Jr. (Nonpartisan) in the general election for Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Tim Armstead (Nonpartisan) | 40.9 | 155,306 |
 | Richard Neely (Nonpartisan) | 35.8 | 135,938 | |
| David W. Hummel Jr. (Nonpartisan) | 23.3 | 88,263 | ||
| Total votes: 379,507 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Workman's seat
General election
General election for Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
William Wooton (Nonpartisan) defeated Joanna I. Tabit (Nonpartisan), Kris Raynes (Nonpartisan), and Jim Douglas (Nonpartisan) in the general election for Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | William Wooton (Nonpartisan) | 30.8 | 117,927 |
 | Joanna I. Tabit (Nonpartisan) | 29.6 | 113,116 | |
 | Kris Raynes (Nonpartisan) | 19.9 | 76,191 | |
 | Jim Douglas (Nonpartisan) | 19.7 | 75,247 | |
| Total votes: 382,481 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
See also: West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals special elections, 2018
Division 1: Special election to replace Justice Menis Ketchum
General election
Special general election for Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
The following candidates ran in the special general election for Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tim Armstead (Nonpartisan) | 26.1 | 131,296 |
| | Joanna I. Tabit (Nonpartisan) | 22.2 | 111,915 | |
 | Chris Wilkes (Nonpartisan) | 13.1 | 66,037 | |
 | Mark Hunt (Nonpartisan) | 12.0 | 60,705 | |
| Ronald Hatfield Jr. (Nonpartisan) | 7.8 | 39,155 | ||
 | Jeff Woods (Nonpartisan) | 4.8 | 24,378 | |
| Hiram Lewis IV (Nonpartisan) | 4.0 | 20,303 | ||
| Harry Bruner Jr. (Nonpartisan) | 3.6 | 17,994 | ||
| Robert Carlton (Nonpartisan) | 3.6 | 17,964 | ||
| D.C. Offutt Jr. (Nonpartisan) | 2.8 | 14,193 | ||
| Total votes: 503,940 (100% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Division 2: Special election to replace Justice Robin Davis
General election
Special general election for Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
The following candidates ran in the special general election for Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Evan Jenkins (Nonpartisan) | 36.0 | 182,133 |
 | Dennise Renee Smith (Nonpartisan) | 13.9 | 70,394 | |
 | Jeffrey Kessler (Nonpartisan) | 11.9 | 60,077 | |
| | Jim Douglas (Nonpartisan) | 9.4 | 47,609 | |
 | Robert Frank (Nonpartisan) | 5.9 | 29,751 | |
 | William Stewart Thompson (Nonpartisan) | 5.9 | 29,613 | |
| Jim O'Brien (Nonpartisan) | 5.7 | 28,766 | ||
 | Brenden Long (Nonpartisan) | 4.0 | 20,443 | |
| Marty Sheehan (Nonpartisan) | 3.7 | 18,639 | ||
| | William Schwartz (Nonpartisan) | 3.6 | 18,291 | |
| Total votes: 505,716 (100% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
See also
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- West Virginia Judiciary, "Supreme Court of Appeals," accessed April 17, 2014
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 National Center for State Courts, "Selection of Judges," accessed August 13, 2021
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: West Virginia; Judicial Nominating Commissions," archived January 13, 2012
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "Elections," accessed February 3, 2016
