Mayoral election in Charleston, West Virginia (2026)
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← 2022
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| 2026 Charleston elections |
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| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: January 31, 2026 |
| Primary election: May 12, 2026 General election: November 3, 2026 |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: Mayor |
| Total seats up: 1 (click here for other city elections) |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2026 |
The city of Charleston, West Virginia, is holding a general election for mayor on November 3, 2026. A primary is scheduled for May 12, 2026. The filing deadline for this election was January 31, 2026.
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
As of 2026, Charleston does not have term limits for the position of mayor. Mayors serve a four-year term.
Ballotpedia comprehensively covers the 100 largest cities in the United States by population. Our coverage also includes mayors, city councils, and district attorneys in the 32 state capitals that are not already part of our largest cities coverage. Please note that there may be more offices on the ballot in this capital city than what is listed on this page.
Elections
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Note: Ballotpedia will add the candidate list for this election once we have it.
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Candidate profiles
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Mayoral partisanship
Charleston has a Democratic mayor. As of February 2026, the mayors of 33 state capitals are affiliated with the Democratic Party, seven are Republicans, two are independents, and two are nonpartisan. The partisan affiliation of six state capital mayors is unknown. While most mayoral elections in state capital cities are nonpartisan, most officeholders are affiliated with a political party.
Help inform our readers
Take our candidate survey
- See also: Survey
At Ballotpedia, we believe that everyone deserves meaningful, reliable, trustworthy information about their candidates. We also know that good information—especially at the local level—is hard to find. That's why Ballotpedia created Candidate Connection.
We ask all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Our survey helps voters better understand how their candidates think about the world and how they intend to govern—information they need to feel confident they're picking the best person for the role.
If you are a candidate, take our survey here. Or you can ask a candidate to take the survey by sharing the link with them.
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About the city
- See also: Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is a city in Kanawha County, West Virginia. As of 2020, its population was 48,864.
City government
- See also: Mayor-council government
The city of Charleston utilizes a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body and the mayor serves as the city's chief executive. The mayor, however, appoints a city manager for the administration of all city affairs.[1][2]
Demographics
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
| Demographic Data for Charleston, West Virginia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charleston | West Virginia | |
| Population | 48,864 | 1,793,716 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 31 | 24,041 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 78.8% | 92.5% |
| Black/African American | 14.3% | 3.6% |
| Asian | 2.4% | 0.8% |
| Native American | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% |
| Other (single race) | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Multiple | 4% | 2.4% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 1% | 1.6% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 91.9% | 87.6% |
| College graduation rate | 41.6% | 21.3% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $49,769 | $48,037 |
| Persons below poverty level | 19.8% | 17.1% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2015-2020). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
| Charleston, West Virginia | West Virginia | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
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External links
Footnotes
