2026 West Virginia Senate election
November 3, 2026
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18 of 34 seats in the West Virginia Senate (17 regular, 1 special) 18 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Status of the incumbents: Republican incumbent Democratic incumbent Circular inset (District 17): special election | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in West Virginia |
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The 2026 West Virginia Senate election will be held on November 3, 2026, alongside the other 2026 United States elections.[1] Voters will elect half the members of the West Virginia Senate to serve a four-year term.[2] Primary elections will be held on May 12, 2026.
As of November 1, 2025, there were 34 active candidacies for the 2026 state senate election.[3]
This election will take place alongside races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, state house, and numerous other state and local elections.
Crossover seat
Only one state senate district, District 5, voted for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2024 and a Democratic state senate nominee at the 2022 general election:
| District | Delegate | Residence | Senate vote |
Presidential vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | Mike Woelfel | Huntington | D+12.0 | R+24.7 |
Competitive seats
According to data from Dave's Redistricting, 2024 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump won every West Virginia Senate district in the 2024 presidential election. This is a list of state senate seats that either were decided by fewer than 15 points at the 2022 general election, or voted for a 2024 presidential nominee by fewer than 15 points:
| District | Delegate | Residence | Senate vote |
Presidential vote[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | Mike Woelfel | Huntington | D+12.0 | R+24.7 |
| 8th | T. Kevan Bartlett | Sissonville | R+13.6 | R+24.2 |
| 13th | Mike Oliverio | Morgantown | R+0.6 | R+5.6 |
Appointments
According to §3-10-5 of West Virginia Code, vacancies in the state senate are filled through appointment by the Governor of one of three candidates chosen by the executive committee of the outgoing member's party.[5] Below is a list of appointments made during the 86th Legislature.
| District | Incumbent | Party | Appointee | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Departing member | First elected | Incoming member | Appt. date | |||
| 7th | Michael B. Stuart | 2022 | Rep | Zack Maynard | October 30, 2025 | [6] |
| 17th | Eric Nelson | 2020 | Rep | Anne Charnock | February 4, 2025 | [7] |
List of districts
District 1
Republican primary
Filed
- Laura Chapman, incumbent senator[3]
- Joe Eddy, CEO[3]
District 2
Republican primary
Filed
Declined
- Charles H. Clements, incumbent senator[8]
Endorsements
- Politicians
- Charles H. Clements, incumbent senator since 2017[8]
Democratic primary
Filed
- Chris Claypole
District 3
Republican primary
Filed
- Mike Azinger, incumbent senator[3]
- William Wesley Cox[3]
District 4
Republican primary
Filed
Potential
- Eric Tarr, incumbent senator
District 5
Democratic primary
Potential
- Mike Woelfel, incumbent senator
District 6
Republican primary
Filed
- Jeff Disibbio, Democratic nominee for this district in 2024[3]
- Mark R. Maynard, incumbent senator[3]
- Robert "Rocky" Seay, Democratic nominee for this district in 2016[3]
- Edwin Ray Vanover, Democratic nominee for the 26th delegate district 2012[3]
District 7
The District 7 seat up in 2026 has been vacant since the resignation of Michael B. Stuart in October 2025. Stuart, first elected in 2022, was appointed General Counsel to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.[9]
Republican primary
Filed
- Zack Maynard, incumbent delegate since 2025[3]
- Rupie Phillips, this district's other senator[a][3]
District 8
Republican primary
Filed
- T. Kevan Bartlett, incumbent senator[3]
- Steven Eshenaur, veteran and physician[3]
- Lance V. Wheeler, Republican primary candidate for this district in 2014[3]
Democratic primary
Filed
- Mark Tabbert[3]
Mountain primary
Filed
District 9
Republican primary
Filed
- Rollan Roberts, incumbent senator[3]
- Michael Antolini, businessman and physician[3]
District 10
Republican primary
Filed
- Vince Deeds, incumbent senator name="Candidates"/>
- Robert Shirley Love[3]
District 11
Republican primary
Filed
- Bill Hamilton, incumbent senator[3]
- Robert L. Karnes, former senator from this district (2014–2018, 2020–2024)[3]
- Jacky Lee Reger, former Buckhannon city councilor[10]
District 12
Republican primary
Filed
District 13
Republican primary
Declared
- Mike Oliverio, incumbent senator[11]
Democratic primary
Declared
- John Williams, delegate[12]
District 14
Republican primary
Filed
- Jay Taylor, incumbent senator[3]
- Marc Lee Harman, former member of the West Virginia House of Delegates from Grant County (1981–1989)[13][3]
Democratic primary
Filed
District 15
Republican primary
Filed
- Ken Reed, former member of the West Virginia House of Delegates from the 59th district (2020–2022)[3]
Potential
- Darren Thorne, incumbent senator
District 16
Republican primary
Filed
- Jason Barrett, incumbent senator[3]
District 17 (regular)
Republican primary
Filed
- Tom Takubo, incumbent senator[3]
Disqualified
- Doug Skaff, former Democratic minority leader (2020–2023) of the West Virginia House of Delegates (2008–2014, 2018–2023) (deceased)[14][3]
District 17 (special)
Republican primary
Filed
- Anne Charnock, incumbent senator[3]
- Michael Jarrouj, restaurateur[3]
Notes
- ^ Phillip's seat is up in 2028. He has not filed a candidacy for 2028 as of October 14, 2025, but has filed a candidacy for 2026.
References
- ^ Booker, Brakkton (2025-07-29). "The 2026 midterms are officially underway". POLITICO. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ "West Virginia State Senate elections, 2026". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai "Candidates & Committees". West Virginia Secretary of State. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "WV 2022 State Senate". Dave's Redistricting. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
- ^ "West Virginia Code 3-10-5". West Virginia Code. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
- ^ Jenkins, Jeff (October 30, 2025). "Maynard named to open seat in state senate". West Virginia MetroNews. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
- ^ "Governor Patrick Morrisey Appoints Anne Charnock to Fill Vacancy in 17th Senate District". Governor.WV.Gov. February 4, 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
- ^ a b Beard, David (7 November 2025). "State District 2 Sen. Charles Clements will not seek reelection". The Dominion Post (Morgantown). Retrieved 13 November 2025.
- ^ Patterson, Jessica (9 October 2025). "Stuart resigns from West Virginia Senate for new federal role". WOWK-TV. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
- ^ "Jack Reger announces candidacy for West Virginia State Senate". Record Delta. 21 October 2025. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
- ^ Nolting, Mike (December 1, 2025). "Oliverio announces plans to run for reelection in state senate". WV MetroNews. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ^ Kersey, Lori (December 16, 2025). "Del. John Williams announces state Senate bid". West Virginia Watch. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ^ West Virginia Blue Book, 2018 (PDF). 2018. p. 470. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
- ^ Kirk, Sam (11 June 2025). "Doug Skaff killed in collision with tractor trailer on I-79 in Lewis County". WVNS TV. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
External websites
Official campaign websites for 1st district candidates
Official campaign websites for 2nd district candidates
Official campaign websites for 4th district candidates
Official campaign websites for 8th district candidates
Official campaign websites for 9th district candidates
Official campaign websites for 10th district candidates
Official campaign websites for 16th district candidates