West Virginia State Senate elections, 2020

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2020 West Virginia Senate Elections
General	November 3, 2020
Primary	June 9, 2020

Past Election Results

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2020 Elections
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Out of the 34 seats in the West Virginia State Senate, 17 seats were up for election in 2020. Heading into the 2020 elections, Democrats held 14 seats and Republicans held 20. Out of the 17 seats up for election in 2020, Democrats won three seats and Republicans won 14 seats. Republicans gained three seats and increased their veto-proof majority from 20-14 to 23-11.

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia identified 13 of the races as battlegrounds, six of which were Democrat-held districts while the other seven were Republican-held districts.

Heading into the election, West Virginia had been under a Republican trifecta since 2017 when Gov. Jim Justice switched his registration from Democrat to Republican. Republicans took control of the state Senate and House in the 2014 elections.

Democrats needed to flip four of the battleground seats to take control of the state Senate, while Republicans needed to prevent two of these seats from flipping to hold their veto-proof majority.

The West Virginia State Senate was one of 86 state legislative chambers with elections in 2020. In 2018, 87 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections. Seventeen seats in the West Virginia State Senate were up for election in 2018.

West Virginia's 2020 gubernatorial and state legislative elections affected partisan control of redistricting following the 2020 census. At the time of the 2020 elections, the state legislature was responsible for drafting both congressional and state legislative district plans. District plans were subject to gubernatorial veto.

Click here for more information on redistricting procedures in West Virginia.

This election was a battleground race. Other 2020 battlegrounds included:

Iowa's 4th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Republican primary) Texas' 10th Congressional District election, 2020 (July 14 Democratic primary runoff) Virginia's 7th Congressional District election, 2020

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

West Virginia modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

• Absentee/mail-in voting: All voters "concerned about their health and safety because of COVID-19" were eligible to vote absentee in the general election. An online absentee ballot request portal was created.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Party control

See also: Partisan composition of state senates and State government trifectas

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

Districts

See also: West Virginia state legislative districts

Use the interactive map below to find your district.

General election

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Primary election
The candidate list below is based on candidate filing lists provided by the West Virginia Secretary of State. (i) denotes an incumbent.

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2020 battleground chamber

See also: State legislative battleground chambers, 2020

The West Virginia State Senate was among 24 state legislative chambers Ballotpedia identified as battleground chambers for the 2020 cycle. Click here for more information on state legislative battlegrounds.

What was at stake?

• Democrats needed to gain four seats to take control of the chamber in 2020.

Why was it a battleground?

• Seats flipped in 2016: The last time this set of seats was up, control of four seats (12% of the chamber) changed hands.

• Race ratings: The Cook Political Report rated the West Virginia State Senate a likely Republican chamber in 2020, meaning that that Republicans were favored to retain control.

Battleground races

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia identified 13 battleground races in the West Virginia State Senate 2020 elections, six of which were Democrat-held districts while the other seven were Republican-held districts. Based on analysis of these districts' electoral histories, these races had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could possibly have led to shifts in a chamber's partisan balance.

To determine state legislative battleground races in 2020, Ballotpedia looked for races that fit one or more of the four factors listed below:

1. In the last state legislative election, the winner received less than 55% of the vote.
2. The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and the most recent state legislative election winner won by a margin of 10 percentage points or less.
3. The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and the incumbent is not on the ballot this year.
4. The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and that presidential candidate won the district by a margin of 20 percentage points or more.

In the table below, a bolded name indicates the winner of an election.

2020 West Virginia State Senate Battlegrounds
District	Democratic	Republican	2018 margin of victory	2016 presidential result	Incumbent running?	Conditions met
District 1	Randy Swartzmiller	Ryan Weld (i)	R+2.1	R+38.9	Yes	1
District 2	Josh Gary	Mike Maroney (i)	R+17	R+53.1	Yes	1
District 4	Bruce Ashworth	Amy Nichole Grady	R+2.1	R+50.3	No	1
District 5	Robert Plymale (i)	Charles Shaffer	D+20.5	R+28.1	Yes	4
District 7	Ralph Rodighiero	Rupie Phillips	D+17.6	R+58.9	No	3,4
District 8	Glenn Jeffries (i)	Kathie Hess Crouse	D+6.2	R+22.8	Yes	1,2,4
District 10	William Laird	Jack Woodrum	R+9.5	R+43.6	No	1
District 11	Denise L. Campbell	Robert Karnes	R+2.1	R+54.2	No	1
District 12	Douglas Facemire (i)	Patrick Martin	D+0.3	R+44.1	Yes	1,2,4
District 13	Michael Caputo	Rebecca Polis	D+19.2	R+13.2	No	3
District 14	David Childers	Randy E. Smith (i)	R+11.3	R+50.5	Yes	1
District 16	Pete Dougherty	Patricia Rucker (i)	R+5.6	R+19.2	Yes	1
District 17	Andrew Robinson	Eric Nelson	D+10.8	R+23	No	3,4

Incumbents who were not re-elected

See also: Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 10, 2020

Incumbents defeated in the general election

One incumbent lost in the Nov. 3 general election. That incumbent was:

Name	Party	Office
Douglas Facemire	Democratic	Senate District 12

Incumbents defeated in primary elections

Three incumbents lost in the June 9 primaries, including Sen. Mitch Carmichael (R). As president of the state Senate, Carmichael also served as the lieutenant governor of West Virginia.

Name	Party	Office
Mitch Carmichael	Republican	Senate District 4
Sue Cline	Republican	Senate District 9
John Pitsenbarger	Republican	Senate District 11

Retiring incumbents

There were four open seats where the incumbent legislator did not file for re-election in 2020. Those incumbents were:

Name	Party	Office
Paul Hardesty	Democratic	Senate District 7
Kenny Mann	Republican	Senate District 10
Roman Prezioso	Democratic	Senate District 13
Corey Palumbo	Democratic	Senate District 17

The four seats open in 2020 were an increase from 2018 when every incumbent sought re-election. In 2016, there were similarly four open seats. The table below shows the number of open seats in each election held between 2010 and 2020.

Open Seats in West Virginia State Senate elections: 2010 - 2020
Year	Total seats	Open seats	Seats with incumbents running for re-election
2020	17	4 (24 percent)	13 (76 percent)
2018	17	0 (0 percent)	17 (100 percent)
2016	18	4 (22 percent)	14 (78 percent)
2014	17	2 (12 percent)	15 (88 percent)
2012	17	3 (18 percent)	14 (82 percent)
2010	17	3 (18 percent)	14 (82 percent)

Process to become a candidate

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in West Virginia

See statutes: Chapter 3, Article 5 of the West Virginia Code

Certificate of announcement, 2013

Political party candidates

Before raising money for a campaign, a candidate must file a pre-candidacy registration form. The form must identify a campaign treasurer, who will be responsible for the campaign's financial transactions. A candidate must file a certificate of announcement declaring his or her candidacy with the West Virginia Secretary of State. The candidate must pay a filing fee, which is calculated as a percentage of the salary of the office sought. The candidate must also file a financial disclosure statement with the West Virginia Ethics Commission within 10 days of filing the certificate of announcement.

Independent candidates

An independent candidate must gain authorization to collect petition signatures by obtaining an official credentials form from the county clerk in each county in which the candidate wishes to collect signatures. This form must be presented to each voter canvassed or solicited.

The candidate must obtain a candidate nomination petition at the time of gaining authorization. The candidate must obtain signatures equaling at least 1 percent of the entire vote cast at the last preceding general election for the office being sought (or at least 25 signatures).

The candidate must file the certificate of announcement and nominating petition with the appropriate office. An independent candidate must also pay a filing fee (the same as that paid by political party candidates).

Write-in candidates

A write-in candidate must file a certificate of announcement with the West Virginia Secretary of State. Write-in candidates are not listed on the ballot, but a list of official write-in candidates is posted at each polling place during early voting and on Election Day.

A write-in candidate is not required to pay a filing fee or collect signatures.

2020 ballot access requirements

The table below details filing requirements for West Virginia State Senate candidates in the 2020 election cycle.

Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020
Chamber name	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
West Virginia State Senate	Qualified party	N/A	$200.00	1/25/2020	Source
West Virginia State Senate	Unaffiliated	1% of all votes cast for the office in the last general election	N/A	8/3/2020	Source

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

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."

Salaries and per diem

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

State legislative salaries, 2024
Salary	Per diem
$20,000/year	$75/day for members who commute daily. $175/day for members who do not commute daily.

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

West Virginia legislators assume office on the first day of December following their election.

Redistricting in West Virginia

See also: Redistricting in West Virginia

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.

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.

West Virginia political history

Trifectas

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.

West Virginia Party Control: 1992-2024
Nineteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Seven years of Republican trifectas

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
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	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
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

Presidential politics in West Virginia

2016 Presidential election results

U.S. presidential election, West Virginia, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes	Electoral votes
	Democratic	Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine	26.4%	188,794	0
	Republican	Donald Trump/Mike Pence	68.5%	489,371	5
	Libertarian	Gary Johnson/Bill Weld	3.2%	23,004	0
	Green	Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka	1.1%	8,075	0
	Constitution	Darrell Lane Castle/Scott Bradley	0.5%	3,807	0
	-	Other/Write-in	0.2%	1,372	0
Total Votes				714,423	5
Election results via: Federal Election Commission

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. West Virginia utilizes a semi-closed primary system. State law allows parties to decide who may vote in their primaries.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

In West Virginia, all polling places are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. A voter who is in line at the time polls close must still be permitted to vote.

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in West Virginia, one must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of West Virginia, and at least 18 years of age.

The registration deadline is 21 days prior to an election. One may register to vote by submitting a form by mail to his or her county clerk's office or the Secretary of State's Office. Registration can be completed in person at the county clerk's office, the Secretary of State's office, the Department of Motor Vehicles, any public assistance office, any agency that serves people with disabilities, any marriage license office, or any military recruiting agency.

Automatic registration

West Virginia automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

West Virginia has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

West Virginia does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

West Virginia law requires 30 days of residency in a town before a person may vote.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

West Virginia does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. As of November 2024, five states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The West Virginia Secretary of State's office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

Voter ID requirements

West Virginia requires voters to present identification while voting. The identification provided must be issued either by the State of West Virginia, or one of its subsidiaries, or by the United States government. It must also contain the name of the voter.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of October 2024. Click here for the West Virginia Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

“

Acceptable Forms of Non-Photo Identification: Voter registration card Medicare card or Social Security card Birth certificate WV hunting or fishing license WV SNAP ID card WV TANF program ID card WV Medicaid ID card Bank or debit card Utility bill or bank statement issued within six months of the date of the election Health insurance card issued to the voter Any document issued by the WV or US government that displays the voter's name Any document issued by the state of WV or U.S. government containing voter's name, including a WV driver's license, passport, U.S. or WV government employee ID or military ID Acceptable Forms of Photo Identification: Driver's license issued by another state Student ID card A concealed carry (pistol/revolver) permit

”

Additionally, a registered voter can bring an adult whom he or she has known for at least six months with them to the polling place. The adult can sign an affidavit stating that he or she knows the voter. The voter will then be allowed to vote. A voter can also be identified by a poll worker as long as he or she has known the voter for at least six months.

Voters can obtain a free voter ID card at their county clerk’s office.

Early voting

West Virginia permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

Voters in West Virginia are eligible to vote absentee in an election for any of the following reasons:

• “Injury or illness”
• “Disability or 'extreme advanced age'”
• “Incarceration or home detention (does not include individuals convicted of any felony, treason, or election bribery)”
• “Work hours and distance from county seat”
• “Inaccessible early voting site and polling place”
• “Personal or business travel”
• “Attendance at college or other place of education or training”
• “Temporary residence outside of the county”
• “Service as an elected or appointed state or federal official”

To vote absentee, a request must be received by the county clerk no later than the sixth day prior to the election.

See also

• West Virginia State Senate
• West Virginia State Legislature
• State legislative elections, 2020

External links

Suggest a link

• West Virginia State Legislature

Footnotes

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Current members of the West Virginia State Senate

Leadership

Majority Leader:Tom Takubo

Minority Leader:Mike Woelfel

Senators

District 1

Laura Wakim Chapman (R)

Ryan Weld (R)

District 2

Charles Clements (R)

Christopher Rose (R)

District 3

Mike Azinger (R)

Donna Boley (R)

District 4

Amy Grady (R)

Eric Tarr (R)

District 5

Scott Fuller (R)

Mike Woelfel (D)

District 6

Craig Hart (R)

Mark Maynard (R)

District 7

Rupie Phillips (R)

Mike Stuart (R)

District 8

Mark Hunt (R)

Glenn Jeffries (R)

District 9

Brian Helton (R)

Rollan Roberts (R)

District 10

Vince Deeds (R)

Jack Woodrum (R)

District 11

William Hamilton (R)

Robbie Morris (R)

District 12

Patrick Martin (R)

Ben Queen (R)

District 13

Joey Garcia (D)

Mike Oliverio (R)

District 14

Randy Smith (R)

Jay Taylor (R)

District 15

Charles Trump (R)

Tom Willis (R)

District 16

Jason Barrett (R)

Patricia Rucker (R)

District 17

Eric Nelson (R)

Tom Takubo (R)

Republican Party (32)

Democratic Party (2)