West Virginia Republicans grew their supermajority in the state Legislature after Tuesday’s election. (Perry Bennett | West Virginia Legislative Photography)
As Republicans easily won statewide races in West Virginia, the party’s super stronghold in the state Legislature grew on Tuesday. Democrats experienced losses in the Senate and House.
After decades of Democratic control, there will be 11 Democrats — down from 14 — in the 134-member Legislature next session. Only two Dems remain in the Senate; nine remain in the House after election outcomes.
No incumbents, mostly Republicans, lost their elections.
“Once again, West Virginians have spoken decisively, entrusting the Republican Party with even more growth in our overwhelming supermajority,” said Tony Hodge, co-chairman of the West Virginia Republican Party. “Our dominance in the House and Senate solidifies that West Virginians reject the divisive, radical leftist agendas being pushed upon our citizens. Instead, voters have chosen representation that respects their values and defends their way of life.”
Former President Donald Trump easily carried West Virginia. State Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin said the state’s presidential outcome greatly affected down-ballot races for Democrats around the state.
“It’s incredibly difficult when the top of the ticket is receiving less than 30% of the vote. The math doesn’t add up. It has very little to do with the quality of our candidates,” he said. “To be honest, we are incredibly disappointed that we had some great candidates that we recruited up and down the ballot and we came up short.”
Forty-nine Senate and House races — mostly with Republican candidates — were unopposed.
Senate Dems eye bipartisanship efforts on foster care, child care
In the Senate, Democrat Ric Griffith, who is currently in the House of Delegates, lost his race for a Senate seat to Republican challenger Scott Fuller. Sen. Bob Plymale, D-Wayne, who currently holds the seat, didn’t seek reelection.
Joey Garcia, a Democrat House of Delegates member, won his election to the Senate, defeating opponent Republican Rebecca Polis. He replaces Sen. Mike Caputo, D-Marion, who is retiring.
Senate Minority Leader Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, said he and Garcia, the remaining Democrats, are coming into the 2025 legislative session with “enthusiasm and goals.”
“The numbers are what they are, but we are enthusiastic,” Woelfel said. “I’m enthusiastic that we’re going to be away from the election. My experience has been that you can really get things done when people aren’t necessarily showboating”
He said Democrats’ goals include working across the aisle to improve the state’s troubled foster care system serving 6,008 kids, along with passing substantial child care legislation.
Lawmakers in September passed a Child Care Tax credit, but a number of child care-focused bills, including legislation that would create needed child care spots, struggled to get traction.
“We’re both really focused on that,” Woelfel said. “Child care got a lot of lip service during the session and this year but pretty minimal and disappointing results for people who want work.”
Incumbent Sen. Patricia Rucker, R-Jefferson, defeated Democrat challenger and former House of Delegates member John Doyle.
“I am very pleased with the election results, and I’m grateful for the support I’ve received. I’ve worked very hard,” she said, adding that she and Doyle continue to respect each other after a “clean campaign.”
Rucker continued, “I will tell you, I am pleased with the new members we’re receiving and all of the victories that occurred. I also feel it is something I will be watching that we continue to be open to ideas from all West Virginians.”
In Mingo County, Republican candidate Craig Hart soundly won his race against Democratic opponent Jeff Disibbio. The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against Mingo County Clerk Larry Croaff regarding the race due to Disibbio being left off of some early voting ballots.
House now has 9 Democrats
In the House, where all 100 members were on ballots, not much will change in the makeup of the members. Fourteen new members — 13 Republicans and one Democrat — will join the Legislature.
There are now 93 Republicans in the lower chamber.
“The Republican message at the top is resonating and that’s President Trump,” said Majority Whip Marty Gearhart, R-Mercer. “And, hopefully, the Republican message that the rest of us have is also resonating, and that not only establishes the wins but with wide margins.”
Gearhart won his race with 74% percent of the votes over Democrat Polla Rumberg.
“I don’t expect it to have much of an effect,” Gearhart said of the growing Republican members. “The ability to suspend Constitutional rules and do a variety of things is still there if, in fact, the members of the Republican party agree. There are still a wide swath of opinions across the party, so it’s not always a given.”
Two Democrat seats were flipped to red; Tresa Howell won the seat vacated by retiring Del. Larry L. Rowe, R-Kanawha, and Michael Amos won the seat vacated by Griffith for his Senate run.
Eight incumbent Democrats were able to maintain their seats, and Rick Garcia, a Democrat, won his race by 129 votes for the seat vacated by Joey Garcia in District 76 (Marion County).
Race results for several House members representing Kanawha County, including Democrats Hollis Lewis and Kayla Young, were delayed until Wednesday morning due to a corrupted data stick.
Young won her race against Republican Andrew Anderson with 51.75% of the votes compared to his .
“Someone like Kayla Young is the model of how a Democrat should run in a red state. She had a gerrymandered district and she was able to overcome that,” Pushkin said, adding that gerrymandering had disadvantaged other Democrats around the state.
Gearhart said that bipartisan effort on bills wasn’t always necessary but hoped that good laws would be the goal for all members.
“We don’t have to compromise with the Democrats, but if they have a good idea, we might be able to incorporate it,” he said. “The idea is to make good laws and to approve sound spending and sound tax policy.”
Lawmakers will gather in Charleston beginning Sunday for November interim meetings.
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