West Virginia State Senate

West Virginia State Senate
General Information
Party control:	Republican
Session start:	January 14, 2026
Session end:	March 14, 2026
Term length:	4 years
Term limits:	None
Redistricting:	Legislature-dominant
Salary:	$23,000/year + per diem
Members
Total:	34
Democrats:	2
Republicans:	31
Other:	0
Vacancies:	1
Leadership
President:	Randy E. Smith (West Virginia) (R)
Maj. Leader:	Patrick Martin (R)
Min. Leader:	Mike Woelfel (D)
Elections
Last election:	November 5, 2024
Next election:	November 3, 2026

The West Virginia State Senate is the upper chamber of the West Virginia State Legislature. Alongside the West Virginia House of Delegates, it forms the legislative branch of the West Virginia state government and works alongside the governor of West Virginia to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the West Virginia State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

The West Virginia State Senate meets in the state capitol building in Charleston, West Virginia.

All 34 seats of the state Senate are up for election in 2026.

A total of 17 seats out of the state Senate's 34 seats were up for election in 2024. The chamber's Republican supermajority increased from 30-4 to 32-2.

West Virginia has a Republican trifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.

This page contains the following information on the West Virginia State Senate.

• Which party controls the chamber
• The chamber's current membership
• Partisan control of the chamber over time
• Elections in the chamber and how vacancies are filled
• A district map
• How redistricting works in the state
• Legislation currently under consideration
• Legislative session dates
• Legislative procedures, such as veto overrides and the state budget process
• A list of committees

Party control[edit]

Current partisan control[edit]

The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the West Virginia State Senate as of January 2026:

Members[edit]

Leadership[edit]

The Senate elects the president of the Senate from its membership. The president also serves as lieutenant governor and is the second-ranking constitutional officer in the state.^[1][2]

Leadership and members[edit]

• Senate president: Randy E. Smith (West Virginia) (R)
• Majority leader: Patrick Martin (R)
• Minority leader: Mike Woelfel (D)

Salaries[edit]

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

State legislative salaries, 2025[3]
Salary	Per diem
$23,000/year	$75/day for members who commute daily. $175/day for members who do not commute daily.

Swearing in dates[edit]

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

West Virginia legislators assume office the first day of December following the election.^[4]

Membership qualifications[edit]

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Section 12 of Article 6 of the West Virginia Constitution states, "No person shall be a senator or delegate who has not for one year next preceding his election, been a resident within the district or county from which he is elected; and if a senator or delegate remove from the district or county for which he was elected, his seat shall be thereby vacated."^[5]

Section 4 of Article IV states senators must be at least 25 years old.^[6]

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."^[7]

The West Virginia Secretary of State states that all candidates must be individuals entitled to vote and must be citizens of West Virginia for at least five years prior to seeking election.^[8]

Historical party control[edit]

Republicans won control of the West Virginia State Senate in 2014. In 2024, they won a 32-2 majority.

The table below shows the partisan history of the West Virginia Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2024. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

West Virginia State Senate election results: 1992-2024

Year	'92	'94	'96	'98	'00	'02	'04	'06	'08	'10	'12	'14	'16	'18	'20	'22	'24
Democrats	32	26	25	29	28	24	21	23	28	27	24	16	12	14	11	4	2
Republicans	2	8	9	5	6	10	13	11	6	7	10	18	22	20	23	30	32

Trifecta history[edit]

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. Between 1992 and 2023, West Virginia was under the following types of trifecta control:

• Democratic trifecta: 1992-1996, 2001-2014
• Republican trifecta: 2018-2023
• Divided government: 1997-2000, 2015-2017

West Virginia Party Control: 1992-2025
Nineteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Eight 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	25
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[9]	R	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	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	R

Elections[edit]

Elections by year[edit]

West Virginia state senators serve staggered, four-year terms and half of the Senate is up for election every two years. West Virginia holds elections for its legislature in even years.

2026[edit]

See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2026

Elections for the West Virginia State Senate will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026. The primary is May 12, 2026. The filing deadline is January 31, 2026.

2024[edit]

See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2024

Elections for the West Virginia State Senate took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was May 14, 2024. The filing deadline was January 27, 2024.

In the 2024 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the chamber, going from a 31-3 majority to a 32-2 majority.

West Virginia State Senate
Party		As of November 5, 2024	After November 6, 2024
	Democratic Party	3	2
	Republican Party	31	32
Total		34	34

2022[edit]

See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2022

Elections for the West Virginia State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for May 10, 2022. The filing deadline was January 29, 2022.

In the 2022 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the chamber by seven seats, going from a 23-11 majority to a 30-4 majority.

West Virginia State Senate
Party		As of November 8, 2022	After November 9, 2022
	Democratic Party	11	4
	Republican Party	23	30
Total		34	34

2020[edit]

See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2020

Elections for the office of West Virginia State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for June 9, 2020. The filing deadline was January 25, 2020.

In the 2020 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the West Virginia State Senate from 20-14 to 23-11.

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

2018[edit]

See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2018

Elections for the West Virginia State Senate took place in 2018. The semi-closed primary election took place on May 8, 2018, and the general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline for major party candidates was January 27, 2018. The candidate filing deadline for third-party candidates was August 1, 2018. The candidate filing deadline for write-in candidates was September 18, 2018.^[10]

In the 2018 elections, the Republican majority in the West Virginia State Senate was reduced from 22-12 to 20-14.

West Virginia State Senate
Party		As of November 6, 2018	After November 7, 2018
	Democratic Party	12	14
	Republican Party	22	20
Total		34	34

2016[edit]

See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2016

Elections for the West Virginia State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on May 10, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was January 30, 2016. A total of 18 seats out of the 34 seats in the West Virginia State Senate were up for election in 2016.

Heading into the election, Republicans held a 18-16 majority. Republicans gained four seats in the election, giving them a 22-12 majority.

West Virginia State Senate
Party		As of November 7, 2016	After November 8, 2016
	Democratic Party	16	12
	Republican Party	18	22
Total		34	34

Click [show] to see election information dating back to 2000

2014[edit] See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2014 Elections for the West Virginia State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 13, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was January 25, 2014. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 24-10 majority. Democrats lost eight seats in the election, giving Republicans a 18-16 majority. West Virginia State Senate Party As of November 3, 2014 After November 4, 2014      Democratic Party 24 16      Republican Party 10 18 Total 34 34 2012[edit] See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2012 Elections for the office of West Virginia State Senate took place in 2012. The primary election was held on May 8, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was January 28, 2012. A total of 17 seats were up for election. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 28-6 majority. Democrats lost four seats in the election, giving them a 24-10 majority. West Virginia State Senate Party As of November 5, 2012 After the 2012 Election      Democratic Party 28 24      Republican Party 6 10 Total 34 34 The table below details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election in 2012. 2012 Margin of Victory, West Virginia State Senate District Winner Margin of Victory Total Votes Top Opponent District 8 Chris Walters 5.8% 36,162 Joshua Martin District 9 Daniel Hall 7.2% 33,599 Epp Cline District 16 Herb Snyder 7.8% 38,527 James Ruland District 4 Mitch Carmichael 11.8% 30,384 Mike Bright District 1 Jack Yost 12.5% 20,906 Pat McGeehan District 6 Bill Cole 14% 21,009 Mark Wills District 13 Roman Prezioso 34.3% 17,118 Casey Mayer District 11 Clark Barnes 35.9% 29,499 Margaret Kerr Beckwitth District 15 Craig Blair 61.5% 35,613 Daniel Litten 2010[edit] See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2010 Elections for the office of West Virginia State Senate took place in 2010. The primary election was held on May 11, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was January 30, 2010. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 26-8 majority. Democrats gained one seat in the election, giving them a 27-7 majority. West Virginia State Senate Party As of November 1, 2010 After the 2010 Election      Democratic Party 26 27      Republican Party 8 7 Total 34 34 In 2010, the candidates for state Senate raised a total of $2,663,291 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were:[11] 2010 Donors, West Virginia State Senate Donor Amount Chafin, H Truman $303,000 Smith, Greg (Hootie) $227,570 Barnes, John $88,451 Greathouse, Dan $50,834 Contractors Association of West Virginia $26,300 Tucker, Gregory A $25,200 West Virginia Bankers Association $25,000 West Virginia Chamber of Commerce $21,500 West Virginia Building & Construction Trades Council $18,000 Frich, Cindy $17,854 2008[edit] See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2008 Elections for the office of West Virginia State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 13, 2008, and a general election on November 4, 2008. During the 2008 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $2,468,062. The top 10 contributors were:[12] 2008 Donors, West Virginia State Senate Donor Amount Ross, Mike $336,000 Facemire, Douglas E $74,925 Barnes, Clark $50,000 Adams, Bob $35,750 Mallett, Shane M $32,751 Jackson & Kelly $23,500 West Virginia Automobile & Truck Dealers Association $23,350 West Virginia Bankers Association $23,300 West Virginia Hospital Association $21,450 Webb, David H $21,344 2006[edit] See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2006 Elections for the office of West Virginia State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 9, 2006, and a general election on November 7, 2006. During the 2006 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $3,463,546. The top 10 contributors were:[13] 2006 Donors, West Virginia State Senate Donor Amount Susman, Sally $240,345 Green, Mike $201,274 Chafin, H Truman $144,900 Smith, Greg (Hootie) $127,595 Sigler, Harold (Pete) $111,463 Higgins, David $100,204 Wooton, Shirliebeth $45,256 Lees Jr, James B $35,366 Evans, Carlotta $25,377 West Virginia Bankers Association $22,600 2004[edit] See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2004 Elections for the office of West Virginia State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 11, 2004, and a general election on November 2, 2004. During the 2004 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $2,592,446. The top 10 contributors were:[14] 2004 Donors, West Virginia State Senate Donor Amount Ross, Mike $101,000 Barnes, Clark S & Deborah $33,000 Barnes, Clark S $31,142 West Virginia Hospital Association $24,450 West Virginia Federation Of Teachers $23,250 West Virginia Laborers District Council $23,000 West Virginia Bankers Association $22,500 J&K State Legislative PAC $21,750 West Virginia Trial Lawyers $20,000 Scholl, Jennifer A $19,300 2002[edit] See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2002 Elections for the office of West Virginia State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 14, 2002, and a general election on November 5, 2002. During the 2002 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $3,240,627. The top 10 contributors were:[15] 2002 Donors, West Virginia State Senate Donor Amount Smith, Lisa D $200,000 Chafin, H Truman $88,000 Smith, Lisa D $49,000 Craigo, Oshel B $48,150 Dempsey, Tracy $27,225 Anderson, Leonard $25,550 West Virginia Bankers Association $25,500 West Virginia Federation Of Teachers $24,200 Baughman, James A $21,562 Stollings, Ron $21,150 2000[edit] See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2000 Elections for the office of West Virginia State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 9, 2000, and a general election on November 7, 2000. During the 2000 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $1,804,817. The top 10 contributors were:[16] 2000 Donors, West Virginia State Senate Donor Amount Hunt, Mark A $162,529 Caldwell, Anita Skeens $141,450 Rowe, Larry L $58,232 West Virginia Bankers Association $33,000 Burnette, Mark $30,550 Lewis, Charles I $26,000 West Virginia Hospital Association $21,250 Facemyer, Hon Karen $20,150 West Virginia Trial Lawyers Association $17,000 Kantor, Norris $16,921

Vacancies[edit]

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in the West Virginia State Legislature, the governor must select a replacement to fill the vacant seat.^[17][18]

The executive committee of the political party that held the seat before the vacancy can submit a list of three candidates to the governor. The list must be submitted to the governor within 15 days of the vacancy. The governor must make a selection within five days of receiving the list. If the committee does not submit a list within 15 days, the governor must appoint someone of the same political party as the person who left office. The person that is selected to fill the vacancy serves the remainder of the unfilled term.^[18]

See sources: West Virginia Const. Art. 4, Sec. 7 and West Virginia Code Ann. §3-10-5

District map[edit]

See also: West Virginia state legislative districts

The state of West Virginia has 17 state Senate districts. Each district elects two senators.

Use the interactive map below to find your district.

Redistricting[edit]

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.^[19]

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.^[19]

2020[edit]

See also: Redistricting in West Virginia after the 2020 census

West Virginia enacted district maps for the Senate and House of Delegates on October 22, 2021.^[20] On September 30, 2021, the House Redistricting Committees released a single-member district map proposal for the West Virginia House of Delegates.^[21] The proposal passed the House on October 13, 2021, in a 79-20 vote and passed the Senate on October 18, 2021, in a 28-5 vote.^[22] On October 5, 2021, the Senate Redistricting Committee released five map proposals for West Virginia's State Senate districts.^[23] On October 11, 2021, the Senate Redistricting Committee voted to recommend Sen. Charles S. Trump IV's (R) 8th proposed senate map to the full Senate.^[24] The Senate approved a map that combined aspects of previous proposals in a 31-2 vote on October 19, 2021. The map, named after Sens. Trump, Tom Takubo (R), Eric Tarr (R) Patricia Rucker (R), and Robert Karnes (R) was approved by the House in a 72-19 vote. Both the House and Senate maps were signed into law by Gov. Jim Justice (R) on October 20, 2021.^[25] These maps took effect for West Virginia's 2022 legislative elections.

District map before and after 2020 redistricting[edit]

Below is the state Senate map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle.

2010[edit]

See also: Redistricting in West Virginia after the 2010 census

West Virginia received its local census data on March 23, 2011. The state grew 2.5 percent with most growth by county seen in the northeast part of the state. The state's largest cities showed decline: Charleston decreased by 3.8 percent, Huntington decreased by 4.5 percent, Parkersburg decreased by 4.9 percent, Morgantown grew by 10.6 percent, and Wheeling decreased by 9.3 percent.^[26]

The 2011 redistricting period was notable for the proposal of eliminating the state's multi-member districts, which ultimately failed. The Legislature passed plans in early August; Gov. Ray Tomblin (D) vetoed the House plan on August 17, 2011, calling for another session to begin the next day. On August 21, the Legislature approved revisions to the House plan, and Gov. Tomblin signed the plan into law on Friday, September 2, 2011.

Sessions[edit]

Legislation[edit]

The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the West Virginia State Senate has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the House and legislation that has already been approved by both chambers and signed by the governor. The table below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read the bill text and see its voting history. Click the headings to sort the content. Rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Click the magnifying glass in the bottom left corner to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.

Dates of legislative sessions in West Virginia by year[edit]

2025[edit]

See also: 2025 West Virginia legislative session and Dates of 2025 state legislative sessions

In 2025, the legislature was scheduled to convene on February 12, 2025, and adjourn on April 12, 2025.

Click [show] for past years' session dates.

2024[edit] See also: 2024 West Virginia legislative session and Dates of 2024 state legislative sessions In 2024, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 10, 2024, and adjourn on March 9, 2024. 2023[edit] See also: 2023 West Virginia legislative session and Dates of 2023 state legislative sessions In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 11, 2023, and adjourn on March 11, 2023. 2022[edit] See also: 2022 West Virginia legislative session and Dates of 2022 state legislative sessions In 2022, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 12, 2022, and adjourn on March 12, 2022. 2021[edit] See also: 2021 West Virginia legislative session and Dates of 2021 state legislative sessions In 2021, the legislature was scheduled to convene on February 10, 2021, and adjourn on April 10, 2021. 2020[edit] See also: 2020 West Virginia legislative session and Dates of 2020 state legislative sessions In 2020, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 8, 2020, and adjourn on March 7, 2020. Effect of coronavirus pandemic[edit] See also: Changes to state legislative session dates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020 Coronavirus pandemic Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more. Political responses overviewState reopening plansDocumenting America's Path to RecoveryElection changesChanges to vote-by-mail and absentee voting proceduresFederal responsesState responsesState executive ordersStay-at-home ordersMultistate agreementsNon-governmental reopening plansEvictions and foreclosures policiesTravel restrictionsEnacted state legislationState legislative session changesSchool closuresState court closuresInmate releasesLocal government responsesDiagnosed or quarantined politiciansBallot measure changesArguments about government responsesThe 1918 influenza pandemicPandemic Response Accountability CommitteeUnemployment filingsLawsuitsBallotpedia's polling on the coronavirus pandemicSubmit Several state legislatures had their sessions impacted as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. 2019[edit] See also: 2019 West Virginia legislative session and Dates of 2019 state legislative sessions In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 9, 2019, through March 9, 2019. 2018[edit] See also: 2018 West Virginia legislative session and Dates of 2018 state legislative sessions In 2018, the legislature was in session from January 10, 2018, through March 10, 2018. To read about notable events and legislation from this session, click here. 2017[edit] See also: Dates of 2017 state legislative sessions In 2017, the legislature was in session from February 8, 2017, through April 9, 2017. The legislature held a special session from May 4, 2017, to June 26, 2017. The legislature held its second special session from August 1 to September 15 over the Foxconn deal. 2016[edit] See also: Dates of 2016 state legislative sessions In 2016, the legislature was in session from January 13 through March 12. The legislature held a special session from May 16 to June 14 over the state budget. The legislature held a second special session from September 18 to September 20 over flood recovery. 2015[edit] See also: Dates of 2015 state legislative sessions In 2015, the legislature was in session from January 14 through March 14. Major issues in 2015[edit] Major issues during the 2015 legislative session included education, infrastructure, business retention, and the state's budget. All four issues were to top the agenda for the last legislative session, but the state's water crisis took center stage instead. With the water issue under the control, lawmakers expected to be able to focus on the planned issues.[27] 2014[edit] See also: Dates of 2014 state legislative sessions In 2014, the legislature was in session from January 8 through March 10. Major issues in 2014[edit] Major issues during the 2014 legislative session included legislation that benefits families, expanding education, state energy, and developing the economy.[28] 2013[edit] See also: Dates of 2013 state legislative sessions In 2013, the legislature was in session from January 9 to April 14. Major issues in 2013[edit] Major issues included the availability of soft drinks in schools, repeal of the law allowing the sterilization of "mental defectives," and treatment of sexually-transmitted diseases.[29] 2012[edit] See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions In 2012, the legislature was in session from January 11 through March 10. 2011[edit] See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions In 2011, the legislature was in regular session from January 12 through March 18.[30] An August 1, 2011, special session was called by Governor Earl Ray Tomblin (D) to pass legislation related to redistricting and other topics.[31] A second special session began on August 15, 2011, to replace the House of Delegates' redistricting plan. The House's plan, which passed during the first special session on August 1, had to be vetoed because of errors. The plan contained duplicate voter precinct populations for districts in both Kanawha and Morgan counties.[32] 2010[edit] See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions In 2010, the legislature was in regular session from January 13 to March 20. Additionally, the legislature met in special session from May 13 to May 19.[33][34]

About legislative sessions in West Virginia[edit]

The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.^[35] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

Article VI of the West Virginia Constitution establishes when the West Virginia State Legislature, of which the Senate is a part, is to be in session. Section 18 of Article VI states that the Legislature is to convene its regular session on the second Wednesday of January of each year. Once every four years, on the year in which the Governor of West Virginia is inaugurated, the Legislature holds a thirty-day recess after the first day of the session. This recess is designed to give the Governor time to prepare a budget.

Section 22 of Article VI limits regular sessions of the Legislature to sixty days. Regular sessions can be extended by a two-thirds vote of the members of both legislative houses.

Section 19 of Article VI gives the Governor of West Virginia the power to convene the Legislature into special session. Section 19 also requires the Governor to convene a special session if it is requested by three-fifths of the members of each legislative house.

Legislative roles and procedures[edit]

Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, and procedures for filling membership vacancies.

Veto overrides[edit]

See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures

State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in West Virginia are listed below.

How many legislators are required to vote for an override? A majority of members in both chambers.

A simple majority of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 51 of the 100 members in the West Virginia House of Delegates and 18 of the 34 members in the West Virginia State Senate. West Virginia is one of six states that requires a majority vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

Are there other special rules?

If the governor vetoes an appropriation bill, two-thirds of the members in both chambers are required to override the veto, which is 67 of the 100 state representatives and 23 of the 34 state senators.[36]

Authority: Article VII, Section 14 of the West Virginia Constitution.

"Subject to the provisions of section fifteen of this article, every bill passed by the Legislature shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the governor. If he approves, he shall sign it, and thereupon it shall become a law; but if not, he shall return it, with his objections, to the house in which it originated, which house shall enter the objections at large upon its journal, and may proceed to reconsider the returned bill. Notwithstanding the provisions of section fifty-one, article six of this constitution, any such bill may be reconsidered even if the Legislature is at the time in extended session for the sole purpose of considering the budget bill, as specified in said section fifty-one. If after any such reconsideration, a majority of the members elected to that house agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, together with the objections of the governor to the other house, by which it may likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by a majority of the members elected to that house, it shall become a law, notwithstanding the objections of the governor."

Role in state budget[edit]

See also: West Virginia state budget and finances

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The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:^[37]

1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in August.
2. State agencies submit budget requests by September 1.
3. Agency hearings are held September through November.
4. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the West Virginia State Legislature on or before the second Wednesday in January. A newly elected governor has until the second Wednesday in February.
5. The legislature adopts a budget in March. A simple majority is required to pass a budget.

West Virginia is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.^[37][38]

The West Virginia State Legislature is constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget. The budget must be balanced before the governor can sign it into law.^[37]

Committees[edit]

See also: List of committees in West Virginia state government

Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.

• Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
• Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
• Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.

Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The West Virginia State Senate has 17 standing committees:

Noteworthy events[edit]

Conflict between Patricia Rucker and Craig Blair (2022–2024)[edit]

On August 31, 2022, state Sen. Patricia Rucker (R) announced she would challenge Senate President Craig Blair (R) for his leadership position. Later that day, Blair removed Rucker as chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee and named Sen. Amy Nichole Grady (R) as the new chairwoman.^[39] In his announcement, Blair said he had arranged with the state Department of Education to create an office overseeing education outside of public schools. Blair said he considered Rucker the ideal candidate for the job.^[40]

Rucker said she was running because "we have failed in making progress on key Republican priorities like reducing taxes and protecting life, which to me is so very important and front and center to what we should be doing.” Blair said of Rucker's challenge: "This is a little bit of a power play that has no power in it at all. We’re going to continue doing the right thing for the people of West Virginia. Nobody can argue the success that we’ve had pushing down on the accelerator."^[39]

In an interview with West Virginia MetroNews, Rucker said Blair had been aware of Rucker's plans to challenge him at the time he arranged for her replacement as committee chairwoman and for the creation of the Department of Education role.^[40] Rucker ended her campaign for Senate President on November 22, 2022.^[41]

Both Rucker and Blair were up for re-election in 2024. State Del. Paul Espinosa (R) challenged Rucker in the Republican primary. Four senators—including Blair—accompanied Espinosa as he filed his candidacy.^[42] Rucker endorsed Tom Willis (R), one of two challengers to Blair.^[43] Rucker defeated Espinosa 51.1%–48.9% and Willis defeated Blair 44.4%–32.2%.

Constitutional amendments[edit]

In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

The methods in which the West Virginia Constitution can be amended:

See also: Article XIV of the West Virginia Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in West Virginia

The West Virginia Constitution can be modified through constitutional conventions and legislatively referred constitutional amendments. West Virginia does not feature the power of initiative for either initiated constitutional amendments or initiated state statutes.

Legislature[edit]

See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

A two-thirds vote is required during one legislative session for the West Virginia State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 67 votes in the West Virginia House of Representatives and 23 votes in the West Virginia State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

Convention[edit]

See also: Convention-referred constitutional amendment

According to Section 1 of Article XIV of the West Virginia Constitution, the state Legislature can vote to refer a constitutional convention question to voters. A simple majority vote is required in the Legislature.

See also[edit]

Elections	West Virginia State Government	State Legislatures	State Politics
West Virginia State Senate elections, 2026 West Virginia State Senate elections, 2024 West Virginia State Senate elections, 2022 West Virginia State Senate elections, 2020 West Virginia State Senate elections, 2018	West Virginia State Legislature West Virginia House of Delegates Governor of West Virginia West Virginia Supreme Court	State legislative elections, 2026 State legislative elections, 2025 State legislative elections, 2024 State legislative elections, 2023 State legislative elections, 2022 State legislative elections, 2021 State legislative elections, 2020 State legislative elections, 2019	State government trifectas State government triplexes State executives State courts Ballot measures The State Legislative Decade

External links[edit]

• West Virginia State Senate

Footnotes[edit]

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