2016 West Virginia Senate election

2016 West Virginia Senate election

← 2014 November 8, 2016 2018 →
18 of the 34 seats in the West Virginia Senate[a] 18 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Bill Cole (retired) Jeff Kessler (retired) Party Republican Democratic Leader's seat 6th district 2nd district Seats before 18 16 Seats won 22 12 Seat change 4 4 Popular vote 379,414 345,598 Percentage 52.3% 47.7% Seats up 8 10 Races won 12 6
Results of the elections:      Democratic gain      Republican gain      Democratic hold      Republican hold Rectangular inset (District 3): both seats up for election
Senate President before election Bill Cole Republican Elected Senate President Mitch Carmichael Republican

Elections in West Virginia
Federal government Presidential elections 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Presidential primaries Democratic 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Republican 2000 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 U.S. Senate elections 1863 1865 1871 1877 1877 sp 1882 1883 1887 1888 1889 1892 1893 1893 sp 1895 1899 1901 1905 1907 1911 1911 sp 1913 1916 1918 1922 1924 1928 1930 1934 1936 1940 1942 1942 sp 1946 1948 1952 1954 1956 sp 1958 1958 sp 1960 1964 1966 1970 1972 1976 1978 1982 1984 1988 1990 1994 1996 2000 2002 2006 2008 2010 sp 2012 2014 2018 2020 2024 2026 U.S. House of Representatives elections 1863 1864 1866 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1883 3rd sp 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1905 2nd sp 1906 1908 1910 1912 1913 1st sp 1914 1916 2nd sp 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1933 3rd sp 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1951 5th sp 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 3rd sp 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
State government General elections 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 Gubernatorial elections 1863 1864 1866 1868 1870 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2011 sp 2012 2016 2020 2024 Attorney General elections 2012 2016 2020 2024 Secretary of State elections 2012 2016 2020 2024 Auditor elections 2012 2016 2020 2024 Treasurer elections 2012 2016 2020 2024 Senate elections 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 House of Delegates elections 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Local government Charleston (mayoral elections) 2022 Huntington (municipal elections) 2020 2024 Wheeling (municipal elections) 2020 2024
v t e

The 2016 West Virginia Senate elections were held on November 8, 2016, as part of the biennial United States elections. Seventeen of West Virginia's 34 state senators were up for regular selection, along with an unexpired term for another seat. West Virginia Senate districts each have two elected representatives. State senators serve staggered four-year terms in West Virginia, with one senator from each district up in even-numbered years corresponding to presidential election years (such as 2016), and the other up in even-numbered years corresponding to presidential midterm years.

Primary elections in the state were held on May 10. After the previous 2014 state elections, Republicans held a slim majority in the Senate, holding 18 seats to the Democrats' 16. The Republican Party had long been the minority party in West Virginia, but the decline of the strength of coal worker unions, the Democratic Party's increasing focus on environmentalism, the unpopularity of President Barack Obama, and the increasing social conservatism of the Republican Party have helped the GOP solidify power in the state rapidly since 2000.

The high popularity of candidate Donald Trump within the state and his 42-point margin of victory, helped the Republicans gain four seats. This can be attributed to the increasing association of the West Virginia Democratic Party with the national Democratic Party, and a strong year for the Republican Party nationally, in which they gained control of the presidency, and kept control of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. Donald Trump won West Virginia with 68.5% of the vote, his largest share of the vote in any state. Trump's performance helped Republican Senate candidates down-ballot, as he won every senate district in the state.^[1]

Following the state's 2016 Senate elections, Republicans maintained and increased their control of the Senate with 22 seats to the Democrats' 12.

Four incumbents did not run for re-election in 2016. Those incumbents are:

1. District 6: Bill Cole: Retired to run in the 2016 Gubernatorial Election.

1. District 2: Jeff Kessler: Retired to run in the 2016 Gubernatorial Election.
2. District 10: William Laird: Retired
3. District 16: Herb Snyder: Retired

Two incumbents were defeated in the May 10 primaries. Senator Bob Ashley was appointed to the 3rd Senate District and was the incumbent for the remainder of the unexpired term. However, Ashley chose to challenge fellow incumbent senator Donna Boley for a full term.

1. District 3: Bob Ashley lost nomination to fellow incumbent Donna Boley.

1. District 7: Art Kirkendoll lost renomination to Richard Ojeda.

1. District 8: Chris Walters lost to Glenn Jeffries.

1. District 1: Jack Yost lost to Ryan Weld.
2. District 14: Bob Williams lost to Randy Smith.

All results are certified by the Secretary of State of West Virginia.

Results^[2]

Party		Votes			Seats
		Votes	%		Total before	Up	Won	Total after	±
Republican Party		379,414	51.83		18	8	12	22 / 34	4
Democratic Party		345,598	47.21		16	10	6	12 / 34	4
Libertarian Party		5,619	0.77		0	0	0	0 / 34
Mountain Party		1,404	0.19		0	0	0	0 / 34

All results are certified by the Secretary of State of West Virginia.^[3]

In 2016, both seats were up for election due to an unusual series of events. Republican Bob Ashley, who had been appointed to the Senate following the departure of David Nohe in 2015, chose to run in a primary against his fellow senator Donna Boley, leaving his own seat open and triggering a special election.^[6]