CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Republicans made significant gains in the West Virginia State Senate and House in Tuesday’s general election.
The GOP added three seats in the State Senate, taking its advantage to 23-11.
The Republican gains were even larger in the House of Delegates, where the GOP held 58 seats coming into the general election with the Democrats maintaining 41, and an independent had one seat. The majority party added 18 more Delegates on its side of the aisle in Tuesday’s election, and now will take a 76 seats into the next Legislative session, with the Democrats holding 24 spots. Historically that tops the largest Republican representation in House ever, bettering the previous high of 73 members after the 1920 election.
In the Senate, the GOP picked seats in the 7th District, where Logan Republican Rupie Phillips won an open seat held by a Democrat. Also Lewis County’s Patrick Martin upset Democratic incumbent Doug Facemire of Braxton County, and in the 17th District Eric Nelson (R-Kanawha) defeated Democrat Andrew Robinson for the open Kanawha County seat that previously was held by a Democrat.
In the House, Republicans swept all the seats in Harrison, Greenbrier, Logan, Lincoln, Fayette and Wood counties. The GOP also won two of three seats in Marion County.
Among the incumbent Democratic Delegates upset Tuesday were Rodney Miller (D-Boone), Tim Tomblin (D-Logan), Margaret Staggers (D-Fayette), Amanda Estep-Burton (D-Kanawha), Jeff Campbell (D-Greenbrier) and Cindy Lavender-Bowe (D-Greenbrier), Bill Hartman (D-Randolph), Michael Angelucci (D-Marion), Rodney Pyles (D-Monongalia) and Sammi Brown (D-Jefferson).
When Republicans took control of the House from the Democrats in 2014, they had 64 seats. That number dropped to 59 in 2018, and now has jumped 78 seats.
Incumbent Senate Republicans who withstood Democratic challenges included Ryan Weld (R-Brooke), Mike Maroney (R-Marshall), Patricia Rucker (R-Jefferson). Democratic incumbents who won another four-year term included Bob Plymale (D-Wayne) and Glenn Jeffries (D-Putnam).
First-time Senate candidates to gain victory included Summers County Commissioner Jack David Woodrum (R-Summers), Del. Mike Caputo (D-Marion) and Amy Nichole Grady (R-Mason).
Senate Republicans will now caucus in the next month to pick a new president to replace Mitch Carmichael (R-Jackson), who was defeated in the primary election.