MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Monongalia County Republican Executive Committee has passed a resolution calling on state party leaders to open the May 2026 primary. The West Virginia Republican State Executive Committee voted in 2024 to close primary elections to registered GOP members.
MCREC Chair Dale Sparks said the state policy is in conflict with the 2020 “Pledge to the People of Monongalia County,” which dictates free and fair elections, local control, individual rights and expanded opportunity for citizens and businesses.
In Monongalia County, closing the primary will lock potential voters out and potentially harm GOP candidates, Sparks said.
“There are a lot of people who don’t want to check a box, and we’re alienating them I’m afraid,” Sparks said. “That’s not what we want to do; we want to encourage those conservatives—well, we want everybody to vote.”
According to the Secretary of State’s website, there were 22,778 registered Democrats in Monongalia County and 22,420 registered Republicans. That’s compared to a little more than 18,951 registered with no party. Sparks said those numbers provide insight into the positive impact an open primary could have.
“I feel it’s necessary to keep the primary open to encourage those people to join our party—not to shut them out and say we don’t want you because we do want you,” Sparks said.
If voters can’t vote for the candidates they want, it could lead to lower voter turnout and the exclusion of those on the fringe of many election issues. In Monongalia County, the MCREC wants to make sure all registered voters have an opportunity to cast a ballot of their choice.
“There is a large number in this county that are unaffiliated—people that don’t want to be Independent, Republican, or Democrat, but they have a lot of conservative values,” Sparks said.
The MCREC resolution also notes open primaries have been a longstanding tradition in West Virginia and have not caused any electoral consequences to Republican nominees. Committee members believe open primaries have produced strong GOP candidates and have helped the party close the gap with Democrat registrations and ultimately flip the county Republican.
“It’s just not fair. It’s just not good,” Sparks said. “It’s not good for anyone really to close the election, so that’s why we’re pursuing this- we want to have the voices of all of our constituents here in Monongalia County.”
Delegate Josh Holstein, R-Boone, chair of the West Virginia Republican State Executive Committee, could not be reached for comment.