Democrats picked up two seats in the West Virginia Senate, which is dominated by Republicans.
Democrats John Williams of Monongalia County and Richie Robb of Kanawha County won their races on election day.
Duron Jackson of Cabell County won a seat that had been held by Mike Woelfel, a departing Democrat.
They join incumbent Democrat Joey Garcia of Marion County.
There were 19 seats being contested in the state Senate. Usually half of the 34-member Senate is up in each voting cycle, but this year two additional seats that were filled by appointment are on the ballot as well.
Right now the state Senate has 32 Republicans and two Democrats.
Two years ago, there were just nine Democrats in the mix for 17 state Senate seats.
This year, there are Democratic nominees in 16 of the 19 state Senate races.
Robb, a longtime mayor of South Charleston, defeated incumbent Senator Anne Charnock, who had been appointed to the seat by the governor. Charnock was running for Senate election for the first time.
Jackson, a former Huntington city council member and business owner, defeated businessman Chris Miller, a Republican who ran for governor a couple of years ago.
Incumbent Republican Senator Mike Oliverio was defeated by John Williams, who had served as a Democratic delegate. Libertarian Taylor Richmond also competed in the race for the seat covering Monongalia and Marion counties.
“It was it was a good campaign by by all three camps,” Williams said on MetroNews election night coverage.
Williams said he anticipates being able to work in a bipartisan manner in the Senate.
“You know, I have strong convictions behind various policy objectives that that makes me a Democrat. But when it comes to other issues to try to help north central West Virginia, I’ve always been able to work across the aisle, and that’s what I anticipate doing in the Senate as I’ve done in the House,” he said.
Incumbent Senator Laura Wakim Chapman, a Republican, won a hotly contested race in northern panhandle counties against Democrat Shawn Fluharty, who had served in the House of Delegates.
Chapman drew support from Gov. Patrick Morrisey, who made several appearances in the northern panhandle. The race also drew spending by political action committees.
“I have a record that I am very proud of. I have been fighting for the Northern Panhandle for the past four years,” Chapman said on the MetroNews election night coverage.
“I answer the call when a constituent needs something, and I do everything I can to make the Northern Panhandle an even better place to live and raise a family, and so as a mother and a constitutional lawyer, I think people are comfortable that I am down there and I’m a loud and effective voice for the Northern Panhandle.”
Republicans winning seats that had been vacated by other Republicans include Toby Heaney of Fairview, Marion County, and former Kanawha County Commissioner Lance Wheeler. All other seats were holds by incumbents.