2026 West Virginia State Senatorial Candidates

The West Virginia State Senate has 17 Districts, with two State Senators in each district. Each Senator serves for four years. Occasionally, an unexpired seat is up for election and therefore there are two simultaneous State Senate elections in that district.

Click on the candidate's name to pull up a page on their voting records, links to their campaign website, and other information.

Use this information to research candidates in your district, and determine their stance on Hope.

Hope Scoring Metric

Very Negative

Has a consistent history of introducing Hope restrictions, voting against the rights for Hope kids, or voting against Hope expansion.

Negative

Sometimes votes for restrictions, against the rights for Hope kids, or voting against Hope expansion.

Neutral

Votes inconsistently for or against the rights for Hope kids, or votes consistently against Hope expansion.

Positive

Sometimes votes for the rights for Hope kids, or votes inconsistently for Hope expansion.

Very Positive

Has a consistent history of introducing Hope improvements, voting for the rights for Hope kids, or voting for Hope expansion.

Not sure what West Virginia Senate District you are in?
Go to the interactive WV Voter Map to find your district.
Not sure what West Virginia Senate District you are in?
Go to the interactive WV Voter Map to find your district.

West Virginia Senate District 1

Candidate

Party

Hope Stance

Shawn Fluharty

(current State Delegate District 5 )

Democrat

Very Negative

Laura Chapman

(incumbent)

  • Best Hope Vote

Republican

Positive

Joe Eddy

Republican

Unknown

West Virginia Senate District 1

Shawn Fluharty

(current State Delegate District 5 )

Democrat

Hope Stance: Very Negative

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

  • Best Hope Vote

Joe Eddy

Republican

Hope Stance: Unknown

West Virginia Senate District 2

Chris Claypole

Democrat

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Robert Dobkin

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

Tony Heaney

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

  • Best Hope Vote

West Virginia Senate District 3

Casey Petrehn

Democrat

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Mike Azinger

(incumbent)

Republican

Hope Stance: Very Positive

  • Best Hope Vote

Bob Fehrenbacher

(current State Delegate District 11)

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

West Virginia Senate District 3

(Unexpired)

Trenton Carl Barnhart

(incumbent)

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

Jason S. Harshbarger

(former State Delegate District 7)

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

West Virginia Senate District 4

Zachard Abbot

Democrat

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Phillip Surface

Republican

Hope Stance: Unknown

Eric Tarr

(incumbent)

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

  • Best Hope Vote

Travis Willard

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

West Virginia Senate District 5

Duron Jackson

Democrat

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Josh Keck

Democrat

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Paul David Ross

Democrat

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Chris Miller

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

  • Best Hope Vote

West Virginia Senate District 6

Josh Hamby

Democrat

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Wyatt Lilly

Democrat

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Jeff Disibbio

Republican

Hope Stance: Unknown

Eric Porterfield

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

Edwin Ray Vanover

Republican

Hope Stance: Unknown

Mark R. Maynard

(incumbent)

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

  • Best Hope Vote

West Virginia Senate District 7

Cindy Brake

Democrat

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Michael Karr

Democrat

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Zach Maynard

(incumbent)

Republican

Hope Stance: Neutral

West Virginia Senate District 8

Kim Hundley

Democrat

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

T. Kevan Bartlett

(incumbent)

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

Steven Carder Eschenaur

Republican

Hope Stance: Unknown

Lance Wheeler

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

West Virginia Senate District 9

Christy Cardwell

Democrat

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Michael Louis Antolini

Republican

Hope Stance: Unknown

Adam Vance

(current State Delegate District 5)

Republican

Hope Stance: Neutral

Rollan Roberts

(incumbent)

Republican

Hope Stance: Very Positive

West Virginia Senate District 10

Kent Gilkerson

Democrat

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Jonathan Comer

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

Vince Deeds

(incumbent)

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

Robert Shirley Love

(dropped out)

Republican

Hope Stance: Unknown

West Virginia Senate District 11

Kevin Leon Carpenter

Democrat

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Bill Hamilton

(incumbent)

Republican

Hope Stance: Neutral

(Voted against original Hope Bill)

Jack Reger

Republican

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Robert Lee Karnes

Republican

Hope Stance: Very Positive

  • Best Hope Vote

West Virginia Senate District 12

Lynette Murray

Democrat

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Ben Queen

(incumbent)

Republican

Hope Stance: Neutral

Joseph (Joe) Earley

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

  • Best Hope Vote

West Virginia Senate District 13

John Williams

(currently State District 80 Delegate)

Democrat

Hope Stance: Very Negative

Mike Oliverio

(incumbent)

Republican

Hope Stance: Somewhat Positive

West Virginia Senate District 14

Jason Armentrout

Democrat

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Mark Harman

(residency in dispute)

Republican

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Mike Manypenny

Republican

Hope Stance: Unknown

Jay Taylor

(incumbent)

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

  • Best Hope Vote

West Virginia Senate District 15

Elizabeth Ferris

Democrat

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Ken Reed

Republican

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Robert Wolford

Republican

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Darren J. Thorne

(incumbent)

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

  • Best Hope Vote

West Virginia Senate District 16

Jason Barrett

(incumbent)

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

Chantele Mack

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

West Virginia Senate District 17

Wes Holden

Democrat

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Chris Pritt

(former State Delegate Districts 36 and 53)

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

Tom Takubo

(incumbent)

Republican

Hope Stance: Somewhat Positive

West Virginia Senate District 17

(unexpired)

Ted Boettner

Democrat

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Richie Robb

Republican

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Michael Jarrouj

Republican

Hope Stance: Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Anne B. Charnock

(incumbent)

Republican

Hope Stance: Positive

  • Best Hope Vote

West Virginia Senate District 2

Candidate

Party

Hope Stance

Chris Claypole

Democrat

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Robert Dobkin

Republican

Positive

Tony Heaney

  • Best Hope Vote

Republican

Positive

West Virginia Senate District 3

Candidate

Party

Hope Stance

Casey Petrehn

Democrat

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Mike Azinger

(incumbent)

  • Best Hope Vote

Republican

Very Positive

Bob Fehrenbacher

(current State Delegate District 11)

Republican

Positive

West Virginia Senate District 3 (Unexpired)

Candidate

Party

Hope Stance

Trenton Carl Barnhart

(incumbent)

Republican

Positive

Jason S. Harshbarger

(former State Delegate District 7)

Republican

Positive

West Virginia Senate District 4

Candidate

Party

Hope Stance

Zachard Abbot

Democrat

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Phillip Surface

Republican

Unknown

Eric Tarr

(incumbent)

  • Best Hope Vote

Republican

Positive

Travis Willard

Republican

Positive

West Virginia Senate District 5

Candidate

Party

Hope Stance

Duron Jackson

Democrat

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Josh Keck

Democrat

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Paul David Ross

Democrat

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Chris Miller

  • Best Hope Vote

Republican

Positive

West Virginia Senate District 6

Candidate

Party

Hope Stance

Josh Hamby

Democrat

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Wyatt Lilly

Democrat

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Jeff Disibbio

Republican

Unknown

Mark R. Maynard

(incumbent)

  • Best Hope Vote

Republican

Positive

Eric Porterfield

Republican

Positive

Edwin Ray Vanover

Republican

Unknown

West Virginia Senate District 7

Candidate

Party

Hope Stance

Cindy Brake

Democrat

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Michael Karr

Democrat

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Zach Maynard

(incumbent)

Republican

Neutral

West Virginia Senate District 8

Candidate

Party

Hope Stance

Kim Hundley

Democrat

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

T. Kevan Bartlett

(incumbent)

Republican

Positive

Steven Carder Eschenaur

Republican

Unknown

Lance Wheeler

Republican

Positive

West Virginia Senate District 9

Candidate

Party

Hope Stance

Christy Cardwell

Democrat

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Michael Louis Antolini

Republican

Unknown

Rollan Roberts

(incumbent)

  • Best Hope Vote

Republican

Very Positive

Adam Vance

(current State Delegate District 5)

Republican

Neutral

West Virginia Senate District 10

Candidate

Party

Hope Stance

Kent Gilkerson

Democrat

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Jonathan Comer

Republican

Positive

Vince Deeds

(incumbent)

Republican

Positive

Robert Shirley Love

(dropped out)

Republican

Unknown

West Virginia Senate District 11

Candidate

Party

Hope Stance

Kevin Leon Carpenter

Democrat

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Bill Hamilton

(incumbent)

Republican

Neutral

(Voted against original Hope Bill)

Robert Lee Karnes

  • Best Hope Vote

Republican

Very Positive

Jack Reger

Republican

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

West Virginia Senate District 12

Candidate

Party

Hope Stance

Lynette Murray

Democrat

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Joseph (Joe) Earley

  • Best Hope Vote

Republican

Positive

Ben Queen

(incumbent)

Republican

Neutral

West Virginia Senate District 13

Candidate

Party

Hope Stance

John Williams

(currently State District 80 Delegate)

Democrat

Very Negative

Mike Oliverio

(incumbent)

Republican

Somewhat Positive

West Virginia Senate District 14

Candidate

Party

Hope Stance

Jason Armentrout

Democrat

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Mark Harman

(residency in dispute)

Republican

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Mike Manypenny

Republican

Unknown

Jay Taylor

(incumbent)

  • Best Hope Vote

Republican

Positive

West Virginia Senate District 15

Candidate

Party

Hope Stance

Elizabeth Ferris

Democrat

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Ken Reed

Republican

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Darren J. Thorne

(incumbent)

  • Best Hope Vote

Republican

Positive

Robert Wolford

Republican

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

West Virginia Senate District 16

Candidate

Party

Hope Stance

Jason Barrett

(incumbent)

Republican

Positive

Chantele Mack

Republican

Positive

West Virginia Senate District 17

Candidate

Party

Hope Stance

Wes Holden

Democrat

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Chris Pritt

(former State Delegate Districts 36 and 53)

Republican

Positive

Tom Takubo

(incumbent)

Republican

Somewhat Positive

West Virginia Senate District 17 (Unexpired)

Candidate

Party

Hope Stance

Ted Boettner

Democrat

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Richie Robb

Democrat

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

Anne B. Charnock

(incumbent)

  • Best Hope Vote

Republican

Positive

Michael Jarrouj

Republican

Unknown

(Likely Negative)

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