2018 West Virginia Senate election

Not to be confused with 2018 United States Senate election in West Virginia.

The 2018 West Virginia Senate elections were held on November 6, 2018, as part of the biennial United States elections. 17 of West Virginia's 34 state senators were up for election. 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 (most recently held in 2016), and the other up in even-numbered years corresponding to presidential midterm years.

2018 West Virginia Senate election

← 2016 November 6, 2018 2020 →
17 of the 34 seats in the West Virginia Senate 18 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Mitch Carmichael Roman Prezioso Party Republican Democratic Leader since January 11, 2017 January 11, 2017 Leader's seat 4th district 13th district Seats before 22 12 Seats after 20 14 Seat change 2 2 Popular vote 306,182 252,564 Percentage 53.4% 44.1% Swing 1.1% 3.6% Seats up 11 6 Races won 9 8
Results of the elections:      Democratic gain      Democratic hold      Republican hold
Senate President before election Mitch Carmichael Republican Elected Senate President Mitch Carmichael Republican

Primary elections in the state were held on May 8. After the previous 2016 state elections, Republicans held a majority in the Senate, holding 22 seats to the Democrats' 12. 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 had helped the GOP solidify power in the state rapidly since 2000.

Despite the high popularity of President Donald Trump within the state and his 42-point margin of victory there in 2016, the Democrats gained two seats in the West Virginia Senate in 2018. This can be attributed to the competitive U.S. Senate race at the top of the ticket (which was won by incumbent Democrat Joe Manchin), the increasing insulation of the West Virginia Democratic Party from the national Democratic Party (particularly on social issues, such as abortion), and a strong year for the Democratic Party nationally, in which they gained control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Following the state's 2018 Senate elections, Republicans maintained control of the Senate with 20 seats to the Democrats' 14.

Retirements

No incumbents retired in 2018. All 17 incumbent senators ran for re-election.

Incumbents defeated

In primary elections

Three incumbents were defeated in the May primaries, one more than were defeated in the 2016 primaries.

Republicans

1. District 4: Mark Drennan lost renomination to Eric Tarr.
2. District 9: Lynne Arvon lost renomination to Rollan Roberts.
3. District 11: Robert Karnes lost renomination to Bill Hamilton.

In the general election

Republicans

1. District 1: Ryan Ferns lost to William J. Ihlenfeld.
2. District 8: Ed Gaunch lost to Richard Lindsay.

Results summary

Votes, of total, by party

1. Republican (53.41%)
2. Democratic (44.05%)
3. Independents (2.54%)

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

Results^[1]

Party		Votes			Seats
		Votes	%		Total before	Up	Won	Total after	±
Republican Party		306,182	53.41		22	11	9	20 / 34	2
Democratic Party		267,073	44.05		12	6	8	14 / 34	2
Independents		14,567	2.54		0	0	0	0 / 34

Popular vote Republican   53.41% Democratic   44.05% Independents   2.54%

Senate seats Republican   58.82% Democratic   41.18%

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
Governing[2]	Likely R	October 8, 2018

Senate president election

On January 9, 2019, the West Virginia Senate convened to elect a President for the 84th West Virginia Legislature. The incumbent president, Mitch Carmichael, was nominated by Randy Smith. The nomination was then seconded by Charles Trump. Roman Prezioso received a nomination from Bob Beach, which was seconded by Ron Stollings. In a 19 to 14 vote, Mitch Carmichael was re-elected president of the Senate, having received the support of the eighteen other Republicans present, as well as Senator Prezioso. Mike Maroney, a Republican, was the sole absent member.

Senate Presidential election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Mitch Carmichael (incumbent)	19	57.6
	Democratic	Roman Prezioso	14	42.4
Total votes			33	100.0
	Republican hold

Senate presidential election by member

District	Member		Vote
District 3		Mike Azinger		Mitch Carmichael
District 10		Stephen Baldwin		Roman Prezioso
District 13		Bob Beach		Roman Prezioso
District 15		Craig Blair		Mitch Carmichael
District 3		Donna Boley		Mitch Carmichael
District 11		Greg Boso		Mitch Carmichael
District 4		Mitch Carmichael		Roman Prezioso
District 2		Charles Clements		Mitch Carmichael
District 9		Sue Cline		Mitch Carmichael
District 12		Doug Facemire		Roman Prezioso
District 11		Bill Hamilton		Mitch Carmichael
District 1		William Ihlenfeld		Roman Prezioso
District 8		Glenn Jeffries		Roman Prezioso
District 8		Richard Lindsay		Roman Prezioso
District 10		Kenny Mann		Mitch Carmichael
District 6		Mark Maynard		Mitch Carmichael
District 7		Richard Ojeda		Roman Prezioso
District 17		Corey Palumbo		Roman Prezioso
District 5		Robert Plymale		Roman Prezioso
District 13		Roman Prezioso		Mitch Carmichael
District 9		Rollan Roberts		Mitch Carmichael
District 12		Mike Romano		Roman Prezioso
District 16		Patricia Rucker		Mitch Carmichael
District 14		Randy Smith		Mitch Carmichael
District 7		Ron Stollings		Roman Prezioso
District 6		Chandler Swope		Mitch Carmichael
District 14		David Sypolt		Mitch Carmichael
District 17		Tom Takubo		Mitch Carmichael
District 4		Eric Tarr		Mitch Carmichael
District 15		Charles Trump		Mitch Carmichael
District 16		John Unger		Roman Prezioso
District 1		Ryan Weld		Mitch Carmichael
District 5		Mike Woelfel		Roman Prezioso

Close races

District	Winner	Margin
District 8	Democratic (flip)	0.5%
District 16	Democratic	4.3%
District 13	Democratic	4.4%
District 17	Republican	5.0%
District 1	Democratic (flip)	5.8%
District 10	Democratic	6.3%
District 9	Republican	8.1%
District 12	Democratic	9.0%

Summary of results by state senate district

District	Incumbent			Elected senator		Result
	Member	Party	First elected	Member	Party
District 1	Ryan Ferns	Republican	2014	William Ihlenfeld	Democratic	Democratic gain
District 2	Charles Clements	Republican	2017 (appointed)	Charles Clements	Republican	Republican hold
District 3	Mike Azinger	Republican	2016	Mike Azinger	Republican	Republican hold
District 4	Mark Drennan	Republican	2017 (appointed)	Eric Tarr	Republican	Republican hold
District 5	Mike Woelfel	Democratic	2014	Mike Woelfel	Democratic	Democratic hold
District 6	Mark Maynard	Republican	2014	Mark Maynard	Republican	Republican hold
District 7	Ron Stollings	Democratic	2006	Ron Stollings	Democratic	Democratic hold
District 8	Ed Gaunch	Republican	2014	Richard Lindsay	Democratic	Democratic gain
District 9	Lynne Arvon	Republican	2018 (appointed)	Rollan Roberts	Republican	Republican hold
District 10	Stephen Baldwin	Democratic	2017 (appointed)	Stephen Baldwin	Democratic	Democratic hold
District 11	Robert Karnes	Republican	2014	Bill Hamilton	Republican	Republican hold
District 12	Mike Romano	Democratic	2014	Mike Romano	Democratic	Democratic hold
District 13	Bob Beach	Democratic	2010	Bob Beach	Democratic	Democratic hold
District 14	David Sypolt	Republican	2006	David Sypolt	Republican	Republican hold
District 15	Charles Trump	Republican	2014	Charles Trump	Republican	Republican hold
District 16	John Unger	Democratic	1998	John Unger	Democratic	Democratic hold
District 17	Tom Takubo	Republican	2014	Tom Takubo	Republican	Republican hold

Detailed results by state senate district

District 1 • District 2 • District 3 • District 4 • District 5 • District 6 • District 7 • District 8 • District 9 • District 10 • District 11 • District 12 • District 13 • District 14 • District 15 • District 16 • District 17

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

District 1

Republican primary

Republican primary^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Ryan Ferns (incumbent)	5,233	100.0%
Total votes			5,233	100.0%

Democratic primary

Democratic primary^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	William J. Ihlenfeld II	8,500	100.0%
Total votes			8,500	100.0%

General election

2018 West Virginia's 1st Senate district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	William J. Ihlenfeld II	18,450	52.88%
	Republican	Ryan Ferns (incumbent)	16,438	47.12%
Total votes			34,888	100%
	Democratic gain from Republican

District 2

Republican primary

Republican primary^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Charles Clements (incumbent)	6,809	100.0%
Total votes			6,809	100.0%

Democratic primary

Democratic primary^[7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Denny Longwell	5,388	58.94%
	Democratic	Carla Jones	3,753	41.06%
Total votes			9,141	100.0%

General election

2018 West Virginia's 2nd Senate district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Charles H. Clements (incumbent)	19,895	58.79%
	Democratic	Denny Longwell	13,944	41.21%
Total votes			33,839	100%
	Republican hold

District 3

Republican primary

Republican primary^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Mike Azinger (incumbent)	6,404	100.0%
Total votes			6,404	100.0%

Democratic primary

Democratic primary^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jim Leach	3,695	58.94%
	Democratic	Simon Hargus	3,009	44.88%
Total votes			6,704	100.0%

General election

2018 West Virginia's 3rd Senate district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Mike Azinger (incumbent)	19,964	57.40%
	Democratic	Jim Leach	14,818	42.60%
Total votes			34,782	100%
	Republican hold

District 4

Republican primary

Republican primary^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Eric Tarr	4,994	54.76%
	Republican	Mark Drennan (incumbent)	4,126	45.24%
Total votes			9,120	100.0%

Democratic primary

Democratic primary^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Brian Prim	6,819	100.0%
Total votes			6,819	100.0%

General election

2018 West Virginia's 4th Senate district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Eric Tarr	18,885	51.78%
	Democratic	Brian Prim	13,583	37.24%
	Independent	Amy Nichole Grady	4,005	10.98%
Total votes			36,473	100%
	Republican hold

District 5

Republican primary

Republican primary^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Larry Brooke Lunsford	4,819	100.0%
Total votes			4,819	100.0%

Democratic primary

Democratic primary^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Mike Woelfel (incumbent)	7,753	100.0%
Total votes			7,753	100.0%

General election

2018 West Virginia's 5th Senate district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Mike Woelfel (incumbent)	20,305	59.66%
	Republican	Larry Brooke Lunsford	13,732	40.34%
Total votes			34,037	100%
	Democratic hold

District 6

Republican primary

Republican primary^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Mark Maynard (incumbent)	3,209	61.04%
	Republican	Wesley Blankenship	2,048	38.96%
Total votes			5,257	100.0%

Democratic primary

Democratic primary^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Charles E. Sammons	6,305	100.0%
Total votes			6,305	100.0%

General election

2018 West Virginia's 6th Senate district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Mark R. Maynard (incumbent)	17,536	61.51%
	Democratic	Charles E. Sammons	10,972	38.49%
Total votes			28,508	100%
	Republican hold

District 7

Republican primary

Republican primary^[16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jason Stephens	1,851	51.81%
	Republican	Gary L. Johngrass	1,722	48.19%
Total votes			3,573	100.0%

Democratic primary

Democratic primary^[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Ron Stollings (incumbent)	9,276	100.0%
Total votes			9,276	100.0%

General election

2018 West Virginia's 7th Senate district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Ron Stollings (incumbent)	15,181	56.70%
	Republican	Jason Stephens	11,594	43.30%
Total votes			26,775	100%
	Democratic hold

District 8

Republican primary

Republican primary^[18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Ed Gaunch (incumbent)	5,475	100.0%
Total votes			5,475	100.0%

Democratic primary

Democratic primary^[19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Richard Lindsay	4,721	51.72%
	Democratic	Mark Hunt	4,407	48.28%
Total votes			9,128	100.0%

General election

2018 West Virginia's 8th Senate district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Richard Lindsay	16,537	50.25%
	Republican	Ed Gaunch (incumbent)	16,372	49.75%
Total votes			32,909	100%
	Democratic gain from Republican

District 9

Republican primary

Republican primary^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Rollan Roberts	3,384	52.87%
	Republican	Lynne Arvon (incumbent)	3,017	47.13%
Total votes			6,401	100.0%

Democratic primary

Democratic primary^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	William R. Wooton	3,649	43.44%
	Democratic	John Queensberry	2,171	25.84%
	Democratic	Steve Davis	1,731	20.60%
	Democratic	Wayne Williams	850	10.12%
Total votes			8,401	100.0%

General election

2018 West Virginia's 9th Senate district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Rollan Roberts	16,111	54.07%
	Democratic	William R. Wooton	13,686	45.93%
Total votes			29,797	100%
	Republican hold

District 10

Republican primary

Republican primary^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	George Ambler	4,169	56.45%
	Republican	Dan Hill	3,216	43.55%
Total votes			7,385	100.0%

Democratic primary

Democratic primary^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Stephen Baldwin (incumbent)	10,311	100.0%
Total votes			10,311	100.0%

General election

2018 West Virginia's 10th Senate district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Stephen Baldwin (incumbent)	17,495	53.15%
	Republican	George Ambler	15,421	46.85%
Total votes			32,916	100%
	Democratic hold

District 11

Republican primary

Republican primary^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Bill Hamilton	6,523	62.25%
	Republican	Robert Karnes (incumbent)	3,955	37.75%
Total votes			10,478	100.0%

Democratic primary

Democratic primary^[25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Laura M. Finch	5,087	52.42%
	Democratic	Margaret Kerr Beckwith	4,617	47.58%
Total votes			9,704	100.0%

General election

2018 West Virginia's 11th Senate district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Bill Hamilton	23,718	70.44%
	Democratic	Laura M. Finch	9,953	29.56%
Total votes			33,671	100%
	Republican hold

District 12

Republican primary

Republican primary^[26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Waymond Cork II	5,820	100.0%
Total votes			5,820	100.0%

Democratic primary

Democratic primary^[27]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Mike Romano (incumbent)	9,814	100.0%
Total votes			9,814	100.0%

General election

2018 West Virginia's 12th Senate district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Mike Romano (incumbent)	18,919	54.51%
	Republican	Waymond Cork II	15,791	45.49%
Total votes			34,710	100%
	Democratic hold

District 13

Republican primary

Republican primary^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Mike Oliverio	4,763	100.0%
Total votes			4,763	100.0%

Democratic primary

Democratic primary^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Bob Beach (incumbent)	9,383	100.0%
Total votes			9,383	100.0%

General election

2018 West Virginia's 13th Senate district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Bob Beach (incumbent)	18,692	52.18%
	Republican	Mike Oliverio	17,129	47.82%
Total votes			35,821	100%
	Democratic hold

District 14

Republican primary

Republican primary^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	David Sypolt (incumbent)	8,997	100.0%
Total votes			8,997	100.0%

Democratic primary

Democratic primary^[31]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Stephanie Zucker	7,813	100.0%
Total votes			7,813	100.0%

General election

2018 West Virginia's 14th Senate district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	David Sypolt (incumbent)	21,936	60.22%
	Democratic	Stephanie Zucker	14,492	39.78%
Total votes			36,428	100%
	Republican hold

District 15

Republican primary

Republican primary^[32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Charles S. Trump (incumbent)	7,965	100.0%
Total votes			7,965	100.0%

General election

2018 West Virginia's 15th Senate district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Charles S. Trump (incumbent)	25,937	71.06%
	Independent	Jason A. Armentrout	10,562	28.94%
Total votes			36,499	100%
	Republican hold

District 16

Republican primary

Republican primary^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Michael Craig Folk	5,729	100.0%
Total votes			5,729	100.0%

Democratic primary

Democratic primary^[34]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Unger (incumbent)	6,309	100.0%
Total votes			6,309	100.0%

General election

2018 West Virginia's 16th Senate district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Unger (incumbent)	18,802	52.14%
	Republican	Michael Craig Folk	17,257	47.86%
Total votes			36,059	100%
	Democratic hold

District 17

Republican primary

Republican primary^[35]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Tom Takubo (incumbent)	5,873	100.0%
Total votes			5,873	100.0%

Democratic primary

Democratic primary^[36]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Terrell Ellis	5,317	52.01%
	Democratic	Mary Ann Claytor	3,746	36.64%
	Democratic	Justin 'Dick' Salsbury	1,161	11.36%
Total votes			10,224	100.0%

General election

2018 West Virginia's 17th Senate district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Tom Takubo (incumbent)	18,466	52.46%
	Democratic	Terrell Ellis	16,735	47.54%
Total votes			35,201	100%
	Republican hold