West Virginia 2010 Election Results

West Virginia held its general election on November 2, 2010, deciding 92 legislative seats across 75 districts. No chamber changed party control.

Highlights

• The two chambers moved in opposite directions: Republicans cut the House of Delegates majority from 71-29 to 65-35, while Democrats widened their Senate edge from 26-8 to 28-6.
• Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin (D) became acting governor on November 15, when Joe Manchin left for the U.S. Senate, and kept the Senate presidency while he served.
• Democrats picked up both seats in Senate District 10, which Republicans Jesse O. Guills and Minority Leader Don Caruth held at the start of the year; neither was on the ballot. Ronald F. Miller (D) beat Johnny Robert Barnes (R) by about 1,000 votes for the full term, and Mark Wills (D) beat Philip Lee Stevens (R) by about 1,100 for the unexpired term. Democrats also held two seats narrowly: Bob Beach (D) won the open Senate District 13 by about 200 votes, and John Unger (D) held Senate District 16 by about 300 over Del. Craig Blair (R).
• Most of the Republican House gains came in multi-member districts:
  • In five-seat District 27, Richard Ray Snuffer (R) and John David O'Neal IV (R) joined Del. Linda Sumner (R), and Democratic Dels. Sally Matz Susman (D) and Virginia Mahan (D) lost.
  • In seven-seat District 30, Eric Nelson (R) won a seat and Del. Sharon Marie Spencer (D) lost hers.
  • Erikka Storch (R) in District 3 and Amanda Brooke Pasdon (R) in District 44 each won a Democratic-held seat.
  Republicans also won two single-member seats: Eric Householder (R) ousted Del. Terry Lee Walker (D) in District 56, and Harold Allen Sigler (R) won District 35. Democrats' only pickup came in District 1, where Ronnie Jones (D) won the seat Del. Pat McGeehan (R) had held, edging Amanda M. Mesler (I) by 38 votes.
• Two House incumbents survived by tiny margins: Stanley Earl Shaver (D) held District 46 by 54 votes over Deborah R. Stevens (R), and Mitch Carmichael (R) held District 12 by about 120 over Jo Boggess Phillips (D).

Legislature

• House of Delegates (100 seats): 71 D, 29 R before the election, 65 D, 35 R after; control stayed with Democrats.
• Senate (34 seats): 26 D, 8 R before the election, 28 D, 6 R after; control stayed with Democrats.

Legislative races