Democrats have filed to run for at least 85 of the 100 seats in the West Virginia House of Delegates and 17 of the 19 seats up for grabs in the Senate this year.
The at least 125 Democrats running for seats in the Legislature — along with others running for federal and county-level seats — reflects a “historic surge” that’s been years in the making, the Democratic party said Monday.
State party Chairman Mike Pushkin, a delegate representing Kanawha County, said many Democratic candidates are running this year because of a frustration about what’s happening under Republican leadership in West Virginia and across the country.
“We have a lot of people that are upset that the Republican super majority are forcing data centers in places where people just don’t want it, and removing local control,” he said. “That’s just one example. There are a lot of people that are frustrated with the Republican super majority that spend so much time on wedge issues and so much time dividing us rather than doing the real work of the people and addressing kitchen-table issues.
“And of course, there are people that turn on the national news every night and just can’t believe what they’re seeing with chaos in our streets and an out-of-control regime in Washington, D.C., that seems to just be throwing gasoline on the fire every day,” Pushkin said.
Democrats are outnumbered by Republicans in the West Virginia Legislature. They make up only 9 of the 100 members in the House and 2 of the 34-member Senate. During the 2024 general election, 49 Senate and House races — mostly with Republican candidates — were unopposed.
Besides the state Legislature candidates, the Democrats have candidates running the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Forty-five Democrats are running for county-level positions, according to the party.
Pushkin said the Democrats have worked to increase their number of county-level committees, which has helped in recruiting candidates. Only a few counties don’t have active committees, he said.
“That makes it a lot easier to work with people on a local level to identify and recruit the best candidates for that district,” Pushkin said “You know, sitting here in Charleston, I’m not going to know who the best candidate is for Mingo County, but I’ve got a great chair down in Mingo County who does. So that has been, really, been years in the making.”
Saturday was the deadline for 2026 candidates to file with the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office or to postmark their certificates. The number of candidates may increase as the Secretary of State’s office receives mail-in certificates, Pushkin noted.
The candidates this year also include at least 60 women running for the Legislature as Democrats, according to the Democratic Party. With 11 women in the House and four in the Senate currently, West Virginia has one of the lowest numbers of women legislators in the country.
In a news release, Del. Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, said the state’s policies often reflect the imbalance.
“This year, we’re excited to break a new record with the number of women we have on the ballot,” Young said. “We look forward to electing more women from around the Mountain State to be a voice in the House and state Senate.
In a statement Monday, state Republican Party Chairman Josh Holstein, a delegate representing Boone County, said the GOP is “stronger than ever” in West Virginia.
“Month after month, hundreds more West Virginians are choosing to join the Republican Party because they believe in our vision for the future of this state,” Holstein said. “We believe the voters of West Virginia will continue to reward our Republican candidates who focus on results, create jobs, strengthen our communities, and defend our West Virginia values.”
This article originally appeared on West Virginia Watch.
West Virginia Watch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. West Virginia Watch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Leann Ray for questions: info@westvirginiawatch.com.
