West Virginia Senate Unchanged, House Divided After Gov. Morrisey Primary Gambit
Morrisey-backed challengers won 13 of 22 primaries, but Senate incumbents held their seats as turnout statewide reached 21%, officials said.
- On Tuesday, May 12, 2026, West Virginia held primary elections with 21% voter turnout, where Governor Patrick Morrisey saw 13 of his 22 endorsed candidates win while the state Senate remained largely unchanged.
- A historic Republican divide between candidates backed by Morrisey and those aligned with Senator Tom Takubo followed Morrisey's clashes with the House of Delegates over his proposed 10% income tax cut.
- In the House of Delegates, Douglas upset incumbent Dan Greear, and Senator Vince Deeds successfully defended his seat against a Morrisey-backed challenger in the 10th District, as at least 14 incumbents lost their re-nomination races.
- Republican chairman Holstein said he is already working to unite the party's factions before the general election in November, while Democratic Party chairman Mike Pushkin claimed Democrats overperformed in every county.
- The 88th Legislature convenes at noon on January 13, 2027; Morrisey expressed hope that the new composition will allow officials to accomplish big things, while GOP registration continues to outpace the Democratic Party in key areas.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Speaker Hanshaw vows ‘we will remember’ after Morrisey targets House members in elections
CHARLESTON — Tuesday’s election night shook up the West Virginia House of Delegates with a projection of 14 Republican incumbents losing their primary races, including House Finance Chair Vernon Criss.
West Virginia Senate unchanged, House divided after Gov. Morrisey primary gambit
Editor's Note: This article has been updated to correct the name of an organization that donated to the Sugar Maple PAC. We regret the error. CHARLESTON, W.Va (WOWK) -- In an unprecedented legislative primary, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey raised millions, largely from out-of-state billionaires, to primary members of his own party. After a month [...]
Primary Election Post Mortem
A few post-election observations: –This election saw an historic divide within the state’s Republican Party, with candidates endorsed and funded by Governor Morrisey and related PACS vs. Senator Tom Takubo’s slate. In Kanawha County, Takubo survived withering and well-financed attacks to win re-nomination, as did Senator Vince Deeds in Greenbrier County. However, as our Brad McElhinny reported, “Morrisey’s endorsements and associated spending t…
Governor Morrisey reacts to West Virginia Primary Election
Charleston, W.Va. (WTRF) - 7News is your local election headquarters, and now that the West Virginia Primary election is over, all eyes turn to the November General Election. We spoke to Governor Patrick Morrisey this morning to get his thoughts on the primary. He tells us that approximately 70% of the candidates his administration and [...]
Primary Election a big win for 'West Virginia conservative values', says Governor Morrisey
WEST VIRGINIA (WVNS) - Governor Patrick Morrisey has said the future looks bright for the Mountain State following Tuesday's Primary Election. Many primary races were hotly contested, with voters noting contentious exchanges between some candidates of the same party. The governor was enthusiastic about the outcome, however. He said the results are reflective of West [...]
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