2022 West Virginia House of Delegates election
The 2022 West Virginia House of Delegates election was held on November 8, 2022, electing all 100 members of the chamber. This coincided with the election of 17 of West Virginia's 34 state senators, and the election of West Virginia's two U.S. representatives. Primary elections were held on May 10, 2022. Due to redistricting, this was the first House of Delegates election in which all members were elected from single member districts, with West Virginia following a trend of states phasing out multi-member districts in recent decades.
The Republican party won 88 seats, increasing their supermajority in the chamber. In early 2023, delegate Elliott Pritt switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, increasing the party's seat count to 89.
Background
In the 2020 House of Delegates election, the Republican Party gained almost 20 seats from the Democrats, achieving supermajority status. This has followed West Virginia's sharp turn towards the Republican Party in the preceding 20 years, and the Republicans' growing prominence in state politics. Between the 2020 and 2022 elections, two Democrats switched their party affiliation to Republican.Retiring incumbents
Democrats
Five Democrats retired.- District 5: Dave Pethtel retired.
- District 20: Nathan Brown retired to run for Mingo County Commission.
- District 34: Brent Boggs retired.
- District 51: Barbara Fleischauer retired to run for state senator from District 13.
- District 67: John Doyle retired to run for Jefferson County Commission.
Republicans
Nine Republicans retired.- District 10: John R. Kelly retired to run for state senator from District 3.
- District 16: John Mandt retired to run for Cabell County Commission.
- District 22: Zack Maynard retired.
- District 25: Tony Paynter retired to run for Wyoming County Circuit Clerk.
- District 30: Mick Bates retired to run for state senator from District 9.
- District 32: Kayla Kessinger retired.
- District 48: Ben Queen retired to run for state senator from District 12.
- District 52: Terri Sypolt retired.
- District 61: Jason Barrett retired to run for state senator from District 16.
Speakership election
On August 8, 2022, Brandon Steele, a Republican from Raleigh County, announced his intent to run for Speaker against incumbent Roger Hanshaw. House Democratic leader Doug Skaff stated on the Mountain State Views podcast that he and his caucus would support Hanshaw over Steele in a speakership contest.On December 4, 2022, Hanshaw was chosen to lead the Republican caucus for another two years, winning with 53 votes to Steele's 30. In the Democratic caucus, Skaff was re-elected as minority leader.
On January 11, 2023, the 86th Legislature convened, and the election for Speaker was held. Republican David Kelly nominated Hanshaw, who was seconded by John Hardy, and Democrat Ric Griffith nominated Skaff, who was seconded by Shawn Fluharty.
Overview
Close races
Districts where the margin of victory was under 10%:- District 56, 1%
- District 27, 1.6%
- District 82, 2.6%
- District 50, 3.6%
- District 52, 4%
- District 24, 5.2%
- District 70, 7.6%
- District 32, 9%
- District 75, 9%
- District 76, 9.2%
- District 5, 9.2%
- District 100, 9.6%
- '''District 3, 9.8%'''
Appointments
During West Virginia's 85th Legislature, several delegates resigned from their seats in the House of Delegates. According to §3-10-5 of West Virginia Code, vacancies in the House of Delegates are filled through appointment by the Governor of one of three candidates chosen by the executive committee of the outgoing member's party. Below is a list of appointments made during the 85th Legislature.Incumbents defeated
In primaries
Democrats
- District 27: Chad Lovejoy lost renomination to fellow incumbent Ric Griffith in a redistricting race.
Republicans
- District 11: Roger Conley lost renomination to Bob Fehrenbacher.
- District 14: Shannon Kimes lost renomination to Dave Foggin.
- District 18: Johnnie Wamsley lost renomination to Jim Butler.
- District 28: Josh Booth lost renomination to Mark Ross.
- District 59: Dianna Graves lost renomination to Andy Shamblin.
- District 69: Danny Hamrick lost renomination to Keith Marple.
- District 74: Guy Ward lost renomination to Mike DeVault.
- District 89: Ruth Rowan lost renomination to Darren Thorne.
- District 90: Ken Reed lost renomination to fellow incumbent George A. Miller in a redistricting race.
In general elections
Democrats
- District 3: Phillip DiSerio lost re-election to Jimmy Willis.
- District 7: Lisa Zukoff lost re-election to Charles Sheedy.
- District 36: Ed Evans lost re-election to Anita Hall.
- District 67: Cody Thompson lost re-election to Elias Coop-Gonzalez
Republicans
- District 50: Austin Haynes lost re-election to David Pritt.
- District 56: Andrew Anderson lost election to incumbent Kayla Young.
List of districts
District 1
Incumbent Pat McGeehan was first elected in 2014.District 2
Incumbent Mark Zatezalo was first elected in 2014, left the House of Delegates in 2018, and was elected again in 2020.District 3
Incumbent Phillip Diserio was first elected in 2012, left the House of Delegates in 2014, and was elected again in 2016.District 4
Incumbent Erikka Storch was first elected in 2010.District 5
Incumbent Shawn Fluharty was first elected in 2014.District 6
Incumbent Charlie Reynolds was first elected in 2020.District 7
Incumbent Lisa Zukoff was first elected in 2018.District 8
Incumbent David Kelly was first elected in 2018.District 9
Incumbent Trenton Barnhart was appointed in 2019.District 10
Incumbent William Anderson was first elected in 1992.District 11
Incumbent Roger Conley was first elected in 2020. Conley lost the Republican primary to Bob Fehrenbacher.District 12
Incumbent Vernon Criss was first elected in 2016.District 14
Incumbent Shannon Kimes was first elected in 2020. Kimes lost the Republican primary to Dave Foggin.District 15
Incumbent Riley Keaton was first elected in 2020.District 16
Incumbent Steve Westfall was first elected in 2012.District 17
Incumbent Jonathan Pinson was first elected in 2020.District 18
Incumbent Johnnie Wamsley was first elected in 2020. Wamsley lost the Republican primary to Jim Butler.District 19
Incumbent Kathie Hess Crouse was appointed in 2021.District 20
Incumbent Geoff Foster was first elected in 2014.District 21
Incumbent Jarred Cannon was appointed to fill the vacancy left by Joe Jeffries' resignation in June 2022, one month after Cannon won the Republican primary for District 21.District 22
Incumbent Daniel Linville was first elected in 2020.District 23
Incumbent Evan Worrell was first elected in 2018.District 25
Incumbent Sean Hornbuckle was first elected in 2014.District 26
Incumbent Matthew Rohrbach was first elected in 2014.District 27
Incumbent Chad Lovejoy was elected in 2016. Incumbent Ric Griffith was elected in 2020. Griffith defeated Lovejoy in the Democratic primary caused by redistricting.District 28
Incumbent Josh Booth was appointed in 2021. Booth lost the Republican primary to Mark Ross.District 31
Incumbent Margitta Mazzocchi was first elected in 2020.District 32
Incumbent Josh Holstein was first elected in 2020.District 33
Incumbent Jordan Bridges was first elected in 2020.District 34
Incumbent Mark Dean was first elected in 2016.District 36
Incumbent Ed Evans was first elected in 2016.In the close District 36 Republican primary, Tom Acosta, who held a one-vote lead in election night returns, was defeated by the same margin by Anita Hall after canvassing.