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West Virginia State Senate elections, 2012
Elections for the office of West Virginia State Senate were held in West Virginia on November 6, 2012. A total of 17 seats were up for election.
The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was January 28, 2012. The primary Election Day was May 8, 2012.
Incumbents retiring
| Name | Party | Current office |
|---|---|---|
| Dan Foster | Senate District 17 | |
| John Fanning | Senate District 6 | |
| Karen Facemyer | Senate District 4 |
Majority control
- See also: Partisan composition of state senates
Heading into the November 6 election, the Democratic Party held the majority in the West Virginia State Senate:
| West Virginia State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 28 | 24 | |
| Republican Party | 6 | 10 | |
| Total | 34 | 34 | |
Campaign contributions
This chart shows how many candidates ran for West Virginia State Senate in the past four elections and the cumulative amount of campaign contributions in state senate races, including contributions in both primary and general election contests. All figures come from Follow The Money.[1]
| Year | Number of candidates | Total contributions |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 51 | $2,663,291 |
| 2008 | 41 | $2,445,385 |
| 2006 | 45 | $3,412,237 |
| 2004 | 44 | $2,543,094 |
| 2002 | 49 | $3,209,760 |
In 2010, the candidates for state senate raised a total of $2,663,291 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were:[2]
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Chafin, H Truman | $303,000 |
| Smith, Greg (Hootie) | $227,570 |
| Barnes, John | $88,451 |
| Greathouse, Dan | $50,834 |
| Contractors Association of West Virginia | $26,300 |
| Tucker, Gregory A | $25,200 |
| West Virginia Bankers Association | $25,000 |
| West Virginia Chamber of Commerce | $21,500 |
| West Virginia Building & Construction Trades Council | $18,000 |
| Frich, Cindy | $17,854 |
Impact of redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in West Virginia
A new Senate map was passed by the Senate on August 3, 2011, concurred with by the House on August 5, and signed by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) on August 18. Two lawsuits challenging the Senate map were consolidated in a case argued before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. Challengers argued that senatorial districts did not offer equal representation and were not "compact, bounded by county lines and, as nearly as practicable, [and] equal in population," as required by the state constitution. The court upheld the maps by a vote of 5-0.[3][4]
Qualifications
Section 13 of Article 6 of the West Virginia Constitution states, "No person holding any other lucrative office or employment under this state, the United States, or any foreign government; no member of Congress; and no person who is sheriff, constable, or clerk of any court of record, shall be eligible to a seat in the Legislature."
List of candidates
District 1
May 8 Democratic primary:
- Jack Yost: 12,261
- Incumbent Yost first assumed office in 2008.
- Jack Yost: 12,261
May 8 GOP primary:
- Pat McGeehan: 5,487
- Pat McGeehan: 5,487
November 6 General election candidates:
District 2
- Jeffrey V. Kessler: 11,357
- Jeffrey V. Kessler: 11,357
- No candidates filed.
November 6 General election candidates:
District 3
- No candidates filed.
- Donna J. Boley: 8,113
- Donna J. Boley: 8,113
- Note: Frank Deem was included on the initial official candidate list, but was later removed.
November 6 General election candidates:
District 4
Incumbent Republican Karen Facemyer did not seek re-election.
- Michael "Mike" Bright: 6,085
- Marla Dee Ingels: 2,936
- Michael "Mike" Bright: 6,085
- Mitch B. Carmichael: 8,432
- Mitch B. Carmichael: 8,432
November 6 General election candidates:
District 5
- Robert H. "Bob" Plymale: 8,263
- Robert H. "Bob" Plymale: 8,263
- No candidates filed.
November 6 General election candidates:
District 6
Incumbent Democrat John Fanning did not seek re-election.
- Michael "Mike" Mitchem: 6,216
- Mark Wills: 6,768
- Bill Cole: 2,757
- Bill Cole: 2,757
November 6 General election candidates:
District 7
- Sammy D. Dalton: 6,428
- Art Kirkendoll: 11,529
- No candidates filed.
November 6 General election candidates:
District 8
Incumbent Democrat Corey Palumbo won re-election in District 17.
- Jennifer Scragg Karr: 3,307
- Joshua R. Martin: 3,928
- Chris Walters: 4,261
- Chris Walters: 4,261
November 6 General election candidates:
District 9
- Richard Browning: 5,086 - Incumbent Browning first assumed office in 2008.
- Daniel Hall: 5,303
- Epp E. Cline: 3,545
- Epp E. Cline: 3,545
November 6 General election candidates:
District 10
Incumbent Democrat Mark Wills ran for re-election in District 6.
- William R. Laird, IV: 11,264
- William R. Laird, IV: 11,264
- No candidates filed.
November 6 General election candidates:
District 11
Incumbent Democrat William R. Laird IV won re-election in District 10.
- Margaret Kerr Beckwith: 7,622
- Paul "P.J." Louk: 5,347
- Margaret Kerr Beckwith: 7,622
- Clark Barnes: 7,486
- Clark Barnes: 7,486
November 6 General election candidates:
District 12
- Doug Facemire: 12,770
- Doug Facemire: 12,770
- No candidates filed.
November 6 General election candidates:
District 13
- Roman W. Prezioso, Jr.: 10,559
- Roman W. Prezioso, Jr.: 10,559
- Casey Mayer: 3,480
- Casey Mayer: 3,480
November 6 General election candidates:
District 14
- Bob Williams: 9,508
- Bob Williams: 9,508
- No candidates filed.
November 6 General election candidates:
District 15
- No candidates filed.
- Craig P. Blair: 7,046
- Craig P. Blair: 7,046
November 6 General election candidates:
Daniel Litten: 6,847
District 16
- Herb Snyder: 5,051
- Herb Snyder: 5,051
- James Kenneth Ruland: 4,163
- James Kenneth Ruland: 4,163
November 6 General election candidates:
District 17
Incumbent Democrat Dan Foster did not seek re-election.
- Corey Palumbo: 8,581
- Corey Palumbo: 8,581
- No candidates filed.
November 6 General election candidates:
External links
- Official primary results
- West Virginia Secretary of State - 2012 Candidate Listing By Office
- Official general election results
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Follow the Money
- ↑ Follow the Money: "West Virginia Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ The Charleston Gazette, "Senate redistricting also under fire," November 3, 2011. Retrieved August 25, 2012
- ↑ Legal Newsline, "W.Va. SC: Role of high court in redistricting limited to plans' validity," February 14, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2012
