The West Virginia Senate is the upper house of the West Virginia Legislature.
There are seventeen senatorial districts. Each district has two senators who serve staggered four-year terms. Although the Democratic Party held a supermajority in the Senate as recently as 2015, Republicans now dominate in the chamber, and hold 32 seats to the Democrats' two seats.
Organization
Senators are elected for terms of four years that are staggered, meaning that only a portion of the 34 state senate seats are up every election.
The state legislature meets on the second Wednesday of January each year and conducts a 60-day regular session. Bills are assigned to committees that make recommendations about a bill in the form of a committee report.
==Senate president==<!-- This section is linked from United States order of precedence -->
The Senate elects its own president from its membership. Randy Smith is currently the president of the West Virginia Senate.
While the West Virginia Constitution does not create or even mention the title of lieutenant governor, West Virginia Code 6A-1-4 creates this designation for the Senate president, who stands first in the line of succession to the office of governor. As stated in Article 7 Section 16 of the constitution: "In case of the death, conviction or impeachment, failure to qualify, resignation, or other disability of the governor, the president of the Senate shall act as governor until the vacancy is filled, or the disability removed." However, the Senate President may not always serve the remainder of the term as the constitution also states: "Whenever a vacancy shall occur in the office of governor before the first three years of the term shall have expired, a new election for governor shall take place to fill the vacancy."
Current composition
[[File:87th Legislature WV Senate Map.svg|thumb|Map of partisan composition of legislative districts for state senate after the 2024 elections:
]]
87th Legislature (2025–2026)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|- style="vertical-align:bottom;"
! rowspan="3" |Affiliation
! colspan="2" |Party <div style="font-size:80%">(Shading indicates majority caucus)</div>
! rowspan="3" |Total
!
|- style="height:5px"
| style="background-color:" |
| style="background-color:" |
| style="background: black" |
|-
!Republican
!Democratic
!Vacant
|-
! nowrap="" style="font-size:80%" |Beginning of the 82nd Legislature
| rowspan="2" | 18
| rowspan="2" |16
! rowspan="2" |34
| rowspan="2" |0
|-
! nowrap="" style="font-size:80%" |End of the 82nd Legislature
|-
| colspan="5" |
|-
! nowrap="" style="font-size:80%" |Beginning of the 83rd Legislature
| rowspan="2" | 22
| rowspan="2" |12
! rowspan="2" |34
| rowspan="2" |0
|-
! nowrap="" style="font-size:80%" |End of the 83rd Legislature
|-
| colspan="5" |
|-
! nowrap="" style="font-size:80%" |Beginning of the 84th Legislature
| rowspan="2" | 20
| rowspan="2" |14
! rowspan="2" |34
| rowspan="2" |0
|-
! nowrap="" style="font-size:80%" |End of the 84th Legislature
|-
| colspan="5" |
|-
! nowrap="" style="font-size:80%" |Beginning of the 85th Legislature
| rowspan="2"| 23
| rowspan="2" | 11
! rowspan="2" |34
| rowspan="2" |0
|-
! nowrap="" style="font-size:80%" |End of the 85th Legislature
|-
| colspan="5" |
|-
! nowrap="" style="font-size:80%" |Beginning of the 86th Legislature
| | 30
| 4
!rowspan=2|34
|rowspan=2|0
|-
! nowrap="" style="font-size:80%" |End of the 86th Legislature
| | 31
| 3
|-
| colspan="5" |
|-
! nowrap="" style="font-size:80%" |Beginning of the 87th Legislature
| | 32
| 2
!34
|0
|-
!Latest voting share
! |
!
! colspan=2|
|}
Leadership of the 87th West Virginia Senate
{| class="wikitable"
! Position !! Name !! Party !! District !! County
|-
| Senate President/Lieutenant Governor || Randy Smith
| |Republican
|14th
|Tucker
|-
| President pro tempore
|Jay Taylor
| |Republican
|14th
|Taylor
|-
| Majority Leader
|Patrick Martin
| |Republican
|12th
|Lewis
|-
| Minority Leader
|Mike Woelfel
| |Democratic
|5th
|Cabell
|-
| Majority Whip
|Ben Queen
| |Republican
|12th
|Harrison
|-
| Minority Whip
|Joey Garcia
| |Democratic
|13th
|Marion
|}
Committee chairs and vice chairs
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!Committee
!Chair
!Vice Chair
|-
|Agriculture & Natural Resources
|Bill Hamilton
|Vince Deeds
|-
|Banking and Insurance
|Mike Azinger
|Mike Oliverio
|-
|Confirmations
|Donna Boley
|Laura Chapman
|-
|Economic Development
|Glenn Jeffries
|Robbie Morris
|-
|Education
|Amy Grady
|Charles Clements
|-
|Energy, Industry, & Mining
|Chris Rose
|Ben Queen
|-
|Enrolled Bills
|Jack Woodrum
|Scott Fuller
|-
|Finance
|Jason Barrett
|Rollan Roberts
|-
|Government Organization
|Patricia Rucker
|Jack Woodrum
|-
|Health & Human Resources
|Laura Chapman
|Vince Deeds
|-
|Judiciary
|Mike Stuart
|Tom Willis
|-
|Military
|Ryan Weld
|Vince Deeds
|-
|Outdoor Recreation
|Mark Maynard
|Jay Taylor
|-
|Pensions
|Eric Nelson
|Mark Hunt
|-
|Rules
|Randy Smith
|Tom Takubo
|-
|School Choice
|Patricia Rucker
|Mark Maynard
|-
|Transportation & Infrastructure
|Charles Clements
|Mike Stuart
|-
|Workforce
|Rollan Roberts
|Glenn Jeffries
|}
Members of the 87th West Virginia Senate
{|class="sortable wikitable"
!District
!Next Election
!Name
!Party
!Start
!Residence
!Home City
!Counties
|-
|rowspan=2 |1
|2026
|
| |Republican
|2022
|Wheeling
|Ohio
|rowspan=2 |Brooke, Hancock, Marshall, Ohio
|-
|2028
|
| |Republican
|2016
|Wellsburg
|Brooke
|-
|rowspan=2 |2
|2026
|
| |Republican
|2016
|New Martinsville
|Wetzel
|rowspan=2 |Doddridge, Marion, Marshall, Monongalia, Wetzel, Tyler
|-
|2028
|
| |Republican
|2024
|Maidsville
|Monongalia
|-
|rowspan=2 |3
|2026
|
| |Republican
|2016
|Vienna
|Wood
|rowspan=2 |Pleasants, Ritchie, Wirt, Wood
|-
|2026<br>(special)
|
| |Republican
|2026
|St. Marys
|Pleasants
|-
|rowspan=2 |4
|2026
|
| |Republican
|2018
|Scott Depot
|Putnam
|rowspan=2 |Cabell, Jackson, Mason, Putnam
|-
|2028
|
| |Republican
|2020
|Leon
|Mason
|-
|rowspan=2 |5
|2026
|
| |Democratic
|2014
|Huntington
|Cabell
|rowspan=2 |Cabell, Wayne
|-
|2028
|
| |Republican
|2024
|Kenova
|Wayne
|-
|rowspan=2 |6
|2026
|
| |Republican
|2014
|Genoa
|Wayne
|rowspan=2 |McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Wayne
|-
|2028
|
| |Republican
|2024
|Lenore
|Mingo
|-
|rowspan=2 |7
|2026
|
| |Republican
|2025
|Harts
|Lincoln
|rowspan=2 |Boone, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan
|-
|2028
|
| |Republican
|2020
|Lorado
|Logan
|-
|rowspan=2 |8
|2026
|
| |Republican
|2025
|Sissonville
|Kanawha
|rowspan=2 |Clay, Jackson, Kanawha, Putnam, Roane
|-
|2028
|
| |Republican
|2016
|Red House
|Putnam
|-
|rowspan=2 |9
|2026
|
| |Republican
|2018
|Beaver
|Raleigh
|rowspan=2 |Fayette, Raleigh, Wyoming
|-
|2028
|
| |Republican
|2024
|Mount Hope
|Fayette
|-
|rowspan=2 |10
|2026
|
| |Republican
|2022
|Renick
|Greenbrier
|rowspan=2 |Fayette, Greenbrier, Monroe, Nicholas, Summers
|-
|2028
|
| |Republican
|2020
|Hinton
|Summers
|-
|rowspan=2 |11
|2026
|
| |Republican
|2018
|Buckhannon
|Upshur
|rowspan=2 |Barbour, Braxton, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph, Upshur, Webster
|-
|2028
|
| |Republican
|2024
|Elkins
|Randolph
|-
|rowspan=2 |12
|2026
|
| |Republican
|2022
|Bridgeport
|Harrison
|rowspan=2 |Calhoun, Gilmer, Harrison, Lewis, Taylor
|-
|2028
|
| |Republican
|2020
|Weston
|Lewis
|-
|rowspan=2 |13
|2026
|
| |Republican
|2022
|Morgantown
|Monongalia
|rowspan=2 |Marion, Monongalia
|-
|2028
|
| |Democratic
|2024
|Fairmont
|Marion
|-
|rowspan=2 |14
|2026
|
| |Republican
|2022
|Grafton
|Taylor
|rowspan=2 |Grant, Hardy, Mineral, Preston, Taylor, Tucker
|-
|2028
|
| |Republican
|2016
|Thomas
|Tucker
|-
|rowspan=2 |15
|2026
|
| |Republican
|2024
|Romney
|Hampshire
|rowspan=2 |Berkeley, Hampshire, Morgan
|-
|2028
|
| |Republican
|2024
|Martinsburg
|Berkeley
|-
|rowspan=2 |16
|2026
|
| |Republican
|2022
|Martinsburg
|Berkeley
|rowspan=2 |Berkeley, Jefferson
|-
|2028
|
| |Republican
|2016
|Harpers Ferry
|Jefferson
|-
|rowspan=2 |17
|2026
|
| |Republican
|2014
|Charleston
|Kanawha
|rowspan=2 |Kanawha
|-
|2026<br>(special)
|
| |Republican
|2025
|Charleston
|Kanawha
|}
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