| 85th West Virginia Legislature | |||||||||||||||
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| Overview | |||||||||||||||
| Legislative body | West Virginia Legislature | ||||||||||||||
| Term | December 1, 2020 – December 1, 2022 | ||||||||||||||
| Election | 2020 | ||||||||||||||
| Governor | Jim Justice (R) | ||||||||||||||
| House of Delegates | |||||||||||||||
| Members | 100 delegates | ||||||||||||||
| Speaker | Roger Hanshaw (R) | ||||||||||||||
| Speaker pro tempore | Gary Howell (R) | ||||||||||||||
| Majority leader | Amy Summers (R) | ||||||||||||||
| Minority leader | Doug Skaff (D) | ||||||||||||||
| Party control | Republican | ||||||||||||||
| Senate | |||||||||||||||
| Members | 34 senators | ||||||||||||||
| President | Craig Blair (R) | ||||||||||||||
| President pro tempore | Donna Boley (R) | ||||||||||||||
| Majority leader | Tom Takubo (R) | ||||||||||||||
| Minority leader | Stephen Baldwin (D) | ||||||||||||||
| Party control | Republican | ||||||||||||||
| Sessions | |||||||||||||||
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| Special sessions | |||||||||||||||
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The 85th West Virginia Legislature was a meeting of the West Virginia Legislature whose membership consisted of those elected in the 2020 legislative elections. It lasted through two several month long regular sessions and seven special sessions in 2021 and 2022, ending with the 2022 legislative elections and the convening of the 86th Legislature. All members who served in this meeting of the Legislature are listed below.
Party summary
House of Delegates
| Affiliation (Elected) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Republican | ||
| 85th Legislature Start | 24 | 76 | 100 |
| December 11, 2020 | 23 | 77 | 100 |
| January 9, 2021 | 23 | 76 | 99 |
| January 27, 2021 | 23 | 77 | 100 |
| May 12, 2021 | 22 | 78 | 100 |
| July 30, 2021 | 22 | 77 | 99 |
| August 19, 2021 | 22 | 78 | 100 |
| November 5, 2021 | 22 | 77 | 99 |
| November 24, 2021 | 22 | 78 | 100 |
| December 13, 2021 | 22 | 77 | 99 |
| December 21, 2021 | 22 | 78 | 100 |
| June 1, 2022 | 22 | 77 | 99 |
| June 14, 2022 | 22 | 78 | 100 |
| August 8, 2022 | 22 | 77 | 99 |
| August 19, 2022 | 22 | 78 | 100 |
| 85th Legislature End | 22 | 78 | 100 |
| Latest voting share | 22% | 78% | |
- Jason Barrett (District 61) switched his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican.
- Derrick Evans (District 19) resigned after being federally charged for his participation in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
- Josh Booth (District 19) appointed to fill the vacancy left by Derrick Evans.
- Mick Bates (District 30) switched his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican.
- Jeffrey Pack (District 28) resigned to become the Commissioner of the West Virginia Bureau for Social Services.
- Jordan Maynor (District 28) appointed to fill the vacancy left by Jeffrey Pack.
- Joshua Higginbotham (District 13) resigned after moving from his Putnam County residence to Kanawha County.
- Kathie Hess Crouse (District 13) appointed to fill the vacancy left by Joshua Higginbotham.
- Barry Bruce (District 42) resigned over health concerns.
- Michael Honaker (District 42) appointed to fill the vacancy left by Barry Bruce.
- Joe Jeffries (District 22) resigned to take a job out of state.
- Jarred Cannon (District 22) appointed to fill the vacancy left by Joe Jeffries.
- Larry Pack (District 35) resigned to join the Justice Administration as a senior advisor.
- Andrew Anderson (District 35) appointed to fill the vacancy left by Larry Pack.
Senate
| Affiliation (Elected) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Republican | ||
| 85th Legislature Start | 11 | 23 | 34 |
| August 20, 2021 | 10 | 23 | 33 |
| September 29, 2021 | 11 | 23 | 34 |
| October 5, 2021 | 10 | 23 | 33 |
| October 7, 2021 | 11 | 23 | 34 |
| 85th Legislature End | 11 | 23 | 34 |
| Latest voting share | 32% | 68% | |
- John Unger (District 16) resigned to become a Berkeley County magistrate.
- Hannah Geffert (District 16) appointed to fill the vacancy left by John Unger.
- William J. Ihlenfeld II (District 1) resigned to become a District Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia.
- Owens Brown (District 1) appointed to fill the vacancy left by William Ihlenfeld.
House of Delegates
Party leadership
| Position | Name | Party | District | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speaker of the House | Roger Hanshaw | Republican | 33rd | Clay |
| Speaker pro tempore | Gary Howell | Republican | 56th | Mineral |
| Majority Leader | Amy Summers | Republican | 49th | Taylor |
| Minority Leader | Doug Skaff | Democratic | 35th | Kanawha |
| Majority Whip | Marty Gearheart | Republican | 27th | Mercer |
| Minority Whip | Shawn Fluharty | Democratic | 3rd | Ohio |
Vacancies
| District | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Derrick Evans (R) | Resigned after having been federally charged for his involvement in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. | Josh Booth (R) | January 27, 2021 |
| 28 | Jeffrey Pack (R) | Resigned after having been appointed Commissioner of the state Department of Health and Human Resources' Bureau for Social Services by Governor Jim Justice. | Jordan Maynor (R) | August 19, 2021 |
| 13 | Joshua Higginbotham (R) | Resigned after moving from his Putnam County district to Kanawha County. | Kathie Hess Crouse (R) | November 24, 2021 |
| 42 | Barry Bruce (R) | Resigned over health concerns. | Michael Honaker (R) | December 21, 2021 |
| 22 | Joe Jeffries (R) | Resigned to take a job out of state. | Jarred Cannon (R) | June 14, 2022 |
| 35 | Larry Pack (R) | Resigned to join the administration of Jim Justice as a senior advisor. | Andrew Anderson (R) | August 19, 2022 |
Members
Member left office during Legislature Member appointed to fill vacancy
Senate
Party leadership
| Position | Name | Party | District | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senate President/Lieutenant Governor | Craig Blair | Republican | 15th | Berkeley |
| President pro tempore | Donna Boley | Republican | 3rd | Pleasants |
| Majority Leader | Tom Takubo | Republican | 17th | Kanawha |
| Minority Leader | Stephen Baldwin | Democratic | 10th | Greenbrier |
| Majority Whip | Ryan Weld | Republican | 1st | Brooke |
| Minority Whip | Mike Woelfel | Democratic | 5th | Cabell |
Vacancies
| District | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William J. Ihlenfeld II (D) | Resigned after being appointed as United States Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia by President Joe Biden. | Owens Brown (D) | October 7, 2021 |
| 16 | John Unger (D) | Resigned after having been elected as a Berkeley County magistrate. | Hannah Geffert (D) | September 29, 2021 |
Members
Member left office during Legislature Member appointed to fill vacancy
See also
References
- McElhinny, Brad (January 9, 2021). "Derrick Evans resigns W.Va. House after entering U.S. Capitol with mob". WV MetroNews. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- Staff Reports (July 22, 2021). "Del. Jeffrey Pack named commissioner for West Virginia DHHR's new Bureau for Social Services". WV News. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- "W.Va. lawmaker resigns after moving to another county". Associated Press. November 9, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- McElhinny, Brad (December 13, 2021). "Delegate Barry Bruce resigns, citing health needs". WV MetroNews. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- McElhinny, Brad (June 9, 2022). "Delegate Joe Jeffries, who stirred controversy with saucy video, has resigned his seat early". WV MetroNews. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- "Larry Pack to join Gov. Justice's Administration as Senior Advisor". governor.wv.gov. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- "Senate District Maps - 2010 Plan". West Virginia Legislature. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
- "Northern District of West Virginia | William J. Ihlenfeld, II sworn in as United States Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia | United States Department of Justice". www.justice.gov. October 12, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
- Staff, MetroNews (August 13, 2021). "Unger leaving Senate to do 'greatest good' as magistrate". WV MetroNews. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
- "Senate District Maps – 2010 Plan". West Virginia Legislature. Retrieved July 7, 2016.