Ryan Frankenberry

WVDP Executive Director

Ryan Frankenberry is a native West Virginian who grew up in the orchards of South Berkeley County. He is a senior political and governmental executive with over 25 years of experience building and leading large-scale operations, with deep expertise in institutional restructuring, modernization, and high-stakes strategic execution.

He began his career with the U.S. Coast Guard in 2000 and later served in the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office, FEMA Region III, and the West Virginia House of Delegates. Early in his political work, he organized at the county level and was appointed to the ballot as the Democratic nominee for Berkeley County Commission in 2006, grounding his career in grassroots volunteer organizing.

Ryan has led or advised campaigns at every level of government, including winning statewide and congressional races, and has provided strategic direction to candidates across federal, legislative, county, and local offices.

From 2013 to 2017, he served as Political Director for AFT-West Virginia, leading legislative advocacy and political strategy during a period of significant political change.

As State Director of the West Virginia Working Families Party from 2017 to 2022, Ryan played a key role in shaping political and communications strategy during the 2018 West Virginia Education Strike, coordinating closely with educators, labor leaders, and legislators throughout the effort. In 2021, he worked with national organizations and state partners to launch and oversee a seven-figure, multi-channel advocacy campaign, integrating television, radio, digital, print, canvassing, and public events to influence federal legislation impacting working families.

Since August 2022, he has served as Executive Director of the West Virginia Democratic Party, where he is focused on rebuilding the organization into a modern, professional statewide operation. He oversees political strategy, candidate recruitment, compliance, fundraising systems, and coordinated campaign infrastructure, with an emphasis on strengthening county organizations, upgrading data and communications capacity, and restoring long-term institutional discipline.