Run for office! Are you in?
Run for office! Are you in?
Skip navigation menu
All three Secretary of State locations will be open on Saturday, January 31, from 9:00 a.m. until midnight to accept candidate filings.
⚠️ 📫 If you choose to mail your Candidacy Announcement Form C-1 be sure to get the postmark hand-stamped by January 31. Do not assume dropping your filing in the mail on January 31 or even several days before will get postmarked on or before January 31.
Details on How to Run for an Executive Committee
Running for office takes a lot of planning and hard work.
WVDP is here to help.
Thinking of running for office! Let's start your plan.
Email us! runforoffice@wvdemocrats.com
Who has pre-filed for 2026:
Updated weekly from https://cfrs.wvsos.gov/public/gettoknow
Where and When to File for Office - January 12 - 31
The candidate filing period runs January 12 through January 31.
County Offices
If you are running for a county office, including:
• County Commission
• Board of Education (BOE)
• County Democratic Executive Committee (DEC)
You must file your candidacy with your County Clerk in the county where the office is located.
County clerk offices are typically open Monday through Friday during normal business hours, usually 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Hours may vary by county.
Use this link to find your County Clerk’s office, address, and contact information:
https://www.wvdemocrats.com/wv-county-clerks
State Legislative and Multi-County Offices
If you are running for:
• House of Delegates
• State Senate
• Or any other office that covers more than one county
You must file with the West Virginia Secretary of State.
West Virginia Secretary of State Filing Locations
The Secretary of State accepts filings at the following locations during normal business hours, generally 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday:
• State Capitol
1900 Kanawha Boulevard East
Charleston, WV 25305
• Clarksburg Regional Office
153 West Main Street
Clarksburg, WV 26301
• Martinsburg Regional Office
229 East Martin Street
Martinsburg, WV 25401
Extended Filing Deadline Hours
All three Secretary of State locations will be open on Saturday, January 31, from 9:00 a.m. until midnight to accept candidate filings.
⚠️ 📫 If you choose to mail your Candidacy Announcement Form C-1 be sure to get the postmark hand-stamped by January 31. Do not assume dropping your filing in the mail on January 31 or even several days before will get postmarked on or before January 31.
Verify the postmark date on or before January 31.
Details on How to Run for an Executive Committee
You MUST file Pre-Candidacy Form F-1 or Candidate Certification of Announcement Form C-1 BEFORE raising money.
West Virginia Campaign Finance – Pre-Candidacy Requirement
In West Virginia, you cannot legally raise or spend a single dollar for a campaign until you file the Pre-Candidacy Form (F-1) with the Secretary of State.
Period.
If you solicit donations, accept contributions, spend money, open a campaign account, or do anything that counts as campaign fundraising before filing F-1, you are violating West Virginia campaign finance law and exposing yourself to fines, complaints, and investigations.
Filing pre-candidacy is free, takes only a few minutes, and is the required first step before any fundraising or campaign spending can occur.