News + Press
News + Press
News + Press
WV Democrats See Surge In Turnout, Enthusiasm In Primary Elections
For Immediate Release May 13, 2026
Charleston, WV — The West Virginia Democratic Party said today that Tuesday night’s primary election results demonstrated growing Democratic enthusiasm and momentum across the Mountain State, highlighted by strong voter turnout and key victories fueled by broad Democratic participation.
Party leaders congratulated the winners of last night’s elections and thanked all Democratic candidates who stepped forward to run issue-based campaigns focused on the concerns of working West Virginians.
“Democrats across West Virginia should be proud of the campaigns we are running this cycle,” said West Virginia Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin. “Our candidates focused on issues that matter to everyday people — affordability, public education, health care, infrastructure, and protecting our democracy — especially when compared to the scorched-earth, factional warfare we witnessed on the Republican side.”
Pushkin also praised county Democratic organizations and grassroots volunteers for the work they put into voter outreach and turnout efforts.
“I want to thank our County Committees and Democratic volunteers across West Virginia who worked tirelessly to produce the kind of turnout results we saw last night,” Pushkin said. “Their hard work is paying dividends.”
Pushkin pointed to Kanawha County as one of the clearest signs of Democratic enthusiasm.
“Republican turnout in Kanawha County was just 24.5%, while Democratic turnout reached 37.2%,” Pushkin noted. “The big story is that 37.2%. That level of Democratic engagement helped shape judicial races across the state.”
According to Pushkin, strong Democratic turnout helped the best candidates prevail in key statewide judicial contests over candidates closely aligned with Governor Patrick Morrisey.
“With strong Democratic support, moderates were able to take control of the Supreme Court over Governor Morrisey’s hand-picked candidates,” Pushkin said. “Likewise, on the Intermediate Court of Appeals, registered Democrat Jim Douglas defeated incumbent Republican Dan Greear, who was backed by Morrisey.”
Pushkin also argued that Greear’s close association with House Speaker Roger Hanshaw became a political liability.
“Greear was dragged into the Data Center controversy through his close association with Speaker Hanshaw, who pushed legislation benefiting Data Centers and then went on to represent them before the court,” Pushkin said. “Voters clearly had concerns about those conflicts and the appearance of insiders taking care of insiders.”
West Virginia Democratic Party Vice Chair Teresa Toriseva said the results show broader political changes underway in the state.
“Last night’s results show that the balance of power is shifting in West Virginia,” Toriseva said. “The Republican Party’s ongoing efforts to restrict voter participation are beginning to work against them here in West Virginia. When voters are energized and engaged, Democrats compete — and we win.”
Second Vice Chair Sam Petsonk said the turnout numbers reflect years of organizing and voter engagement work aimed at reconnecting with traditional Democratic voters.
“This shows that our efforts to increase turnout amongst low propensity Democrats have been paying off, especially in the areas where we have a strong base historically,” Petsonk said. “This should bode well for our prospects in retaking these core Democratic districts in the legislature this fall.”
Party officials said the strong Democratic turnout and competitive statewide results demonstrate that West Virginia voters are increasingly open to candidates focused on practical solutions and accountability rather than ideological infighting.
“We know there’s more work to do,” Pushkin said, “but last night proved something important: Democrats are energized, organized, and ready to compete.”
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