by Kate Shunney
Registered voters who are interested in running for public office in 2026 can now take their step toward candidacy, as the candidate filing period opened on Monday, January 12 and remains open through Saturday, January 31.
Candidates who running for statewide and legislative offices, state executive committee, offices to be filled by voters in more than one county, and judicial offices, excluding magistrates, can register with the West Virginia Secretary of State’s office.
Candidates running for county offices, to be filled by voters in a single county, including county commission, magistrate, and district-level political party executive committees, must file with the County Clerk in their county.
Morgan County’s Clerk can be reached by phone at 304-258-8547 and the Clerk’s Office is located on the first floor of the Morgan County Courthouse.
As on Monday, the first day of filing at the County Clerk’s office, Clerk Kim Nickles had received three candidate filings – Vince Shambaugh for Morgan County Magistrate, Patricia Witt for the Democratic County Executive and Laurie Dieffenbach for School Board (district 3).
Morgan County seats
In Morgan County, local offices on the 2026 ballot will include:
— One Morgan County Commission seat, currently held by Republican Joel Tuttle.
Candidates for this office will vie for their party’s nomination in the May 12 primary election, then a winner will be selected on Election Day on November 3.
— One Morgan County Magistrate seat, currently held by Vince Shambaugh, for the remaining two years of the term of office that K.C. Bohrer was elected to in 2024. The winning candidate will serve the rest of the term, which will end December 31, 2027. This non-partisan election will be decided at the May 12 primary.
— Three members of the Morgan County Board of Education. Those seats are currently held by Aaron Close, Laura Smith and Justin Litten. Close has already said he will not seek re-election. This non-partisan election will be decided at the May 12 primary.
— Eastern Panhandle Conservation Supervisor District Supervisor.
Judicial seats
On the Primary Election ballot during the May 12 primary, two statewide judicial offices will be up for election.
Voters will choose two justices of the Supreme Court of Appeals to fill out the unexpired terms of Beth Walker, who retired in June, and Tim Armstead, who passed away in August. Those positions are currently held by court appointees Thomas Ewing and Gerald Titus.
State voters will also select a justice of the Intermediate Court of Appeals, a lower court of the State Supreme Court.
State seats in our district
Morgan County voters will also select a representative to the West Virginia House of Delegates, either for District 89 (Hampshire and Morgan counties) or District 90 (Berkeley and Morgan counties), based on their place of residence. District 89’s delegate is currently David Cannon R-Hampshire) and District 90’s delegate is currently George Miller (R-Morgan).
County residents will also vote for a representative to the West Virginia State Senate, to represent District 15 for the unexpired term of Charles Trump IV. Darren Thorne (R-Hampshire) is the current State Senator, an appointee chosen to fill the seat left empty by the resignation of Trump when he became a Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals last year.
During the May 12 primary, voters will choose a State Senate candidate to represent their political party on the General Election ballot to be decided on November 3, Election Day.
Federal seats in our district
Morgan County voters and those in the 2nd Congressional district will choose a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for a two-year term. That seat is currently held by Republican Riley Moore.
West Virginia voters will choose a member of the U.S. Senate to represent them for a six-year term. Republican Shelley Moore Capito currently holds that Senate seat.
During the May 12 primary, voters will choose a candidate to represent their political party on the General Election ballot to be decided on November 3, Election Day.
This 2026 election season is called the mid-term election for federal seats, as it is halfway through the presidential term. Mid-term elections will determine the party majority in Congress, affecting the ability of President Donald Trump to enact his policy priorities through the legislative branch.
During this midterm election, all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives will be elected, and 35 of 100 Senate seats will be on ballots nationwide.
Becoming a candidate
Candidates may file in-person or by mail.
Certificates of Announcements mailed to the County Clerk or the West Virginia Secretary of State must be postmarked by the U.S Postal Service on or before Saturday, January 31, 2026.
Filing Fees are required to be paid at the time the filing is made or the submission will be rejected. Candidates whose claimed political party affiliations or residence address do not match their official voter registration records are subject to rejection.
The State Capitol and regional Secretary of State offices in Clarksburg (153 West Main Street) and Martinsburg (229 East Martin Street) will be open on Saturday, January 31, from 9 a.m. until midnight to take candidate filings.
Local candidates can file to run for office at the Morgan County Clerk’s office during business hours at the Morgan County Courthouse.
A complete Running for Office Guide can be found at https://sos.wv.gov/FormSearch/Elections/Informational/Running%20for%20Office.pdf.
For more information on elections in West Virginia, how to register to vote, how to vote by absentee, or how to update your voter registration, visit GoVoteWV.com — the official website of the WV Secretary of State’s Office – or contact the Morgan County Clerk at 304-258-8547.
