In Putnam County, residents will weigh in on president, Senate and Congress, as well as every statewide constitutional office and a handful of local roles.
Early in-person voting starts on Oct. 23 and goes through Nov. 2. To find out more specifics about where to vote in Putnam County, call the County Clerk at 304-586-0202.
Unlike in recent years, voting by mail is only available for West Virginians who are unable to vote in person for certain reasons including illness, incarceration, work schedule and travel. Here’s more information about voting absentee.
On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, polls in Putnam County will be open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. You can find your polling place by entering your information here.
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Below, you’ll find candidates that are on ballots for Putnam County residents, though some depend on where you live. Click the triangles in the shaded boxes to learn more about the candidates.
Federal and state candidates
U.S. President
Kamala Harris (D)
Vice President Kamala Harris was selected as the Democratic presidential nominee after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race in July. A former San Francisco District Attorney and California Attorney General, Harris has embraced many of Biden’s main proposals, including ensuring access to abortion care for Americans in every state, passing legislation to address climate change and reforming the country’s immigration system.
Donald Trump (R)
Donald Trump was the 45th President of the United States, but lost reelection for a second term to Joe Biden. Since leaving office, Trump has faced numerous legal challenges, including charges for illegally conspiring to overturn his 2020 defeat, criminally conspiring to overturn his defeat in Georgia and mishandling classified documents. He was found guilty of 34 counts of fraud in one trial stemming from hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, but has not yet been sentenced.
If reelected, Trump’s platform includes sealing the U.S.-Mexico border, deporting people who entered the country illegally, ending inflation and banning transgender women from participating in women’s sports.
Chase Oliver (L)
Georgia resident Chase Oliver is running for U.S. President on the Libertarian ticket. He previously ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in Georgia in 2022 and for U.S. House in Georgia’s 5th District in 2020. In a Ballotpedia survey, he said as president he would take the lead in promoting peace both at home and abroad and respect people’s individual rights. His website advocates abolishing the Department of Education, slashing government spending to drive down inflation and upholding Second Amendment rights.
Jill Stein (Mountain)
Jill Stein has previously run for president in 2012 and 2016 on the Green Party ticket. This year, her campaign platform includes guaranteed free child care, free college, free broadband, a $25 minimum wage, universal rent control and a more aggressive “Green New Deal.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Independent)
Though Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has formally dropped out of the presidential race, his name will still appear on West Virginia ballots.
U.S. Senate
Glenn Elliott (D)
Glenn Elliott, a Democrat, most recently served as the mayor of Wheeling, a position he held from 2016 until 2024. In his Senate campaign, he’s focused on championing women’s reproductive rights and said if elected he will work to codify Roe v. Wade. Other focuses include investing in child care and workforce development, creating a fairer tax structure and expanding access to health care.
Jim Justice (R)
Jim Justice has been West Virginia’s governor since 2017, and is seeking to represent the state in the U.S. Senate as his second term ends. He was initially elected as a Democrat, but changed his registration to Republican early in his first term. During his time as governor, he’s advocated for major tax cuts, even as there has been bipartisan concern about the state budget. Before entering politics, Justice spent his career as a businessman who owned several coal companies and bought the Greenbrier Resort, but he’s been dogged by creditors and reports of unpaid debts for his entire tenure in office.
His campaign platform includes leaving abortion policy mostly up to states but setting “reasonable federal limits”, finishing the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, and reducing the federal debt and government waste.
David Moran (L)
Preston County native David Moran is a retired engineer who currently operates a sheep and alpaca farm.
He previously ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2020, and for West Virginia governor in 2012 and 2016.
U.S. House of Representatives — District 1
Carol Miller (R)
Current Republican Congresswoman Carol Miller is seeking a fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. In her time there she has been a reliably Republican vote, and has voted in lockstep with the conservative Heritage Foundation’s positions on many key issues. She was rated poorly by the nonpartisan group Common Ground, which measures politicians on their actions that reach across the aisle and has an A+ rating from the anti-abortion rights group Susan B. Anthony.
Chris Bob Reed (D)
Charleston resident Chris Reed is a retired educator. He previously ran unsuccessfully as a Mountain Party candidate for the West Virginia House of Delegates in 2016.
Wes Holden (I)
Kanawha County resident Wes Holden spent most of his career working for former West Virginia senator and governor Jay Rockefeller. He previously ran unsuccessfully as a Democratic candidate for the West Virginia House of Delegates in 2016. On his website he says if elected, he’ll bring a voice to Washington that’s “unswayed by party politics,” will support veterans’ health care and benefits and leave reproductive issues like abortion up to patients and their physicians.
West Virginia Governor
Patrick Morrisey (R)
Republican Patrick Morrisey has been West Virginia’s attorney general since 2013, and is now running for governor. During his time as the Attorney General, Morrisey made a name for himself by repeated clashes with first the Obama then the Biden administration, suing the federal government over regulations he perceived as overreach. If elected governor, he says on his website he will expand broadband and eliminate the state’s income tax, as well as stop “woke-initiatives” at the West Virginia border, bar transgender women from participating in women’s sports and work to expand the state’s “culture of life” beyond birth by helping low-income parents.
Steve Williams (D)
Democrat Steve Williams has been the mayor of Huntington since 2012. In that role, he testified in the landmark 2021 trial filed on behalf of the city and county against the country’s three largest drug distributors. While the city and county lost the civil case, lawyers are currently appealing the decision. If elected governor, he said in a Ballotpedia survey that he would seek to collaborate with the Legislature, and that in his view, one of the largest challenges facing the state’s next governor is working to achieve financial stability.
Chase Linko-Looper (Mountain)
Disabled combat veteran Chase Linko-Looper is running for West Virginia governor as the Mountain Party candidate. On his website, Linko-Looper said if elected, his priorities would include campaign finance reform, instituting automatic and same-day voter registration, fully funding daycare and Pre-K programs and harnessing federal money to create union jobs in renewable energy fields like solar, wind, water and geothermal.
Erika Klie Kolenich (L)
Upshur County resident Erika Kolenich is running for governor as a Libertarian, having previously run unsuccessfully in 2020. On her website, she says if elected governor she will eliminate unnecessary business and licensing requirements, push for criminal justice reform and expand school choice.
S. Marshall Wilson (Constitution)
Berkeley County resident S. Marshall Wilson previously served two terms in the West Virginia House of Delegates from 2016 to 2020, but changed his affiliation from the Republican Party to an independent in 2019. He ran unsuccessfully for the House of Delegates as a member of the ACT party in 2022, and as an independent write-in for governor in 2020. If elected, he said he will audit each executive branch department and defend the Constitution.
West Virginia Secretary of State
Thornton Cooper (D)
South Charleston attorney Thornton Cooper spent nearly three decades working in various state agencies and is a familiar name in Kanawha County politics.
He ran unsuccessfully for the House of Delegates in 2012, 2014, 2016. In a survey he filled out for Ballotpedia, he said if elected Secretary of State, his focus will be on making it easy for West Virginians to vote, protecting election workers and streamlining the process for people to start businesses.
Kris Warner (R)
Monongalia County native Kris Warner is currently the Executive Director of the West Virginia Economic Development Authority, a position he was appointed to by Gov. Jim Justice. He is also the brother of current Secretary of State, Mac Warner. On his campaign website, he says his priorities if elected would be keeping West Virginia elections fair and free of voter fraud, making it easier to do business in the state and fighting federal overreach.
West Virginia Auditor
Mary Ann Claytor (D)
This is Kanawha County native Mary Ann Claytor’s third campaign for state auditor; she lost to current auditor JB McCuskey in the 2016 and 2020 general election. While she hasn’t previously held elected office, Claytor does have experience auditing: her campaign website says she spent 22 years working in the State Auditor’s Office, and has owned her own business helping local governments with financial management. Her platform priorities include conducting audits to identify wasteful spending, making sure education spending is helping students succeed and enhancing the state website to provide greater transparency to citizens.
Mark Hunt (R)
Charleston Republican Mark Hunt served six years in the West Virginia House of Delegates, and is currently halfway through a four year term as a West Virginia State Senator. In the race for State Auditor, Hunt is touting his support of law enforcement and lower taxes, as well as his years of service “without a hint of scandal” as key to watching over taxpayer money.
West Virginia State Treasurer
Larry Pack (R)
Republican Larry Pack is running unopposed for State Treasurer. He was appointed the Acting Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Revenue by Gov. Jim Justice in December, a position which has since become permanent. Previously, he served part of a term in the West Virginia House of Delegates representing part of Kanawha County, and resigned to become a senior advisor to Justice in 2022.
West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture
Kent Leonhardt (R)
Monongalia County farmer Kent Leonhardt is seeking a third term as West Virginia’s Agriculture Commissioner. On his website, the accomplishments he lists include doubling maple syrup production, fighting back against legislation to allow timbering in state parks and reworking all animal disease emergency action plans. If reelected, Leonhardt says he will focus on expanding agritourism, advocating for youth agriculture programs like FFA and 4-H, fighting government overreach and expanding industries like lavender production and hemp.
Deborah Stiles (D)
Tucker County native Deborah Stiles has a background as a farmer, as well as a researcher in agriculture and rural policy. If elected, she said she would focus on supporting both large and small farmers, ensuring food safety while eliminating unnecessary regulations and protecting plant and animal health.
West Virginia Attorney General
John “JB” McCuskey (R)
Harrison County native JB McCuskey is currently West Virginia’s auditor, a position he’s been in since 2017 after serving two terms in the West Virginia House of Delegates. As auditor, he’s instituted several measures to make state spending more transparent, including the West Virginia Checkbook website.
During his campaign for Attorney General, McCuskey has stressed his public service experience, and has said he would continue current Attorney General Patrick Morrisey’s work to fight the federal government over perceived overreach. McCuskey’s platform has also adopted many of the Republican party’s key issues, including opposition to abortion rights and support for the Second Amendment, law enforcement officers and coal.
Teresa Toriseva (D)
Teresa Toriseva is a Wheeling-based attorney who previously ran unsuccessfully for the House of Delegates in 2022. On her website, she touts her years of courtroom experience and being selected as a Special Assistant Attorney General nine times as preparing her to serve as West Virginia Attorney General. Her main issue is consumer protection, but she also stressed her support of individual rights to own guns and access abortion and the importance of protecting West Virginians from pharmaceutical and coal companies that violate the law.
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Despite some growing pains, voters in wealthy and politically engaged Putnam County are optimistic about their home
Constitutional amendment
This amendment would prohibit anyone, including health care providers, from participating in “the practice of medically assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing of a person.” This practice is sometimes referred to as assisted death, assisted suicide, or aid-in-dying.
This amendment would not prevent the administration or prescription of medication to alleviate pain or discomfort while the patient’s condition follows its natural course, nor does it prohibit withholding or withdrawing of life-sustaining treatment at the request of the patient or patient’s decision maker. Critics say the amendment is unnecessary because assisted suicide is already against the law in West Virginia, but supporters say the amendment provides additional protections against the practice.
A “for” vote supports amending the West Virginia Constitution to prohibit people from participating in “the practice of medically assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing of a person.”
An “against” vote opposes amending the West Virginia Constitution to prohibit people from participating in “the practice of medically assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing of a person.”
Read more about the amendment here.
Correction, Oct. 16, 2024: This portion of our Voter Guide has been updated to correct the ballot language about voting “for” or “against” the constitutional amendment.
West Virginia Legislature
Who you see on your ballot for West Virginia House and Senate depends on where you live.
Enter your address in this tool to see your district.
West Virginia State Senate
Putnam County is part of Senate District 4 and 8. The people elected to represent these districts will serve in the West Virginia Senate, where regular citizens serve part-time in Charleston. There are 34 senators in total.
To run for the West Virginia Senate, candidates have to be at least 25 years old and have lived in the state for five years. To run for the West Virginia Senate, candidates have to be at least 25 years old and have lived in the state for five years. They’re elected to four-year terms and earn a $20,000 salary for their work.
4th Senate District
8th Senate District
House of Delegates
Putnam County is part of four West Virginia House districts. Like senators, state delegates are regular citizens who serve part-time in the Legislature. However, there are more of them: 100 delegates in total.
Delegates are elected to two-year terms. Candidates have to be at least 18 years old, and have lived in their district for a year. They earn $20,000 for their work.
18th House District
19th House District
20th House District
more about the candidates
21st House District
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Where Putnam County candidates stand on issues
We asked hundreds of West Virginians what they want to hear candidates talk about as they ask for their vote. Then, we brought those questions to candidates for federal and state offices.
Here’s how they responded:
Compare the Putnam County candidates on key issues
Click a candidate name to see where they stand, or click an issue to compare all of the candidates’ answers.
Local races
Putnam County Commission
Every West Virginia county has an elected county body that governs it. These officials are elected to six-year terms; their responsibilities include overseeing county tax dollars, supervising the county election process, maintaining the county courthouse and funding county services like libraries, ambulances, fire services and trash pick up. Candidates have to be at least 18 years old, and live in the magisterial district they’re vying to represent.
Putnam County Prosecuting Attorney
Every West Virginia county has an elected prosecutor; this person is the county’s chief legal officer and handles the prosecution of all misdemeanor and felony crimes in the county. Candidates are elected to four year terms, and the only requirements are they be at least 18 years old, a resident of West Virginia and admitted to practice law by the time they file for office.
Putnam County Sheriff
Sheriffs are counties’ chief law enforcement officers, and are charged with keeping the peace. If the county has a jail, they run the jail, and duties also include enforcing court orders and acting as a bailiff during court proceedings. In addition, they collect all county taxes.
They are elected to four-year terms, and have to be at least 18 years old and a county resident.
Putnam County Assessor
The county assessor is responsible for appraising all real estate and personal property, for tax purposes. They are elected to four-year terms, and have to be at least 18 years old and a county resident.
Buffalo Mayor
Buffalo City Council
Buffalo City Recorder
These are all of the races that are listed on the West Virginia Secretary of State’s website, but there may be other local races on your ballot! For more information about Putnam County races call the Putnam County Clerk at 304-586-0202.
If you see an error in our voter guide, or want to provide more information about one of the candidates, please email us at contact@mountainstatespotlight.org.