1966 West Virginia House of Delegates election

1966 West Virginia House of Delegates election
November 8, 1966
All 100 seats in the West Virginia House of Delegates
51 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader H. Laban White George H. Seibert
(retired as leader)
Party Democratic Republican
Leader since 1965 1957
Leader's seat Harrison Co. Ohio Co.
Last election 91 seats 9 seats
Seats won 65 35
Seat change Decrease 26 Increase 26
Popular vote 963,112 841,008
Percentage 53.38% 46.62%

     Democratic hold
     Republican gain      Republican hold
Multi-member districts:      Even split

Democratic:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      90–100%
Republican:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      90–100%

Speaker before election

H. Laban White
Democratic

 Elected Speaker

H. Laban White
Democratic

Elections to the West Virginia House of Delegates were held on November 8, 1966, to elect 100 candidates to the House to serve a two-year term. The Republican Party made large gains in the chamber, picking up every seat in Wood and Ohio counties, and gaining ten of fourteen seats in Kanawha County. The Democrats fell short of a two-thirds majority, losing 26 seats, but the heavily-populated southern region and the area around Clarksburg and Morgantown remained solidly Democratic.[1]

Future Governor of West Virginia Jay Rockefeller was elected to his only term in the House, receiving the most votes out of the twenty-eight candidates in Kanawha County. On November 11, 1967, House Republicans elected Brereton C. Jones of Mason County floor leader.[2] Jones would later serve as the Democratic Governor of Kentucky.

This election used the map first drawn for the 1964 general election, using plurality block voting in districts with multiple delegates.

List of districts

District 1 • District 2 • District 3 • District 4 • District 5 • District 6 • District 7 • Barbour Co. • Boone Co. • Braxton Co. • Brooke Co. • Cabell Co. • Clay Co. • Fayette Co. • Hampshire Co. • Hancock Co. • Harrison Co. • Jackson Co. • Jefferson Co. • Kanawha Co. • Lewis Co. • Lincoln Co. • Logan Co. • Marion Co. • Marshall Co. • Mason Co. • McDowell Co. • Mercer Co. • Mineral Co. • Mingo Co. • Monongalia Co. • Monroe Co. • Nicholas Co. • Ohio Co. • Preston Co. • Putnam Co. • Raleigh Co. • Randolph Co. • Roane Co. • Summers Co. • Taylor Co. • Upshur Co. • Wayne Co. • Webster Co. • Wetzel Co. • Wood Co. • Wyoming Co.

District 1

District 1 election[3]
2 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Robert M. Steptoe (incumbent) 6,145 28.27%
Republican Wallace L. Files 5,886 27.07%
Democratic Ralph B. Hovermale (incumbent) 5,119 23.55%
Republican A. Foster Lineweaver 4,590 21.11%
Total votes 21,740 100.00%
Republican gain from Democratic

District 2

District 2 election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Larkin B. Ours (United States) 3,274 100.00%
Total votes 3,274 100.00%
Republican hold


District 3

District 3 election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Thomas J. Hawse 2,918 100.00%
Total votes 2,918 100.00%
Democratic hold

District 4

District 4 election[3]
2 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Thomas C. Edgar (incumbent) 7,134 50.47%
Democratic Richard Bowman 7,001 49.53%
Total votes 14,135 100.00%
Democratic hold


District 5

District 5 election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Forrest M. Buck (incumbent) 3,598 100.00%
Total votes 3,598 100.00%
Republican hold

District 6

District 6 election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican J. C. Powell 2,917 52.27%
Democratic F. Wayne Lanham (incumbent) 2,664 47.73%
Total votes 5,581 100.00%
Republican gain from Democratic

District 7

District 7 election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Billy B. Burke (incumbent) 3,692 53.95%
Republican James Roydice Jones 3,151 46.05%
Total votes 6,843 100.00%
Democratic hold

Barbour Co.

Barbour County election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kenneth D. Auvil (incumbent) 3,016 60.27%
Republican Orville E. Edens 1,988 39.73%
Total votes 5,004 100.00%
Democratic hold

Boone Co.

Boone County election[3]
2 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Thomas Goodwin (incumbent) 4,543 40.87%
Democratic Dennie L. Hill (incumbent) 4,543 40.87%
Republican Wetzel C. Adkins 2,031 18.27%
Total votes 11,117 100.00%
Democratic hold

Braxton Co.

Braxton County election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Paul S. Moyers (incumbent) 2,667 55.79%
Republican George M. Cooper 2,113 44.21%
Total votes 4,780 100.00%
Democratic hold

Brooke Co.

Brooke County election[3]
2 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mino R. D'Aurora (incumbent) 4,448 50.90%
Democratic Martin Ragan (incumbent) 4,291 49.10%
Total votes 8,739 100.00%
Democratic hold

Cabell Co.

Cabell County election[3]
6 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jack Bobbitt 15,396 10.07%
Democratic Robert R. Nelson (incumbent) 13,902 9.09%
Republican Jody G. Smirl 13,715 8.97%
Democratic Freda N. Paul (incumbent) 13,435 8.79%
Democratic Mike Casey (incumbent) 12,737 8.33%
Democratic Hugh A. Kincaid (incumbent) 12,488 8.17%
Republican Gerald E. Broughton 12,348 8.08%
Democratic J. Bernard Poindexter (incumbent) 12,212 7.99%
Republican Harry F. Thompson 11,935 7.81%
Democratic Donald E. Smith (incumbent) 11,814 7.73%
Republican Carl N. Woodrum 11,643 7.62%
Republican John W. Dickensheets 11,261 7.37%
Total votes 152,886 100.00%
Republican gain from Democratic

Clay Co.

Clay County election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Lane Ellis 1,506 50.05%
Republican Elmer L. Pritt 1,503 49.95%
Total votes 3,009 100.00%
Democratic hold

Fayette Co.

Fayette County election[3]
3 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Robert K. Holliday (incumbent) 8,586 23.37%
Democratic Ethel Crandall 8,256 22.47%
Democratic T. E. Myles (incumbent) 8,061 21.94%
Republican C. R. Hill Jr. 4,330 11.79%
Republican H. Don Kincaid 3,965 10.79%
Republican Harvey Layne Jr. 3,537 9.63%
Total votes 36,735 100.00%
Democratic hold

Hampshire Co.

Hampshire County election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic James B. Cookman 1,751 100.00%
Total votes 1,751 100.00%
Democratic hold

Hancock Co.

Hancock County election[3]
2 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Callie Tsapis 6,331 32.02%
Democratic George G. Griffith (incumbent) 5,734 29.00%
Republican John D. Herron 3,948 19.96%
Republican Ernest John 3,762 19.02%
Total votes 19,775 100.00%
Democratic hold

Harrison Co.

Harrison County election[3]
4 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic H. Laban White (incumbent) 12,681 15.06%
Democratic C. P. Marstiller (incumbent) 11,679 13.87%
Democratic Carmine J. Cann (incumbent) 11,465 13.61%
Democratic Donald L. Kopp (incumbent) 11,123 13.21%
Republican Charles V. Selby Jr. 9,828 11.67%
Republican Albert B. Morrison 9,450 11.22%
Republican Leon Farmer Wilson 9,017 10.71%
Republican George E. Hofford 8,987 10.67%
Total votes 84,230 100.00%
Democratic hold

Jackson Co.

Jackson County election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican B. Noel Poling (incumbent) 3,801 59.30%
Democratic Harry E.Cooke 2,609 40.70%
Total votes 6,410 100.00%
Republican hold

Jefferson Co.

Jefferson County election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Thornton W. Wilt (incumbent) 2,261 100.00%
Total votes 2,261 100.00%
Democratic hold

Kanawha Co.

Kanawha County election[3]
14 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John D. Rockefeller IV 36,789 4.63%
Republican Cleo S. Jones 32,901 4.14%
Republican Walter W. Carey 31,924 4.02%
Democratic George K. W. Woo (incumbent) 31,492 3.96%
Democratic Ivor F. Boiarsky (incumbent) 30,802 3.88%
Republican Lon Clark Kinder Sr. 29,992 3.77%
Republican Paul Zakaib 29,947 3.77%
Republican James Clay Jeter 29,721 3.74%
Democratic Si Galperin Jr. 29,429 3.70%
Republican Leo G. Kopelman 29,266 3.68%
Republican Alfred A. Lilly 28,746 3.62%
Republican Thomas E. Potter 28,704 3.61%
Republican Eric Nelson 28,333 3.57%
Republican Russell L. Davisson 28,331 3.57%
Democratic Thomas A. Knight (incumbent) 28,319 3.56%
Republican Charles Young 28,043 3.53%
Republican James W. Thornhill 27,765 3.49%
Republican William Ricks 27,480 3.46%
Republican Blanceh Horan 27,458 3.46%
Democratic Jack L. Pauley (incumbent) 26,434 3.33%
Democratic J. F. Bedell Jr. (incumbent) 26,222 3.30%
Democratic Kelly L. Castleberry (incumbent) 26,125 3.29%
Democratic Jesse S. Barker (incumbent) 26,030 3.28%
Democratic Dempsey Gibson 25,888 3.26%
Democratic Fred L. Scott (incumbent) 25,616 3.22%
Democratic James K. Thomas Jr. 24,967 3.14%
Democratic Pat Board Jr. (incumbent) 24,559 3.09%
Democratic L. E. Thompson 23,224 2.92%
Total votes 794,507 100.00%
Republican gain from Democratic

Lewis Co.

Lewis County election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Fred L. Mulneix 3,208 56.48%
Democratic Louis Go Craig (incumbent) 2,472 43.52%
Total votes 5,680 100.00%
Republican gain from Democratic

Lincoln Co.

Lincoln County election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic H. Leon Hager (incumbent) 3,826 59.62%
Republican Marion L. Priestly 2,591 40.38%
Total votes 6,417 100.00%
Democratic hold

Logan Co.

Logan County election[3]
3 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ervin S. Queen 11,645 26.22%
Democratic Earl Hager (incumbent) 10,825 24.38%
Democratic W. N. Anderson Jr. (incumbent) 10,799 24.32%
Republican William Harvey Napier 5,733 12.91%
Republican R. C. Sheets 5,408 12.18%
Total votes 44,410 100.00%
Democratic hold

Marion Co.

Marion County election[3]
3 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic W. R. Wilson 10,594 19.59%
Democratic J. E. Watson (incumbent) 9,627 17.80%
Democratic Nick Fantasia (incumbent) 8,944 16.54%
Republican Isaac Herbert Hawkins 8,529 15.77%
Republican Paul J. Lamb 8,351 15.44%
Republican James William Durham 8,034 14.86%
Total votes 54,079 100.00%
Democratic hold

Marshall Co.

Marshall County election[3]
2 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Roy H. Rogerson 6,290 27.73%
Republican Robert C. Polen 5,876 25.90%
Democratic John T. Madden (incumbent) 5,541 24.42%
Democratic Chester A. Burkey 4,979 21.95%
Total votes 22,686 100.00%
Republican gain from Democratic

Mason Co.

Mason County election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Brereton C. Jones (incumbent) 4,702 60.13%
Democratic Lawrence Plants 3,118 39.87%
Total votes 7,820 100.00%
Republican hold

McDowell Co.

McDowell County election[3]
4 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chester M. Matney 7,999 25.62%
Democratic Corbett Church (incumbent) 7,901 25.31%
Democratic Fred G. Wooten (incumbent) 7,853 25.15%
Democratic Wilfred L. Dickerson 7,466 23.91%
Total votes 31,219 100.00%
Democratic hold

Mercer Co.

Mercer County election[3]
4 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Charles E. Lohr (incumbent) 10,305 18.81%
Democratic James C. Cain (incumbent) 10,161 18.54%
Democratic Clarence C. Christian Jr. (incumbent) 9,241 16.86%
Democratic Fred Thomason 9,191 16.77%
Republican Fred O. Blue 8,592 15.68%
Republican James E. Perry 7,305 13.33%
Total votes 54,795 100.00%
Democratic hold

Mineral Co.

Mineral County election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Robert D. Harman (incumbent) 3,807 62.59%
Democratic John B. Powell 2,275 37.41%
Total votes 6,082 100.00%
Republican hold

Mingo Co.

Mingo County election[3]
2 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic T. I. Varney (incumbent) 7,146 36.94%
Democratic Robert L. Simpkins (incumbent) 6,989 36.13%
Republican HI Maynard 2,707 13.99%
Republican W. H. Osborne 2,502 12.93%
Total votes 19,344 100.00%
Democratic hold

Monongalia Co.

Monongalia County election[3]
3 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Charles S. Armistead (incumbent) 8,314 19.99%
Democratic Harry U. Howell (incumbent) 7,118 17.11%
Democratic Clifford B. Hoard 6,941 16.69%
Republican Jim Kent Jr. 6,620 15.91%
Republican Joseph A. Laurita Jr. 6,343 15.25%
Republican William D. Barnes 6,264 15.06%
Total votes 41,600 100.00%
Democratic hold

Monroe Co.

Monroe County election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic William Marion Shiflet (incumbent) 2,561 100.00%
Total votes 2,561 100.00%
Democratic hold

Nicholas Co.

Nicholas County election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Doc Frazer (incumbent) 3,295 100.00%
Total votes 3,295 100.00%
Democratic hold

Ohio Co.

Ohio County election[3]
4 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican George H. Seibert (incumbent) 14,149 16.41%
Republican Fred P. Stamp Jr. 12,400 14.38%
Republican George F. Beneke 12,020 13.94%
Republican Fred A. Grewe Jr. 11,356 13.17%
Democratic Jack R. Adams (incumbent) 10,278 11.92%
Democratic James L. Weaver 9,438 10.95%
Democratic Joseph H. Duffy 8,470 9.82%
Democratic James D. McDermott 8,109 9.41%
Total votes 86,220 100.00%
Republican gain from Democratic

Preston Co.

Preston County election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Robert C. Halbritter 4,554 68.80%
Democratic Betty Stewart 2,065 31.20%
Total votes 6,619 100.00%
Republican gain from Democratic

Putnam Co.

Putnam County election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Kenneth C. Ranson 3,843 53.92%
Democratic J. Dick Gibson (incumbent) 3,284 46.08%
Total votes 7,127 100.00%
Republican gain from Democratic

Raleigh Co.

Raleigh County election[3]
4 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Lewis N. McManus (incumbent) 10,224 14.45%
Democratic E. M. Payne III (incumbent) 9,841 13.91%
Republican Robert B. Sayre 9,054 12.80%
Democratic Mrs. W. W. Withrow (incumbent) 9,041 12.78%
Republican R. J. Lucas, Jr. 8,936 12.63%
Democratic Ben F. Williams Jr. 8,829 12.48%
Republican Robert Thomson Jr. 8,113 11.47%
Republican Ira D. Kessinger 6,700 9.47%
Total votes 70,738 100.00%
Republican gain from Democratic

Randolph Co.

Randolph County election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Earl H. Stalnaker (incumbent) 4,817 66.46%
Republican Gwendolyn D. Cupp 2,431 33.54%
Total votes 7,248 100.00%
Democratic hold

Roane Co.

Roane County election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Gene M. Ashley (incumbent) 2,793 59.74%
Democratic O. L. Starcher 1,882 40.26%
Total votes 4,675 100.00%
Republican hold

Summers Co.

Summers County election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Davis W. Ritter 2,729 100.00%
Total votes 2,729 100.00%
Democratic hold

Taylor Co.

Taylor County election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Samuel A. Morasco (incumbent) 2,187 50.09%
Republican Robert T. Conner 2,179 49.91%
Total votes 4,366 100.00%
Democratic hold

Upshur Co.

Upshur County election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Kenneth E. Queen (incumbent) 3,152 70.29%
Democratic Morris L. Hayhurst 1,332 29.71%
Total votes 4,484 100.00%
Republican hold

Wayne Co.

Wayne County election[3]
2 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Clayton C. Davidson (incumbent) 6,345 32.73%
Democratic Robert K. Flanagan 6,338 32.69%
Republican David F. Varney 3,524 18.18%
Republican Virginia Murrey Owens 3,179 16.40%
Total votes 19,386 100.00%
Democratic hold

Webster Co.

Webster County election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic A. L. Sommerville Jr. 1,984 100.00%
Total votes 1,984 100.00%
Democratic hold

Wetzel Co.

Wetzel County election[3]
1 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Evelyn Schupbach (incumbent) 3,175 51.75%
Republican Paul L. Johnson 2,960 48.25%
Total votes 6,135 100.00%
Democratic hold

Wood Co.

Wood County election[3]
4 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Robert W. Burk Jr. 13,772 16.44%
Republican William P. A. Nicely 12,801 15.28%
Republican Jim C. Butcher 11,926 14.23%
Republican Spencer K. Creel 11,719 13.99%
Democratic Eugene A. Knotts (incumbent) 9,482 11.32%
Democratic J. Douglas Ayers (incumbent) 8,629 10.30%
Democratic Charles A. Townsend 8,294 9.90%
Democratic George Barnett 7,167 8.55%
Total votes 83,790 100.00%
Republican gain from

Wyoming Co.

Wood County election[3]
2 to be elected
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic J. Paul England (incumbent) 4,715 50.49%
Democratic C. E. Allen (incumbent) 4,623 49.51%
Total votes 9,338 100.00%
Democratic hold

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ In multi-member districts, the shading of the district shapes are determined by the sum of all of the candidates' vote percentages, and the shading of the circles is determined by multiplying each elected candidate's vote percentage by the number of seats up for election.

References

  1. ↑ Barnes, Clark S. (2016). WEST VIRGINIA BLUE BOOK 2015 -2016 (PDF). Charleston, West Virginia: West Virginia Senate Clerk's Office. p. 511. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  2. ↑ 1967 West Virginia Blue Book (PDF). 1967. p. 309. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 Myers, J. Howard (1967). 1967 West Virginia Blue Book (PDF). Charleston, West Virginia. pp. 615–618. Retrieved 30 May 2026.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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