Elections
2008 will be a major election year in West Virginia, with key races for Governor, Attorney General and the West Virginia Legislature. In the House of Delegates, all 100 seats are up for election, as well as one-half (17) of the seats in the West Virginia Senate. In addition, two seats on the West Virginia Supreme Court will be decided as well as all circuit court judges across the state.
2008 Election Overview - click to read
Election Resources
Political Activism
Provided are a number of “activism” tips for business people to keep in mind when getting politically involved.
1) Be Informed
- Stay abreast of issues by reading Chamber LINKS and the Chamber’s legislative reports and alerts. These will contain valuable information and background.
- If you are not sure who are the candidates, go to
Candidates (searchable) - http://www.wvsos.com/elections/candidates/data/candidatesearch.asp
Offices on the ballot - http://www.wvsos.com/elections/offices/officesdetail.htm
Political Districts and Circuits in WV - http://www.wvsos.com/elections/offices/districts.htm
To find out who represents you in the West Virginia Legislature, then go to a U.S. Chamber web site (click to see) and put in your work or home zip code or view these maps:
- State Senate
- House of Delegates
2) Register to Vote and VOTE!
If you have changed your address, are new to the state or have moved, please remember to register to vote: http://www.wvsos.com/elections/voters/registernow.htm
3) Talk to the Candidates
- When contacting a candidate about an issue, make sure you focus on one issue at a time and identify any policy or bill (S. 223) that is important to you.
- Keep interaction with candidates local, keep it personal, keep it concise. Provide specific examples of how issues or concerns you have will impact your business and employees.
- Take time to invite candidates to your work location so they can hear directly from you and your employees.
- When an issue is particularly important, write a short letter to the editor and send it to your local newspaper. These are read and trac ked by candidates.
4) Political Contributions
If you are interested in supporting a candidate, financial contributions are always appreciated and needed. In West Virginia , an individual may provide only personal financial contributions, and the maximum amount is $1,000 per candidate. Candidates are required to list the address and occupation of individuals who provide contributions of $200 or more.
Another way to participate in the political process is to provide a personal financial contribution to a political action committee (PAC). Again, the maximum amount an individual may contribute is $1,000 to a particular PAC.