West Virginia Secretary of State

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West Virginia Secretary of State

Seal of West Virginia.svg.png

General information
Office Type:  Partisan
Office website:  Official Link
Compensation:  $95,000
2024 FY Budget:  $8,156,659
Term limits:  None
Structure
Length of term:   4 years
Authority:  West Virginia Constitution, Article VII, Section 1
Selection Method:  Elected
Current Officeholder

West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner
Republican Party
Assumed office: January 16, 2017

Elections
Next election:  November 7, 2028
Last election:  November 5, 2024
Other West Virginia Executive Offices
GovernorLieutenant GovernorSecretary of StateAttorney GeneralTreasurerAuditorSuperintendent of EducationAgriculture CommissionerInsurance CommissionerNatural Resources CommissionerSecretary of CommerceCommissioner of LaborPublic Service Commission

The West Virginia Secretary of State is an elected office within the West Virginia state government. The secretary of state is responsible for overseeing the state's election process, including voter registration and election results reporting.

Because West Virginia does not have a lieutenant governor, the secretary of state assumes many of the roles traditionally reserved for the lieutenant governor in other states.[1]

West Virginia has a Republican triplex. The Republican Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.

Current officeholder

The current officeholder is Mac Warner (R). He was first elected in 2016 and assumed office on January 16, 2017.[2]

Authority

The office of secretary of state is established by Article VII of the West Virginia Constitution.

Article VII, Section 1:

The executive department shall consist of a governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, commissioner of agriculture and attorney general...

Qualifications

Article IV, Section 4 of the West Virginia Constitution establishes the qualifications of office as such:

  • a citizen entitled to vote
  • a resident of West Virginia for at least the preceding five years

No person, except citizens entitled to vote, shall be elected or appointed to any state, county or municipal office; but the governor and judges must have attained the age of thirty, and the attorney general and senators the age of twenty-five years, at the beginning of their respective terms of service; and must have been citizens of the state for five years next preceding their election or appointment, or be citizens at the time this constitution goes into operation.

Elections

West Virginia state government organizational chart

The secretary of state is a publicly elected statewide position with elections held every four years. Elections are held in November and the winner assumes office the following January.

2024

See also: West Virginia Secretary of State election, 2024

General election

General election for West Virginia Secretary of State

Kris Warner defeated Thornton Cooper in the general election for West Virginia Secretary of State on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Kris Warner
Kris Warner (R)
 
72.3
 
446,815
Image of Thornton Cooper
Thornton Cooper (D) Candidate Connection
 
27.7
 
170,991

Total votes: 617,806
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for West Virginia Secretary of State

Thornton Cooper advanced from the Democratic primary for West Virginia Secretary of State on May 14, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Thornton Cooper
Thornton Cooper Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
82,262

Total votes: 82,262
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for West Virginia Secretary of State

Kris Warner defeated Douglas Skaff, Jr., Ken Reed, and Brian Wood in the Republican primary for West Virginia Secretary of State on May 14, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Kris Warner
Kris Warner
 
45.9
 
92,911
Image of Douglas Skaff, Jr.
Douglas Skaff, Jr.
 
21.0
 
42,515
Image of Ken Reed
Ken Reed
 
16.8
 
34,101
Image of Brian Wood
Brian Wood
 
16.3
 
33,083

Total votes: 202,610
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2020

See also: West Virginia Secretary of State election, 2020

General election

General election for West Virginia Secretary of State

Incumbent Mac Warner defeated Natalie Tennant in the general election for West Virginia Secretary of State on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Mac Warner
Mac Warner (R)
 
58.3
 
447,537
Image of Natalie Tennant
Natalie Tennant (D)
 
41.7
 
320,650

Total votes: 768,187
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for West Virginia Secretary of State

Natalie Tennant advanced from the Democratic primary for West Virginia Secretary of State on June 9, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Natalie Tennant
Natalie Tennant
 
100.0
 
181,161

Total votes: 181,161
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for West Virginia Secretary of State

Incumbent Mac Warner advanced from the Republican primary for West Virginia Secretary of State on June 9, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Mac Warner
Mac Warner
 
100.0
 
179,904

Total votes: 179,904
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2016

See also: West Virginia Secretary of State election, 2016

The general election for secretary of state was held on November 8, 2016.

Mac Warner defeated incumbent Natalie Tennant and John Buckley in the West Virginia secretary of state election.

West Virginia Secretary of State, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.png Mac Warner 48.52% 335,526
     Democratic Natalie Tennant Incumbent 46.82% 323,750
     Libertarian John Buckley 4.65% 32,179
Total Votes 691,455
Source: West Virginia Secretary of State

Full history


Term limits

There are no term limits for the office.

Vacancies

Details of vacancy appointments are addressed under Article VII, Section 17 of the state constitution.

If the office of secretary of state becomes vacant, it is the duty of the governor to fill the position by appointment. The appointee serves until a new secretary of state is elected.

Text of Section 17:

Vacancies in Other Executive Departments

If the office of secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, commissioner of agriculture or attorney general shall become vacant by death, resignation, or otherwise, it shall be the duty of the governor to fill the same by appointment, and the appointee shall hold his office until his successor shall be elected and qualified in such manner as may be prescribed by law. The subordinate officers of the executive department and the officers of all public institutions of the state shall keep an account of all moneys received or disbursed by them, respectively, from all sources, and for every service performed, and make a semiannual report thereof to the governor under oath or affirmation; and any officer who shall wilfully make a false report shall be deemed guilty of perjury.

Duties

As of February 2021, the stated duties of the office were:[3]

The Secretary of State serves as the Chief Elections Officer of West Virginia and oversees the election process throughout the state along with the recording of official campaign financial records and candidate filings. The Secretary of State is a member of the State Election Commission, the Board of Public Works, and the State Armory Board.

The Secretary of State authorizes and issues licenses to private detectives, investigators, and security agencies. The Secretary is the official administrator of the Uniform Commercial Code, the official administrator of the Farm Lien Program and is responsible for the administration of the “Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act.” The Secretary of State acts as the statutory attorney-in-fact for service of process for corporations, limited liability companies, and limited partnerships for state agencies.

The Secretary of State is the keeper of the executive journal, an official record of state government, maintaining records of all the official actions of the Governor.

The Secretary of State’s Office registers corporations and limited liability companies, both profit and nonprofit, issuing certificates of incorporation for the creation of all domestic corporations and certificates of authority to foreign corporations to transact business in West Virginia. The Secretary of State’s Office also registers limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, voluntary associations, business trusts, credit service organizations, athlete agents, marriage celebrants, notaries public and commissioners.

The Secretary of State’s Office houses the Code of State Rules and maintains filing of all rules, grievance decisions, ethics opinions, meeting notices, and also maintains a record of all enrolled bills originated and passed in the Legislature. The Secretary of State is the keeper of the seals of the State.[4]

Divisions

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the West Virginia Secretary of State has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.

State budget

See also: West Virginia state budget and finances

The budget for the Secretary of State's Office in Fiscal Year 2024 was $8,156,659.[5]

Compensation

See also: Compensation of state executive officers

Article 7, Section 19 of the state constitution defines the method by which the secretary of state's compensation is set:

The officers named in this article shall receive for their services a salary to be established by law, which shall not be increased or diminished during their official terms, and they shall not, after they shall not, after the expirations of the terms of those in office at the adoption of this amendment, receive to their own use any fees, costs, perquisites of office or other compensation, and all fees that may hereafter be payable by law, for any service performed by any officer provided for in this article of the Constitution, shall be paid in advance into the state treasury.


Chapter 6, Article 7-2 of the West Virginia Code lays out the exact compensation for certain state officers. According to this section of the state code, the salary of the secretary of state, beginning in 2009 and for each calendar year thereafter, shall be $95,000.[6]

2022

In 2022, the officer's salary was $95,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[7]

2021

In 2021, the secretary of state received a salary of $95,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]

2020

In 2020, the secretary of state received a salary of $95,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[9]

2019

In 2019, the secretary of state received a salary of $95,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[10]

2018

In 2018, the secretary of state received a salary of $95,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[11]

2017

In 2017, the secretary of state received a salary of $95,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[12]

2016

In 2016, the secretary of state received a salary of $95,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[13]

2015

In 2015, the secretary of state received a salary of $95,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[14]

2014

In 2014, the secretary received a salary of $95,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[15]

2013

In 2013, the secretary received a salary of $95,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[16]

2012

In 2012, the secretary received a salary of $95,000 according to the Council of State Governments.

2010

In 2010, the secretary received a salary of $95,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[17]

Historical officeholders

Since 1863, West Virginia has had 30 secretaries of state.[18]

Click "show" for former officeholders.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms West Virginia Secretary of State. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Contact information

West Virginia

Capitol Address:
State Capitol Building
Charleston, WV 25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900

See also

West Virginia State Executive Elections News and Analysis
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West Virginia State Executive Offices
West Virginia State Legislature
West Virginia Courts
2025202420232022202120202019201820172016
West Virginia elections: 2025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Party control of state government
State government trifectas
State of the state addresses
Partisan composition of governors

External links

Footnotes

  1. West Virginia Secretary of State, "Homepage," accessed February 1, 2021
  2. West Virginia Secretary of State, "Biography," accessed February 1, 2021
  3. West Virginia Secretary of State, "Duties," accessed February 1, 2021
  4. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  5. West Virginia Legislature, "Committee Substitute for House Bill 2024," accessed December 6, 2023
  6. West State Legislature, "West Virginia Code," accessed February 1, 2021
  7. Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
  8. Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 28, 2022
  9. Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed February 1, 2021
  10. Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed February 1, 2021
  11. Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed February 1, 2021
  12. Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed February 1, 2021
  13. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
  14. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
  15. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 8, 2014
  16. Council of State Governments, "Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 31, 2014
  17. The Council of State Governments, "The Book of States 2010 Table 4.11," accessed June 7, 2011
  18. West Virginia Secretary of State, "Past Secretaries of State" accessed February 1, 2021