William Wooton
2021 - Present
2032
4
William Wooton (also known as Bill) is a judge of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. He assumed office on January 1, 2021. His current term ends on December 31, 2032.
Wooton ran for election for judge of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. He won in the general election on June 9, 2020.
Wooton first became a member of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia through a nonpartisan election. He was first elected to the court in 2020 to the seat vacated by Margaret Workman. To read more about judicial selection in West Virginia, click here.
Wooton was appointed chief justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia on January 1, 2025. His term concludes on December 31, 2025.[1]
Wooton was a Democratic member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 27, from 2008 to 2010. He also served in the chamber from 1976 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1990. From 1990 to 2000, he served in the West Virginia State Senate. He was a 2012 Democratic candidate for District 30 of the West Virginia House of Delegates. Wooton ran for the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals in 2016.[2]
Biography
William "Bill" Wooton was born in Raleigh County and lives in Beckley, West Virginia.[3] Wooton served in the West Virginia Army National Guard and the United States Army Reserve and reached the rank of colonel. He earned a bachelor's degree from Marshall University and a J.D. from West Virginia University College of Law. Wooton’s career experience includes working as an assistant prosecuting attorney with Raleigh County. Wooton also served as assistant attorney general for West Virginia from 1972 to 1974.[4]
Elections
2020
See also: West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals elections, 2020
General election
General election for Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
William Wooton defeated Joanna I. Tabit, Kris Raynes, and Jim Douglas in the general election for Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | William Wooton (Nonpartisan) | 30.8 | 117,927 |
 | Joanna I. Tabit (Nonpartisan) | 29.6 | 113,116 | |
 | Kris Raynes (Nonpartisan)  | 19.9 | 76,191 | |
 | Jim Douglas (Nonpartisan) | 19.7 | 75,247 | |
| Total votes: 382,481 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for West Virginia State Senate District 9
Rollan Roberts defeated William Wooton in the general election for West Virginia State Senate District 9 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Rollan Roberts (R) | 54.1 | 16,111 |
| William Wooton (D) | 45.9 | 13,686 | |
| Total votes: 29,797 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for West Virginia State Senate District 9
William Wooton defeated John Quesenberry, Steve Davis, and Wayne Williams in the Democratic primary for West Virginia State Senate District 9 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | William Wooton | 43.4 | 3,649 |
 | John Quesenberry | 25.8 | 2,171 | |
| Steve Davis | 20.6 | 1,731 | ||
| Wayne Williams | 10.1 | 850 | ||
| Total votes: 8,401 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for West Virginia State Senate District 9
Rollan Roberts defeated incumbent Lynne Arvon in the Republican primary for West Virginia State Senate District 9 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Rollan Roberts | 52.9 | 3,384 |
 | Lynne Arvon | 47.1 | 3,017 | |
| Total votes: 6,401 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2016
- See also: West Virginia judicial elections, 2016
Wooton was a candidate in the 2016 West Virginia judicial election. He ran against incumbent Justice Brent Benjamin, who ran as a Republican in his last partisan election. Wooton was joined in the race by former Attorney General of West Virginia and fellow Democrat Darrell V. McGraw, Jr., Republican and former Supreme Court candidate Beth Walker, and attorney Wayne King.[2] Beth Walker was the winner in the five-way general election on May 10, 2016.
Election results
| West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, Justice Benjamin's Seat, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Beth Walker |
39.62% | 162,245 |
| Darrell V. McGraw, Jr. | 23.08% | 94,538 |
| William Wooton | 20.67% | 84,641 |
| Brent Benjamin Incumbent | 12.47% | 51,064 |
| Wayne King | 4.16% | 17,054 |
| Total Votes (100% Reporting) | 409,542 | |
| Source: West Virginia Secretary of State Official Results | ||
Campaign finance
In the 2016 election, Bill Wooton, along with Justice Brent Benjamin, applied for and received public financing under West Virginia's public campaign finance law. Candidate Beth Walker challenged their receipt of the funds, claiming that they missed filing deadlines.[5] Replacement justices on the Supreme Court of Appeals heard the case after all five sitting justices recused themselves.[6] The substitute justices decided in favor of Wooten and Benjamin.[7] Benjamin accepted $483,500 from the state's Public Campaign Finance Fund, while Wooton accepted $475,000.[8]
Advertisements
According to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, the Wooton campaign spent $380,490 on ad time as of May 3, 2016.[9]
Satellite spending
The Republican State Leadership Committee has spent at least $194,600 on three ads against William Wooton and Darrell McGraw that promote Walker.[9]
2012
Wooton ran in the 2012 election for West Virginia House of Delegates, District 30. Wooton ran unopposed in the May 8 primary election and was defeated by incumbent Linda Sumner in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[10][11]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Linda Sumner Incumbent |
49.6% | 3,615 | |
| Democratic | Bill Wooton | 42.6% | 3,103 | |
| Independent | Tony Martin | 7.8% | 571 | |
| Total Votes | 7,289 | |||
2010
Wooton won re-election to the West Virginia House of Delegates District 27.
| West Virginia House of Delegates, District 27 General Election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Linda Sumner (R)
|
13,784 | 14.27% | ||
| Richard Snuffer (R)
|
12,299 | 12.73% | ||
| Rick Moye (D)
|
11,644 | 12.05% | ||
| John David O'Neal (R)
|
11,591 | 12.00% | ||
| William Wooton (D)
|
11,038 | 11.43% | ||
| Sally Susman (D) | 10,233 | 10.59% | ||
| Melvin Kessler (D) | 8,951 | 9.26 | ||
| Virginia Mahan (D) | 8,555 | 8.86 | ||
| Richard Franklin (R) | 8,516 | 8.81 | ||
| West Virginia State Senate, District 27 Democratic Primary (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Ricky Duane Moye (D)
|
4,346 | 14.89% | ||
| William Robert Wooton (D)
|
4,183 | 14.33% | ||
| Melvin Ray Kessler (D)
|
3,757 | 12.87% | ||
| Virginia Mahan (D)
|
3,670 | 12.58% | ||
| Sally Matz Susman (D)
|
3,338 | 11.44% | ||
| Burge Lee Speilman (D) | 2,952 | 10.12% | ||
2008
In 2008, Wooton was elected to the West Virginia House District 27. Wooton (D) finished with 14,962 votes.[12] Wooton raised $41,088 for his campaign fund.[13]
| West Virginia House District 27 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Linda Sumner (R)
|
17,218 | |||
| Rick Moye (D)
|
15,918 | |||
| William Wooton (D)
|
14,962 | |||
| Sally Matz Susman (D)
|
14,894 | |||
| Virginia Mahan (D)
|
12,877 | |||
| Louis Gall (D) | 12,415 | |||
| Jeffrey Pack (R) | 11,313 | |||
| Dereck Severt (R) | 10,348 | |||
| Philip Stevens (R) | 9,874 | |||
| Kevin Honaker (R) | 9,147 | |||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
William Wooton did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
State supreme court judicial selection in West Virginia
- See also: Judicial selection in West Virginia
The five justices of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals are chosen in nonpartisan statewide elections to serve 12-year terms. They must run for re-election when their terms expire.[14]
Qualifications
To serve on the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, a judge must be:
- a citizen of West Virginia for at least five years;
- at least 30 years old; and
- practiced in law for at least 10 years.[14]
Chief justice
The chief justice of the supreme court of appeals is selected by peer vote for a one-year term.[14]
Vacancies
In the event of a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement from a list of two to five qualified applicants submitted by a nominating commission.[15] The appointee serves until the next general election, at which point he or she may compete to fill the remainder of the unexpired term.[14]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ ‘'The Parkersburg News and Sentinel, "Wooton to serve as chief justice of West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals for 2025," December 31, 2024
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 WOWK TV, "West Virginia features packed ballot for 2016 election," accessed February 3, 2016
- ↑ West Virginia Judiciary, "Justice William R. Wooton," accessed August 8, 2021
- ↑ Wooton for Justice, "About Bill," accessed May 4, 2016
- ↑ MetroNews, "Quick decision: Benjamin, Wooten to get public financing money," March 23, 2016
- ↑ West Virginia Public Broadcasting, "State Supreme Court Rules Benjamin, Wooton Allowed Public Campaign Financing," March 23, 2016
- ↑ Charleston Gazette-Mail, "WV Supreme Court sides with Benjamin, Wooton on public campaign financing," March 23, 2016
- ↑ West Virginia Public Broadcasting, "Two W.Va. Supreme Court Candidates Use Public Fundraising," April 5, 2016
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Brennan Center for Justice, "Buying Time 2016 - West Virginia," May 3, 2016
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "Statewide Results - General Election - November 6, 2012," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "Statewide Results - Primary Election - May 8, 2012," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "West Virginia House election results," accessed August 8, 2021
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Campaign funds," accessed August 8, 2021
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 National Center for State Courts, "Selection of Judges," accessed August 13, 2021
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: West Virginia; Judicial Nominating Commissions," archived January 13, 2012
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia 2021-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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 |
State of West Virginia Charleston (capital) |
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