At least 79 women are running for West Virginia state legislature in the 2026 primary. (Photo by Perry Bennett/West Virginia Legislative Photography)
West Virginia’s population is 50.1% female, but only 11% of state legislators are women. The Mountain State has one of the lowest tariffs The percentage of women in the country’s state legislature is falling, but that could change after the 2026 election.
Of the 134 people in the West Virginia Legislature, only 15 are women – four Republicans in the Senate, nine Republicans in the House and the only two Democrats in the House.
But according to the West Virginia Secretary of State List of candidatesAt least 79 women are running for parliament – 60 of them are Democrats.
Of the 27 committees in the House and Senate, only seven have women in leadership positions. Leadership determines what is heard, and women on committees mean women have a voice at the table. It’s not that men can’t be compassionate, but they don’t have the same experiences as women. They are most likely the women who handle child care, teachers, and medical appointments for children and elderly parents.
And it is women who give birth. I can’t imagine a woman saying what a man said during a committee meeting last week.
Sen. Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, said perhaps one of the most outrageous things I have never heard a state legislator say this during a discussion of a bill that would ban the shipping of abortion pills to West Virginia.
“How can this not result in a woman who may be unscrupulous about having a child simply aborting it and becoming pregnant with the child, then aborting it with abortifacients just so she can file a civil lawsuit,” Tarr said. “Isn’t that an incentive for me to get $10,000 for having this civil cause of action?”
How little does Tarr think of women that his head is going there with this bill? Does Tarr actually believe that a woman would get pregnant just to have an abortion – which in uncommon cases can be life-threatening – for just $10,000? Or that a woman would make her body pregnant for even a few weeks for money?
It features three Republican women Committee — Sens. Laura Chapman, Anne Charnock and Patricia Rucker — but none of them called him out for his outlandish remarks. Perhaps because they were outnumbered 14-3, they didn’t feel comfortable speaking their minds. If there were more women represented on these committees – and I’m not saying there are more women than men, but rather an equal number – perhaps women would feel more comfortable speaking up.
But what can you expect if one of the “experts” called was a…? male high school graduates who testified that he ordered abortion pills online and was annoyed at how simple it was to get them.
Why does this lawmaker trust a teenager more than women or health professionals?
In 2018 there was one enhance of Democratic women running for office across the country in response to President Donald Trump’s actions in office. West Virginia typically lags behind on trends, so it seems like the anger has finally arrived here.
Last year we saw Trump – who was at least accused of sexual assault 18 different women – Do so many things who injured women and children:
- Cutting diversity, equity and inclusion programs
- Attempt to dismantle the US Department of Education
- Cutting funding for Medicaid
- Establish work requirements for SNAP benefits
- Sending federal agents to target immigrants and tear families apart
And on top of that, West Virginia is grappling with a severe child care shortage and a foster care crisis.
Last year and the previous yearthe legislature did nothing to support with child care. The state is at least brief 26,000 seats. This is a lack of child care Reason #1 Women left the labor market last year. When more women work, this leads to higher labor force participation overall and contributes to economic growth.
West Virginia also does not require workplaces to offer paid parental leave. This would be beneficial for both men and women, but the men who served have yet to pass such a law.
Lawmakers have refused to pass for years Raylee’s Lawthat would protect homeschooled children from abusive parents because some male lawmakers feared the law — not children — would do that abused.
We have had thousands of children here for years Careand hundreds of them have been forced out of the state because we don’t have enough beds for them here. And although some lawmakers are trying to support foster parents, the problem isn’t getting any better.
Do you see the trend here? We’ve had the same problems for years and don’t see any improvements. Restructuring could be just what the Legislature needs to finally start passing laws that actually support West Virginians.
A diverse board is good for everyone. Representation is critical when making laws. Good luck, ladies.
