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West Virginia Senate

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The West Virginia Senate is the upper house of the West Virginia Legislature. There are 17 senatorial districts. Each district has two senators who serve staggered four year terms. The body is generally considered more conservative than the West Virginia House of Delegates. Democrats and Republicans are more evenly matched in the Senate. Women are underrepresented in the Senate.

The states districting system is unique in the United States. The state's most populous county, Kanawha County constitutes two "superimposed" districts. In practical effect this means that Kanawha County is a single district electing four members. The remaining 54 counties of the state are divided into 15 districts, with county lines not respected in most cases. Under the unique rule, no district may have more than one senator from the same county, no matter the population. This means, for example, that the 99% of the population of the sixth district residing in Cabell County can vie for only one senate seat, and the tiny portion of Wayne County in the district must have one senator. This, combined with the jerrymandering of the districts has contributed to what many observers have called the most unrepresentative districting system in the United States.

Senate President

The Senate elects its own president from its membership. As of the 77th Legislature, Earl Ray Tomblin is Senate President.

Signage in the Senate, the legislative guide, and pages on the official website of the West Virginia Legislature style the Senate President as Lieutenant Governor, though this may be somewhat of a misnomer. There is no mention of an office with this title in the West Virginia Constitution. Instead the current constitution simply states: "In case of the death, conviction or impeachment, failure to qualify, resignation, or other disability of the governor, the president of the Senate shall act as governor until the vacancy is filled, or the disability removed." In that same paragraph, the constitution states: "Whenever a vacancy shall occur in the office of governor before the first three years of the term shall have expired, a new election for governor shall take place to fill the vacancy." As the president of the Senate is neither elected with nor subordinate to the governor, as a new election for governor is required in certain instances, and as West Virginia's constitution creates no such office, the style of Lt. Governor may be inappropriate.

Floor Leadership

Committees

At the start each new Legislature, standing committees are appointed. The Senate President selects the chairpersons. The Rules of the Senate call for the following committees to be formed:

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