# West Virginia's 2nd congressional district

West Virginia's 2nd congressional district consists of the northern half of the state. It contains Barbour, Berkeley, Brooke, Doddridge, Grant, Hampshire, Hancock, Hardy, Harrison, Jefferson, Lewis, Marion, Marshall, Mineral, Monongalia, Morgan, Ohio, Pleasants, Preston, Randolph, Ritchie, Taylor, Tucker, Tyler, Upshur, Wetzel, and Wood counties.
The district is currently represented by Riley Moore, a Republican.
The legislature placed both the previous 1st district congressman David McKinley and the previous 2nd district congressman Alex Mooney in the new 2nd district, setting up a Republican primary race between Mooney and McKinley. The new 2nd was geographically and demographically more McKinley's district, making McKinley the de facto incumbent. However, in the Republican Primary held on May 10, 2022, Mooney, who was endorsed by Donald Trump, easily defeated McKinley, who was endorsed by Democrat Joe Manchin 54% to 36%, with three minor candidates receiving the balance. Mooney then easily won the general election.

## History

The second district as originally formed in 1863 included Taylor, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Tucker, Barbour, Upshur, Webster, Pocahontas, Randolph, Pendleton, Hardy, Hampshire, Berkeley, and Morgan counties (Jefferson county's status in the state was still in dispute, and Grant and Mineral counties were still part of other counties, but the modern territory of all was also included). It was essentially the successor of Virginia's 10th congressional district. The district was unchanged for 1882.
In 1902, the district was changed to Monongalia, Preston, Tucker, Taylor, Barbour, Tucker, Randolph, Pendleton, Grant, Hardy, Mineral, Hampshire, Morgan, Berkeley, and Jefferson counties. The district was unchanged for 1916. Taylor was removed for 1934. The district was again unchanged for 1954. In 1962 Upshur, Webster, Pocahontas, and Greenbrier counties were added. In 1972, Lewis, Monroe, Summers, and Fayette were added. In 1982, Barbour was added.
1992 saw the district consist of Berkeley, Braxton, Calhoun, Clay, Glimer, Hampshire, Hardy, Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lewis, Mason, Morgan, Nicholas, Pendleton, Putnam, Randolph, Roane, Upshur, and Wirt counties. In 2002, Gilmer and Nicholas were removed and for the election cycle beginning in 2012, Mason was removed.
Responding to the 2020 census, the district was reconstituted to contain Barbour, Berkeley, Brooke, Doddridge, Grant, Hampshire, Hancock, Hardy, Harrison, Jefferson, Lewis, Marion, Marshall, Mineral, Monongalia, Morgan, Ohio, Pleasants, Preston, Randolph, Ritchie, Taylor, Tucker, Tyler, Upshur, Wetzel, and Wood.

## Composition

For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), the district contains all of the following counties:
| # | County | Seat | Population |
| 1 | Barbour | Philippi | 15,378 |
| 3 | Berkeley | Martinsburg | 132,440 |
| 9 | Brooke | Wellsburg | 21,373 |
| 17 | Doddridge | West Union | 7,680 |
| 23 | Grant | Petersburg | 10,921 |
| 27 | Hampshire | Romney | 23,649 |
| 29 | Hancock | New Cumberland | 28,145 |
| 31 | Hardy | Moorefield | 14,251 |
| 33 | Harrison | Clarksburg | 64,639 |
| 37 | Jefferson | Charles Town | 59,787 |
| 41 | Lewis | Weston | 16,500 |
| 49 | Marion | Fairmont | 55,807 |
| 51 | Marshall | Moundsville | 29,405 |
| 57 | Mineral | Keyser | 26,867 |
| 61 | Monongalia | Morgantown | 107,718 |
| 65 | Morgan | Berkeley Springs | 17,649 |
| 69 | Ohio | Wheeling | 41,194 |
| 73 | Pleasants | St. Marys | 7,428 |
| 77 | Preston | Kingwood | 34,099 |
| 83 | Randolph | Elkins | 27,350 |
| 85 | Ritchie | Harrisville | 8,167 |
| 91 | Taylor | Grafton | 16,388 |
| 93 | Tucker | Parsons | 6,604 |
| 95 | Tyler | Middlebourne | 7,919 |
| 97 | Upshur | Buckhannon | 23,529 |
| 103 | Wetzel | New Martinsville | 13,890 |
| 107 | Wood | Parkersburg | 83,052 |

## Recent election results from statewide races

| Year | Office | Results |
| 2008 | President | McCain 56% - 41% |
| 2012 | President | Romney 63% - 37% |
| 2016 | President | Trump 68% - 27% |
| 2016 | Governor | Cole 48% - 43% |
| 2016 | Attorney General | Morrisey 55% - 37% |
| 2018 | Senate | Morrisey 48% - 47% |
| 2020 | President | Trump 68% - 31% |
| 2020 | Senate | Moore Capito 69% - 27% |
| 2020 | Governor | Justice 63% - 29% |
| 2020 | Attorney General | Morrisey 65% - 35% |
| 2020 | Auditor | McCuskey 67% - 33% |
| 2020 | Secretary of State | Warner 59% - 41% |
| 2020 | Treasurer | Moore 61% - 39% |
| 2024 | President | Trump 69% - 29% |
| 2024 | Senate | Justice 68% - 29% |
| 2024 | Governor | Morrisey 63% - 30% |
| 2024 | Attorney General | McCuskey 68% - 32% |
| 2024 | Auditor | Hunt 68% - 32% |
| 2024 | Secretary of State | Warner 70% - 30% |

## List of members representing the district

| Member | Party | Dates | Cong ress | Electoral history |
| District established December 7, 1863 |||||
| William G. Brown Sr. (Kingwood) | Union | December 7, 1863 – March 3, 1865 | 38th | Elected in 1863. Retired. |
| George R. Latham (Grafton) | Union | March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1867 | 39th | Elected in 1864. Retired. |
| Bethuel Kitchen (Martinsburg) | Republican | March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1869 | 40th | Elected in 1866. Retired. |
| James McGrew (Kingwood) | Republican | March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1873 | 41st 42nd | Elected in 1868. Re-elected in 1870. Retired. |
| John Hagans (Morgantown) | Republican | March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875 | 43rd | Elected in 1872. Lost re-election as an Independent. |
| Charles J. Faulkner (Martinsburg) | Democratic | March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877 | 44th | Elected in 1874. Retired to run for U.S. senator. |
| Benjamin F. Martin (Pruntytown) | Democratic | March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1881 | 45th 46th | Elected in 1876. Re-elected in 1878. Lost renomination. |
| John B. Hoge (Martinsburg) | Democratic | March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1883 | 47th | Elected in 1880. Retired. |
| William Lyne Wilson (Charles Town) | Democratic | March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1895 | 48th 49th 50th 51st 52nd 53rd | Elected in 1882. Re-elected in 1884. Re-elected in 1886. Re-elected in 1888. Re-elected in 1890. Re-elected in 1892. Lost re-election. |
| Alston G. Dayton (Philippi) | Republican | March 4, 1895 – March 16, 1905 | 54th 55th 56th 57th 58th 59th | Elected in 1894. Re-elected in 1896. Re-elected in 1898. Re-elected in 1900. Re-elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Resigned when appointed as a judge of US District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia |
| Vacant | Vacant | March 16, 1905 – June 6, 1905 | 59th | |
| Thomas Beall Davis (Keyser) | Democratic | June 6, 1905 – March 3, 1907 | 59th | Elected to finish Dayton's term. Retired. |
| George Cookman Sturgiss (Morgantown) | Republican | March 4, 1907 – March 3, 1911 | 60th 61st | Elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Lost re-election. |
| William Gay Brown Jr. (Kingwood) | Democratic | March 4, 1911 – March 9, 1916 | 62nd 63rd 64th | Elected in 1910. Re-elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Died. |
| Vacant | Vacant | March 9, 1916 – May 9, 1916 | 64th | |
| George Meade Bowers (Martinsburg) | Republican | May 9, 1916 – March 3, 1923 | 64th 65th 66th 67th | Elected to finish Brown's term. Re-elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Lost re-election. |
| Robert E. Lee Allen (Morgantown) | Democratic | March 4, 1923 – March 3, 1925 | 68th | Elected in 1922. Lost re-election. |
| Frank Llewellyn Bowman (Morgantown) | Republican | March 4, 1925 – March 3, 1933 | 69th 70th 71st 72nd | Elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Lost re-election. |
| Jennings Randolph (Elkins) | Democratic | March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1947 | 73rd 74th 75th 76th 77th 78th 79th | Elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Lost re-election. |
| Melvin C. Snyder (Kingwood) | Republican | January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949 | 80th | Elected in 1946. Lost re-election. |
| Harley Orrin Staggers (Keyser) | Democratic | January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1981 | 81st 82nd 83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th 88th 89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th 96th | Elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Retired. |
| Cleve Benedict (Lewisburg) | Republican | January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1983 | 97th | Elected in 1980. Retired to run for U.S. senator. |
| Harley O. Staggers Jr. (Keyser) | Democratic | January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1993 | 98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd | Elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Redistricted to the 1st district and lost renomination. |
| Bob Wise (Clendenin) | Democratic | January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2001 | 103rd 104th 105th 106th | Redistricted from the 3rd district and re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Retired to run for Governor of West Virginia. |
| Shelley Moore Capito (Charleston) | Republican | January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2015 | 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th | Elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Retired to run for U.S. senator. |
| Alex Mooney (Charles Town) | Republican | January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2025 | 114th 115th 116th 117th 118th | Elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Retired to run for U.S. senator. |
| Riley Moore (Harpers Ferry) | Republican | January 3, 2025 – present | 119th | Elected in 2024. |

## Recent election results
### 2000s

2000 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Shelley Moore Capito | 108,769 | 48.49 |
| | Democratic | Jim Humphreys | 103,003 | 45.92 |
| | Libertarian | John Brown | 12,543 | 5.59 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 224,315 | 100.00 |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |
2002 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 98,276 | 60.04 |
| | Democratic | Jim Humphreys | 65,400 | 39.96 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 163,676 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2004 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 147,676 | 57.46 |
| | Democratic | Erik Wells | 106,131 | 41.29 |
| | Mountain | Julian Martin | 3,218 | 1.25 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 257,025 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2006 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 94,110 | 57.18 |
| | Democratic | Mike Callaghan | 70,470 | 42.82 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 164,580 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2008 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 147,334 | 57.07 |
| | Democratic | Anne Barth | 110,819 | 42.92 |
| | Write-ins | | 16 | 0.01 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 258,169 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2010s

2010 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 126,814 | 68.46 |
| | Democratic | Virginia Lynch Graf | 55,001 | 29.69 |
| | Constitution | Phil Hudok | 3,431 | 1.85 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 185,246 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2012 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 158,206 | 69.8 |
| | Democratic | Howard Swint | 68,560 | 30.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 226,766 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2014 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Alex X. Mooney | 72,619 | 47.1 |
| | Democratic | Nick Casey | 67,687 | 43.9 |
| | Libertarian | Davy Jones | 7,682 | 5.0 |
| | Independent | Ed Rabel | 6,250 | 4.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 154,238 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2016 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Alex Mooney (incumbent) | 140,807 | 58.2 |
| | Democratic | Mark Hunt | 101,207 | 41.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 242,014 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2018 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Alex Mooney (incumbent) | 110,504 | 53.9 |
| | Democratic | Talley Sergent | 88,011 | 43.0 |
| | Mountain | Daniel Lutz | 6,277 | 3.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 204,792 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2020s

2020 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Alex Mooney (incumbent) | 172,195 | 63.1 |
| | Democratic | Cathy Kunkel | 100,799 | 36.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 272,994 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2022 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Alex Mooney (incumbent) | 160,493 | 65.6 |
| | Democratic | Barry Lee Wendell | 84,278 | 34.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 244,771 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |