There were 46,016 registered voters eligible to vote in Jefferson County according to the report provided by Nikki Painter, the Chief Deputy Clerk of Jefferson County, following the official election canvass completed on November 12 and 13. Painter’s report shows that 29,447 ballots were cast in Jefferson County during the recent election (including election day, early voting, and absentee ballots). That number represents a turnout of 63.99% of Jefferson County’s registered voters, which is slightly lower than the 64.78% turnout rate for the 2020 election.
Early Voting Numbers
According to the daily totals compiled by Painter for the first 9 days of early voting, the breakdown was 3,478 voters with a Republican Party registration, 2,796 with a Democratic Party registration, 82 with a Libertarian Party registration, and 18 with a Mountain Party registration. There were 2,789 early voters registered with no major/minor party affiliation. The percentage turnout by party affiliation of the early voters group appears to be pretty much in line with the party affiliation split of the overall registered voter population for Republicans (36% of registered voters and Democrats (27% of registered voters). Indepenent voters (36% of registered voters) had a lower turnout for early voting (27%) than their registration numbers.
State Legislature – Jefferson County Districts
In the West Virginia State Senate, Republican Patricia Rucker will continue to represent Jefferson County. In the House of Delegates, Jefferson County will be represented by four Republican delegates: incumbents Bill Ridenour and Wayne Clark and newcomers Joe Funkhouser and Chris Anders. The final vote splits were:
- Senate: Rucker 60% – John Doyle 40%
- Delegate 100: Ridenour 53% – Maria Russo 47%
- Delegate 99: Wayne Clark 58% – Osmund Anderson 42%
- Delegate 98: Joe Funkhouser 66% – Troy Miller 34%
- Delegate 97: Chris Anders 54% – Lucia Valentine 46%
District 97 includes parts of both Berkeley and Jefferson Counties. In the Jefferson County precincts, Valentine outpolled Anders with 54% of the votes, but received only 41% of the vote in the Berkeley County precincts.Summary of contested elections in Jefferson County
Jefferson County Commission
There were four seats on the ballot for the Jefferson County Commission. The four newly elected commissioners will join sitting commissioner Steve Stolipher (Kabletown seat) for an all-Republican County Commission. The County Commission vote splits were:
- Middleway: Mike Mood 55% – Natalie Grantham Friend 45%
- Charles Town: Jack Hefestay 50% – James Walch 40%, David Tabb 10%
- Harpers Ferry: Pasha Majdi 54% – Lanae Johnson 46%
- Shepherdstown: Cara Keys 57% – Carrie Blessing 43%
Hefestay, Majdi, and Keys are all filling seats that became vacant in the past 18 months, so they assumed office immediately after the County Commission certified the results on November 19. Hefestay will serve the remaining four years of the Charles Town seat term; Majdi, who was previously serving as an appointed commissioner to fill the Charles Town seat vacated by Clare Ath, will serve the remaining two years of the Harpers Ferry seat term. Keys will serve the remaining four years of the Shepherdstown seat term. Mood will take office in early January 2025 when Commissioner Jane Tabb retires at the end of her term.
Official Vote Totals
The official vote totals are reported from the Jefferson County Clerk’s office (and Berkeley County Clerk’s office for the legislative districts that include both counties).
School Levy
- For the Levy 18,966 – passed
- Against the Levy 8,862
County Commissioner (Middleway)
- Mike Mood (Rep) 15,527 – winner
- Natalie Grantham Friend (Dem) 12,718
County Commissioner (Charles Town)
- Jack Hefestay (Rep) 14,168 – winner
- James Walch (Dem) 11,219
- David Tabb (Mtn) 2,913
County Commissioner (Harpers Ferry)
- Pasha Majdi (Rep) 14,839 – winner
- Lanae Johnson (Dem) 12,818
County Commissioner (Shepherdstown)
- Cara Keys (Rep) 15,956 – winner
- Carrie Blessing (Dem) 12,062
House of Delegates District 100 (Jefferson County)
- Bill Ridenour (Rep) 4,610 – winner
- Maria Russo (Dem) 4,027
House of Delegates District 99 (Jefferson County)
- Wayne Clark (Rep) 5,199- winner
- Osmund Anderson (Dem) 3,770
House of Delegates District 98 (Jefferson County)
- Joe Funkhouser (Rep) 5,136
- Troy Miller (Dem) 2,647
House of Delegates District 97 (Jefferson & Berkeley County)
- Chris Anders (Rep) 4,595 – winner
- 1,381 votes in Jefferson County precincts
- 3,214 votes in Berkeley County precincts
- Lucia Valentine (Dem) 3,888
- 1,641 votes in Jefferson County precincts
- 2,247 votes in Berkeley County precincts
State Senate District 16 (Jefferson & Berkeley County)
- Patricia Rucker (Rep) 31,003 – winner
- 16,221 votes in Jefferson County precincts
- 14,782 votes in Berkeley County precincts
- John Doyle (Dem) 20,648
- 12,214 votes in Jefferson County precincts
- 8,431 votes in Berkeley County precincts
Published Nov 5, 11:10 pm; Updated Nov 6 2024 at 7:00 am (unofficial results): Updated Nov 20 2024 (election canvass results)
By Steve Pearson