Mike Woelfel
Minority Leader of the West Virginia Senate
Assumed office
January 11, 2023
Preceded byStephen Baldwin
Member of the West Virginia Senate
from the 5th district
Assumed office
December 1, 2014
Serving with Robert H. Plymale
Preceded byEvan Jenkins
Personal details
Born (1954-06-21) June 21, 1954 (age 69)
Huntington, West Virginia, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseJulia Woelfel
Children2
EducationMarshall University (BA)
West Virginia University (JD)

Mike Woelfel is a Democratic member of the West Virginia Senate representing the 5th district.[1] The 5th district includes all of Cabell County and a small portion of northern Wayne County.[2] In 2022, Woelfel was chosen as Minority Leader of the Senate.[3]

Legislature

Woelfel was first elected in 2014 to succeed Evan Jenkins who left the Democratic Party and chose to run for Congress as a Republican. Woelfel's victory was a rare pick up for the Democratic Party during a year that otherwise saw major Republican gains in West Virginia.[4] In 2020, Woelfel was appointed as Minority Whip for the Senate Democratic caucus.[5] Two years later, Woelfel became the Minority Leader after his predecessor, Stephen Baldwin, lost re-election.

Personal

Woelfel maintains a private personal injury law firm with his son, Matthew Woelfel.[6] Prior to his time in the Senate, Woelfel served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Cabell County and was appointed, on a part-time basis, to a juvenile judicial office for the Supreme Court of Appeals.[6] He also served as an adjunct professor at Marshall University.[7]

Election results

West Virginia Senate District 5 (Position A) election, 2018[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mike Woelfel (incumbent) 20,305 59.66%
Republican Larry Brooke Lunsford 13,732 40.34%
Total votes 34,037 100.0%
West Virginia Senate District 5 (Position A) election, 2014[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mike Woelfel 12,511 49.80%
Republican Vicki Dunn-Marshall 11,818 47.04%
Independent Roy L. Ramey 793 3.16%
Total votes 25,122 100.0%

References

  1. ^ "Mike Woelfel (D - Cabell, 05)". West Virginia State Legislature. Retrieved 2015-02-09.
  2. ^ "West Virginia Senate District 05". West Virginia State Legislature. Retrieved 2015-02-09.
  3. ^ Hannahs, Alyssa (6 December 2022). "Senator Mike Woelfel selected W.Va. Senate minority leader". www.wsaz.com. Retrieved 2022-12-06.
  4. ^ "WV Republicans Take Over House of Delegates, Make Senate Gains". WTRF. 2014-11-05. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  5. ^ McElhinny, Brad (December 14, 2020). "Moore Capito is named W.Va. House Judiciary chairman, one of a few committee changes". West Virginia MetroNews.
  6. ^ a b "WOELFEL & WOELFEL LLP YOUR PERSONAL INJURY LAW FIRM".
  7. ^ "Michael A. Woelfel (D - Cabell, 05) Minority Whip Biography".
  8. ^ "Statewide Results: General Election - November 6, 2018". West Virginia Secretary of State. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
  9. ^ "Statewide Results: General Election - November 4, 2014". West Virginia Secretary of State. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
West Virginia Senate Preceded byStephen Baldwin Minority Leader of the West Virginia Senate 2023–present Incumbent


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