Age in the 2025 West Virginia State Legislature
West Virginia Legislature in Charleston, WV – Photo courtesy of West Virginia Legislature
The State of West Virginia held its elections for the West Virginia House of Delegates and the West Virginia State Senate on November 5th, 2024. On January 8, 2025, the West Virginia Legislature officially convened the 2025 legislative session, though it immediately took a 30-day recess to allow the new governor to prepare a budget and agenda. The active session then resumed for its full 60-day run on February 12, 2025. Below is a map and data regarding the representatives within both chambers of the West Virginia Legislature who were aged 35 or younger on election day.
West Virginia Demographic Background in the 2024 Election
Preliminary estimates from CIRCLE at Tufts University indicate that 42% of young people aged 18–29 voted in the 2024 election, with turnout surpassing 50% in key battleground states. Nearly 50 million young citizens were eligible to vote nationwide, including over 8 million who turned 18 since the 2022 midterms.
According to the Pew Research Center, Millennials surpassed Baby Boomers in 2020 to become the largest generation in the U.S., making up 31% of the population, followed closely by Boomers at 30.9%. Generation X accounts for 28%, while the Silent Generation makes up just 9.9%.
The West Virginia House of Delegates 2025 Legislative Session
Below is information covering age dynamics in the recently elected members of the West Virginia House of Delegates
- The average age among West Virginia House members was 53.60 years
- The youngest Representative, Elias Coop-Gonzalez, was born in 2002
- The oldest Representative, Keith Marple, was born in 1944
- 12 Representatives are Young Elected Leaders age 35 or younger as of Election Day 2024
Generational Breakdown
Within the West Virginia House of Delegates, most representatives come from the Millennial, Generation X, or the Baby Boomer generations. Scroll below to view the generations represented in the West Virginia House of Delegates.
Partisanship in the West Virginia House of Delegates
The chart below provides a further breakdown of the current partisan composition of the 2025 West Virginia House of Delegates. Each dot represents a single member, colored by both party affiliation and whether the legislator qualifies as a Young Elected Leader (YEL)—defined as age 35 or younger at the time of the election. This format provides a visual snapshot of generational and partisan distribution within the chamber, highlighting how younger legislators are positioned across party lines.
Partisan differences in the West Virginia House extend beyond ideology to include notable generational contrasts. As shown in the visual below, Republican members have an average age of 53.5, while Democrats have a younger average age of 44.35. These disparities may reflect broader patterns in political recruitment, generational turnover, and the types of candidates emerging in recent election cycles. 
Young Elected Representatives – West Virginia House of Delegates
Following the 2024 State Legislative Elections in West Virginia, 12 members aged 35 or under were elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates. Below are all 12 members, ordered from youngest to oldest, along with information about their local districts and party affiliations.
Young Elected Representatives — West Virginia House of Delegates (Age ≤ 35)
| Name | District | Birth Year (Age) | First Elected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Elias Coop-Gonzalez (R) | District 67 — Fayetteville, WV | 2002 (Age 22) | 2022 |
 |
Joshua Allen Holstein (R) | District 32 — Romney, WV | 2001 (Age 23) | 2020 |
 |
James Willis (R) | District 3 — Brooke, WV | 2001 (Age 23) | 2022 |
 |
Jarred Alexander Cannon (R) | District 21 — Lewisburg, WV | 1998 (Age 26) | 2022 |
 |
Trenton Carl Barnhart (R) | District 9 — Saint Marys, WV | 1997 (Age 27) | 2019 |
 |
Eugene Chiarelli (R) | District 78 — Wheeling, WV | 1995 (Age 29) | 2022 |
 |
Michael Amos (R) | District 27 — Wayne, WV | 1993 (Age 31) | 2024 |
 |
Carl Robert Martin (R) | District 65 — Weston, WV | 1991 (Age 33) | 2018 |
 |
Daniel Stephen Linville (R) | District 22 — Cabell, WV | 1990 (Age 34) | 2018 |
 |
David Elliott Pritt (R) | District 50 — Oak Hill, WV | 1990 (Age 34) | 2022 |
 |
Andrew D. Shamblin (R) | District 59 — Nitro, WV | 1990 (Age 34) | 2022 |
 |
John Ryan Nelson Williams (D) | District 80 — Morgantown, WV | 1990 (Age 34) | 2020 |
Photos Courtesy of the West Virginia House member roster
Gender in the West Virginia House of Delegates
The West Virginia House of Delegates reflects a range of age and gender dynamics that help shape the composition of the state’s legislative body. In West Virginia, men make up a larger share of the chamber than women. Across all members, 89% are men, while women make up 11%. For female representatives, the average age at the time of the election was 52.26; for men, it was 55.9. Of the 12 Young Elected Leaders, 0 are female, all are male.
When examining both gender and party affiliation, additional age differences emerge within the West Virginia House of Delegates. Republican men and women have a higher average age when compared to Democrats. These patterns show that age representation in the West Virginia House of Delegates varies by both gender and partisan alignment, highlighting differing pathways to political office across demographic groups.
Race and Ethnicity in the West Virginia House of Delegates
The racial and ethnic composition of the West Virginia House of Delegates varies across generations. In 2024, younger cohorts exhibit greater diversity, although the chamber as a whole remains predominantly White. The table below shows the distribution of each generation.
Race and Ethnicity in the West Virginia House of Delegates
| Ethnicity | Generation Z 1997–2012 | Millennial Generation 1981–1996 |
Generation X 1965–1980 |
Boomer Generation 1946–1964 |
Silent Generation 1928–1945 |
Full Chamber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black / African American | 0 (0%) | 1 (3.85%) | 2 (5.13%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 3 (3.03%) |
| Hispanic / Latino | 1 (25%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (2.56%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (2.02%) |
| White / Caucasian | 3 (75%) | 25 (96.15%) | 36 (92.31%) | 27 (100%) | 3 (100%) | 94 (94.95%) |
| Total | 4 (4.04%) | 26 (26.26%) | 39 (39.39%) | 27 (27.27%) | 3 (3.03%) | 99 (100%) |
The full West Virginia House of Delegates comprises 100 seats. *Missing Ages for one member.
The West Virginia Senate
Below is information covering age dynamics in the recently elected West Virginia Senate
- The average age of West Virginia State Senate members is 54.53 years
- The youngest Senator is Bennett Montgomery Queen, born in 1995
- The oldest Senator is Donna Jean Boley, born in 1935
- 3 members of the West Virginia State Senate are Young Elected Leaders, aged 35 or younger as of Election Day 2024
Young Elected Senators in the West Virginia State Senate
Following the 2024 State Legislative Elections in West Virginia, three members aged 35 or under were elected to (and currently serve in) the West Virginia State Senate.
Young Elected Senators — West Virginia Senate (Age ≤ 35)
| Name | District | Birth Year (Age) | First Elected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Bennett Montgomery Queen (R) | District 12 — Bridgeport, WV | 1995 (Age 29) | 2022 |
 |
Patrick Stephen Martin (R) | District 12 — Johnstown, WV | 1993 (Age 31) | 2020 |
 |
Christopher Andrew Rose (R) | District 2 — Monongalia, WV | 1990 (Age 34) | 2024 |
Photos courtesy of the West Virginia Senate Member Roster.
Partisanship in the West Virginia State Senate
In the West Virginia State Senate, 31 senators belong to the Republican Party, and 2 senators are Democrats. The mean age of Democratic state senators after the 2024 election was 55.85, while the mean age of Republican state senators was 54.45. Each generation has a different partisan makeup; overall, the West Virginia State Senate is overwhelmingly composed of Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials. Below is the breakdown of party composition by generation in the West Virginia State Senate.
Gender in the West Virginia Senate
The generational makeup of the West Virginia Senate reveals notable gender dynamics. Overall, men are overrepresented across all age groups, especially among older generations. These patterns indicate that gender representation varies across generations, with women being represented in every generational cohort.
Race and Ethnicity in the West Virginia Senate
The racial and ethnic composition of the West Virginia Senate shows generational variation. The table below presents the distribution by generation.
Racial Composition — West Virginia Senate
| Race / Ethnicity | Generation Z | Millennial Generation | Generation X | Boomer Generation | Full Chamber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic / Latino | 0 (0%) | 1 (7.14%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (3.03%) |
| White / Caucasian | 8 (100%) | 13 (92.86%) | 9 (100%) | 2 (100%) | 32 (96.97%) |
| Total | 8 (24.24%) | 14 (42.42%) | 9 (27.27%) | 2 (6.06%) | 33 (100%) |
The full West Virginia State Senate comprises 33 seats.
Notes
The Young Elected Leaders Project applies the generational categorization of the Pew Research Center:
- Silent Generation: 1928 – 1945
- Baby Boomer Generation: 1946 – 1964
- Generation X: 1965 – 1980
- Millennial Generation: 1981 – 1996
- Generation Z: 1997 – 2012
This analysis is based on data from the most recent state legislative election in West Virginia, which took place on November 5th 2024.
Citation Guideline
In referencing the Young Elected Leaders Project in publication, please use the following language: “The Young Elected Leaders Project is housed at the Center for Youth Political Participation at The Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University – New Brunswick.”
Bibliographic Citation For this document
Author: Young Elected Leaders Project
Corresponding Author: George D. Quinn, Adil Khan
Year: 2024
Title: Age in the 2025 West Virginia State Legislature