Evan Jenkins

Evan Jenkins

Nonpartisan

Prior offices

West Virginia House of Delegates

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West Virginia State Senate District 5

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U.S. House West Virginia District 3

Successor: Carol Miller

Predecessor: Nick Rahall

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Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia

Successor: Alan D. Moats

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Elections and appointments

Last election

November 6, 2018

Education

Bachelor's

University of Florida, 1983

Law

Cumberland School of Law, 1987

Personal

Religion

Christian: Presbyterian

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Personal LinkedIn

Evan Jenkins was a judge of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. He assumed office on October 1, 2018. He left office on February 6, 2022.

Jenkins ran in a special election for judge of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. He won in the special general election on November 6, 2018.

Jenkins (Republican Party) also ran for election to the U.S. Senate to represent West Virginia. He lost in the Republican primary on May 8, 2018.

Jenkins was elected by his peers to succeed Tim Armstead as chief justice of the court. His term as chief began on January 1, 2021, and ended January 1, 2022.^[1]

Jenkins first became a member of the court by appointment. Gov. Jim Justice (R) appointed him to temporarily replace retired Justice Robin Davis until the special election.^[2][3] To read more about judicial selection in West Virginia, click here.

Jenkins resigned from Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia in February 2022 to return to private practice.^[4]

In 2020, Ballotpedia published Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship, a study examining the partisan affiliation of all state supreme court justices in the country. As part of this study, we assigned each justice a Confidence Score describing our confidence in the degree of partisanship exhibited by the justices' past partisan behavior, before they joined the court.^[5] Jenkins received a confidence score of Mild Republican.^[6] Click here to read more about this study.

Jenkins was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2015 to 2018.^[7] He was first elected to represent West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District in 2014, after switching his political affiliation from Democratic to Republican.^[8]

Jenkins served in the West Virginia State Senate, representing District 5, from 2003 to 2014.

Biography

Jenkins earned his B.S. in business administration from the University of Florida in 1983 and his J.D. from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 1987.^[9]

Jenkins worked for Jenkins Fenstermaker Professional Limited Liability Company. He served in the West Virginia House of Delegates from 1994 to 1998. Jenkins was then executive director of the West Virginia State Medical Association from 1999 to 2015 and a state senator from 2002 to 2014.^[10] From 2015 to 2018, Jenkins served in the U.S. House. In 2018, he lost the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, was appointed to the state court of appeals, and won a special election to remain on the court.^[9]

Jenkins' experience also includes working as an attorney and as an instructor teaching business law at Marshall University.^[3]

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2017-2018

At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Jenkins was assigned to the following committees:^[11]

• Committee on Appropriations

2015-2016

Jenkins served on the following committees:^[12]

• Appropriations Committee
  • Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch
  • Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies

West Virginia Senate

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Jenkins served on the following committees:

2011-2012

During the 2011-2012 legislative session, Jenkins served on the following committees:

2009-2010

During the 2009-2010 legislative session, Jenkins served on the following committees:

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018

For detailed information about each vote, click here.

• Votes on domestic policy (click to expand)

  Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (Conference report) (HR 2)

   Bill Passed (369-47) on December 12, 2018

  Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance through fiscal year 2023.^[13]

  Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2 (second vote))

   Bill Passed (213-211) on June 21, 2018

  Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance. It also proposed modifying the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously known as the food stamp program.^[14]

  Voted Yea on: Securing America’s Future Act of 2018 (HR 4760)

   Bill Failed (193-231) on June 21, 2018

  Proposed funding a border wall, limiting legal immigration, a mandatory worker verification program, allowing DACA recipients to apply for legal status, and preventing separation of families at the border.^[15]

  Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2)

   Bill Passed (369-47) on December 12, 2018

  Reauthorizes through FY2023 and modifies some Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs.^[16]

  Voted Yea on: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (HR 36)

   Bill Passed (237-189) on October 3, 2017

  Proposed amending the federal criminal code to make it a crime for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus was 20 weeks or more. The bill provided exceptions for an abortion: (1) that was necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest.^[17]

  Voted Yea on: Kate's Law (HR 3004)

   Bill Passed (257-167) on June 29, 2017

  Proposed increasing criminal penalties for individuals in the country illegally who were convicted of certain crimes, deported, and then re-entered the U.S. illegally.^[18]

  Voted Yea on: No Sanctuary for Criminals Act (HR 3003)

   Bill Passed (228-195) on June 29, 2017

  Proposed withholding federal funds from states and localities that chose not to follow federal immigration laws.^[19]

  Voted Yea on: American Health Care Act of 2017 (HR 1628)

   Bill passed (217-213) on May 4, 2017

  Proposed modifying the budgetary and fiscal provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare.^[20]

• Votes on economic affairs and regulations (click to expand)

  Did not vote on: Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (Conference report) (HR 6157)

   Bill Passed (361-61) on September 26, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education.^[21]

  Did not vote on: Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019 (Conference report) (HR 5895)

   Bill Passed (377-20) on September 13, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs.^[22]

  Voted Yea on: Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (HR 6157)

   Bill Passed (359-49) on June 28, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education.^[23]

  Voted Yea on: Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019 (HR 5895)

   Bill Passed (235-179) on June 8, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs.^[24]

  Voted Yea on: Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S 2155)

   Bill Passed (258-159) on May 22, 2018

  Proposed exempting some banks from the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act^[25]

  Voted Yea on: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1625)

   Bill Passed (256-167) on March 22, 2018

  Proposed providing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes.^[26]

  Voted Yea on: The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (HR 1892)

   Bill Passed (240-186) on February 9, 2018

  Proposed providing appropriations through March 23, 2018.^[27]

  Voted Yea on: Further Extension Of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1892)

   Bill Passed (245-182) on February 6, 2018

  Proposed providing appropriations through March 23, 2018.^[28]

  Voted Yea on: Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. (HR 195)

   Bill Passed (266-150) on January 22, 2018

  Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018.^[29]

  Voted Yea on: Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. (HR 195)

   Bill Passed (230-197) on January 18, 2018

  Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 16, 2018.^[30]

  Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1370)

   Bill Passed (231-188) on December 21, 2017

  Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018.^[31]

  Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)

   Bill Passed (227-203) on December 19, 2017

  Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018.^[32]

  Voted Yea on: Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes (HJ Res 123)

   Bill Passed (235-193) on December 7, 2017

  Proposed funding the government until December 22, 2017.^[33]

  Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)

   Bill Passed (227-205) on November 16, 2017

  Proposed amending the Internal Revenue Code to reduce tax rates and modify policies, credits, and deductions for individuals and businesses.^[34]

  Voted Yea on: Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)

   Bill Passed (216-212) on October 26, 2017

  Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2018 and setting forth budgetary levels for FY2019-FY2027. (This bill proposed adopting the Senate's budget resolution.)^[35]

  Voted Yea on: Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)

   Bill Passed (219-206) on October 5, 2017

  Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2018 and setting forth budgetary levels for FY2019-FY2027.^[36]

  
  

  Voted Yea on: Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 3354)

   Bill Passed (211-198) on September 14, 2017

  Proposed providing FY2018 appropriations for the federal government. It combined 12 appropriations bills.^[37]

  Voted Nay on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (Included amendments to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government) (HR 601)

   Bill Passed (316-90) on September 8, 2017

  Proposed suspending the debt ceiling and funding the government until December 8, 2017, and providing funding for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma relief efforts.^[38]

  Voted Yea on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (HR 601)

   Bill Passed (419-3) on September 6, 2017

  Proposed providing $7.85 billion for disaster relief requirements, including response and recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey.^[39]

  Voted Yea on: Financial CHOICE Act of 2017 (HR 10)

   Bill passed (233-186) on June 8, 2017

  Proposed amending the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, among other acts.^[40]

  Voted Yea on: Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 (HR 244)

   Bill passed (309-118) on May 3, 2017

  Proposed a $1.2 trillion budget to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2017.^[41]

• Votes on foreign policy and national security issues (click to expand)

  Did not vote on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (HR 5515)

   Bill Passed (351-66) on May 24, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities^[42]

  Voted Yea on: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 695)

   Bill Passed (250-166) on January 30, 2018

  Proposed providing appropriations for military functions administered by the Department of Defense and for other purposes, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018.^[43]

  
  

  Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018—Conference report (HR 2810)

   Bill Passed (356-70) on November 14, 2017

  Proposed authorizing FY2018 appropriations and setting forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths.^[44]

  Voted Yea on: Make America Secure Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 3219)

   Bill Passed (235-192) on July 27, 2017

  Proposed making appropriations for defense, military construction, Veterans Affairs, the Legislative Branch, energy and water development, and for other purposes for the fiscal year ending on September 30, 2018.^[45]

  Voted Yea on: Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (HR 3364)

   Bill Passed (419-3) on July 25, 2017

  Proposed providing congressional review and measures to counter aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes.^[46]

  Voted Yea on: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 3180, second vote)

   Bill Passed (380-35) on July 28, 2017

  Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes.^[47]

  Did not vote on: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 3180)

   Bill Failed (241-163) on July 24, 2017

  Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes.^[48]

  Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 2810)

   Bill Passed (344-81) on July 14, 2017

  Proposed authorizing fiscal year 2018 appropriations and setting forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It did not provide budget authority.^[49]

  Voted Yea on: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017 (HR 1301)

   Bill passed (371-48) on March 8, 2017

  The $577.9 billion fiscal year 2017 defense spending bill proposed $516.1 billion in base budget funding and $61.8 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations/ Global War on Terrorism funding.^[50]

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes (click "show" to expand or "hide" to contract)

114th Congress The first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.[51][52] For more information pertaining to Jenkins's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections.[53] Economic and fiscal Trade Act of 2015 See also: The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, 2015 Trade adjustment assistance On June 12, 2015, the House rejected the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015—by a vote of 126-302. Trade adjustment assistance (TAA) is a federal program providing American workers displaced by foreign trade agreements with job training and services. The measure was packaged with trade promotion authority (TPA), also known as fast-track authority. TPA is a legislative procedure that allows Congress to define "U.S. negotiating objectives and spells out a detailed oversight and consultation process for during trade negotiations. Under TPA, Congress retains the authority to review and decide whether any proposed U.S. trade agreement will be implemented," according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Jenkins was one of 158 Republicans to vote against TAA.[54][55] Trade promotion authority On June 12, 2015, the House passed the trade promotion authority (TPA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015—by a vote of 219-211. TPA gives the president fast-track authority to negotiate trade agreements sent to Congress without the opportunity for amendment or filibuster. Although the House approved TPA, it was a largely symbolic vote given the measure was part of a package trade bill including trade adjustment assistance (TAA), which was rejected earlier the same day. Jenkins was one of 54 Republicans to vote against the measure.[56][57] Trade promotion authority second vote After the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) and trade promotion authority (TPA) did not pass the House together on June 12, 2015, representatives voted to authorize TPA alone as an amendment to HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—on June 18, 2015. The amendment passed by a vote of 218-208, with all voting members of the House maintaining their original positions on TPA except for Ted Yoho (R-Fla.). Jenkins was one of 50 Republicans to vote against the amendment.[58][59] Trade adjustment assistance second vote The House passed HR 1295—the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015—on June 25, 2015, by a vote of 286-138. The Senate packaged trade adjustment assistance (TAA) in this bill after the House rejected the TAA measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015. Along with trade promotion authority (TPA), which Congress passed as part of HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—TAA became law on June 29, 2015. Jenkins was one of 111 Republicans to vote in favor of HR 1295.[60][61] Defense spending authorization On May 15, 2015, the House passed HR 1735—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 269-151. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Jenkins voted with 227 other Republicans and 41 Democrats to approve the bill.[62] The Senate passed the bill on June 18, 2015, by a vote of 71-25. President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015.[63] On November 5, 2015, the House passed S 1356—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 370-58. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included $5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison.[64][65] Jenkins voted with 234 other Republicans and 135 Democrats to approve the bill.[66] On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 91-3, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015.[67] 2016 Budget proposal On April 30, 2015, the House voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 226-197. The non-binding resolution was designed to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. All 183 Democrats who voted, voted against the resolution. Jenkins voted with 225 other Republicans to approve the bill.[68][69][70] 2015 budget On October 28, 2015, the House passed HR 1314—the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015—by a vote of 266-167. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017.[71] Jenkins voted with 166 Republicans against the bill.[72] It passed the Senate on October 30, 2015.[73] President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015. Foreign Affairs Iran nuclear deal See also: Iran nuclear agreement, 2015 On May 14, 2015, the House approved HR 1191—the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 400-25. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove, or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Jenkins voted with 222 other Republican representatives to approve the bill.[74][75] Approval of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action On September 11, 2015, the House rejected HR 3461—To approve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at Vienna on July 14, 2015, relating to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 162-269. The legislation proposed approving the nuclear agreement with Iran. Jenkins voted with 243 Republicans and 25 Democrats against the bill.[76][77] Suspension of Iran sanctions relief On September 11, 2015, the House approved HR 3460—To suspend until January 21, 2017, the authority of the President to waive, suspend, reduce, provide relief from, or otherwise limit the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 247-186. HR 3460 prohibited "the President, prior to January 21, 2017, from: limiting the application of specified sanctions on Iran or refraining from applying any such sanctions; or removing a foreign person (including entities) listed in Attachments 3 or 4 to Annex II of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) from the list of designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Asset Control of the Department of the Treasury." Jenkins voted with 244 Republicans and two Democrats for the bill.[78][79] Presidential non-compliance of section 2 On September 10, 2015, the House passed H Res 411—Finding that the President has not complied with section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 245-186. Section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 required the president to submit all materials related to the nuclear agreement for congressional review. House Republicans introduced the resolution because two agreements between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran were not submitted to Congress. Jenkins voted with 244 Republicans for the resolution.[80][81] Export-Import Bank On October 27, 2015, the House passed HR 597—the Export-Import Bank Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2015—by a vote of 313-118. The bill proposed reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank and allowing it to resume offering assistance in the form of loans and insurance to foreign companies that wanted to buy U.S. goods.[82] Jenkins voted with 126 Republicans and 186 Democrats in favor of the bill.[83] Domestic USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 2048—the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015—by a vote of 338-88. The legislation revised HR 3199—the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005—by ending the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Jenkins voted with 195 Republicans and 142 Democrats to approve the legislation. It became law on June 2, 2015.[84][85] Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 36—the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act—by a vote of 242-184. The bill proposed prohibiting abortions from being performed after a fetus was determined to be 20 weeks or older. The bill proposed exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. Jenkins voted with 237 Republicans in favor of the bill.[86][87] Cyber security On April 23, 2015, the House passed HR 1731—the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015—by a vote of 355-63. The bill proposed creating an information sharing program that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. It also proposed including liability protections for companies.[88] Jenkins voted with 219 Republicans and 135 Democrats to approve the bill.[89] On April 22, 2015, the House passed HR 1560—the Protecting Cyber Networks Act—by a vote of 307-116.[90] The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Jenkins voted with 201 Republicans and 105 Democrats in favor of the bill.[91] Immigration On November 19, 2015, the House passed HR 4038—the American SAFE Act of 2015—by a vote of 289-137.[92] The bill proposed instituting additional screening processes for refugees from Iraq and Syria who applied for admission to the U.S. Jenkins voted with 241 Republicans and 47 Democrats in favor of the bill.[93]

Obamacare

Jenkins supported the repeal of Obamcare, and stated that he would replace the law.^[94]

Cap and trade

Jenkins opposed federal cap and trade restrictions on coal emissions.^[95]

Elections

2018

Court of Appeals special election

See also: West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals special elections, 2018

General election

Special general election for Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia

The following candidates ran in the special general election for Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Evan Jenkins (Nonpartisan)	36.0	182,133
		Dennise Renee Smith (Nonpartisan)	13.9	70,394
		Jeffrey Kessler (Nonpartisan)	11.9	60,077
		Jim Douglas (Nonpartisan)	9.4	47,609
		Robert Frank (Nonpartisan)	5.9	29,751
		William Stewart Thompson (Nonpartisan)	5.9	29,613
		Jim O'Brien (Nonpartisan)	5.7	28,766
		Brenden Long (Nonpartisan)	4.0	20,443
		Marty Sheehan (Nonpartisan)	3.7	18,639
		William Schwartz (Nonpartisan)	3.6	18,291

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 505,716 (100.00% precincts reporting)
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Court of Appeals appointment

Gov. Jim Justice (R) appointed Jenkins to the West Virginia Court of Appeals. Jenkins assumed office on October 1.^[2]

U.S. Senate election

See also: United States Senate election in West Virginia, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. Senate West Virginia

Incumbent Joe Manchin III defeated Patrick Morrisey and Rusty Hollen in the general election for U.S. Senate West Virginia on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joe Manchin III (D)	49.6	290,510
		Patrick Morrisey (R)	46.3	271,113
		Rusty Hollen (L)	4.2	24,411

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 586,034 (100.00% precincts reporting)
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia

Incumbent Joe Manchin III defeated Paula Jean Swearengin in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joe Manchin III	69.9	112,658
		Paula Jean Swearengin	30.1	48,594

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 161,252
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Chase Henderson (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Patrick Morrisey	34.9	48,007
		Evan Jenkins	29.2	40,185
		Don Blankenship	20.0	27,478
		Tom Willis	9.8	13,540
		Bo Copley	3.1	4,248
		Jack Newbrough	3.0	4,115

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 137,573
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Scott Ernst (R)

Campaign advertisements

2016

See also: West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Evan Jenkins (R) defeated Matt Detch (D) and Zane Lawhorn (L) in the general election on November 8, 2016. No candidate faced a primary opponent on May 10, 2016.^[96]

U.S. House, West Virginia District 3 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Evan Jenkins Incumbent	67.9%	140,741
	Democratic	Matt Detch	24%	49,708
	Libertarian	Zane Lawhorn	8.1%	16,883
Total Votes				207,332
Source: West Virginia Secretary of State

2014

See also: West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District elections, 2014

West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District was one of Ballotpedia's U.S. House battleground districts in 2014 because of incumbent Nick Rahall's vulnerability as a Democrat serving in a Republican district. Fairvote projections showed the district as only slightly favoring Democrats, but Cook PVI showed the district as heavily favoring Republicans.^[97][98] In addition, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney won the district by 26.8 percentage points in 2012, and Sen. John McCain won the district by 13.4 percentage points in 2008. The race was rated a "Tossup" contest by Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call.^[99]

Rahall defeated Richard Ojeda in the Democratic primary on May 13, 2014.^[100] Rahall was defeated by West Virginia state Senator Evan Jenkins (R), a former Democrat, who switched parties in July 2013 to challenge Rahall, in the general election. Jenkins ran unopposed in the Republican primary on May 13, 2014.

Election results

U.S. House, West Virginia District 3 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Nick Rahall Incumbent	44.6%	62,688
	Republican	Evan Jenkins	55.4%	77,713
Total Votes				140,401
Source: West Virginia Secretary of State

2010

See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2010

Evan Jenkins was re-elected to the West Virginia State Senate, District 5. He won the primary on May 11 and ran unopposed in the general election on November 2, 2010.^{[128][129][130]}

West Virginia State Senate, District 5 (2010) General Election
Candidates		Votes	Percent
Evan Jenkins (D)		19,813	100%

West Virginia State Senate, District 5 Democratic Primary (2010)
Candidates		Votes	Percent
Evan H. Jenkins (D)		5,490	66.27%
John Leslie Cummings (D)		2,185	26.38%
Kevin Scott Regan (D)		609	7.35%

2006

On November 7, 2006, Jenkins won re-election to the West Virginia State Senate, District 5.

Jenkins raised $137,036 for his campaign, while Thomas Scott raised $64,952.^[131]

West Virginia Senate, District 5 (2006)
Candidates		Votes
Evan Jenkins (D)		16,502
Thomas Scott		9,257

Campaign themes

2018

2014

Jenkins highlighted the following issues on his website:^[134]

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Analysis

Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship (2020)

See also: Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship and Ballotpedia Courts: Determiners and Dissenters

Last updated: June 15, 2020

In 2020, Ballotpedia published Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship, a study examining the partisan affiliation of all state supreme court justices in the country as of June 15, 2020.

The study presented Confidence Scores that represented our confidence in each justice's degree of partisan affiliation. This was not a measure of where a justice fell on an ideological spectrum, but rather a measure of how much confidence we had that a justice was or had been affiliated with a political party. The scores were based on seven factors, including but not limited to party registration.^[135]

The five resulting categories of Confidence Scores were:

• Strong Democrat
• Mild Democrat
• Indeterminate^[136]
• Mild Republican
• Strong Republican

This justice's Confidence Score, as well as the factors contributing to that score, is presented below. The information below was current as of June 2020.

Congress

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Jenkins missed 15 of 532 roll call votes from January 2015 to September 2015. This amounted to 2.8 percent, which was higher than the median of 2.2 percent among representatives as of September 2015.^[137]

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in West Virginia

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of West Virginia scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

2014

In 2014, the West Virginia State Legislature was in session from January 8 through March 10.

• Regenerate WV - House only

Legislators are scored on their votes for or against Regenerate WV's position.

• The American Conservative Union

Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

• West Virginia Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse

Legislators are scored on their votes on lawsuit-related legislation.

• West Virginia Sierra Club

Legislators are scored by the West Virginia Sierra Club on their votes on the Water Resources Protection Act and its amendments.

State supreme court judicial selection in West Virginia

See also: Judicial selection in West Virginia

The five justices of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals are chosen in nonpartisan statewide elections to serve 12-year terms. They must run for re-election when their terms expire.^[138]

Qualifications

To serve on the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, a judge must be:

• a citizen of West Virginia for at least five years;
• at least 30 years old; and
• practiced in law for at least 10 years.^[138]

Chief justice

The chief justice of the supreme court of appeals is selected by peer vote for a one-year term.^[138]

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state supreme courts

In the event of a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement from a list of two to five qualified applicants submitted by a nominating commission.^[139] The appointee serves until the next general election, at which point he or she may compete to fill the remainder of the unexpired term.^[138]

The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Jenkins and his wife Elizabeth have three children. They attend the First Presbyterian Church in Huntington.^[140]

See also

• United States House of Representatives
• United States Senate election in West Virginia, 2018
• West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District elections, 2014
• West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District
• West Virginia State Legislature
• West Virginia State Senate
• Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
• West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals special elections, 2018

West Virginia	Judicial Selection	More Courts
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External links

Footnotes

v • e Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia Judicial selection in West Virginia • 2024 elections • Courts in West Virginia
Current judges	Tim Armstead, Haley Bunn, Charles S. Trump IV, Beth Walker, William Wooton
Former judges	Joseph Albright, Brent Benjamin, Robin Jean Davis, John A. Hutchison, Evan Jenkins, Menis Ketchum, Allen Loughry, Thomas E. McHugh, Alan D. Moats, Margaret Workman

	v • e State of West Virginia Charleston (capital)
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