West Virginia has seen four main shifts in power in its history:

• 1863 to 1871, when Republicans controlled the state

• After 1871, when Democrats held power for several decades

• Late 19th and early 20th centuries, when Republicans regained control until the Great Depression

• 1933-2015, when Democrats largely dominated, with support from labor unions.

The early 21st century appears to be the start of a new fifth era. In 2015, Republicans took control of the state legislature and, by 2024, had a supermajority in both the House and Senate. In 2020, Jim Justice became the third Republican governor elected since 1932, after switching parties in 2016. He joined the U.S. Senate in 2025.

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (pictured), the daughter of former Governor Arch Moore, is one of the highest-ranking national Republican figures in state history—women currently comprise one-half the state's congressional delegation for the first time. The conservative shift mirrors changes in other rural, conservative states, but West Virginia’s Republican victories are among the biggest margins in the nation.

Despite all these changes over more than 160 years, many still wonder why such a fascinating legacy of politics in the state has left so few lasting reforms.