Clay County, WV elected officials: the county commission, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Clay County: 8 seats on 6 elected bodies. 1 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County Commission

Clay County Commission

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerDavid Schoolcraft Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerDuane Legg Republican source
County CommissionerWanda Johnson source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
AssessorTeresa Davis Democratic source
Circuit ClerkClarissa Hanshaw Democratic source
County ClerkSheila Stone Democratic source
Prosecuting AttorneyArthur King source
SheriffAllen King Republican source

How many local governments Clay County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 5 local governments in Clay County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships10
School districts (school boards)10
Special districts (elected boards)20

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Clay County

7,835people
45.4median ageU.S.: 38.9
$42,318 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
26.4%below the U.S.: 12.5%
11.3%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$109,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700
11.9%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
0%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.1%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
5.8%U.S.: 8.4%
67.1%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
26.1%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 0.2% · White 96.8% · Black 0.1% · Asian 0% · Other or more than one race 2.9% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Clay County

5.5%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 6.7%. West Virginia: 3.5%.
136people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
2,329people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
2,465in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Clay County 0.0%3.7%7.5%11.2%14.9% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)5.5%1362,3292,465
August 20266.0%1492,3372,486
July 20266.3%1572,3302,487
June 20267.0%1742,3252,499
May 20265.7%1392,3082,447
April 20266.8%1672,2832,450
March 20267.5%1842,2672,451
February 202610.6%2702,2822,552
January 20269.6%2422,2732,515
December 20258.9%2252,2982,523
November 20257.7%1912,3052,496
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20256.7%1672,3362,503
August 20256.8%1722,3572,529
July 20257.2%1832,3672,550
June 20257.2%1832,3762,559
May 20256.4%1612,3402,501
April 20256.4%1582,3232,481
March 20257.9%1982,3232,521
February 20259.9%2552,3272,582
January 20259.6%2502,3512,601
December 20247.4%1882,3632,551
November 20245.7%1442,3742,518
October 20245.6%1442,4072,551
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)7.7%1952,3372,532
20247.4%1922,4052,597
20236.5%1692,4452,614
20226.7%1732,4212,594
20218.8%2302,3762,606
202014.2%3822,3142,696
20199.7%2652,4562,721
20189.4%2552,4702,725
20179.8%2702,4752,745
201612.0%3352,4622,797

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. West Virginia's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.0% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Police in Clay County

Police staffing

0.39 per 1,000 residents2025, 1 agency serving 7,614 people.
3sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
0civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (1), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Clay County Sheriff's Office307,614
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
202530.3901
202420.2611
202310.1311
202230.3901
202130.3601
202050.5901
201950.5901
201850.5801
201730.3401
201630.3451

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Clay County Assessor?
Teresa Davis (Democratic) is the Assessor of Clay County, West Virginia.
Who is the Clay County Circuit Clerk?
Clarissa Hanshaw (Democratic) is the Circuit Clerk of Clay County, West Virginia.
Who is the Clay County County Clerk?
Sheila Stone (Democratic) is the County Clerk of Clay County, West Virginia.
Who is the Clay County Prosecuting Attorney?
Arthur King is the Prosecuting Attorney of Clay County, West Virginia.
Who is the Clay County Sheriff?
Allen King (Republican) is the Sheriff of Clay County, West Virginia.
Who are the Clay County commissioners?
David Schoolcraft (County Commissioner); Duane Legg (County Commissioner); Wanda Johnson (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Clay County?
About 7,835 people, with a median age of 45.4; the median household income is $42,318 and 26.4% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Clay County?
5.5% in September 2026 (preliminary): 136 people unemployed in a labor force of 2,465, against 6.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Clay County?
5 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 1 municipal, 1 school district and 2 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the West Virginia Secretary of State's County Elected Official Directory (2025) and the official results of the 2020, 2022 and 2024 elections (for terms and party); officials appointed or changed since the directory was updated may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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