Grant 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 Grant County: 10 seats on 7 elected bodies. 1 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County Commission

Grant County Commission

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerTyson Riggleman Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerKevin Hagerty Republican source
County CommissionerScotty Miley Republican source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
AssessorElizabeth Mallow Republican source
Circuit ClerkMelanie R. Redman source
County ClerkLora Bennett Republican source
SheriffSteven Wratchford Republican source
County SurveyorMark Geary Republican source

School Board

Grant County Board of Education

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it now
Board of Education MemberBarb Dibenedetto source
Board of Education MemberDoug Lambert source

How many local governments Grant County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 9 local governments in Grant 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 townships20
School districts (school boards)11
Special districts (elected boards)50

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 Grant County

10,983people
46.4median ageU.S.: 38.9
$62,361 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
13.3%below the U.S.: 12.5%
14%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$175,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.3%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
0.7%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
8.3%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
4.6%U.S.: 8.4%
52.2%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
17.2%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 0.7% · White 95.8% · Black 1.7% · Asian 0.2% · Other or more than one race 1.6% (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 Grant County

3.6%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.4%. West Virginia: 3.5%.
204people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
5,464people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
5,668in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Grant County 0.0%1.9%3.7%5.6%7.5% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.6%2045,4645,668
August 20264.2%2395,4195,658
July 20264.4%2545,4985,752
June 20264.2%2415,5115,752
May 20263.3%1865,4855,671
April 20264.1%2305,4345,664
March 20264.0%2215,3445,565
February 20265.7%3245,3375,661
January 20264.9%2715,2435,514
December 20254.2%2325,3005,532
November 20253.8%2085,3165,524
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.4%1875,3195,506
August 20254.2%2315,3175,548
July 20253.9%2205,3885,608
June 20253.8%2165,4135,629
May 20253.0%1675,3315,498
April 20253.1%1725,4045,576
March 20253.7%2045,2745,478
February 20254.5%2445,2365,480
January 20255.1%2755,1435,418
December 20243.5%1885,2155,403
November 20243.4%1845,2855,469
October 20243.0%1675,3165,483
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.9%2145,3135,527
20244.3%2365,3055,541
20234.0%2225,2805,502
20224.0%2155,1005,315
20215.0%2665,0555,321
20207.1%3744,9235,297
20196.0%3205,0545,374
20186.0%3215,0315,352
20176.0%3285,0985,426
20166.2%3495,2415,590

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 Grant County

Police staffing

1.09 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 10,971 people.
12sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
7civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Grant County Sheriff's Office1178,700
Petersburg Police Department102,271
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025121.0972
2024141.2852
2023121.0913
2022141.2713
2020131.1333
2019110.9503

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 Grant County Assessor?
Elizabeth Mallow (Republican) is the Assessor of Grant County, West Virginia.
Who is the Grant County Circuit Clerk?
Melanie R. Redman is the Circuit Clerk of Grant County, West Virginia.
Who is the Grant County County Clerk?
Lora Bennett (Republican) is the County Clerk of Grant County, West Virginia.
Who is the Grant County Sheriff?
Steven Wratchford (Republican) is the Sheriff of Grant County, West Virginia.
Who is the Grant County County Surveyor?
Mark Geary (Republican) is the County Surveyor of Grant County, West Virginia.
Who are the Grant County commissioners?
Tyson Riggleman (County Commissioner); Kevin Hagerty (County Commissioner); Scotty Miley (County Commissioner).
Who is on the Grant County School Board?
Barb Dibenedetto (Board of Education Member); Doug Lambert (Board of Education Member).
What is the population of Grant County?
About 10,983 people, with a median age of 46.4; the median household income is $62,361 and 13.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Grant County?
3.6% in September 2026 (preliminary): 204 people unemployed in a labor force of 5,668, against 3.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Grant County?
9 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 2 municipal, 1 school district and 5 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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