Kanawha 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 Kanawha County: 11 seats on 8 elected bodies. 1 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County Commission

Kanawha County Commission

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerLance Wheeler Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerBen Salango Democratic source
County CommissionerNatalie Tennant Democratic source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
AssessorSallie Robinson Democratic source
Circuit ClerkCathy Gatson Democratic source
County ClerkVera McCormick Republican source
Prosecuting AttorneyDebra Rusnak Republican source
SheriffJoey Crawford Republican source
County SurveyorMark Shamblin Democratic source

School Board

Kanawha County Board of Education

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it now
Board of Education MemberRic Cavender source
Board of Education MemberKate White source

How many local governments Kanawha County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 32 local governments in Kanawha 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 townships140
School districts (school boards)11
Special districts (elected boards)160

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 Kanawha County

176,537people
43.8median ageU.S.: 38.9
$60,943 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
15.7%below the U.S.: 12.5%
29.7%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$147,300median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.8%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
4.9%U.S.: 8.4%
47.4%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
19.7%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 1.6% · White 85.9% · Black 4.8% · Asian 1.1% · Other or more than one race 6.5% (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 Kanawha County

3.4%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.2%. West Virginia: 3.5%.
2,657people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
75,004people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
77,661in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Kanawha County 0.0%2.3%4.7%7.0%9.3% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.4%2,65775,00477,661
August 20264.0%3,08574,88077,965
July 20263.9%3,03975,43478,473
June 20264.2%3,33175,52778,858
May 20263.5%2,73874,89077,628
April 20264.0%3,13374,83377,966
March 20263.9%3,01673,88676,902
February 20265.0%3,90973,96277,871
January 20264.6%3,55373,71677,269
December 20254.4%3,39774,41477,811
November 20254.4%3,48874,94278,430
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.2%3,29475,57978,873
August 20254.4%3,51575,55279,067
July 20254.1%3,23576,34379,578
June 20254.0%3,23576,88780,122
May 20253.6%2,83575,74978,584
April 20253.6%2,86175,97378,834
March 20254.1%3,24775,12278,369
February 20254.2%3,32074,98378,303
January 20254.2%3,28974,98278,271
December 20243.3%2,58475,15877,742
November 20243.4%2,67175,82178,492
October 20243.3%2,62576,83679,461
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.1%3,24775,50278,749
20243.9%3,09377,19280,285
20233.6%2,93478,22081,154
20223.8%2,99676,86479,860
20215.3%4,24875,61279,860
20208.9%7,19173,74780,938
20194.7%3,81977,68381,502
20185.1%4,21478,00382,217
20175.2%4,25178,27682,527
20165.7%4,67177,86182,532

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 Kanawha County

Police staffing

2.16 per 1,000 residents2024, 15 agencies serving 174,188 people.
377sworn officers2024, full-time, as of October 31.
61civilian staff2024, full-time.

2024 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (15), 2024
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Charleston Police Department1572346,252
Kanawha County Sheriff's Office1012883,706
South Charleston Police Department46213,098
St. Albans Police Department24310,245
Nitro Police Department2026,360
Dunbar Police Department1317,070
Marmet Police Department511,418
Clendenin Police Department40865
Belle Police Department201,090
Pratt Police Department11455
Chesapeake Police Department101,276
East Bank Police Department10782
Glasgow Police Department10678
Cedar Grove Police Department10682
Handley Police Department00211
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20243772.166115
20233782.175615
20223852.185615

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 Kanawha County Assessor?
Sallie Robinson (Democratic) is the Assessor of Kanawha County, West Virginia.
Who is the Kanawha County Circuit Clerk?
Cathy Gatson (Democratic) is the Circuit Clerk of Kanawha County, West Virginia.
Who is the Kanawha County County Clerk?
Vera McCormick (Republican) is the County Clerk of Kanawha County, West Virginia.
Who is the Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney?
Debra Rusnak (Republican) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Kanawha County, West Virginia.
Who is the Kanawha County Sheriff?
Joey Crawford (Republican) is the Sheriff of Kanawha County, West Virginia.
Who is the Kanawha County County Surveyor?
Mark Shamblin (Democratic) is the County Surveyor of Kanawha County, West Virginia.
Who are the Kanawha County commissioners?
Lance Wheeler (County Commissioner); Ben Salango (County Commissioner); Natalie Tennant (County Commissioner).
Who is on the Kanawha County School Board?
Ric Cavender (Board of Education Member); Kate White (Board of Education Member).
What is the population of Kanawha County?
About 176,537 people, with a median age of 43.8; the median household income is $60,943 and 15.7% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Kanawha County?
3.4% in September 2026 (preliminary): 2,657 people unemployed in a labor force of 77,661, against 4.2% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Kanawha County?
32 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 14 municipal, 1 school district and 16 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.

Kanawha County's 2026 ballot and results · Every West Virginia county · West Virginia's members of Congress

See your members of Congress and every race and measure on your ballot in Kanawha County, from your address. Your address stays in your browser.Look up my races

See something wrong on this page? Report a problem · Corrections