McDowell 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 McDowell 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

McDowell County Commission

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerCecil Patterson Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerMichael Brooks Democratic source
County CommissionerDewayne Dotson Republican source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
AssessorSherry Burton Democratic source
Circuit ClerkFrancine Spencer Democratic source
County ClerkDonald Hicks Democratic source
Prosecuting AttorneyBrittany Puckett Democratic source
SheriffJames "Boomer" Muncy Democratic source

School Board

McDowell County Board of Education

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it now
Board of Education MemberEd Evans source
Board of Education MemberGeorgia West source

How many local governments McDowell County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 14 local governments in McDowell 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 townships100
School districts (school boards)11
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 McDowell County

17,943people
43.7median ageU.S.: 38.9
$31,559 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
34.2%below the U.S.: 12.5%
6.8%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$50,000median home valueU.S.: $332,700
8.2%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.6%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
4.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
8.8%U.S.: 8.4%
50.5%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
28.6%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 2.1% · White 86.5% · Black 8.8% · Asian 0.1% · Other or more than one race 2.6% (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 McDowell County

8.7%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 10.7%. West Virginia: 3.5%.
285people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
3,005people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
3,290in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, McDowell County 0.0%3.6%7.1%10.7%14.3% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)8.7%2853,0053,290
August 202610.6%3502,9563,306
July 202610.6%3422,8893,231
June 202610.9%3652,9963,361
May 20269.1%3103,1003,410
April 202610.6%3532,9723,325
March 202610.2%3342,9343,268
February 202612.4%4142,9323,346
January 202611.3%3702,9073,277
December 202510.5%3442,9233,267
November 202510.8%3592,9693,328
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 202510.7%3633,0453,408
August 202511.6%4033,0853,488
July 202511.3%3933,0963,489
June 202510.3%3673,1793,546
May 20258.6%2973,1383,435
April 20258.4%2903,1433,433
March 20259.2%3193,1643,483
February 20259.6%3363,1633,499
January 20258.1%2813,2013,482
December 20246.9%2403,2363,476
November 20247.2%2503,2413,491
October 20247.1%2523,3043,556
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)9.9%3413,1013,442
20247.9%2853,3143,599
20236.9%2503,3633,613
20227.0%2543,3943,648
20219.3%3523,4413,793
202013.6%5483,4884,036
201910.1%4123,6684,080
201810.1%4183,7184,136
20179.8%4253,9104,335
201613.0%6234,1834,806

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 McDowell County

Police staffing

1.25 per 1,000 residents2025, 4 agencies serving 16,737 people.
21sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
1civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (4), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
McDowell County Sheriff's Office13112,661
Welch Police Department403,366
War Police Department30530
Davy Police Department10180
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025211.2514
2024201.1714
2023231.32111
2022211.18011
2020241.40311
2019251.41311

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 McDowell County Assessor?
Sherry Burton (Democratic) is the Assessor of McDowell County, West Virginia.
Who is the McDowell County Circuit Clerk?
Francine Spencer (Democratic) is the Circuit Clerk of McDowell County, West Virginia.
Who is the McDowell County County Clerk?
Donald Hicks (Democratic) is the County Clerk of McDowell County, West Virginia.
Who is the McDowell County Prosecuting Attorney?
Brittany Puckett (Democratic) is the Prosecuting Attorney of McDowell County, West Virginia.
Who is the McDowell County Sheriff?
James "Boomer" Muncy (Democratic) is the Sheriff of McDowell County, West Virginia.
Who are the McDowell County commissioners?
Cecil Patterson (County Commissioner); Michael Brooks (County Commissioner); Dewayne Dotson (County Commissioner).
Who is on the McDowell County School Board?
Ed Evans (Board of Education Member); Georgia West (Board of Education Member).
What is the population of McDowell County?
About 17,943 people, with a median age of 43.7; the median household income is $31,559 and 34.2% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in McDowell County?
8.7% in September 2026 (preliminary): 285 people unemployed in a labor force of 3,290, against 10.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in McDowell County?
14 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 10 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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