Mineral 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 Mineral 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

Mineral County Commission

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerRoger Leatherman Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerCharles Staggs Republican source
County CommissionerJason Whitlock Republican source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
AssessorJill Cosner Republican source
Circuit ClerkKrista Dixon Republican source
County ClerkLauren Ellifritz Republican source
Prosecuting AttorneyCharlie Johnson Republican source
SheriffJoel Whisner Republican source
County SurveyorGreg Vanscoy source

School Board

Mineral County Board of Education

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it now
Board of Education MemberDonald Ashby Jr source
Board of Education MemberThomas Denne source

How many local governments Mineral County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 13 local governments in Mineral 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 townships50
School districts (school boards)11
Special districts (elected boards)60

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 Mineral County

26,854people
44.6median ageU.S.: 38.9
$69,375 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
14%below the U.S.: 12.5%
23.7%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$180,400median home valueU.S.: $332,700
6.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
0.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
4.9%U.S.: 8.4%
49%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
14.6%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 1.2% · White 92.4% · Black 1.3% · Asian 0.1% · Other or more than one race 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 Mineral County

3.6%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.3%. West Virginia: 3.5%.
433people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
11,627people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
12,060in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Mineral County 0.0%1.9%3.8%5.7%7.7% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.6%43311,62712,060
August 20264.0%48111,46711,948
July 20264.2%50511,38511,890
June 20264.6%55511,49812,053
May 20263.7%44311,60412,047
April 20264.2%50811,52412,032
March 20264.2%49511,35111,846
February 20265.7%69011,44112,131
January 20265.1%61111,33311,944
December 20254.4%52811,53112,059
November 20254.5%54311,58512,128
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.3%52511,75112,276
August 20254.7%57111,61112,182
July 20254.5%54111,59412,135
June 20254.5%54911,69212,241
May 20253.8%46711,73412,201
April 20253.5%42911,70212,131
March 20254.3%52011,55712,077
February 20254.6%56011,61712,177
January 20254.6%56011,69512,255
December 20243.8%46311,80612,269
November 20243.6%44011,79912,239
October 20243.5%43111,99612,427
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.3%52711,64312,170
20244.2%51911,92912,448
20233.9%49212,07612,568
20223.7%46812,25412,722
20214.6%57311,78712,360
20207.3%90211,39812,300
20195.7%72311,94112,664
20185.3%66711,82012,487
20175.2%64511,70212,347
20165.7%70611,59912,305

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 Mineral County

Police staffing

1.05 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 26,762 people.
28sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
5civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Mineral County Sheriff's Office18421,404
Keyser Police Department914,788
Ridgeley Police Department10570
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025281.0553
2017250.9274
2016250.9284

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 Mineral County Assessor?
Jill Cosner (Republican) is the Assessor of Mineral County, West Virginia.
Who is the Mineral County Circuit Clerk?
Krista Dixon (Republican) is the Circuit Clerk of Mineral County, West Virginia.
Who is the Mineral County County Clerk?
Lauren Ellifritz (Republican) is the County Clerk of Mineral County, West Virginia.
Who is the Mineral County Prosecuting Attorney?
Charlie Johnson (Republican) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Mineral County, West Virginia.
Who is the Mineral County Sheriff?
Joel Whisner (Republican) is the Sheriff of Mineral County, West Virginia.
Who is the Mineral County County Surveyor?
Greg Vanscoy is the County Surveyor of Mineral County, West Virginia.
Who are the Mineral County commissioners?
Roger Leatherman (County Commissioner); Charles Staggs (County Commissioner); Jason Whitlock (County Commissioner).
Who is on the Mineral County School Board?
Donald Ashby Jr (Board of Education Member); Thomas Denne (Board of Education Member).
What is the population of Mineral County?
About 26,854 people, with a median age of 44.6; the median household income is $69,375 and 14% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Mineral County?
3.6% in September 2026 (preliminary): 433 people unemployed in a labor force of 12,060, against 4.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Mineral County?
13 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 5 municipal, 1 school district and 6 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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