Putnam 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 Putnam County: 9 seats on 7 elected bodies. 1 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County Commission

Putnam County Commission

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerBrian Ellis Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerAndy Skidmore Republican source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
AssessorGary Warner Republican source
Circuit ClerkStephanie Smith Republican source
County ClerkBrian Wood Republican source
Prosecuting AttorneyKris Raynes Republican source
SheriffBobby Eggleton Republican source

School Board

Putnam County Board of Education

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it now
Board of Education MemberHarold "Chuck" Hatfield source
Board of Education MemberChristian Wells source

How many local governments Putnam County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 10 local governments in Putnam 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 townships60
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 Putnam County

57,177people
42.6median ageU.S.: 38.9
$79,527 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
10.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%
29.1%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$223,300median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.1%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.4%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
8%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
5.6%U.S.: 8.4%
43.8%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
14.9%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 1.5% · White 93.6% · Black 0.9% · Asian 0.8% · Other or more than one race 3.1% (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 Putnam County

2.9%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.4%. West Virginia: 3.5%.
776people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
26,389people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
27,165in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Putnam County 0.0%2.0%3.9%5.9%7.9% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)2.9%77626,38927,165
August 20263.4%91726,26527,182
July 20263.4%91626,34127,257
June 20263.8%1,03626,41027,446
May 20263.0%79726,13526,932
April 20263.4%91026,12027,030
March 20263.3%87925,70026,579
February 20264.5%1,21425,63526,849
January 20264.0%1,07025,52026,590
December 20253.8%1,00925,88526,894
November 20253.7%99926,15727,156
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.4%94426,49427,438
August 20253.8%1,05026,38727,437
July 20253.5%96826,43327,401
June 20253.6%99026,55127,541
May 20253.0%82526,37527,200
April 20253.0%81726,52127,338
March 20253.6%96126,00326,964
February 20253.7%1,00725,85926,866
January 20253.7%1,00325,75426,757
December 20242.8%76326,08926,852
November 20242.9%77726,16626,943
October 20242.8%75826,59327,351
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.5%96126,22027,181
20243.4%92626,37927,305
20233.3%88426,22127,105
20223.3%89525,90226,797
20214.3%1,14325,22926,372
20207.5%1,96524,33926,304
20194.5%1,17925,27126,450
20184.9%1,28524,95826,243
20174.8%1,24024,74825,988
20165.0%1,26023,96925,229

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 Putnam County

Police staffing

1.09 per 1,000 residents2025, 5 agencies serving 55,927 people.
61sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
17civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (5), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Putnam County Sheriff's Office331544,345
Hurricane Police Department1826,779
Winfield Police Department502,420
Eleanor Police Department301,516
Poca Police Department20867
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025611.09175
2023611.09155
2022621.11155
2019691.24285

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 Putnam County Assessor?
Gary Warner (Republican) is the Assessor of Putnam County, West Virginia.
Who is the Putnam County Circuit Clerk?
Stephanie Smith (Republican) is the Circuit Clerk of Putnam County, West Virginia.
Who is the Putnam County County Clerk?
Brian Wood (Republican) is the County Clerk of Putnam County, West Virginia.
Who is the Putnam County Prosecuting Attorney?
Kris Raynes (Republican) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Putnam County, West Virginia.
Who is the Putnam County Sheriff?
Bobby Eggleton (Republican) is the Sheriff of Putnam County, West Virginia.
Who are the Putnam County commissioners?
Brian Ellis (County Commissioner); Andy Skidmore (County Commissioner).
Who is on the Putnam County School Board?
Harold "Chuck" Hatfield (Board of Education Member); Christian Wells (Board of Education Member).
What is the population of Putnam County?
About 57,177 people, with a median age of 42.6; the median household income is $79,527 and 10.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Putnam County?
2.9% in September 2026 (preliminary): 776 people unemployed in a labor force of 27,165, against 3.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Putnam County?
10 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 6 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.

Putnam 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 Putnam County, from your address. Your address stays in your browser.Look up my races

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