Raleigh 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 Raleigh County: 9 seats on 6 elected bodies. 1 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County Commission

Raleigh County Commission

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerGregory Duckworth Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerLinda Epling Republican source
County CommissionerDaniel Hall Republican source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
AssessorLinda Sumner Republican source
Circuit ClerkBrianne Steele Republican source
County ClerkScott Van Meter Republican source
SheriffFrank Priddy Republican source

School Board

Raleigh County Board of Education

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it now
Board of Education MemberMarsha Smith source
Board of Education MemberRichard Snuffer Ii source

How many local governments Raleigh County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 15 local governments in Raleigh 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 townships40
School districts (school boards)11
Special districts (elected boards)90

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 Raleigh County

73,195people
42.9median ageU.S.: 38.9
$52,150 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
22.8%below the U.S.: 12.5%
22.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$150,900median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.4%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
4.2%U.S.: 8.4%
54.1%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
23%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 1.8% · White 86.9% · Black 6.7% · Asian 0.9% · Other or more than one race 3.8% (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 Raleigh County

3.7%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.4%. West Virginia: 3.5%.
1,085people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
28,521people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
29,606in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Raleigh 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)3.7%1,08528,52129,606
August 20264.2%1,23928,36829,607
July 20264.1%1,23528,57929,814
June 20264.5%1,32428,41529,739
May 20263.7%1,08828,13229,220
April 20264.2%1,23228,05929,291
March 20264.2%1,22127,65028,871
February 20265.6%1,63427,65129,285
January 20265.0%1,44227,64729,089
December 20254.7%1,40528,28529,690
November 20254.8%1,43228,37729,809
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.4%1,32028,92830,248
August 20254.6%1,40328,88430,287
July 20254.1%1,26629,31530,581
June 20254.2%1,27029,29630,566
May 20253.7%1,11428,79229,906
April 20253.7%1,10428,67229,776
March 20254.2%1,24928,25329,502
February 20254.4%1,27928,07929,358
January 20254.3%1,26727,99629,263
December 20243.3%98328,43829,421
November 20243.4%1,00128,60429,605
October 20243.3%99329,22230,215
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.3%1,28328,62529,908
20243.8%1,16029,09630,256
20233.7%1,11328,93930,052
20223.7%1,10328,42629,529
20215.4%1,58427,76929,353
20208.9%2,67127,26329,934
20194.7%1,44629,03830,484
20185.1%1,54628,48030,026
20175.4%1,59527,98529,580
20167.1%2,10027,36529,465

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 Raleigh County

Police staffing

1.54 per 1,000 residents2025, 4 agencies serving 71,923 people.
111sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
33civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (4), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Raleigh County Sheriff's Office541753,245
Beckley Police Department491616,345
Sophia Police Department601,069
Mabscott Police Department201,264
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20251111.54334
20241161.61334
20221181.61285
20211191.64315
20201111.53355
20191131.54325
20161101.43375

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 Raleigh County Assessor?
Linda Sumner (Republican) is the Assessor of Raleigh County, West Virginia.
Who is the Raleigh County Circuit Clerk?
Brianne Steele (Republican) is the Circuit Clerk of Raleigh County, West Virginia.
Who is the Raleigh County County Clerk?
Scott Van Meter (Republican) is the County Clerk of Raleigh County, West Virginia.
Who is the Raleigh County Sheriff?
Frank Priddy (Republican) is the Sheriff of Raleigh County, West Virginia.
Who are the Raleigh County commissioners?
Gregory Duckworth (County Commissioner); Linda Epling (County Commissioner); Daniel Hall (County Commissioner).
Who is on the Raleigh County School Board?
Marsha Smith (Board of Education Member); Richard Snuffer Ii (Board of Education Member).
What is the population of Raleigh County?
About 73,195 people, with a median age of 42.9; the median household income is $52,150 and 22.8% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Raleigh County?
3.7% in September 2026 (preliminary): 1,085 people unemployed in a labor force of 29,606, against 4.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Raleigh County?
15 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 4 municipal, 1 school district and 9 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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