Summers 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 Summers County: 10 seats on 8 elected bodies. 1 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County Commission

Summers County Commission

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerMike Gore Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerTed Kula Republican source
County CommissionerCharles Saunders Republican source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
AssessorGregory Vandall Democratic source
Circuit ClerkStacy Ford Democratic source
County ClerkLynn Reed Republican source
Prosecuting AttorneyChristopher Lefler Republican source
SheriffJustin Faris Republican source
County SurveyorJeffery Chambers Democratic source

School Board

OfficeWho holds it now
Board of Education MemberKenneth Brogan source

How many local governments Summers County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 8 local governments in Summers 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 townships10
School districts (school boards)11
Special districts (elected boards)50

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 Summers County

11,729people
50.6median ageU.S.: 38.9
$40,699 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
23.8%below the U.S.: 12.5%
18.8%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$140,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700
2.2%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
9.3%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
6.6%U.S.: 8.4%
58.8%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
33.9%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 1.3% · White 90.2% · Black 6.1% · Asian 0% · Other or more than one race 2.4% (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 Summers County

3.7%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.8%. West Virginia: 3.5%.
149people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
3,879people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
4,028in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Summers County 0.0%2.1%4.2%6.3%8.4% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.7%1493,8794,028
August 20264.5%1813,8714,052
July 20264.2%1703,8844,054
June 20264.4%1773,8824,059
May 20263.7%1483,8924,040
April 20264.5%1783,8023,980
March 20264.9%1923,7623,954
February 20266.1%2463,8024,048
January 20265.6%2253,8014,026
December 20255.1%2053,8424,047
November 20255.0%2033,8884,091
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.8%1953,8994,094
August 20255.2%2123,8494,061
July 20254.4%1793,8724,051
June 20254.3%1763,9014,077
May 20253.7%1503,8684,018
April 20253.9%1513,7693,920
March 20254.3%1673,7133,880
February 20255.0%1963,6983,894
January 20255.0%2003,7703,970
December 20243.8%1493,8193,968
November 20243.7%1463,8533,999
October 20243.7%1493,9244,073
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.6%1853,8244,009
20244.3%1743,9114,085
20233.9%1644,0204,184
20223.8%1654,2284,393
20214.9%2084,0284,236
20208.0%3313,8034,134
20195.6%2353,9274,162
20186.1%2503,8474,097
20176.0%2553,9954,250
20166.2%2784,2084,486

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.

Crime reported in Summers County

8.6 per 100,0002023. West Virginia: 268.9.
205.3 per 100,0002023. West Virginia: 1,188.5.
0murders2023, 1 violent crimes in all.

2023 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.

Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202318.624205.3
202212100.927227.0
202117137.836291.9
20191079.630238.8
By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Summers County Sheriff's Office202517219,322
Hinton Police Department2023152,158

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in West Virginia · the U.S.

Police staffing

1.31 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 11,454 people.
15sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
2civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Summers County Sheriff's Office1029,322
Hinton Police Department502,132
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025151.3122
2024151.3022
2023131.1162
2022131.0922
2021100.8122
2020120.9722
2019131.0322
2018120.9432
2017110.8722
2016110.8422

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 Summers County Assessor?
Gregory Vandall (Democratic) is the Assessor of Summers County, West Virginia.
Who is the Summers County Circuit Clerk?
Stacy Ford (Democratic) is the Circuit Clerk of Summers County, West Virginia.
Who is the Summers County County Clerk?
Lynn Reed (Republican) is the County Clerk of Summers County, West Virginia.
Who is the Summers County Prosecuting Attorney?
Christopher Lefler (Republican) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Summers County, West Virginia.
Who is the Summers County Sheriff?
Justin Faris (Republican) is the Sheriff of Summers County, West Virginia.
Who is the Summers County County Surveyor?
Jeffery Chambers (Democratic) is the County Surveyor of Summers County, West Virginia.
Who are the Summers County commissioners?
Mike Gore (County Commissioner); Ted Kula (County Commissioner); Charles Saunders (County Commissioner).
Who is on the Summers County School Board?
Kenneth Brogan (Board of Education Member).
What is the population of Summers County?
About 11,729 people, with a median age of 50.6; the median household income is $40,699 and 23.8% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Summers County?
3.7% in September 2026 (preliminary): 149 people unemployed in a labor force of 4,028, against 4.8% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Summers County?
8 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 1 municipal, 1 school district and 5 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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