Wayne 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 Wayne 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

Wayne County Commission

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerRobert Thompson Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerTravis Thompson Republican source
County CommissionerEnoch Marcum Republican source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
AssessorJohn Ric Browning Democratic source
Circuit ClerkReggie Thompson Democratic source
County ClerkCraig Evans Republican source
Prosecuting AttorneyRichard Thompson Democratic source
SheriffCharles "Eddie" Bradshaw Republican source
County SurveyorMatthew Strogen Democratic source

School Board

Wayne County Board of Education

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it now
Board of Education MemberMark Ross source
Board of Education MemberRandall Trautwein source

How many local governments Wayne County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 11 local governments in Wayne 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)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 Wayne County

38,164people
44.8median ageU.S.: 38.9
$58,878 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
14.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%
19.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$127,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.9%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
0.6%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
8%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
4.7%U.S.: 8.4%
45.2%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
19.5%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 0.9% · White 95.7% · Black 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 Wayne County

3.8%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.4%. West Virginia: 3.5%.
565people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
14,467people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
15,032in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Wayne County 0.0%2.3%4.6%6.9%9.1% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.8%56514,46715,032
August 20264.4%66414,39015,054
July 20264.5%67814,43015,108
June 20264.9%73914,46815,207
May 20263.9%58314,31514,898
April 20264.4%66014,32414,984
March 20264.6%67414,08914,763
February 20266.0%89514,02814,923
January 20265.5%80613,96214,768
December 20255.1%76014,14814,908
November 20254.9%74114,31715,058
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.4%67614,52615,202
August 20254.9%74214,45815,200
July 20254.5%67614,48915,165
June 20254.3%66014,55415,214
May 20253.8%57514,45115,026
April 20253.8%57114,54115,112
March 20254.4%65314,25014,903
February 20254.7%69914,14914,848
January 20254.7%70014,07714,777
December 20243.5%51914,23214,751
November 20243.6%54014,28714,827
October 20243.4%51714,54015,057
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.5%67814,36015,038
20244.4%66414,43015,094
20234.1%62514,45415,079
20224.1%60714,31214,919
20215.4%80214,06314,865
20208.7%1,29413,66114,955
20195.6%85014,37415,224
20186.0%91414,35415,268
20175.9%90714,36015,267
20166.8%1,02614,12515,151

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 Wayne County

Police staffing

1.18 per 1,000 residents2025, 5 agencies serving 33,818 people.
40sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
8civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (5), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Wayne County Sheriff's Office21327,626
Kenova Police Department1052,841
Ceredo Police Department501,317
Fort Gay Police Department30651
Wayne Police Department101,383
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025401.1885
2024401.1875
2023411.2075
2022421.2275
2021401.13185
2020411.15185
2019401.11115
2018381.05115
2016381.04135

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 Wayne County Assessor?
John Ric Browning (Democratic) is the Assessor of Wayne County, West Virginia.
Who is the Wayne County Circuit Clerk?
Reggie Thompson (Democratic) is the Circuit Clerk of Wayne County, West Virginia.
Who is the Wayne County County Clerk?
Craig Evans (Republican) is the County Clerk of Wayne County, West Virginia.
Who is the Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney?
Richard Thompson (Democratic) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Wayne County, West Virginia.
Who is the Wayne County Sheriff?
Charles "Eddie" Bradshaw (Republican) is the Sheriff of Wayne County, West Virginia.
Who is the Wayne County County Surveyor?
Matthew Strogen (Democratic) is the County Surveyor of Wayne County, West Virginia.
Who are the Wayne County commissioners?
Robert Thompson (County Commissioner); Travis Thompson (County Commissioner); Enoch Marcum (County Commissioner).
Who is on the Wayne County School Board?
Mark Ross (Board of Education Member); Randall Trautwein (Board of Education Member).
What is the population of Wayne County?
About 38,164 people, with a median age of 44.8; the median household income is $58,878 and 14.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Wayne County?
3.8% in September 2026 (preliminary): 565 people unemployed in a labor force of 15,032, against 4.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Wayne County?
11 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 4 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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