2026 Election
House of Delegates · District 78
4 candidates
| Candidate | Party | Total Support | Total Oppose | Contributions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geno Chiarelli 46.3% Republican Contributions $43,114.83 + Support $8,848.29 + Oppose $5,014.37 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sawyer Boone Dennison Pre - Candidate Republican Contributions $11,422.20 + Support $1,290.57 + Oppose — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michael Wendell Projected winner 53.7% Democrat Contributions $8,395.48 + Support $1,250.96 + Oppose — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cohen Scott Terneus Lost primary 35.7% Republican Contributions $850.39 + Support — + Oppose — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Results
General election · Nov 3, 2026 HOUSE OF DELEGATES, 78th District
All 6 precincts reported · unofficial | Michael Wendell (D) Projected winner | 3,129 | 53.7% |
| Geno Chiarelli (R) | 2,695 | 46.3% |
Democratic primary · May 12, 2026 HOUSE OF DELEGATES, 78th District - DEM
Certified | Michael Wendell (D) Won primary (unopposed) | 1,164 | — |
Republican primary · May 12, 2026 HOUSE OF DELEGATES, 78th District - REP
Certified | Geno Chiarelli (R) Won primary | 566 | 64.3% |
| Cohen Scott Terneus (R) Lost primary | 314 | 35.7% |
| Source | Candidate | Contributions | Outside support | Outside oppose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WV | Geno Chiarelli | $23,262 | — | — |
| Mountaineer Majority Fund, Inc. | Geno Chiarelli | — | $8,660 | $0 |
| Unknown | Geno Chiarelli | $8,028 | — | — |
| WV | Sawyer Boone Dennison | $7,093 | — | — |
| Make Liberty Win | Geno Chiarelli | — | $0 | $5,014 |
| WV | Michael Wendell | $4,449 | — | — |
| West Virginia Hospital Association (HOSPAC) | Geno Chiarelli | $4,200 | — | — |
| West Virginia Auto and Truck Dealers (WV Car PAC) | Geno Chiarelli | $3,500 | — | — |
| PA | Michael Wendell | $2,150 | — | — |
| TX | Sawyer Boone Dennison | $1,920 | — | — |
| OH | Sawyer Boone Dennison | $1,319 | — | — |
| School Freedom Fund (IE) | Sawyer Boone Dennison | — | $1,291 | $0 |
| Conservation West Virginia, Inc. | Michael Wendell | — | $1,251 | $0 |
| Other Orgs | Geno Chiarelli | $1,100 | — | — |
| West Virginia Chamber of Commerce (The Chamber PAC) | Geno Chiarelli | $1,000 | — | — |
| WV | Cohen Scott Terneus | $800 | — | — |
| Other Orgs | Michael Wendell | $770 | — | — |
| West Virginia Dental Association Political Action Committee | Geno Chiarelli | $750 | — | — |
| Other States | Michael Wendell | $627 | — | — |
| American Electric Power | Geno Chiarelli | $500 | — | — |
| West Virginia Laborers' District Council PAC | Geno Chiarelli | $500 | — | — |
| Other Orgs | Sawyer Boone Dennison | $500 | — | — |
| OR | Michael Wendell | $400 | — | — |
| Unknown | Sawyer Boone Dennison | $319 | — | — |
| Other States | Geno Chiarelli | $275 | — | — |
| Other States | Sawyer Boone Dennison | $272 | — | — |
| West Virginians for Life Political Action Committee | Geno Chiarelli | — | $135 | $0 |
| National Rifle Association of America Political Victory Fund | Geno Chiarelli | — | $53 | $0 |
| Unknown | Cohen Scott Terneus | $50 | — | — |
| West Virginians for Life | Geno Chiarelli | — | $0 | $0 |
Total Outside Spending by Committee
| Committee | Support | Oppose |
|---|---|---|
| Mountaineer Majority Fund, Inc. | $8,660.26 | — |
| ↳ Geno Chiarelli (R) | $8,660.26 | — |
| Make Liberty Win | — | $5,014.37 |
| ↳ Geno Chiarelli (R) | — | $5,014.37 |
| School Freedom Fund (IE) | $1,290.57 | — |
| ↳ Sawyer Boone Dennison (R) | $1,290.57 | — |
| Conservation West Virginia, Inc. | $1,250.96 | — |
| ↳ Michael Wendell (D) | $1,250.96 | — |
| West Virginians for Life | $135.51 | — |
| ↳ Geno Chiarelli (R) | $135.51 | — |
| National Rifle Association of America Political Victory Fund | $52.52 | — |
| ↳ Geno Chiarelli (R) | $52.52 | — |
Group by
| Contributor | Type | Employer | Location | Gifts | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia Hospital Association (HOSPAC) | PACs & committees | — | — | 3 | $4,200 |
| Wright Albert | Individuals | WVU Medicine | Morgantown, WV | 2 | $3,800 |
| West Virginia Auto and Truck Dealers (WV Car PAC) | PACs & committees | — | — | 2 | $3,500 |
| Moss Marlene | Individuals | retired | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $2,800 |
| Laurita James | Individuals | Laurita Energy | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $2,687 |
| J, Herman William | Individuals | Site Signatures | Tarentum, PA | 3 | $2,000 |
| Larew Glenn | Individuals | Retired | Morgantown, WV | 2 | $2,000 |
| Callen Michael | Individuals | Self | Morgantown, WV | 2 | $2,000 |
| Carter JR | Individuals | Bailey, Javins, and Carter | South Charleston, WV | 2 | $2,000 |
| Rydin Michael | Individuals | retired | Houston, TX | 1 | $1,920 |
| Chiarelli Geno | Self-funding | — | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $1,671 |
| Hall Daniel | Individuals | Self Employed | — | 2 | $1,143 |
| Boyle Ed | Individuals | Gulfstream West Investments | Kingwood, WV | 1 | $1,041 |
| West Virginia Chamber of Commerce (The Chamber PAC) | PACs & committees | — | — | 2 | $1,000 |
| Green Barbara | Individuals | Not Employed | Morgantown, WV | 2 | $1,000 |
| Rohrbach Matt | Individuals | — | Huntington, WV | 2 | $1,000 |
| F, Weiss William Jr. | Individuals | Not Employed | MORGANTOWN, WV | 1 | $1,000 |
| Cockburn Andrew | Individuals | Not Employed | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $1,000 |
| Weiss Frances | Individuals | Self | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $1,000 |
| Moser Joseph | Individuals | Self | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $1,000 |
| Stewart John | Individuals | — | Scott Depot, WV | 1 | $1,000 |
| Dennison Ronald | Individuals | Retired | Marietta, OH | 1 | $960 |
| Boone, Dennison Sawyer | Self-funding | — | Morgantown, WV | 3 | $754 |
| West Virginia Dental Association Political Action Committee | PACs & committees | — | — | 1 | $750 |
| Alan, Terneus Scott | Individuals | TC Energy | Morgantown, WV | 2 | $525 |
| Oleksa Larry | Individuals | — | Morgantown, WV | 2 | $500 |
| White Gil | Individuals | — | Wheeling, WV | 2 | $500 |
| GOpac The Gas and Oil Political Action Committee | PACs & committees | — | — | 1 | $500 |
| Eshenaur Steven | Individuals | Roane General | Charleston, WV | 1 | $500 |
| Operators Political Education & Education Committee (O.P.E.C) | PACs & committees | — | — | 1 | $500 |
| West Virginia Laborers' District Council PAC | PACs & committees | — | — | 1 | $500 |
| B, Allamong John | Individuals | — | — | 2 | $500 |
| Elias 4 WV | Businesses & orgs | — | Elkins, WV | 1 | $500 |
| Adrian Glenn | Individuals | Adrian Enterprises | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $500 |
| Lovio Peggy | Individuals | Self | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $500 |
| Quranta John | Individuals | WVU | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $500 |
| Mason Nathanael | Individuals | Retired | Auburn, WV | 1 | $500 |
| Goldberg David | Individuals | Mon Health | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $500 |
| Burgess Jordan | Individuals | Self | Pinch, WV | 1 | $500 |
| Beakes Ben | Individuals | Self | Charleston, WV | 1 | $500 |
| American Electric Power | Businesses & orgs | — | Washington, DC | 1 | $500 |
| Pagliaro Melanie | Individuals | MAP & Associates | Charleston, WV | 1 | $500 |
| Mani Jonathan | Individuals | Mani Ellis & Lane | Charleston, WV | 1 | $500 |
| Carter Donald | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $500 |
| Tiano William | Individuals | Self | Charleston, WV | 1 | $500 |
| Evens Jonathan | Individuals | Business Owner | Huntington, WV | 1 | $480 |
| Webb Christa | Individuals | — | — | 2 | $450 |
| Heath Richie | Individuals | — | — | 2 | $425 |
| Marr Chris | Individuals | — | — | 2 | $400 |
| Carlson Paul | Individuals | Paul Carlson Assoc. | Lake Oswego, OR | 3 | $400 |
| Kinneberg Paul | Individuals | — | — | 2 | $400 |
| Waltz Danielle | Individuals | — | — | 2 | $400 |
| Warner Debbie | Individuals | — | Morgantown, WV | 2 | $300 |
| Shamberger Thomas | Individuals | None | MORGANTOWN, WV | 1 | $300 |
| Zaffuto James | Individuals | Retired | The Villages, FL | 1 | $250 |
| Friends of Katie Fallon | Businesses & orgs | — | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $250 |
| Lemmon Ryan | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $250 |
| Brown Cheryl | Individuals | Not Employed | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $250 |
| Cosco Scott | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $250 |
| Samples Jeremiah | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $250 |
| Cosco Kathy | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $250 |
| Lee, Butler Brenda | Individuals | Louis A Johnson VA Medical Center | WV | 1 | $250 |
| Halford Tammy | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $250 |
| DeVault Mike | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $250 |
| Madia Sam | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $250 |
| Dettinger Kurt | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $250 |
| Reale Phil | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $250 |
| United Mine Workers of America, District 31 | Businesses & orgs | — | Fairmont, WV | 1 | $200 |
| Spry Brian | Individuals | Not Employed | Prince Georges, MD | 1 | $200 |
| United Mine Workers of America Coal Miners PAC (UMWA PAC) | PACs & committees | — | — | 1 | $200 |
| Weber Gregory | Individuals | Not Employed | Linden, NJ | 1 | $200 |
| Shamberger Martha | Individuals | Not Employed | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $200 |
| Surface Parker | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $200 |
| Kisner Daniel | Individuals | Self Employed | Uniontown, OH | 1 | $192 |
| Himelrick Bryce | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $156 |
| Story Brad | Individuals | — | — | 2 | $150 |
| Hoylman Bryan | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $150 |
| West Virginia State Democratic Executive Committee | Businesses & orgs | — | Charleston, WV | 1 | $120 |
| Dennison Dianne | Individuals | retired | Marietta, OH | 2 | $119 |
| Horbachewski Dan | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $104 |
| West Virginia Farm Bureau (WV FARM PAC) | PACs & committees | — | — | 1 | $100 |
| Mullett Martha | Individuals | Not Employed | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $100 |
| Adams Susan | Individuals | Not Employed | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $100 |
| W, Dering Alexander | Individuals | — | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $100 |
| Kelly Susan | Individuals | Not Employed | Pilot Hill, CA | 1 | $100 |
| Bush Amy | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $100 |
| W, Dering Andrew | Individuals | Not Employed | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $100 |
| Ngo David | Individuals | Crashplan | Shrewsbury, NJ | 1 | $100 |
| Aranda Rebekah | Individuals | WVU Medicine | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $100 |
| Homer Natalie | Individuals | St. Thomas a Becket Episcopal Church | Waynesburg, PA | 2 | $100 |
| Coram David | Individuals | — | WV | 1 | $100 |
| Denison Janice | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $100 |
| Joyce Tom | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $100 |
| Oliverio Frank | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $100 |
| Sedoski John | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $100 |
| Burdette Nathaniel | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $100 |
| Terry William | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $96 |
| Jagels Jake | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $96 |
| Hazen Samuel | Individuals | Department of War | Arlington, VA | 1 | $96 |
| Kozma William | Individuals | WVU | Berlin, MD | 1 | $96 |
| Mullens Tia | Individuals | Homemaker | Sutton, WV | 1 | $96 |
| Joyce David | Individuals | Joyce Communications | Martinsburg, WV | 1 | $96 |
| Marko Aaron | Individuals | — | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $50 |
| Gentzler Amy | Individuals | West Virginia University | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $50 |
| McCartney Lauren | Individuals | Tucker Arensberg | MORGANTOWN, WV | 1 | $50 |
| Carlson California | Individuals | County Govt | MORGANTOWN, WV | 1 | $50 |
| Cox Jennifer | Individuals | Not Employed | Wayne, PA | 1 | $50 |
| Marsh Brandi | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $50 |
| Newman Teresa | Individuals | Exodus Transport | Fairdale, WV | 1 | $48 |
| Garcia Jenny | Individuals | Carillon Preschool | San Jose, CA | 1 | $48 |
| Paul Brittney | Individuals | American Institute for Economic Research | Charles Town, WV | 1 | $48 |
| L, Dennison Theresa | Individuals | Fayette County Schools | Mt Hope, WV | 1 | $48 |
| Dennison Andre | Individuals | Giant Eagle | Marietta, OH | 1 | $48 |
| Dennison Amber | Individuals | — | — | 2 | $47 |
| Scott, Terneus Cohen | Self-funding | — | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $25 |
| Egan Joseph | Individuals | Home Depot | Marietta, GA | 1 | $25 |
| Hassett Robert | Individuals | Bank of New York | Metuchen, NJ | 1 | $25 |
| Reaves Vanessa | Individuals | Not Employed | Morgantown, WV | 1 | $25 |
| Guzman Miranda | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $24 |
| Bender David | Individuals | — | — | 1 | $24 |
| Peters Arthur | Individuals | Independent Contractor | — | 1 | $24 |
| Foster Linda | Individuals | retired | Fairmont, WV | 1 | $24 |
| Beaver Olivia | Individuals | Classic Learning Test | Greeneville, TN | 1 | $24 |
| Garris Jeffery | Individuals | Walmart | Martinsburg, WV | 1 | $14 |
| Kessler Daniel | Individuals | — | Shepherdstown, WV | 1 | $10 |
| Thompson Matthew | Individuals | HHS | Washington DC, DC | 1 | $9 |
| Bina Nicholas | Individuals | Unemployed | — | 1 | $9 |
| Marker Marnie | Individuals | Nephrology Associates | Wheeling, WV | 1 | $6 |
| Moore Katie | Individuals | Not Employed | Charleston, WV | 1 | $5 |
| Hammonds Thurman | Individuals | Not Employed | Gaffney, SC | 1 | $2 |
| Carpenter Kevin | Individuals | Not Employed | Sutton, WV | 1 | $1 |
| Cook Francis | Individuals | Not Employed | Keyser, WV | 1 | $1 |
| Cochran Dana | Individuals | Radford University | Bramwell, WV | 1 | $1 |