Ryan Weld

Ryan Weld

Republican Party

Candidate, West Virginia State Senate District 1

West Virginia State Senate District 1

Tenure

2016 - Present

Term ends

2024

Years in position

8

Prior offices

West Virginia House of Delegates District 2

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Compensation

Base salary

$20,000/year

Per diem

$75/day for members who commute daily. $175/day for members who do not commute daily.

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 3, 2020

Next election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Fairmont State University

Contact

Official website

Official Twitter

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal Facebook

Personal Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Ryan Weld (Republican Party) is a member of the West Virginia State Senate, representing District 1. He assumed office in 2016. His current term ends on December 1, 2024.

Weld (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the West Virginia State Senate to represent District 1. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024. He advanced from the Republican primary on May 14, 2024.

Weld also ran for election for Attorney General of West Virginia. He did not appear on the ballot for the Republican primary on May 14, 2024.

Biography

Weld earned a B.A. in political science and government from Fairmont State University. He is expecting to earn his J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law in May 2015. He has been a legal assistant at the Brooke County Prosecutor's Office since 2012.

Committee assignments

2023-2024

Weld was assigned to the following committees:

• Confirmations Committee
• Senate Government Organization Committee
• Senate Health and Human Resources Committee
• Senate Judiciary Committee, Vice Chair
• Military Committee, Chair
• Senate Rules Committee
• Workforce Committee
• Rule-Making Review Committee

2021-2022

Weld was assigned to the following committees:

• Confirmations Committee
• Senate Banking and Insurance Committee
• Senate Education Committee
• Senate Health and Human Resources Committee
• Senate Judiciary Committee, Vice chair
• Military Committee, Chair
• Senate Rules Committee
• Workforce Committee

2019-2020

Weld was assigned to the following committees:

• Senate Banking and Insurance Committee
• Confirmations Committee
• Senate Health and Human Resources Committee
• Military Committee, Chair
• Senate Judiciary Committee, Vice-Chair
• Workforce Committee, Vice-Chair

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Weld served on the following committees:

West Virginia committee assignments, 2015
• Judiciary
• Political Subdivisions
• Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security

Sponsored legislation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Elections

2024

State Senate District 1

See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2024

General election

General election for West Virginia State Senate District 1

Incumbent Ryan Weld is running in the general election for West Virginia State Senate District 1 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
		Ryan Weld (R)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for West Virginia State Senate District 1

Incumbent Ryan Weld defeated Scott Adams in the Republican primary for West Virginia State Senate District 1 on May 14, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ryan Weld	64.9	8,342
		Scott Adams	35.1	4,513

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 12,855
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Mark Zatezalo (R)

Endorsements

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Attorney General

See also: West Virginia Attorney General election, 2024

General election

General election for Attorney General of West Virginia

Teresa Toriseva and John B. McCuskey are running in the general election for Attorney General of West Virginia on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
		Teresa Toriseva (D)
		John B. McCuskey (R)

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	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Attorney General of West Virginia

Teresa Toriseva defeated Richie Robb in the Democratic primary for Attorney General of West Virginia on May 14, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Teresa Toriseva	52.7	50,480
		Richie Robb	47.3	45,356

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 95,836
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of West Virginia

John B. McCuskey defeated Mike Stuart in the Republican primary for Attorney General of West Virginia on May 14, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John B. McCuskey	59.8	117,263
		Mike Stuart	40.2	78,745

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 196,008
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Ryan Weld (R)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2020

See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for West Virginia State Senate District 1

Incumbent Ryan Weld defeated Randy Swartzmiller in the general election for West Virginia State Senate District 1 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ryan Weld (R)	53.0	23,844
		Randy Swartzmiller (D)	47.0	21,137

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 44,981
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Brandon Evans (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for West Virginia State Senate District 1

Randy Swartzmiller advanced from the Democratic primary for West Virginia State Senate District 1 on June 9, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Randy Swartzmiller	100.0	11,514

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 11,514
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for West Virginia State Senate District 1

Incumbent Ryan Weld defeated Jack Newbrough in the Republican primary for West Virginia State Senate District 1 on June 9, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ryan Weld	64.1	7,283
		Jack Newbrough	35.9	4,081

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 11,364
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2016

Elections for the West Virginia State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on May 10, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was January 30, 2016.

Ryan Weld defeated incumbent Jack Yost in the West Virginia State Senate District 1 general election.

West Virginia State Senate District 1, General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Ryan Weld	51.07%	21,191
	Democratic	Jack Yost Incumbent	48.93%	20,303
Total Votes				41,494
Source: West Virginia Secretary of State

Incumbent Jack Yost ran unopposed in the West Virginia State Senate District 1 Democratic primary.

West Virginia State Senate District 1, Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate
	Democratic	Jack Yost Incumbent (unopposed)

Ryan Weld ran unopposed in the West Virginia State Senate District 1 Republican primary.

West Virginia State Senate District 1, Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate
	Republican	Ryan Weld  (unopposed)

2014

See also: West Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2014

Elections for the West Virginia House of Delegates took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 13, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was January 25, 2014. Incumbent Phil Diserio was unopposed in the Democratic primary, while Ryan Weld was unopposed in the Republican primary. Weld defeated Diserio in the general election.

West Virginia House of Delegates District 2, General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Ryan Weld	59.6%	2,846
	Democratic	Phil Diserio Incumbent	40.4%	1,928
Total Votes				4,774

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

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You can ask Ryan Weld to fill out this survey by using the button below or emailing [email protected].

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Ryan Weld did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Ryan Weld did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2016

Weld's campaign website highlighted the following issues:

“ Substance Abuse As an Assistant Prosecutor in Brooke County, every day I see the problems our communities struggle with as the result of drug addiction. And while there is no one thing that can solve all of these issues, we can fight back against them in several ways: - Create tougher laws for those who bring the drugs across state lines and sell them in our communities. - Help ensure access to rehabilitation programs and alternative sentencing options for those who are suffering from a drug addiction. - Last but not least, create a sense of hope in our state. When people feel as if they can’t get an education or a job, they sometimes turn to drugs. Making the decisions that will help lead to a better economy will go a long way to help prevent this. Education As I’ve said elsewhere, our state’s education structure is too top heavy. Washington and Charleston dictate too much policy to our local boards. From things like determining the academic schedule to finding the best way to measure student performance, bureaucrats aren’t giving our teachers the freedom to decide how to best manage their classrooms. It seems as if each time we’ve tried to advance education policy in this state, we’ve been met with resistance from the people who seem unwilling to loosen their grip over the schools – unelected officials. It’s time we give teachers the ability to manage their classrooms, give them realistic expectations, and find the best way to chart our students’ performance. State Budget Unfortunately, over the past several years, the population of the State of West Virginia’s has greatly decreased. Why then, has the size of our government only increased? Over the past decade or so, our state government has grown out of control, with your money being spent unwisely by bureaucrats in Charleston on duplicative services and wasteful programs. Here is just one example: West Virginia has approximately 280,000 students K-12. The State of New York has approximately 2.8 million. Despite that massive difference, West Virginia has more employees at our State Board of Education than New York’s. How is that possible? Don’t you think that funding would be better spent at the local Board of Education on programs that help our local students, instead of funding an unnecessary bureaucracy? In order to finally have a state government that is responsive to the people of the state, we need to rein in unnecessary spending and government waste. Taxes We are all familiar with the massive budget shortfalls that the state is currently experiencing. And while there are several culprits that have brought us to this point, there is one reason in particular that we can point to: the massive reduction in coal severance taxes caused by the over-regulation of the federal government. Having a tax code that is overly reliant on the extraction industries such as coal, oil, and gas has led to a massive hole in the budget that has left us in poor financial shape. In order to avoid the same problems we’re facing now, this state needs to undergo a massive overhaul of its tax code – not just find one-time funding sources to fix the budget. This doesn’t mean raising taxes on you – it means broadening our tax base as we attract new businesses and industries here so that our overreliance on a single industry won’t put us in this situation ever again. 2nd Amendment Rights West Virginians have always held the principals of the 2nd Amendment as an important part of their Constitutional rights. As a combat veteran, I am well aware of the need to be able to protect yourself and your family. As a Delegate, I have always supported your 2nd Amendment rights and will continue to do so in the future. ” —Ryan Weld

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Ryan Weld campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	West Virginia State Senate District 1	On the Ballot general	$0	$0
2020	West Virginia State Senate District 1	Won general	$176,065	N/A**
2016	West Virginia State Senate, District 1	Won	$76,739	N/A**
2014	West Virginia House of Delegates, District 2	Won	$45,333	N/A**
Grand total			$298,137	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only availabale data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in West Virginia

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of West Virginia scorecards, email suggestions to [email protected].

2023

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show].
In 2023, the West Virginia State Legislature was in session from January 11 to March 11. Americans for Prosperity Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. West Virginia Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on business issues.

2022

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show].
In 2022, the West Virginia State Legislature was in session from January 12 to March 12. West Virginia Sierra Club Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues.

2021

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show].

In 2021, the West Virginia State Legislature was in session from February 10 to April 10. Americans for Prosperity Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. West Virginia Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on business issues. West Virginia Manufacturers Association Legislators are scored on their votes on the manufacturing industry. West Virginia Sierra Club Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues.

2020

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show].

In 2020, the West Virginia State Legislature was in session from January 8 to March 7. ACLU West Virginia Legislators are scored on their votes on civil liberties issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. West Virginia Citizen's Defense League Legislators are scored on their votes on firearms issues. West Virginia Sierra Club Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues.

2019

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show].
In 2019, the West Virginia State Legislature was in session from January 9 through March 9. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. West Virginia Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on business issues.

2018

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show].
In 2018, the West Virginia State Legislature was in session from January 10 through March 10. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. West Virginia Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on business issues. West Virginia Citizen's Defense League Legislators are scored on their votes on firearms issues.

2017

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show].

In 2017, the West Virginia State Legislature was in session from February 8 through April 9. The legislature held a special session from May 4 to June 26. The legislature held its second special session from August 1 to September 15. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. West Virginia Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on business issues.

2016

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show].
In 2016, the West Virginia State Legislature was in session from January 13 through March 12. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2015

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show].
In 2015, the West Virginia State Legislature was in session from January 14 through March 14. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. West Virginia Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse Legislators are scored on their votes on lawsuit-related legislation.

Endorsements

2016

In 2016, Weld's endorsements included the following:

• Associated Builders and Contractors of West Virginia (ABCWV)
• West Virginia Chamber of Commerce
• West Virginians for Life (WVFL)
• West Virginia Business & Industry Council (WVBIC)
• The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
• West Virginia Hospital Political Action Committee (HOSPAC)
• West Virginia Coal Association

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Weld's expertise includes criminal law.

Weld lives with his wife, Alex, in Wellsburg, West Virginia.

See also

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West Virginia State Senate District 1

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West Virginia State Senate District 1

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by -	West Virginia State Senate District 1 2016-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	West Virginia House of Delegates District 2 2015-2016	Succeeded by -

[show]

Current members of the West Virginia State Senate

Leadership

Senate President:Craig Blair

Majority Leader:Tom Takubo

Minority Leader:Mike Woelfel

Senators

District 1

Laura Wakim Chapman (R)

Ryan Weld (R)

District 2

Charles Clements (R)

Mike Maroney (R)

District 3

Mike Azinger (R)

Donna Boley (R)

District 4

Amy Grady (R)

Eric Tarr (R)

District 5

Robert Plymale (D)

Mike Woelfel (D)

District 6

Mark Maynard (R)

Chandler Swope (R)

District 7

Rupie Phillips (R)

Mike Stuart (R)

District 8

Mark Hunt (R)

Glenn Jeffries (R)

District 9

Rollan Roberts (R)

David Stover (R)

District 10

Vince Deeds (R)

Jack Woodrum (R)

District 11

William Hamilton (R)

Robert Karnes (R)

District 12

Patrick Martin (R)

Ben Queen (R)

District 13

Michael Caputo (D)

Mike Oliverio (R)

District 14

Randy Smith (R)

Jay Taylor (R)

District 15

Craig Blair (R)

Charles Trump (R)

District 16

Jason Barrett (R)

Patricia Rucker (R)

District 17

Eric Nelson (R)

Tom Takubo (R)

Republican Party (31)

Democratic Party (3)