Elections

More voters are leaving party labels behind, as national politics reshape West Virginia

MORGANTOWN - Christine Riley spent most of her life as a Democrat, following a political affiliation that had been part of her family for generations.

But after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, the 63-year-old retired 911 dispatcher decided she no longer wanted to belong to either major political party.

Riley, a lifelong West Virginia resident, said she was frustrated with how political leaders responded to the Capitol attack and no longer wanted her political identity tied to either major party.

"When I tell people I'm an independent, they assume that I don't pay attention to what's going on. Actually, I'm independent because I am paying attention to what's going on," Riley said.

Riley is among a growing number of West Virginians choosing to register without a political party, a shift that comes as the state's political identity continues to change. Interviews with voters and political observers suggest that, for some, leaving a party is less about abandoning politics and more about feeling that neither major party fully represents their beliefs.

The number of unaffiliated voters in West Virginia increased by more than 45,000 between March 2022 and March 2026, rising from 259,167 to 304,390, according to the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office.

Judy Ball, who serves as one of two vice presidents of the League of Women Voters of West Virginia, said the trend reflects a broader disconnect between voters and political parties.

"I think unaffiliated voters, the growth in unaffiliated voters, is a reflection of people not feeling that either party is representing them," Ball said.

She said she frequently hears from West Virginians who believe their votes do not matter. She also questioned whether political leaders are addressing the issues voters consider most important.

For voters like Riley, changing a party registration does not necessarily mean changing how they evaluate candidates. Riley said she never voted exclusively for Democrats, even when she was registered with the party.

Instead, she said, she has always considered the individual candidate when deciding whom to support.

Leaving a party behind

For Jennifer Erdely, leaving the Republican Party meant stepping away from a political affiliation she had maintained since she was 18.

Now 54, Erdely registered as unaffiliated in 2025 after growing dissatisfied with the direction of the party.

Erdely, a human resources director who also operates a cat sanctuary, grew up in a Democratic family in Pennsylvania. She said she initially registered as a Republican partly to distinguish herself from her parents, but eventually developed a strong connection to the party.

"I really identified with the values of the Republican Party and everything that I felt was important; they reflected that, but over the course of the past few years, that has changed," Erdely said.

She supported Donald Trump during his first presidential campaign, attending rallies and volunteering. However, Erdely said she eventually became disillusioned with the president and the direction of national politics.

She described both major parties as increasingly divided, leaving little room for people whose beliefs do not fit neatly into either political platform.

For Erdely, becoming unaffiliated was a way to distance herself from those divisions without giving up her interest in elections.

"Well, it means I have a choice. I can look at a person and not the party," she said.

Erdely and her husband have not yet voted in an election since changing their registrations. She said she does not expect to return to either major party and hopes political divisions will eventually ease.

"I really hope that we can find some middle ground somewhere, somehow," Erdely said.

West Virginia's changing political identity

West Virginia's changing voter registrations reflect a broader political transformation in a state once dominated by Democrats.

Following the 2010 elections, Democrats held 65 of the 100 seats in the West Virginia House of Delegates and 28 of the 34 seats in the state Senate, according to historical records from the West Virginia Legislature.

Republicans gained control of both chambers following the 2014 elections, marking a major change in the state's political leadership.

Changes in voter registration followed. In December 2016, Democrats accounted for 44.63% of registered voters, compared with 31.28% registered as Republicans. Voters registered without a political party made up 20.95% of the electorate.

By March 2026, Republicans accounted for 42.89% of registered voters, compared with 27.42% registered as Democrats and 25.45% registered without a political party.

Although Republicans now hold the largest share of registrations, the growing unaffiliated population suggests that the state's political transformation cannot be measured solely by movement between the two major parties.

Cal Carlson, chair of the Monongalia County Democratic Executive Committee and the West Virginia Democratic County Chairs Association, said voters have different reasons for rejecting party labels.

Some consider themselves politically centered, while others disagree with positions taken by both major parties or simply do not want to be associated with either platform.

Carlson knows what it means to change affiliations. He first registered as an independent at 18, believing he did not need a party label to make his own political decisions.

He said he eventually registered as a Democrat in 2023 after working in election administration and becoming more involved in politics.

Carlson said some voters see a disconnect between the national Democratic Party and Democratic organizations operating locally. He said they may disagree with national party leaders while continuing to support Democrats in their communities.

The shift in West Virginia's political landscape has unfolded alongside growing divisions in national politics. For some voters, dissatisfaction with national party leadership has complicated their relationship with political parties at the state and local levels.

How political changes can affect voter participation

Changes in West Virginia's political leadership and party affiliations have also been accompanied by changes in the state's primary election process.

The West Virginia Republican Party voted in 2024 to close its primary elections to voters who are not registered Republicans, a decision that took effect for the May 2026 primary.

It marked the first time in nearly three decades that unaffiliated voters could not choose a Republican primary ballot.

Unaffiliated voters could still request Democratic primary ballots, vote in nonpartisan contests and participate in general elections, where voters can choose candidates regardless of party registration.

West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner said registering without a party can appeal to voters who are uncertain which political organization best represents them.

"I think when they realize that an unaffiliated voter doesn't have to get tied down to a political party, they might not know at the time they’re registering what political party they align with, and this is a way that allows for more options," Warner said.

Ball pointed to unsuccessful legislative proposals that would have extended primary participation, including measures allowing unaffiliated voters to choose a party's primary ballot or change their party registration on Election Day.

She said restrictions on voting options could discourage participation in a state that already struggles with low voter turnout.

However, Monongalia County Clerk Carye Blaney said her office did not experience widespread confusion or complaints about the Republican primary restrictions.

Blaney credited public service announcements from local election officials, the Secretary of State's Office and the Republican Party with helping voters understand the changes before the election.

Young voters and party identification

For younger voters, avoiding a party label can also reflect discomfort with the political divisions surrounding them.

Claire Andres, who works with the Feminist Majority's Vote for Equality initiative, said some college-age voters avoid political identification because they fear conversations about politics will lead to arguments.

Others, she said, may not fully understand the differences between the major parties, while some are familiar with both and do not feel represented by either.

Andres said political identification can become closely tied to assumptions about a person's values, even though political beliefs are often more complicated than a single label.

For Jennifer Erdely, leaving the Republican Party did not mean losing interest in politics. Instead, she said she wants candidates to focus on the concerns of the people they represent rather than political divisions.

Riley expressed a similar desire to make her own political decisions without the expectations of a party affiliation.

"Actually, I just, I’m affiliated with what I believe in," Riley said.

For Riley and Erdely, registering as unaffiliated was not a decision to step away from politics, but a way to remain politically engaged without identifying with a party they no longer felt represented them.