Mike Woelfel

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Mike Woelfel

|office = Minority Leader of the West Virginia Senate

|term_start = January 11, 2023

|term_end =

|predecessor = Stephen Baldwin

|successor =

|state_senate2 = West Virginia

|district2 = 5th

|alongside2 = Scott Fuller

|term_start2 = December 1, 2014

|term_end2 =

|predecessor2 = Evan Jenkins

|successor2 =

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|6|21}}

|birth_place = Huntington, West Virginia, U.S.

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Democratic

|spouse = Julia Woelfel

|children = 2

|education = Marshall University (BA)
West Virginia University (JD)

}}

Mike Woelfel is a Democratic member of the West Virginia Senate representing the 5th district.{{cite web|url=http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Senate1/lawmaker.cfm?member=Senator%20Woelfel|author=|title=Mike Woelfel (D - Cabell, 05)|publisher=West Virginia State Legislature|date=|accessdate=2015-02-09}} The 5th district includes all of Cabell County and a small portion of northern Wayne County.{{cite web|url=http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Districts/maps_large_version.cfm?cham=Senate&planyear=2010&district=05|author=|title=West Virginia Senate District 05|publisher=West Virginia State Legislature|date=|accessdate=2015-02-09}} In 2022, Woelfel was chosen as Minority Leader of the Senate.{{Cite web |last=Hannahs |first=Alyssa |title=Senator Mike Woelfel selected W.Va. Senate minority leader |url=https://www.wsaz.com/2022/12/06/senator-mike-woelfel-selected-wva-senate-minority-leader/ |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=www.wsaz.com |date=6 December 2022 |language=en}}

Legislature

Woelfel was first elected in 2014 to succeed Evan Jenkins who left the Democratic Party and chose to run for Congress as a Republican. Woelfel's victory was a rare pick up for the Democratic Party during a year that otherwise saw major Republican gains in West Virginia.{{Cite web |date=2014-11-05 |title=WV Republicans Take Over House of Delegates, Make Senate Gains |url=https://www.wtrf.com/archives/wv-republicans-take-over-house-of-delegates-make-senate-gains/ |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=WTRF |language=en-US}} In 2020, Woelfel was appointed as Minority Whip for the Senate Democratic caucus.{{Cite news|last=McElhinny|first=Brad|date=December 14, 2020|title=Moore Capito is named W.Va. House Judiciary chairman, one of a few committee changes|work=West Virginia MetroNews|url=https://wvmetronews.com/2020/12/14/moore-capito-is-named-w-va-house-judiciary-chairman-one-of-a-few-committee-changes/}} Two years later, Woelfel became the Minority Leader after his predecessor, Stephen Baldwin, lost re-election.

Personal

Woelfel maintains a private personal injury law firm with his son, Matthew Woelfel.{{Cite web|title=WOELFEL & WOELFEL LLP YOUR PERSONAL INJURY LAW FIRM|url=https://woelfelpersonalinjury.com/about.php#michael}} Prior to his time in the Senate, Woelfel served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Cabell County and was appointed, on a part-time basis, to a juvenile judicial office for the Supreme Court of Appeals. He also served as an adjunct professor at Marshall University.{{Cite web|title=Michael A. Woelfel (D - Cabell, 05) Minority Whip Biography|url=https://www.wvlegislature.gov/senate1/biography.cfm?member=Senator%20Woelfel}}

Election results

{{Election box begin no change| title=West Virginia Senate District 5 (Position A) election, 2018{{cite web|url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/WV/92360/Web02-state.222648/#/cid/550|title=Statewide Results: General Election - November 6, 2018|website=West Virginia Secretary of State|accessdate=November 11, 2019}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Mike Woelfel (incumbent)

|votes = 20,305

|percentage = 59.66%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Larry Brooke Lunsford

|votes = 13,732

|percentage = 40.34%

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 34,037

| percentage = 100.0%

}}

{{Election box begin no change| title=West Virginia Senate District 5 (Position A) election, 2014{{cite web|url=http://services.sos.wv.gov/apps/elections/results/results.aspx?year=2014&eid=21&county=Statewide|title=Statewide Results: General Election - November 4, 2014|website=West Virginia Secretary of State|accessdate=November 21, 2017|archive-date=November 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107040731/http://services.sos.wv.gov/apps/elections/results/results.aspx?year=2014&eid=21&county=Statewide|url-status=dead}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Mike Woelfel

|votes = 12,511

|percentage = 49.80%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Vicki Dunn-Marshall

|votes = 11,818

|percentage = 47.04%

}}