CHARLESTON — Kanawha County Commissioner Lance Wheeler won the Republican nomination Tuesday for State Senate in District 8, narrowly defeating state Sen. Kevan Bartlett and Dr. Steven Carder Eshenaur in a three-way primary that spanned five counties.
Wheeler has served on the Kanawha County Commission since 2020. He won his race against Bartlett, who was appointed by Gov. Patrick Morrisey last year to fill a vacancy left by Mark Hunt following Hunt’s election as state auditor in 2024, and Eshenaur, a physician making his first run for elected office. Bartlett previously entered the Legislature through an appointment by then-Gov. Jim Justice in 2019 to the House of Delegates.
In Kanawha County, the district’s largest voting base, Wheeler built a decisive lead, helping offset stronger performances by Bartlett and Eshenaur in several rural counties. Wheeler also carried Putnam and Clay counties, while Bartlett performed best in Jackson County, and Eshenaur’s strongest showing came in Jackson as well, where he finished ahead of Wheeler but behind Bartlett.
In Jackson County, Bartlett led with 367 votes (44.9%), followed by Eshenaur with 318 votes (38.9%) and Wheeler with 133 votes (16.3%), as Bartlett posted his strongest county performance.
In Roane County, Eshenaur narrowly led with 365 votes (34.6%), followed closely by Bartlett with 356 votes (33.7%) and Wheeler with 335 votes (31.7%), making it the most closely divided county in the district.
In Kanawha County, Wheeler took a commanding lead with 1,033 votes (47.4%), while Bartlett received 619 votes (28.4%) and Eshenaur earned 528 votes (24.2%), marking Wheeler’s strongest showing and the decisive margin in the race.
In Putnam County, Wheeler again led with 420 votes (38.9%), followed by Bartlett with 371 votes (34.3%) and Eshenaur with 290 votes (26.8%).
In Clay County, Bartlett led with 188 votes (41.2%), followed by Wheeler with 167 votes (36.6%) and Eshenaur with 101 votes (22.1%).
Across the five-county district, Wheeler finished first with 2,088 votes (37.3%), followed by Bartlett with 1,901 votes (34.0%) and Eshenaur with 1,602 votes (28.7%), according to unofficial returns.
