West Virginia State House District 65

Current seat holder: Carl Martin (Republican).

Mira Tanner-Hughes

Mira Tanner-Hughes is the Democratic nominee for West Virginia House of Delegates District 65, which covers most of Upshur County. She lives in Buckhannon and is challenging Republican incumbent Carl Martin in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. Tanner-Hughes advanced without opposition in the Democratic primary and received 586 votes. She worked for about a decade as a Walmart sales associate and cashier between Buckhannon and Weston. Tanner-Hughes also volunteers with the Appalachian Mutual Aid Collective. Her campaign is centered on affordability and the principle of “putting people over profits.” Her priorities include addressing food and housing insecurity, strengthening labor unions, repealing right-to-work laws, opposing data centers, funding public education and expanding access to higher education and trade training. Her candidacy offers District 65 voters a Democratic alternative to an incumbent who has served in the House since 2018.

· Candidate campaign website & Ballotpedia (secondary source)

Campaign site

“Strong labor unions would give power back to the workers that right-to-work laws have stripped away from us. I support allowing union dues to be deducted from state and federal taxes, stronger strike protections, and I want to make it easier for all workers to unionize.” (Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey)
“My favorite historical figure is Dorothea Dix, champion of deinstitutionalization, advocate for compassionate and humane standards for mental health care. The living person I look up to is my childhood neighbor Ann, who helped me feel connected to community in uncertain childhood circumstances, who fueled my love of animals with her diligence in caring for the strays dumped in French Creek, inspiring my own work with cat fostering. I also look up to Heather, whose tireless work to ensure everyone in our community feels cared for inspires me to consistently strive to be kinder and more compassionate to everyone around me.” (Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey)
“The job of elected officials is to serve those who elected them--that's what our current representatives are doing, serving the corporations that got them elected.” (Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey)

Carl Martin

Carl Robert Martin is the Republican incumbent representing West Virginia House District 65, which covers Upshur County. Martin was born in Buckhannon and earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from West Virginia Wesleyan College and works as a business owner. Before joining the state legislature, he served on the Upshur County Board of Education. Martin was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2018, representing District 45 before redistricting placed him in District 65 in 2022. He won reelection in 2024 with about 77% of the vote and advanced unopposed from the 2026 Republican primary. Martin faces Democratic nominee Mira Tanner-Hughes in the Nov. 3 general election. He currently serves on the House Judiciary Committee and on two interim committees, Economic Development and Judiciary. During the 2026 legislative session, Martin was the lead sponsor of six bills. Two became law: House Bill 4995, which strengthened camera requirements in certain special education classrooms, and House Bill 4996, which addressed bail in cases involving terroristic threats against schools or children.

Campaign site

“I hope you can find everything you need. I, Carl "Robbie" Martin, am focused on providing true representation for Upshur County.” (Carl Martin Campaign Website)
“- "I will do everything I can to meet your expectations for our children . . . our future.” (Carl Martin Campaign Website)
“With a variety of issues to have concerns about, I hope you'll be happy working with me while I am your delegate. I am here for our children, tax payers, community, state, country and world. Look around my website and if you have any comments or questions, please feel free to contact me.” (Carl Martin Campaign Website)