Thornton Cooper
West Virginia Democratic Senate nominee?
$50.9K
MAY 19, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleAttorney
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyLiberal Democrat
GenderMale
LocationWest Virginia
Show moreShow less
BackgroundAttorney
EducationYale University (B.A., 1972)
Notable personal detailsThornton Cooper is a West Virginia attorney and retired state employee from South Charleston. He was the Democratic nominee for West Virginia Secretary of State in 2024 and later ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in West Virginia in 2026. He has been active in local Democratic Party committees in Kanawha County and has participated in multiple public-interest legal matters, including redistricting-related work.
SourcesShowHide
Positions
Economy & Taxes
The candidate has expressed support for raising the minimum wage and for making it easier to start and operate small businesses (including improving the state’s business portal). There are no clear statements on tax policy or proposals for taxation levels, corporate taxes, or major fiscal changes in the available campaign materials.
Healthcare
The candidate opposes West Virginia Amendment 1 (which would constitutionally ban physician-assisted suicide) and supports allowing medical aid-in-dying for competent, terminal patients as an element of bodily autonomy. No clear public evidence was found of a broader, comprehensive position on health coverage, Medicaid, or the Affordable Care Act.
Show moreShow less
Public Safety & Guns
The candidate supports local restrictions on firearms in certain public facilities, opposing a 2014 state law that allowed concealed weapons in city recreation facilities and arguing city governments should be able to ban concealed weapons in such locations. This indicates support for targeted gun safety restrictions while not advocating a broad ban on gun ownership.
News
Thornton Cooper is being mentioned in coverage tied to West Virginia’s role in several state-level policy fights. The biggest recent developments are federal lawsuits over the state’s voter registration lists and new legislation that would expand so-called medical conscience rights for healthcare providers. There is also broader election-related attention around voter registration rules and the SAVE Act, but the summaries do not show any direct personal action by Cooper.
‘Medical conscience’ bills would let providers refuse more health care
DOJ Sues 5 More States Over Voter Roll Access
US Justice Department sues five more states over voter registration lists
Google searches for ‘help with mortgage’ surge past 2008 levels
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls
- Endorsements
- Fundraising