Tom Willis
West Virginia Republican Senate nominee?
$135.6K
MAY 13, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleState Senator
PartyRepublican
Political ideologyConservative Republican
GenderMale
LocationWest Virginia
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BackgroundAttorney
EducationUniversity of Virginia (B.A.)
Notable personal detailsThomas Edward Willis is a Republican member of the West Virginia Senate representing District 15 (Berkeley, Morgan, and Hampshire County portions). He is an attorney and business owner and has served in the West Virginia National Guard since 2000, including Special Forces service. He earned degrees from the University of Virginia, the University of Oregon, and Georgetown University Law Center, and he has run for U.S. Senate and state senate office.
SourcesShowHide
Positions
Economy & Taxes
The candidate advocates eliminating the personal income tax and supports broad tax cuts and reduced government spending on programs he views as inappropriate uses of tax dollars. He frames tax policy as protecting individual and economic liberty and stopping public funds from supporting companies or activities he opposes.
Healthcare
Opposes medical mandates and supports individual medical choice; emphasizes "health freedom" and parental control over children's medical decisions. Positions focus on limiting government involvement in health policy rather than expanding public programs.
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Immigration & Border
Supports stronger immigration enforcement and tighter vetting for refugee resettlement, and has backed measures to increase state cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Has publicly called for reviews of immigration policy and criticized large-scale refugee resettlement programs as insufficiently vetted.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Supports a complete ban on abortion with an exception only to save the life of the mother and seeks to defund Planned Parenthood; states that life begins at conception.
Climate & Energy
Supports protecting West Virginia’s coal and natural gas industries and opposes Green New Deal–style clean energy mandates. Emphasizes energy policies that defend fossil fuel jobs and market-driven approaches rather than aggressive federal clean-energy regulations.
Public Safety & Guns
The candidate identifies as pro-gun, lists ‘Pro-Gun’ among core positions on his campaign site, and has an endorsement from the West Virginia 2nd Amendment Coalition. As a state senator he sponsored/has a bill (SB19) that would provide civil and criminal immunity for use of force in defense of self, real and personal property, indicating support for broad self-defense protections.
News
Tom Willis is in the news mainly because West Virginia has been the focus of several policy and political developments. Recent reports cover the state’s new campaign finance law that hides employer information for larger donations, the EPA’s approval of West Virginia’s pollution plan, and a Senate debate over a voter ID and citizenship bill. Broader coverage also points to rising financial stress in the state, with mortgage-help searches surging and West Virginia ranking among the most federally dependent states.
Why the Senate Is Debating a Doomed Elections Bill
Here are the most federally dependent states in 2026, data suggests
Google searches for ‘help with mortgage’ surge past 2008 levels
Trump’s EPA is paving the way for haze to return to national parks, conservationists warn
Endorsements
Endorsers of Tom Willis for West Virginia Republican Senate nominee?
Randy Smith
Public figure
Randy Smith endorsed Tom Willis for the West Virginia Republican U.S. Senate primary.
Six Republican state senators
Public endorsement
Six West Virginia Republican state senators endorsed Tom Willis for the West Virginia Republican U.S. Senate primary.
Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 20262026
LatestCycle 2026
Source: FEC
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls