Who won and what passed in the municipal election and what it all means.
The 2025 Morgantown Municipal Election has officially come to an end, bringing one familiar face and two new faces to city council and determining the fates of two contentious ordinances.
First, a note about participation. This year’s election saw 1,900 ballots cast—an increase from the 2023 election, which weighed in at 1,697 ballots. Voter registration also increased, with 13,480 voters registered this year compared to 13,094 in 2023.
Just 14% of registered voters participated in this year’s election, despite outreach efforts by the city to increase civic engagement. Comparatively, according to The New York Times, municipal elections across the country typically see 27% of eligible voters cast their votes.
Low voter participation for municipal elections is typically attributed to misalignment with national election dates. That misalignment will change in Morgantown and across West Virginia within the next decade thanks to Senate Bill 50. This bill, signed into law by Governor Patrick Morrisey on April 25, 2025, requires cities and towns to hold their elections on the same days as statewide general or primary elections by 2032.
Acquaint yourself with your new city council members here and find a quick refresher on ballot issues here.
City Council Seats
As of Tuesday, April 29, 2025, the unofficial election results are as follows:
Second Ward
Jodi Hollingshead: 1,323 votes
Fourth Ward
Jenny Selin: 1,226 votes
Sixth Ward
Mark Downs: 1,046 votes
Stephanie Hunt: 751 votes
Hollingshead, Selin, and Downs will take their seats on city council July 1 to serve four-year terms, through June 30, 2029.
City Manager Residency
Proposed Charter Amendment Authorizing City Council to Approve City Manager Residence Outside of City While in Office
YES: 426 votes
NO: 1,410 votes
The amendment to city manager residency requirements was proposed last year by council for the sake of flexibility and broader candidate options. This followed concerns raised in 2022 about the fact that the previous city manager, Kim Haws, kept his home and voter registration in Bridgeport.
As decided by voters, the city manager will continue to be required to reside in Morgantown while in office.
Camping Ban
Referendum on Ordinance No. 2024-29 enacting a new Article 1157 of the City Code entitled “Camping on Public Property.”
YES: 904 votes
NO: 982 votes
Since a majority of voters rejected a repeal of the Camping on Public Property ordinance, it will remain in effect and become enforceable 30 days after the vote. This means camping and storing personal belongings on public property can result in a written warning on first offense to up to 30 days of imprisonment upon recurrent violations—but alternative housing options must be offered and declined before citations or penalties can be issued. Learn more here.
“Despite our anger and disappointment, we aren’t going anywhere,” said the Morgantown Coalition for Housing Action, the group which petitioned the camping ban ordinance last year, in a statement. “We are buoyed by a deep knowing that we are building a durable, loving movement grounded in each other’s shared humanity—this ban has been a distraction and a setback, but now the work begins anew.”
During this year’s legislative session, a similar statewide “camping ban” was proposed as House Bill 2382. However, the bill died following referral to the Senate Rules Committee. This means the committee did not have enough time to consider the issue or it decided the bill did not need further action.
Municipal election results are considered unofficial until a canvass takes place on May 5.
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