Vernon Criss
West Virginia State Delegate, District 12 since 2016. Did not run for re-election in 2026; leaves office in January 2027.
- In office
- 9 yrs
- Since 2016
- Bills became law
- 15
- 37 sponsored, 2025–2026 session
- Votes missed
- 1.1%
- Chamber median 2.4%
- With party
- 88%
- On votes splitting the parties
- Last margin
- +32.1
- Won 2022
Source: Wikidata, congress-legislators and Open States; 99chambers legislative recordsUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Committees
As of 2026-10.
- Finance · chair
- Finance · chair
- Economic Development
- Government and Finance
- Rules
- Special Investigations
Source: Open States committeesUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Legislation
Became law Aug 2026
Source: Open States billsUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:22 PM ET
Voting record
Where Criss sits in the West Virginia House of Delegates
Criss is closer to the center than 48% of the chamber's Republicans.
Closest: Mickey Petitto, John Jordan, Jordan Maynor
Source: 99chambers roll-call scalingUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 5:10 PM ET
With Criss’s party
- Votes with the chamber's Republicans88%
- Cosponsorships of the other party's bills4%
Black tick: the average of Republicans in the West Virginia House of Delegates.
Source: 99chambers legislative scores from roll calls and cosponsorships
Key votes
Votes chosen for their effect, not their side: Criss’s vote, each party’s majority, and the result. An orange vote differs from most Republicans.
| Date | Bill | Criss | Rep. majority | Dem. majority | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 14, 2026 | HB 4106: Allowing constitutional carry for 18- to 20-year-olds | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 89–8 |
| Mar 14, 2026 | SB 587: Adjusting salary schedule for elected county officials | No | Yes | Yes | Passed 54–42 |
| Mar 14, 2026 | HB 4004: Creating the Recharge West Virginia Program | No | Yes | Yes | Passed 55–40 |
| Mar 14, 2026 | HB 4865: Providing for a program allowing election official trainees to be appointed as election… | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 82–14 |
| Mar 13, 2026 | SB 648: Strategic and Critical Resources Act | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 88–7 |
Source: 99chambers key votes from Congress.gov, Voteview and Open States roll calls
Career
Offices held, and every time Criss was on a ballot. Filled marks are general elections won; hollow marks are primaries; an orange outline is a loss.
Source: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
Elections
Margin against the seat’s presidential baseline: how the seat voted for president in the same or nearest year.
| Year | Race | Result | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | West Virginia House of Delegates, District 12 | Won | — |
| 2022 | West Virginia House of Delegates, District 12 | Won | R+32.1 |
| 2020 | West Virginia House of Delegates, District 10 | Won | D+5.3 |
| 2018 | West Virginia House of Delegates, District 10 | Won | D+1.9 |
| 2016 | West Virginia House of Delegates, District 10 | Won | D+4.9 |
| 1994 | West Virginia House of Delegates, District 10 | Lost | D+4.6 |
| 1990 | West Virginia House of Delegates, District 8 | Lost | D+2.3 |
Source: 99chambers results archive
Seats Criss has held
- West Virginia House of Delegates, District 12 · since 2022
- West Virginia House of Delegates, District 10 · since 2016
Source: 99chambers results archive
Who Criss has run against
- Jonathan Defibaugh (D) · 2022 general, won
- John R. Kelly (R) · 2020 general, won
- John R. Kelly (R) · 2018 general, won
- John R. Kelly (R) · 2016 general, won
- Tom Azinger (R) · 1994 general, lost
- Brenda Brum (D) · 1990 general, lost
Source: 99chambers results archive
How we know Criss
One person, matched across every source we use.
- Open States ocd-person/381e0784-9202-4308-a138-399c84740804
Source: Identity links: Wikidata, congress-legislators, Open States, FECUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET