The 2026 WASPY Awards: West Virginia Politics' Best, As Decided by the People Who Know
The WV WASP readers have spoken. Here are the winners.
Every session leaves its mark on the statehouse walls, on the legislative record, and on the political reputations of those who walked those halls. The 2026 Regular Session was no different. Now that the dust has settled on 60 days of deal-making, floor speeches, and behind-the-scenes maneuvering, the readers of the WV WASP have rendered their verdict.
Introducing the inaugural WASPY Awards, West Virginia’s first reader-driven political honors, recognizing the figures who shaped the Mountain State’s political landscape over the past year. Readers cast ballots across 10 categories. The results, in some cases, were close. In others, they were decisive. You can view our X thread with graphics of each category win here.
Here’s who won.
🐝 Golden Wasp — Politician of the Year
Roger Hanshaw
The biggest impact on West Virginia politics this year.
House Speaker Roger Hanshaw claimed the top prize in a competitive field. Senate Finance Chairman Vernon Criss finished second, followed by Governor Patrick Morrisey in third and First Lady Denise Morrisey in fourth. Hanshaw’s fingerprints were on virtually every major piece of legislation that moved, or didn’t move, through the 2026 session. For readers watching closely, that kind of institutional command is hard to overlook.
🐝 King/Queen Bee Award — Most Powerful Political Figure
Roger Hanshaw
Power, as opposed to mere impact, has a particular feel. Readers recognized it.
Hanshaw swept a second award, edging out Criss, who finished second. Denise Morrisey came in third, with the Governor finishing last in the field, a notable result that suggests readers view the executive mansion’s influence as more limited than its occupant might prefer. For a governor a year into his first term, finishing last in a power ranking among his own party’s political observers is a data point worth watching. The double win cements Hanshaw’s standing as the dominant force in Charleston, at least in the eyes of those paying closest attention.
🐝 Hive Builder Award — Best Coalition Builder
JB Akers
Who brought people together to successfully move policy or legislation?
Delegate JB Akers ran away with this one, leaving the rest of the field well behind. Americans for Prosperity-WV finished second, followed by Delegate Walt Hall in third and Speaker Hanshaw in fourth. Coalition-building is quiet work that rarely makes headlines, but readers noticed Akers doing it effectively throughout the session. A strong performance for a legislator still establishing his statewide profile.
🐝 The Peacock Award — Political Moment of the Year
Shawn Fluharty
The most theatrical performance — dramatic speeches, press conferences, floor theatrics.
This one wasn’t particularly close. House Minority Leader Shawn Fluharty dominated the category, leaving the field well behind. Henry Dillon finished second, Joey Garcia third, and Vernon Criss fourth. Whatever one thinks of Fluharty’s politics, his talent for a moment is not in dispute. The minority finds its voice when it has someone willing to use theirs.
🐝 Iron Bee Award — Behind-the-Scenes Workhorse
Pat McGeehan
The legislator who did the most serious work where no cameras were rolling.
Senator Pat McGeehan edged the field, followed by Delegate Joe Statler in second, Delegate Evan Worrell in third, and Senator Patricia Rucker in fourth. McGeehan has cultivated a reputation as a legislator more interested in substance than stagecraft, and readers rewarded that accordingly. A win that means more coming from this category than most.
🐝 Golden Microphone Award — Best Floor Speech
Shawn Fluharty
The best speech delivered on the House or Senate floor.
Fluharty claimed his second award of the evening, edging out Delegate JB Akers, who finished a strong second. Delegate Mike Woelfel came in third, with Delegate Mike Pushkin rounding out the field. Akers’ runner-up showing in both this category and the Hive Builder Award suggests a legislator worth watching as the 2026 cycle heats up. But the Golden Microhone belongs to Fluharty, at least for now.
🐝 Bridge Builder Award — Best Bipartisan Effort
Ryan Weld
The legislator who crossed the aisle most effectively.
Senator Ryan Weld took the bipartisan honors ahead of a closely bunched field. Delegate Sean Hornbuckle finished second, Delegate Elliot Pritt third, and Delegate Kayla Young fourth. Weld’s ability to operate across party lines in an increasingly polarized legislative environment is a marketable asset, and readers clearly took note.
🐝 Rookie of the Year — Best First-Term Legislator
Tristan Leavitt
The best debut by a freshman legislator.
Delegate Tristan Leavitt turned in the strongest rookie showing in the eyes of WASP readers, with Delegate Robbie Morris finishing a solid second. Delegate Ian Masters came in third, followed by Delegate Bill Bell in fourth. First-term legislators often spend their debut terms finding their footing. Leavitt, by this measure, found his faster than most.
🐝 Best Political Reporter
Amelia Knisely
West Virginia’s political reporter of the year.
The WV WASP does not crown itself in its own competition, so we’ll note for transparency that our readers placed us at the top of this category and then set that aside. With the WASP recused, West Virginia Watch reporter Amelia Knisely is the clear winner, having finished in a dead heat with us among eligible candidates. Brad McElhinny came in second among credentialed outlets, with Steven Allen Adams coming in a distant last place. Knisely’s work throughout the 2026 session was consistently strong, and the recognition is well-earned.
🐝 Best Political Commentary
TJ Meadows
The best opinion writer, analyst, or commentator on West Virginia politics.
Same principle applies here. WASP readers placed this publication first in the commentary category by a wide margin, a result we’re genuinely proud of and one that reflects what we hear regularly from readers across the state. But we’re not in the business of handing ourselves trophies, so the award goes where it belongs among the eligible field: TJ Meadows, who finished a clear second overall and first among outside voices. Steven Allen Adams came in third, with Hoppy Kercheval fourth. Meadows has built a loyal following with sharp, well-sourced analysis, and this is a deserved recognition.
A Final Word
The WASPY Awards are, by design, a reader exercise, a snapshot of how the politically engaged West Virginians who follow this publication see the session, its players, and the coverage surrounding it. Take the results as one data point, not a verdict. But also: take them seriously. The people who voted in this survey are the same people in the rooms where decisions get made.
They’re watching. They always are.
The 2026 WASPY ballot drew more than 1,000 respondents across 10 categories.🐝