Toby Heaney

Toby Heaney is the Republican candidate for West Virginia State Senate District 2 in the November 3, 2026 general election, facing Christopher Claypole (D) for the open seat.[1][2] A veteran who served in the U.S. Army from 1997 to 2021, he is a doctoral student in economics at West Virginia University.[1][3]

Toby Heaney was born in West Virginia and served in the U.S. Army from 1997 to 2021.[1] He earned a bachelor's degree from Fairmont State University in 2009 and a graduate degree from the University of Charleston in 2018, and has served as president of the Marion County Veterans Council and as a commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 629.[1] In a Ballotpedia survey, he described himself as a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom who retired from the West Virginia Army National Guard after 24 years, with a bachelor's degree in finance, an MBA and current doctoral studies in economics at West Virginia University.[3] He said his main focus would be improving West Virginia's economy.[3] Heaney sought the Republican nomination for West Virginia House of Delegates District 76 in 2022 and 2024, losing both primaries to Jon Dodds, and advanced from the Republican primary for State Senate District 2 on May 12, 2026.[1]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.