CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A lawsuit filed in Kanawha County Circuit Court seeks to remove a candidate from the ballot in the upcoming West Virginia Senate primary election for the 10th District.
State Sen. Vince Deeds, R-Greenbrier, filed the petition earlier this month, alleging that Dr. Robert Shirley Love does not meet the residency requirements outlined in the West Virginia Constitution and is therefore ineligible to run for the seat.
According to the filing, the state constitution requires candidates for the West Virginia Senate to have been residents of the state for at least five years prior to the election.
The complaint alleges that Love lived in Georgia as recently as 2022 or 2023 and voted there during the 2022 election cycle. It further claims he did not reestablish residency in West Virginia until late 2023 or early 2024.
Love filed candidacy paperwork in August 2025, listing a Fayette County address. However, the lawsuit contends that his time residing out of state disqualifies him from appearing on the ballot.
The petition asks the court to issue a declaratory judgment confirming that Love does not meet constitutional eligibility requirements and to bar his name from the primary ballot.
In a video posted to Facebook, Love said he has received an order from the court indicating he is not eligible to run in the May 2026 primary due to the five-year residency requirement. He added that his name will not appear on the ballot.
With Love no longer in contention, the Republican primary for the 10th Senatorial District will include incumbent Sen. Vince Deeds and Lewisburg pastor Jonathan Comer.
The district includes Nicholas, Greenbrier, Summers, Monroe, and part of Fayette County.
