The West Virginia House of Delegates will have a new member in its next session, as Doddridge County resident Steven Smith defeated incumbent Del. Bill Bell in the Republican primary Tuesday night. There was no Democratic nominee for that seat, so Smith will advance to the House.

Smith defeated Bell in a district that includes Doddridge, Wetzel and Tyler counties 1,232-937 in the unofficial count.

Bell was appointed to the seat in July 2025 to fill the spot vacated by David Kelly, who had been appointed to Commissioner of the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation earlier that year. He was a former Paden City councilman and is a teacher for Wetzel County Schools.

Smith is a farmer and retired fund administrator and CPA. He is the chairman of the Doddridge County Board of Health and the West Virginia Investment Management Board.