Del. Josh Holstein, R-Boone, is shown during a Feb. 20, 2025 meeting of the House of Delegates Energy and Public Works Committee. (Perry Bennett | West Virginia Legislative Photography)
Josh Holstein, a 23-year-old state delegate representing Boone County, is the new leader of the state’s Republican Party. Holstein was elected chairman during the summer meeting of the state executive committee in Morgantown Saturday.
“It was an honor. It was obviously an honor,” Holstein told West Virginia Watch Monday. “I’m still humbled, but we worked hard and we had a lot of great discussions.
“Folks, I think they see past age,” he said. “And they see willingness, drive and somebody that’s actually eager to make positive change. I’m very grateful to the members of the state executive committee for placing their trust in me.”
Holstein said increasing communication is one of his first priorities as party chair.
“I think as a party, that’s where we failed in recent years,” he said. “Realizing and recognizing that our audience is on several different social media platforms, and people obtain news in many different ways now. Meeting people where they are, essentially, is what we’ve got to do,” he said.
Holstein, of Ashford, is a graduate of Sherman High School and Marshall University, according to his biography from the House of Delegates. He runs an advertising firm and has a license to substitute teach. He was first elected to the House in 2020.
He joins the Republican National Committee as the youngest of its 168 members across the country, the GOP said in the news release.
Holstein said the party will also reach out to independent voters to let them know about changes to the Republican primary election next year.
Beginning in 2026, the GOP primary will be open only to voters who are registered Republicans and will be closed to unaffiliated voters. The executive committee voted last year to close the primary as a way of encouraging voters to register as Republicans.
Holstein said the party would also focus on county and municipal races, something that hasn’t been a major focus in recent years.
Republicans hold the majority in both bodies of the state Legislature, the governor’s office, the state’s congressional delegation and the presidency.
“We’re fairly dominant on the state and legislative level, obviously, but we still lack in municipal level races and on the county level,” he said. “So we’ll be focusing on that and working with our respective county chairs and senatorial district folks to accomplish those goals over the next few months.”
Holstein takes the place of former GOP chairman Matt Herridge, who stepped down effective Saturday. Herridge was appointed state commerce secretary in January.
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