[4] Ihlenfeld won uncontested in the primary, and faced State Senator Ryan Ferns in the general election.

[5] On May 27, 2010, he was nominated by President Barack Obama to be the United States attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia.

His nomination was reported favorably by the Judiciary Committee on July 29, 2010, and he was confirmed by the United States Senate by voice vote on August 5, 2010.

[7] In 2017, Ihlenfeld received the Outstanding Service in Law Enforcement Award from the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association.

[2][dead link‍] On August 10, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Ihlenfeld to be the United States attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia.