The West Virginia Primary Election is Tuesday, May 14, 2024, thirty days from today.
With the filing deadline of January 27, some call this last month, the home stretch. This week there were several opportunities to hear from candidates. Several forums were hosted to allow the voters, who were present, to interact with the candidates and to hear their ideas. At some events, candidates faced questions about their thoughts on the issues and in some cases, on their votes.
Issues were discussed in round-table formats and also with allotted podium time. If nothing else, these events provide residents the opportunity to meet those hoping to earn their votes and to share their concerns with them. So, if these candidates, incumbents included, are successfully elected, they know where their constituents stand on the issues.
Many conclude their remarks with asking the crowds for their vote. Will they get it? It will be interesting to see who is successful in their election bids in May.
There are several more opportunities to hear where candidates stand on the issues. Hopefully, with so many major offices on the ballot and at the crossroads we find Wheeling, many will take advantage of the opportunities presented to learn more about the candidates for several races. Debates are a great way to learn more about candidates. Reading and regurgitating prepared remarks may help one keep on point, but what does it really tell about a candidate other than they can read? Does the audience really even know who prepared the remarks? Not really. While this columnist was growing up, her dad, Jack Kerr always stressed the importance of separating the fly doo-doo from the pepper.
Having candidates participate in debates can really shine light on the doo-doo. It is so important to be transparent, especially for candidates, even those who believe they have the benefit of incumbency.
The Northern Panhandle has some great senatorial representation in our legislative body. Two on the leadership team are up for re-election this cycle. This region benefits from having Senator Ryan Weld as the Majority Whip in the Senate. He is a highly-respected Whip, telling Senators it is his job to count votes. All he asks is they tell him where they will be on controversial issues, so as to know how the majority caucus will stand on issues. It would also be a prudent bet; he is a likely candidate to be the Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman.
Similarly, Senator Mike Maroney’s formal education in medicine and as a practicing physician brings a needed view to the bills seen in the Senate Health Committee, which he chairs.
Several House candidates will not face a primary opponent during the May election cycle, but there are two who will in the Northern Panhandle. Delegate Mark Zatezalo will face Michele Slates in the second delegate district, as will the fourth district’s appointed Delegate Diana Winzenreid, who will face challenger, former delegate Bill Flanigan, who was encouraged to run following some questionable votes.
Flanigan’s story is pretty cool for all those hoping to have residents choose to call Wheeling home. He is an attorney, who with his wife, an anesthesiologist, moved their family from Morgantown to allow their daughter to pursue an incredible soccer opportunity in Florida. The hills of West Virginia called them back home, as their daughter now plays in Spain.
Seeking out and becoming members of the Wheeling Country Day School family because WCDS offered their son a “safe place to try a new skill that could become a life’s passion, to connect with an adult who will forever believe in you unconditionally, to balance the vulnerability, to lead with the empowerment of being part of a team and something greater than yourself,” taken from Wheeling Country Day’s website.
Winzenreid stated several times at this week’s events, “That is a policy decision,” and that explanation led many to realize that’s what members of a Legislature do – make policy decisions with every vote. There are three branches of government, and if the legislative branch is always concerned with what the executive will do or what will happen in the judicial, what is their role? This 13-year former member was – and still is – confused by this statement.
Additionally, the role of legislators is to prepare and offer amendments to gauge the will of the policy-making direction of the legislative body. If they agree, the amendment will be adopted; if not, the amendment will fail and the original bill will stand on its merits. Hopefully, all legislators are reading all the amendments, bills, and resolutions that come before them. Many get together in small groups to read and discuss the bills prior to each day’s session. Concerned, involved constituents at these forums this week, commented their belief this is a cop-out to rationalize votes to which no amendments were offered.
It will be interesting to see what resonates with the voters who make themselves present to actively participate in events planned. Certainly, minds will be made up and some will change as residents learn about issues and candidates’ stances on those issues. As more and more events are planned, hopefully, citizens will take advantage of the opportunities presented in the home stretch.
