(Publisher’s Note: This is the first of a two-part series on Wheeling’s Mayor-Elect Denny Magruder as he prepares to take the Oath of Office on July 1st and preside over his first Wheeling Council meeting the very next day.)
He looks you in the eye, and he won’t lie because it’s not fair and it gets no one anywhere closer to an accomplished goal. He’ll debate, not argue, and he’ll either agree to disagree or he’ll change his mind because no leader should ever be above continued education.
That’s how he feels, anyway.
He prays, he’s a sports fan, sometimes he stays up late watching TV, and his children and grandkids adore him as much as he loves his bride. He listens. He learns. He says, ‘Thank you’ and he counts his blessings.
He believes in second chances and doesn’t often get angry. He’s felt disappointment, and, unfortunately, he’s endured sadness far too frequently. He’s only human, he’ll tell you that, too.
And yeah, he heard those age jokes and read the discriminatory comments on social media. Some of it, he admits, made him chuckle because he’s quite aware of his age and even celebrated his 76th birthday on the campaign trail. All of this campaign and election stuff, in fact, surprises him more than it does others, and even though he’s submerged himself into politics, he’s no politician.
Did you ever even daydream of running to become mayor of Wheeling?
Magruder: The day I retired back in October of 2022, I never imagined I would run for mayor let alone win the race, but here I am. But I started to look around, and I got to thinking. I knew I had the time, and I knew I wanted to do something more for my city. I prayed on it, talked to my family and some friends about it, and then the decision was made.
I think we can do better when we work together, and I believe I can help make that happen again. I’ve been blessed throughout my professional careers to have had great people around me, and I believe that’ll be the case as mayor. I think we’ll have a great council, and we have a great city manager and staff in place that’s ready to be part of the team. And that’s what it’s going to be – a team.
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He retired later than he had planned, but there was more work to do at Wesbanco Arena and the Capitol Theatre. The Capitol was saved from dilapidation in 2009 and he was immediately put in charge of guiding its resurrection, and the former civic center was extensively renovated and updated during his final five years.
Plus, there was the development of the ultra-successful Endowment Fund program for both venues, the installation of the new ice-making system, and the welcoming of his successor, Kelly Tucker. The one constant throughout his 36.5 years as an employee of the City of Wheeling, though, was that he was a cheerleader no matter how dark the day.
But will he take those same pop-poms to the Mayor’s Office?
Magruder: The mayor of Wheeling has to offer leadership and has to encourage a unified approach to everything. The mayor has one front, but the mayor has to be the one working with everyone while being the city’s biggest cheerleader. That’s what I plan to bring to the table, and I’m hope everyone on council and in the city will take a seat at that table.
We’re going to be inclusive, too. We’re going to listen to everyone, and we’re going to ask people to step up and join us with making this city the best it can be. I believe we need to bring the people in the city together again instead of there being a division. It’s tough to accomplish anything when you don’t have people working together and I believe it’s time for that to happen again in Wheeling.
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He grew up here. They raised their children here and they all live in the Friendly City. The grandkids call him ‘Pappy.’ He goes to church less than a mile from his home in Woodsdale. And if there was a resident in the Wheeling who didn’t at least recognize his name before the recent election cycle, they should know him now.
He’s native of Wheeling, probably knows more about Wheeling than most because of his years of interaction with citizens of all sorts, and he’s never planned to leave Wheeling either.
But does that mean he can reach all of Wheeling as the next mayor?
Magruder: I’ve lived here my entire life so I know the people in the city are the number one resource. When we work together, we can accomplish a lot of terrific things. This is a great place when everyone is involved. It’s a great place to raise a family, to work, and to be part of the community. We’re going to disagree, but when that happens, we have to keep working together. If that doesn’t happen, division takes place and nothing gets done when that happens.
The mayor of Wheeling has to be an optimist. The mayor of Wheeling has to be an ambassador for the city and everything and everyone in it, and I want to bring those things to the table. That will be a big part of rebuilding the relationships that have been damaged, and an important part of working on economic development. The goal is simple – we want to see Wheeling grow.
(Part 2 will be published tomorrow evening.)
