He knew he was one of the nominees, but the phone call still caught him by total surprise.
Marshall County teacher – and state delegate – Jeff Stephens (R-6) had entered his name as a possible replacement for Charlie Reynolds, now a former House member who resigned his position in September so he could accept the district engineer’s position with the Division of Highways.
So, Stephens was one of three individuals submitted to Gov. Jim Justice by the Marshall County Republican Executive Committee.
And then?
Well, it was just about a year ago – on Oct. 25, 2023 – when the educator received THE call.
“I was in class, and I saw it was a Charleston number, so I told my eighth graders that I had to answer my phone,” he recalled. “The person on the phone called me ‘Delegate Stephens’ so that’s when I knew the Governor had selected me. My first question was, ‘Can I tell people?’ He replied, ‘Well, yes, you can tell people.’ And he kind of laughed, too.
“So, I told my eighth graders, and it was an incredible moment,” Stephens recalled. “Then one of the kids asked if I was leaving them, and that’s when we got into a conversation about our state government, how it operates, and how long I would have to be away for the regular session.”
Stephens teaches West Virginia Studies, so it’s his job to educate the eighth graders at Sherrard Middle School in Marshall County about all the ins and the outs of the Mountain State.
“Our state became the 35th state in a very unique way so when my students hear about how we separated from Virginia and why our people made the decision they did, they’re pretty amazed with the history,” Stephens said. “We talk about the conventions in Wheeling, and the Civil War and President Abraham Lincoln and his involvement. It’s a great story to tell.
“We’re a proud people here in West Virginia, and we love our history,” he said. “We’re hardworking people who just want to make a living and have our representatives do their jobs to make the state a better place to live. I know I’m really proud to do that for the people of the Sixth District.”
Making the Sausage
Once he was out of class, Stephens called his father, Pat, to tell him the appointment was official, and that he was worried about Delilah.
Yes, Delilah, but not the “Dear Abby” radio lady. No, Delilah is his dog.
“My dad said immediately he would take care of her, and that made me feel a lot better,” the delegate said with a smile. “And I kept going down the list of things I knew I would have to take care of so I would be able to serve the people in the county and in Moundsville and Glen Dale, Benwood, and McMechen. One of the biggest things I want to do is bring state dollars back to the district so we can get the same improvements that are made in other areas of the state.
“I was truly honored when Charlie (Reynolds) first called me to ask if I was interested, and I told him I was immediately,” he explained. “Serving in the Legislature is something I knew I wanted to do some day. It’s something that’s always interested me and I thought I give it a try after I retired from teaching, but I’m glad I was given the opportunity much earlier than that, and I really want to keep doing it.”
During his one session, Stephens thoroughly enjoyed serving on the Artificial Intelligence, Energy and Manufacturing, Technology and Infrastructure, and Workforce Development committees, and he already owns aspirations to earn a leadership position someday down the road.
“I’d be interested, yes, because I feel I could be an asset because of my years of experience in education and coaching. Plus, I’m very in tune with the issues in my district and in the Northern Panhandle,” he said. “Our area is very different than the others in West Virginia, and I feel I’d be effective if given a leadership opportunity.”
That’s because he already knows he wants to continue serving for as long as the voters in the 6th District will have him in their seat, and that’s because he’s caught the legislative fever.
“Once I went down for the regular session, I was told I would know if I would want to do it, to serve in the Legislature, immediately, and I do know,” Stephens said. “As soon as it started, I knew I wanted to do it because it was such an incredible experience. That’s why I hope to continue.
“I honestly believe everyone in West Virginia should go to Charleston and experience what the Legislature does. I’ve told my students in my class the same thing, but now that I’ve been in the middle of it as a delegate, I think our residents should come down, too,” he explained. “I think the people in our state should become more familiar with how everything works, and I’d welcome anyone and everyone who wants to come down from the district to see what it’s all about.”
