WELLSBURG - A four-member panel Tuesday night selected two Brooke County residents and one from Ohio County as the best candidates to represent the 2nd District in the West Virginia House of Delegates.
Barbara LaRue, a member of the 2nd Delegate District Executive Committee, said the committee will recommend Phil Diserio and Shawn Durbin, both of Brooke County, and Walter "Fuzz" LaRue of Ohio County to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin for appointment to the delegate seat left vacant by the recent resignation of Democrat Tim Ennis.
Ennis was appointed Brooke County commissioner Jan. 3.
The committee selected the three candidates from among seven applicants for the delegate's job, said Barbara LaRue, who is the wife of Walter LaRue.
The other members on the committee were Brooke County Democrat Party Chairman John Martino; his wife, Margaret Martino; and Michael Hamilton of Ohio County.
The Legislature began its regular session last week, and Tomblin is expected to act quickly to choose Ennis' successor. On Tuesday, Tomblin appointed Justin Marcum, a Democrat from Mingo County, to fill a vacant delegate seat in the 20th District after just receiving candidate recommendations on Sunday.
Martino couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday night. Earlier this week, he said the committee was seeking someone to fill the 2nd District seat who was "fair, truthful and honest - someone who will do the job for the county."
They also wanted a candidate who will run for election to the seat this year, and be able to represent the 2nd District as its only delegate. As a result of new redistricting lines passed last year in the West Virginia Legislature, the new 2nd District will grow smaller in scope and lose one of its two delegates after 2012.
The present 2nd District boundaries include all of Brooke County, and the West Liberty, Elm Grove and Triadelphia areas of Ohio County. After the 2012 election, the district only will encompass most of Brooke County, and take in the West Liberty area.
Delegate Roy Givens, D-Brooke, has announced he won't seek re-election in 2012.