WHEELING - West Virginia's 2012 election filings show most candidates want to be a city council member, a county commissioner, sheriff or magistrate - and there appears to be little interest in being a state or federal official.
Large numbers of candidates filed for many county and city races, but not as many for statewide races or Congress. In Brooke County alone, voters will see 30 candidates on the ballot for county office - including 10 for a full, six-year term as commissioner, two for an unexpired term as commissioner, seven for magistrate, three for sheriff, four for board of education, and two for prosecutor. Running unopposed are Assessor Thomas Oughten and Surveyor Mark Wiersbicki.
Wiersbicki is the only Republican to file for Brooke County office, and the other 29 candidates are all Democrats.
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County Clerk Sylvia Benzo said she isn't certain why so many candidates are running for office this year. "I think more people are interested in filing for office, and they are finding out what is happening in little Brooke County," she said.
"People are getting interested in local government because it affects us at a local level. When they need something they usually don't go to higher ups - they go to county officials when they want to get a road paved."
Contested Brooke County races in the primary election are as follows:
Across the Northern Panhandle, sheriff's races are hotly contested, as sheriff's in five of the six local counties are term-limited and can't seek re-election
Ohio County Sheriff Pat Butler - a Republican - is the only local sheriff who can run for re-election, and he will face primary opposition from John Powell. Former Sheriff Thomas Burgoyne and George Fahey have filed on the Democrat ticket.
Races for sheriff line up this way in the other counties in the Northern Panhandle:
Among races with a large number of candidates is one for magistrate in Marshall County, where three are to be elected. Candidates are Democrats Bill Anderson, Angela Bee, Dave Buzzard, Mark Kerwood, Dave McLaughlin and Darren Whipkey.
In Wetzel County, four Democrats are seeking to be commissioner, including incumbent Commissioner Robert "Bob" Gorby, Amy Jo Dieffenbauch, Cecelia Ries and Allen Rush.
There are three Democrats wanting to be Wetzel County assessor - current Sheriff James B. Hoskins, Nita J. King and current Commissioner Scott Lemley. Current Assessor Ralph Phillips is retiring.
By comparison, candidates didn't show as much interest in the highest offices on the West Virginia ballot in 2012.
Rep. David McKinley, R-Ohio, does not face a primary challenger as he seeks a second term representing the state's 1st Congressional District. He will face Democrat Sue Thorn of Wheeling, who also is unopposed, in the general election.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., will face Sheirl Fletcher of Morgantown for the Democratic nomination to the U.S. Senate. Morgantown businessman John Raese was the only Republican to file for the seat.
At the state level, there are four candidates for governor - incumbent Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and Arne Moltis on the Democratic ticket, and Bill Maloney and Ralph William Clark on the Republican side. All four candidates ran in the 2011 special election for governor in West Virginia.