Ohio County GOP Plans Meet and Greet March 24 at Scottish Rite Cathedral in Wheeling

Republican candidates for West Virginia's 2nd District U.S. House seat are among those invited to a GOP political event next month in Wheeling.

The Ohio County Republican Party will host a meet and greet starting at 5:30 p.m. on March 24 at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in East Wheeling. All GOP candidates on the May 10 primary election ballot have been asked to participate.

U.S. Rep. David B. McKinley has indicated he will work his schedule out so that he can be in Wheeling that night, but the campaign of U.S. Rep. Alex X. Mooney hasn't yet responded to the invitation, said Ohio County Republican Party Chairwoman Elgine McArdle.

"We've not even heard a boo from him (Mooney)," McArdle said. "McKinley is working his calendar to make it happen."

She said other Republican candidates in the U.S. House race also have been contacted. Among them are Susan Buchser-Lochocki of Morgantown, Rhonda A. Hercules of Wheeling and Mike Seckman of West Union.

"I will reach out to all of them, and give them an opportunity to be here," McArdle said. "Everyone is welcome to come, and all the candidates are welcome to speak."

The number of candidates in attendance will determine how long each gets to address the crowd, but U.S. House candidates will get the most time, she said.

Ohio County voters will see a nearly full slate of candidates on the May 10 election ballot, including a two-woman primary for the West Virginia Senate District 1 seat between Laura Wakim Chapman and Judi Varner Meyer.

Delegate Erikka Storch, R-Ohio, will run for re-election in the new House of Delegates District 4, while Brooke McArdle will seek the District 5 seat.

At the county level, Donna Vance has filed for circuit clerk, while Wheeling Councilman Dave Palmer will run for a full six year term as commissioner representing Magistrate District 3.

A second commission race for an unexpired term representing Magistrate District 2 also is expected to happen this fall, with current Commissioner Don Nickerson set to step down to become a judge on the new West Virginia West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals.

Ohio County Republican Executive Committee members will have the responsibility of naming someone to the November ballot to succeed Nickerson, but current members have agreed they will not begin the process of selecting a candidate until the next term of committee members is elected during the general election.

"It's the right thing to do," McArdle said. "If the same people are elected, we will be taking resumes, reviewing them and narrowing them down to three candidates. Then we will interview them and select one of them for the ballot."

She suspects the prospect of choosing a commission candidate is why a higher number than usual candidates have filed for the GOP executive committee.

Two men and two women will be elected from each of Ohio County's three magisterial districts, for a total of six members. The group then will select a chairperson from among them.

Women seeking election to the board are Julia Gay Chapman, Carlee J. Dittmar, and Debi Smith in District 2, and Beth Hinebaugh, McArdle and Faith Elizabeth Meyer in District 3. There were no women filing to represent District 1.

Among the men, Robert Luchetti filed in District 1, while Michael Borsuk, Alex Coogan, Russell Hardman, Dolph Santorine and Gregory W. Smith filed in District 2, and Craig Meyer in District 3.

Members will need to be appointed to fill any open seats.