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WHEELING - Incumbent W.Va. Sen. Charles Clements soundly defeated Democrat challenger Eric Hayhurst of Morgantown Tuesday night in the race for the state’s District 2 Senate seat.
According to unofficial results following Tuesday’s general election, Clements (R-Wetzel) took 18,648 votes in the district for 62.58%, while Hayhurst tallied 11,149 votes for 37.42%.
"I’m very pleased to see that I apparently won every county in the district," Clements said Tuesday night. "It’s always a concern when you have a new district."
Clements noted that the 2022 redistricting changed some of the District 2 jurisdiction, and he was pleased to see strong support in Monongalia and Marion counties, particularly, in the wake of the redrawn lines.
"I want to give a great thank you so much for those who have supported me and given me an opportunity to represent them," Clements said. "It means a lot to me."
The senator also commended Hayhurst for putting up a clean and worthy challenge.
"I’d say my opponent ran an admirable campaign," Clements said. "It was above-board, and there was no name calling. That’s the way it should be. We both talked about the issues."
Clements said he would like the state to keep an eye on its finances and to properly manage the current fiscal surplus.
"I think one of the main things we need to do is shore up the finances in the state," Clements said, indicating that a surplus could turn into a shortfall if fiscally sound decisions are not made for the state’s long-term goals.
That money needs to be put to good use for the people of West Virginia, he said.
"We need to continue to work on our roads and on expanding broadband, along with improvements to our water and sewer infrastructure."
Currently a resident of New Martinsville, Clements holds a degree in mathematics from West Virginia University. He is a U.S. Army veteran and was the former executive director of the Route 2/Interstate 68 Authority before he entered the legislature. He operated Clements Oil Co., a petroleum distributor, until 2004, and worked at H&R Block as an office manager before retiring in 2017.
At age 79, Clements said he feels great and is looking forward to serving another term for the people of his district.
"I think I’ve done a good job representing the 2nd District, and I want to thank everyone in all of the counties who supported me," he said, noting that he plans to represent all constituents regardless of whether they voted for him or not "I encourage everyone in the district to reach out to me with any concerns or any input on how we can help make things better for West Virginia."