|Photo by Joselyn King| Ohio County Democrats cut the ribbon Tuesday night on its campaign headquarters for the 2024 election season. The office is located at 1308 Chapline St., the site of the former Kepner Funeral Home. Cutting the ribbon, in front from left, are U.S. Senate candidate Glenn Elliott holding his son Harrison; John Haglock, candidate for Ohio County sheriff,; West Virginia attorney general candidate Teresa Toriseva; Shawn Turak, candidate for Ohio County prosecutor; and Johnny Haught, candidate for West Virginia House of Delegates in District 4.

Ohio County Democrats have a place to call home through the end of the 2024 election, and it’s owned by one of their own.

The county Democrats opened their campaign headquarters Tuesday at 1308 Chapline St. – the former home of a Kepner Funeral Home location. It is now owned by local attorneys Teresa Toriseva and Josh Miller.

Toriseva serves as first vice chair of the West Virginia Democratic Party, and is herself a candidate for state attorney general on the Nov. 5 general election ballot.

“The incredibly cool building was a mansion home (the Speidel Home) built in the mid-1860s by a prominent Wheeling family,” Toriseva explained. “The garage in the back was used as a carriage house for horses because the house was built before cars.

“It’s filled with character, charm and has solid bones. We’re thrilled to be renovating and preserving as much character as possible.”

The Ohio County Democratic Party will use it for the next two months, then Toriseva has other plans for it.

“We continue to renovate as the Downtown Streetscape Project also moves forward, which is changing downtown property investment and ownership in so many positive ways,” she continued. “We hope to move Toriseva Law (into the building) by late spring/early summer 2025 after more repairs and updates to the exterior. We’ve been delighted to be able to restore some of the original wood flooring and many other interior features so far.”

Jenny Craig is president of the Ohio County Education Association and secretary for the West Virginia Democratic Party. She explained the Democratic headquarters on Chapline Street for now will serve as a community space for all Ohio County Democrats as the party hosts registration events and “Get Out The Vote” initiatives such as volunteer training, phone banking and post card writing for local, state and national candidates and canvassing.

The headquarters also will serve as a space for candidate events and provide the community with opportunities to Democratic candidates and socialize with other local Democrats, according to Craig.

“We hope that it’s a space where community members can come together, discuss issues, and get involved in local politics,” she said. “The headquarters will also have campaign materials and signs for local, state, and national candidates.”

The office will be staffed by members of the Ohio County Democratic Women, but a schedule as to when the doors will be open has yet to be set, Craig noted. Teddie Grogan, president of the Ohio County Democratic Women, said the group will be stepping up their get out the vote efforts this year.

Volunteers will be writing postcards, phone banking and knocking doors for local, state and national candidates, she explained. There will also be an emphasis and city-wide activity on Sept. 17, which is National Voter Registration Day, Grogan added.

“I have never felt such hope and excitement from the top of the ticket and down ballot,” Grogan said. “That excitement extends locally as I feel we have a strong group of candidates who are engaging, competent and hard working and are energizing the voters.”

Marlene Midget, vice president of the Ohio County Democratic Women, also expressed positivity.

“I do feel excitement for Democrats locally,” she said. “Joe Biden’s (selfless) act of stepping aside and promoting Kamala Harris as candidate for president – that was a shot of energy all Democrats needed.”