Attorney Christian Turak, right, stands with wife Maggie and daughter Stella after announcing he will seek a 4th District West Virginia House of Delegates seat in 2020.

WHEELING — Moundsville attorney Christian Turak calls Marshall County “home,” and now he wants to represent communities there in the West Virginia House of Delegates.

Turak addressed a group of supporters gathered in his office Monday, and announced he will seek the Democratic nomination to the 4th District delegate seat in 2020.

Turak was introduced by current Delegate Joe Canestraro, D-Marshall, who has announced he will not seek re-election and will instead seek the office of Marshall County prosecutor next year. Delegate Lisa Zukoff, D-Marshall, also represents the 4th District.

“Six years ago, I was in New York City,” Turak said. “I didn’t have any direction in my life. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life.

“But I knew I needed a change — a change of scenery. I did what any logical person would do. I packed my bags and moved to West Virginia. My friends thought I was crazy. I thought I might be going a little crazy. The fact of the matter is, it was the best decision I ever made in my life.”

Turak said he found “a home” in Marshall County. He seeks to give back to the community whenever he can — whether it be buying hogs and calves at the county fair, or going to schools to speak on the dangers of drunk driving.

“Now I am finding another opportunity to give back …” he said. “Our community is changing in drastic ways, and with those changes come challenges. We need to meet those challenges head on. We need to be proactive rather than reactive…

“I want to give back to this community that has given so much to me.”

Issues pertaining to roads are important to Turak.

“Our roads are getting worked on now, but what is going to happen in the future?” he asked. “Are they going to fall into disrepair again?”

The closing of Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling also is bringing challenges to Marshall County, according to Turak. The County Sheriff’s Department will see a hit to its budget as it is called upon to transport those with mental issues to facilities outside the area.

For the past six years, he has been concentrating his practice on oil and gas industry-related cases. Oil and gas issues pose a variety of issues to the community, he said.

“I see more facilities on the road, and these facilities are displacing people. Nobody wants to live next to them,” Turak said. “Where are these people going? Are they coming into town, or are they leaving the community? Either one poses a lot of challenges.”

He also questions whether landowners being treated fairly when it comes to royalty rights.

“We are one of the largest oil and gas producers in the state,” Turak said of Marshall County. “We need to make sure our mineral rights and landowners are being taken care of.”

Turak turned emotional when he introduced wife Maggie.

“Without her, I wouldn’t be able to do this,” he said.

Turak graduated cum laude from New York Law School in 2011, and he obtained his undergraduate degree from George Washington University in 2008.