Democrats Nominate Owens Brown, Delegate Shawn Fluharty and Randy Swartzmiller for Vacant West Virginia 1st District Senate Seat

WHEELING -- With William Ihlenfeld returning to his post as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia, three nominees have been set forth to take his seat in the state Senate: Owens Brown, Delegate Shawn Fluharty and Randy Swartzmiller.

Democrats from the 1st Senate District nominated Brown, Fluharty and Swartzmiller to take Ihlenfeld's Senate seat. Gov. Jim Justice has five days to make his selection from among the three.

"This committee worked tirelessly together throughout this process to ensure that the people of the 1st Senate District will have representation to serve them well in the State Senate," said 1st Senate District Democratic Committee Chairman Walter "Fuzz" Larue.

– Fluharty currently serves as the minority whip in the House of Delegates.

He represents the 3rd District, covering most of Ohio County. He is serving his third term in the House. Fluharty is a member of the House Judiciary Committee, the House Rules Committee, the Political Subdivisions Committee, the Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security Committee, and the Workforce Development Committee.

– Brown is the president of the West Virginia NAACP, a role he has filled since 2015. He has been a prominent voice in recent months on political issues, most recently arguing in August that the redrawing of congressional and legislative districts must align with cultural and economic continuity. He has not sought elected office in the past but retired from roles with the West Virginia Education Association.

– Swartzmiller formerly represented the 1st District in the House, most recently from 2018 to 2020, and prior to that from 2000 to 2014. During parts of that time, Swartzmiller acted as House speaker pro tempore and was assistant majority whip. He was defeated in the 2020 election by state Sen. Ryan Weld, R-Brooke, in a contest for the 1st District Senate seat.

On Tuesday, Ihlenfeld was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the U.S. Attorney, a role he previously held from 2010-16. He has served as a West Virginia state senator representing the 1st Senatorial District since 2018.

Ihlenfeld officially resigned Tuesday evening following his confirmation to the attorney's post. He takes over for William Powell, who served as U.S. Attorney from October 2017 through February.

"I'm humbled and honored to have the opportunity to return to the Department of Justice. There's much to be done and I'm anxious to get sworn in and get to work," Ihlenfeld said Tuesday.

During his first six years as U.S. Attorney, Ihlenfield honed in on drug crimes, disrupting trafficking networks from outside the state, prosecuting dealers and going after doctors and pharmacists involved in the improper prescribing of painkillers. He also went after white collar crimes and conducted several civil rights investigations.

Perhaps his most notable case came in a filing against HSBC Bank. Ihlenfeld and his office spearheaded an investigation into the bank and its practices that resulted in the bank paying almost $2 billion in forfeitures and penalties.