Hanna to resign from W.Va. House to focus on race for state auditor
Steven Allen Adams Trending
CHARLESTON - With both the 2024 regular session of the West Virginia Legislature and the candidate filing period for the primary and general election ballots beginning next week, another lawmaker is resigning from his current office to focus on campaigning.
Del. Caleb Hanna, R-Nicholas, submitted a letter of resignation Tuesday to the House Clerk's Office. The resignation takes effect Wednesday at noon.
"Over the holiday season, I took time for reflection and meaningful discussion with my family," Hanna wrote. "After careful consideration and prayer, I have come to the conclusion to formally submit my resignation from the West Virginia House of Delegates..."
Hanna said his reason for resigning was so he could focus on his campaign for the Republican nomination as state auditor. Hanna announced his state auditor campaign at the end of the 2023 legislative session last March.
"I believe that this role offers a unique opportunity to make a positive impact on the financial well-being and transparency of our state government," Hanna wrote in his resignation letter. "To effectively serve the people of West Virginia in this capacity, I need to devote my time and energy to meeting constituents, understanding their concerns, and working towards solutions that benefit our state."
Hanna is the director of public relations for Summersville Regional Medical Center and Braxton County Memorial Hospital, both part of the West Virginia University Health System (WVU Medicine). Hanna was elected to the House of Delegates in 2018, representing a district consisting of parts of Nicholas, Webster, and Greenbrier counties. At the time of taking office in 2019, Hanna was one of the youngest African Americans to be elected to a state legislature.
There are only two announced candidates to succeed State Auditor J.B. McCuskey, who is one of two announced candidates running to succeed Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, who himself is one of several Republicans running for governor of West Virginia. House Majority Leader Eric Householder, R-Berkeley, announced his state auditor campaign in September. The official candidate filing period in the state begins Monday, Jan. 8, and ends at midnight Saturday, Jan. 27.
The regular session of the West Virginia Legislature begins at noon Wednesday, Jan. 10, and continues for 60 days, ending at midnight Saturday, March 9. Two other lawmakers seeking higher office have resigned, providing them more flexibility to campaign instead of attending or running committee meetings or participating in sometimes lengthy floor sessions.
Former delegate and former House Judiciary Committee chairman Moore Capito submitted his resignation letter to the House effective Dec. 22 in order to focus on his GOP campaign for governor. Former House Minority Leader Doug Skaff resigned from his role leading the House Democratic caucus over the summer, then resigned from the House altogether. He later switched his voter registration to the Republican Party and announced his candidate for Secretary of State.
Hanna is also the eighth House member to resign over the last 12 months, including Capito, Skaff, former delegate Charlie Reynolds, D-Marshall; former delegate Riley Keaton, R-Roane; former delegate Mike Honaker, R-Greenbrier; former delegate Erikka Storch, R-Ohio; and former delegate Danielle Walker, D-Monongalia.
Primary election day in West Virginia takes place Tuesday, May 14. Early voting takes place Wednesday, May 1, through Saturday, May 11. The deadline to register to vote or update registration prior to the primary is Tuesday, April 23.