WHEELING – Elgine McArdle of Wheeling presided over her last meeting Saturday in Charleston as chair of the West Virginia Republican Party, then she immediately traveled to the State Capitol and filed for state office.

McArdle, 60, will run for a seat on the West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals in 2024.

McArdle created much speculation earlier this month when she announced she was stepping down as WVGOP chair. While many assumed she was planning to seek elected office this year, it wasn’t clear in which office she might be interested.

“It has always been a career goal of mine to be a judge. That’s the first reason I want to run for the Intermediate Court of Appeals,” McArdle said.

Secondly, as many as a third of the cases before the Intermediate Court are family law cases, she continued.

“That’s in my wheelhouse. That’s what I’ve done for the last 25 years,” she continued.

McArdle noted she was among those seeking appointment as an Intermediate Court judge when the court was created in early 2022.

“This was just something I wanted to do, and it’s not like it just came out of the blue,” she said.

McArdle estimates she has between 35 to 40 published cases out of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, Ohio appellate courts, and the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

She said she exhibits the “3 Cs” – common sense, candor and competence.

McArdle has lived in Wheeling since childhood, and is a graduate of the former Mt. DeChantal Visitation Academy, Washington and Jefferson College, and the University of Pittsburgh Law School.

After graduating from law school, she worked for the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia for five years. She prosecuted federal crimes, and was also appointed ethics officer for the office.

She next worked five years for the Phillips, Gardill, Kaiser & Altmeyer law firm. McArdle said she started her domestic law career by taking on a pro-bono divorce case, and her domestic practice grew from there.

McArdle opened McArdle Law Office in 2001, and she is licensed to practice in West Virginia, Ohio and in Virginia.

“I have an active practice in all three states. Generally speaking, I have a client base of about 100 clients,” she said. “In my spare time, I do politics.”

In 2022, McArdle was elected chair of the WVGOP. Prior to that, she was the longtime chair of the Ohio County Republican Party. She and husband Jack have been married 33 years, and have three adult children – Danielle, Ian and Brooke.

McArdle said in her spare time she likes to arrange events and weddings “for stress relief,” and she has handled weddings for family members and assistants.

“One night I made handmade boutonnieres and bouquets while watching a presidential debate,” she said.

She and her husband also own rental properties and flip houses. McArdle does all the painting and decorating for the projects.

“If you want something done, ask a busy person,” McArdle said. “Be the change you wish to see in the world, and make it happen. This is no time to sit back. You have to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.”