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WHEELING – Wheeling’s next mayor will face a unique challenge upon taking office July 1 -- how to set a new direction for a city that, in the summer of 2025, will see the completion of a brand-new downtown, the continued emergence of a world-class cancer center in Center Wheeling and many other developments that have the city poised for an exciting future.
Wheeling is a city on the brink of emerging from its rust-belt roots and regaining its place among the nation's best places to live and work. The next mayor will play a big part in that transformation, helping set the stage for a future that focuses on growth.
Six city residents have signed up for that daunting task -- Carl Carpenter, Beth Hinebaugh, Rosemary Ketchum, Dennis Magruder, Chad Thalman and J.T. Thomas. Wheeling residents on May 14 will select one of those six to be the next mayor, taking over for current Mayor Glenn Elliott, who is term-limited.
On Thursday, April 18, The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register, along with our media partner WTRF-TV, will host a mayoral forum at West Virginia Northern Community College in downtown Wheeling. The event, set for 6-8 p.m. in Northern's B&O Building Auditorium, will feature a moderated question and answer session with the candidates, focusing on their plans, if elected, for the Wheeling of today and tomorrow.
The public is invited to attend.
"Our election-year forums have, over the past 16 years, become such a staple of where residents can receive thoughtful, meaningful information on the candidates -- directly from the candidates themselves," said John McCabe, editor of The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register. "Over these two hours on April 18, we'll ask the candidates the tough but fair questions you're interested in about the city's future. Wheeling has so much positive momentum right now -- it's imperative the next mayor continues a thoughtful, forward-thinking approach that brings everyone together in helping craft a plan for the future."
Early voting for the May 14 election begins May 1.
This year also features something not seen for years in Wheeling -- multiple candidates with a pathway to become the next mayor. Two of the candidates -- Thalman and Ketchum -- are current members of Wheeling City Council. Magruder recently retired as the longtime manager of WesBanco Arena. Thomas is well-known through his years as a physical therapist at Wheeling Hospital, and his family's history in Wheeling and its prep sports scene. Hinebaugh is a successful Wheeling business owner. And Carpenter has a plan for Wheeling that will resonate with some community members.
"This year's mayoral race is wide open," McCabe added. "In my quarter-century of covering Wheeling City government, I've never come across a mayor's race as intriguing and competitive as this year's. There's a high likelihood we could see our next mayor elected with 30% of the vote. That's why it's imperative for everyone to get out and vote.
"This truly will be an election where every vote does matter."