Environment, identity, school issues pushing some eastern target voters to come in – West Virginia Public Radio

This story is an extended version of West Virginia Public Radio’s Election Day coverage. To access our full range of stories, visit our 2024 General Election live blog at this relationship.

This year, several closely watched West Virginia general election races come from the state’s fastest-growing region, its Eastern Panhandle.

The district has a significant Republican majority. But some residents on the left hope the growing influx of newcomers to the state could help swing local elections in the Democratic Party’s favor.

Sen. Patricia Rucker, the Republican incumbent from Jefferson County, is being challenged by Democrat John Doyle, a former state lawmaker who spent a total of 16 years representing the district in the West Virginia House of Delegates.

Meanwhile, some House seats have also been mired in partisan disputes. That includes House District 100 in Jefferson County, where incumbent Del. Bill Ridenour is facing a challenge from his Democratic opponent, Maria Russo.

It also includes the currently vacant House District 97 in Berkeley and Jefferson counties. The seat is being sought by Jefferson County native Lucia Valentine, a Democrat, and Marylander-turned-Mountain State resident Chris Anders.

Race in Berkeley County is what brought Shepherdstown resident Tan Heath to the curb at Asbury United Methodist Church on Tuesday. The church served as a polling place for Shepherdstown residents, and Heath waved to drivers while wearing a shirt with a sign that read “Vote for Valentine.”

Heath said he thinks Valentine is a better fit for the area. He particularly likes her goals to reduce chemical pollution in local waterways and provide local pay for Eastern Panhandle teachers.

Local pay weights a teacher’s salary against the local cost of living, which Heath said could help teachers in higher-cost areas like the Eastern Panhandle.

“She graduated from Shepherd University. She’s from here,” Heath said. “She’s been through it, so she understands what’s at stake.”

This year, Shepherdstown resident Stuart Acuff voted “all Democrats everywhere.” Like Heath, he said local candidates on the left are better at addressing what he sees as key issues, such as protecting the environment, supporting women’s rights and addressing racism.

“It’s the County Council Republicans who now want to cover this green landscape with tracked housing and industrial solar,” Acuff said. “It was the Republicans in Jefferson County who shoved Rockwool down our throats.”

Acuff said his politics are influenced by his values ​​as a Christian. He said that’s why he voted for John Doyle to represent his district in the Senate and Maria Russo to represent his district in the House. Acuff also said he supports Valentine’s bid for nearby House District 97.

“As long as people like Jim Justice and Patrick Morrissey try to run the state like a coal operator — as if they make all the decisions and get all the money — then West Virginia is going to wallow in poverty,” Acuff said.

Shepherdstown resident Karen Motivans said she was excited to vote for “young, energetic new candidates” for local office.

But Motivans said he also wants to vote against ideas expressed by candidates on the right, such as anti-LGBTQ and anti-immigrant sentiment.

“I come from parents who are immigrants. It makes me emotional,” she said. “They add so much to our country.”

Motivans believe that population growth in the eastern part of the state, especially from more liberal urban areas, could fuel a Democratic turn in places like Jefferson County.

“A lot of people come to the state from other places, seeing this as a great bedroom community for their jobs in D.C. and they come with their liberal outlook,” Motivens said. “I think we should have more people like that.”

Kirsten Pollard is a student at Shepherd University who commutes to campus from Pennsylvania. She couldn’t vote in the West Virginia general election, but said the college brings more political engagement to the area.

“I can tell in my classes that people are very open about who they think they want to win, and I really support that,” Pollard said.

No Republican voters agreed to speak to West Virginia Public Radio in Shepherdstown on Election Day.

But some residents backing the Republican ticket spoke to the newsroom last week during early voting. They said they want candidates who can minimize government spending, reduce property costs, reduce local cost of living and protect free speech.

To them, local Republican candidates like Rucker, Ridenour and Anders fit that bill better.