Election Access: Candidates highlight campaigns on WVOW's Candidate LIVE

Tuesday is Election Day for West Virginia’s 2026 Primary.

Last week, WVOW hosted an election access event with 17 candidates in races ranging from the local school board to the U.S. House of Representatives.

LOGAN The first two candidates in the studio were sitting state Intermediate Court of Appeals Judge Dan Greear and challenging candidate Jim Douglas.

The West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals is still a relatively new arm of the state judiciary. This July will mark the fourth year of the court’s operation in the state. According to Judge Greear, the court has proven during that time to be incredibly effective at speeding up the appeals process in the state and taking some of the burden off of the state’s Supreme Court justices.

“In our areas of jurisdiction, the amount of cases going to the Supreme Court has decreased dramatically, because 80 percent of them aren’t being appealed, so they’re getting hundreds less cases a year,” he said, “and studies have been done and their time frames for deciding cases has been reduced. So, we’re deciding cases faster than they could; they’re deciding cases faster because we’re taking their workload.

Moreover, due to the presence of an Intermediate Court of Appeals, Greear said every person in West Virginia is guaranteed a statutory right to appeal their case, something that has not always been a guarantee within the state judicial system.

In 2015, the West Virginia Legislature passed House Bill 2010, removing party affiliations from state judicial races. Just last year, however, a push came out of the state Senate to restore partisan judicial races. During his time on WVOW’s Candidate LIVE, Judge Greear indicated that the last thing that needs to be on a judge’s mind is the political affiliation of the person standing in front of them.

“I heard another judicial candidate say today, and I thought this was an interesting take, so I can't claim this as an original thought, but he was asked a similar question and he said, ‘you know, in oral arguments, when we're hearing cases, you know, one question we never ask is, hey, what party are you?’ You know, that never comes up. We don't decide cases based on party, we decide cases based on the law. So I totally get wanting to take the politics out of it,” said Judge Greear.

“There's an interesting recent Supreme Court case that said if states want to choose judges by elections, which that's our system in West Virginia, there's a lot of different systems, but the Supreme Court said if you do that, you're going to be stuck with some of the problems with politics. So you're never going to get politics all the way out of it if you're if you're electing judges in an election process, but that's just the way it is.”

Greear didn’t explicitly come out either in favor of or against partisan judicial elections, but did say he’s seen an interest among a portion of voters in knowing what political direction their judges would lean.

Eleventh Circuit Family Court Judge Jim Douglas is also running for the state Intermediate Court. During his time on the air, he leaned into his decades of experience in family law, something he says is in short supply with in the Intermediate Court’s current makeup.

“When it was first available, you have to realize that being the system, most lawyers and judges hate dealing with family law. They hate dealing with divorces and a lot of them didn't like dealing with workers' comp. So when the concept came in, you know, it'd been in the Constitution since 1873, I think, to have an appeals court. And when that concept came in, it was perceived as a way to move cases along. But I also think probably, and this is my personal opinion, Supreme Court thought to themselves, oh, we would get to get rid of some of these more troublesome cases, which are family law and workers' comp and some of the other administrative things, there's a mix,” Judge Douglas said.

“What you got to remember on that jurisdiction, that ICA now, the Intermediate Court of Appeals, you have family court, which is a pure discipline, and then you have workers' comp, which is obviously very case specific, okay? And it's two areas, but family law is the one I speak to. You just can't take 10 lawyers off the street and do this type of law. And it's this law is not sometimes, it's so dynamic, it's always changing.”

Judge Douglas said it’s his extensive experience in family law that gives him a perspective that he feels is needed as a judge to understand the complexity of certain cases that the Intermediate Court will hear.

More locally on the Magistrate level, current Logan County Magistrate Burley Ferrell was appointed to the role after the retirement of former Magistrate Dwight Williamson.

Ferrell is a Chapmanville native. He graduated from Chapmanville High School in 1993 and studied computer and electronics repair before then deciding to join the military. He enlisted in the United States Air Force, which he says instilled a discipline in him that carried him through a later career in law enforcement. He was a few years into working his way up to Logan County Sheriff when his goal shifted to that of a Magistrate’s seat.

Ferrell said his experience in law enforcement gave helped prepare him for a seat on the Magistrate’s bench. He says police officers are already familiar with the law and, moreover, familiar with people.

“I think it's great experience. Not only are we familiar with the law and the courtroom procedure and magistrate court, we've also had an opportunity to learn people, learn how to respect people, learn what people need. So that's, I think that just brings even further experience to the job,” he said.

Ferrell said there’s no room for politics in the courtroom when asked about the push for judicial races to be shifted back to partisan tickets. He says that push is incompatible with the justice system and what it stands for.

Ferrall’s opponent in the Primary is Jamie Evans, co-owner of Critter Connection in Chapmanville, which he runs with his wife, Dr. Brandy Evans. Evans declined an invitation to speak on WVOW's Candidate LIVE.

Evans previously said he’s running for Magistrate “to address longstanding issues in Logan County,” including what he described as a “lack of serious attention given to drug addiction,” as well as mental health and the county’s litter problem. He also described an intention to crack down on animal abuse in the county.

Among Tuesday’s speakers were incumbent Logan County Commissioner Diana Barnette, who is seeking the Republican nomination on Election Day this coming Tuesday, and presumptive Democratic nominee Gary Runyon.

Runyon, a coal miner from the Mill Creek area, said Logan County faces serious economic challenges. He pointed to the recent closure of multiple mine sites operated by Greenbrier Minerals and said the county must attract new businesses to grow employment and increase tax revenue. He said stronger economic development could reduce the financial burden on local taxpayers.

He also discussed potential data center development in West Virginia, data centers being a topic that came up numerous times with nearly every candidate on Tuesday. He said the Legislature has welcomed those projects but raised concerns about their long-term effects on local communities and the environment.

“You know, Southern West Virginia has been the backbone throughout the coalfields for ages, and we're being left behind. Does creating a data center make us, move us forward? I don't know, because there's not enough knowledge, there's not enough testing, there's not enough studies being done to tell us whether they're good or bad,” he said.

Runyon said data centers typically do not create large numbers of jobs, adding that such projects would be more appealing if companies also committed to bringing additional employment opportunities into the area.

Runyon is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

“I'm going to have, I'm going to have to kick in the second, third, fourth year throughout the summer and the fall to prove to people in Logan County that you need a change. You need somebody that has been where you are and still is where you are suffering financially, economically,” said Runyon.

“The litter needs to be addressed. Our water issue is a big thing to me. I mean, I turn my water on just like everybody else, and it's brown. It's cloudy. And I promise you that if I get elected, or whether I get elected, I'll work with someone to get to the source of this. It's got to stop. Our infrastructure, our jobs, and our people. Logan County is our home. Anybody coming in to put a business, they need to make it their home.”

Incumbent Commissioner Diana Barnette also addressed the possibility of data center development. She said she has not reached a decision on the issue and intends to consider public opinion before taking a position.

“We're going to put out the information. We're going to gather all the information. We're going to go talk. We're going to ask questions. And we're going to put it out there for the people. And I think it's up to the county to decide what to do. Whatever the county residents want in their county, it's what they're going to get from the commission,” she said.

Barnette said her role is to represent the views of Logan County residents, a similar answer to the one she gave when West Virginia American Water proposed a purchase of the Logan County and Buffalo Creek PSD systems. Commissioners ultimately rejected that proposal in a unanimous vote.

“It's not about me. It's about the people of Logan County. It's their county. It's not about my future. It's my children's future, my grandchildren's future. So, I wanted everybody to have all the information,” said Barnette.

Environmental concerns also arose during the conversation. Barnette referenced the 2014 Elk River chemical spill as an example of the risks associated with outside management of water systems. She also criticized the Public Service Commission and state leaders, saying southern West Virginia communities have not received adequate support when dealing with infrastructure problems.

“We have the reported vandalism over in Wayne County with a substation over there. We have another one over Wyoming County. We know that the oil is in the Guyandotte. Any update on that,” asked WVOW’s Director of Operations Aaron Stone.

“Southern West Virginia has been ignored all our lives. We all know that,” Barnette replied.

“So, I feel like – and the PSC makes us go in debt. We shouldn't have to go in debt for anything. We should all have new lines. Federal government should be sending money down here, and it should be grants. We've funded, we built this whole nation, and here we are with no water? Really? And I think we've just been ignored. And I think that our representatives on a state level should scream louder. I think our representatives on a federal level should scream louder and demand that we get good water and demand that we don't have to pay for it. Because when we put new lines in, guess who has to pay for it? Our water bills go up. They have to. Our employees at the water companies, they deserve raises. Maintenance goes up. So who's going to pay for that? We have to raise the water bill. It's a vicious cycle, and I think that we should get more help from the federal government.”

Barnette addressed several issues that have surfaced during the campaign, including a lawsuit that attempted to remove her from the ballot. Kanawha County Circuit Judge Richard Lindsay denied that Barnette to remain in the Republican Primary race against her Republican Primary opponent, former Logan County Board of Education member Debbie Mendez.

During testimony in Charleston, Greenville resident Chris Trent told the court that he had filed that lawsuit after a phone call from Mendez.

Mendez was invited to appear but ultimately declined. Previously, she had said that her early priorities would focus on encouraging further growth and rebuilding confidence in the community, noting concerns about declining population and school enrollment.

Mendez said she would like to see more opportunities for young people as well as programs that keep older residents active and engaged in the county. She acknowledged the position would require a learning curve but said her experience on the Board of Education taught her the value of asking questions and understanding how government decisions and spending affect the public.

The winner of the Republican Primary between Barnette and Mendez will advance to face Runyon in the November general election.

The race for the United States House of Representatives includes Republican candidate Larry Jackson and Democratic candidates Britta Aguirre and Vince George. All three are vying for the seat currently held by Republican Congresswoman Carol Miller.

Wyoming County Republican Larry Jackson said he decided to run because he believes southern West Virginia has been overlooked in Washington. He said his priorities include transparency, accountability, and solutions to regional water problems. Jackson pointed to recent transformer oil leaks affecting water supplies and said federal funding and oversight are needed to strengthen water infrastructure.

“I think there's too much big corporate money involved. There's too much arguing on both sides, and I'm willing to work with anybody. I don't care what side you're on as long as it's for the betterment of the people of Virginia. Our elected leaders tend to get elected and forget about us. That's no secret,” he said.

On foreign policy, including the current conflict in Iran, Jackson said President Donald Trump likely has access to intelligence the public does not. He also said, however, that any military action should focus on addressing threats quickly and avoiding long conflicts.

Democratic candidate Britta Aguirre said her campaign centers on advocacy for people she believes are often ignored in politics. Aguirre has volunteered with Misfit Ministries, a group that provides meals for people experiencing homelessness. She said her background is closer to that of average citizens than wealthy politicians.

“We need people to listen, and I firmly believe that we are given two ears and one mouth for a reason,” she said. “We've got to listen more and talk less as politicians. And don't that make your skin crawl when you say ‘politician?’ That's what I'm running to change.”

Aguirre said she would like to see political parties move away from what she described as “dark money,” and said money has corrupted both the Democratic and Republican parties. She also criticized the prospect of war with Iran and said she believes the United States should avoid involvement in another overseas conflict.

Vince George is also running for the United States House of Representatives in District One. George said his campaign was motivated by recent federal legislation that cut funding for programs such as veterans' benefits, SNAP, and Medicaid. He said the reductions came while tax cuts benefited wealthy Americans. George also criticized the decision not to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits, saying the change has led to people losing their health coverage.

“So people are now losing their health insurance all year long because the premiums have at least doubled, if not, you know, gone up three, four times, and they can't afford it. And that's how people were on the ACA, the Affordable Care Act for Medicaid coverage for families, is that the tax credits allowed them the ability to have the insurance,” George explained. “Now they're losing the insurance, and that also affects Logan Regional [Medical Center] right here in town.”

He said healthcare access should not place families at risk of financial ruin.

On the state level, the race for House District 31 includes Republican Delegate Marghitta Mazzocchi and Democratic candidates Derrick Pearson and George Barker.

Mazzocchi said she attended a recent meeting hosted by the West Virginia Citizen Action Group to hear concerns about data centers. She said she supported legislation offering tax incentives for those projects but has not yet decided whether the developments benefit local communities. Mazzocchi said she contacted Logan County officials about a possible data center proposal and learned local leaders had little information about the project. She said lawmakers should gather information from multiple perspectives before making decisions.

“If you are not able to sit at the table where the decisions are made, you have no input. And so, I asked to be on the finance committee, and I am on there, even though I'm not a banker, I'm not an insurance guy, I'm not an engineer, no one that deals with numbers, but I love numbers, and I know how to hold a budget,” she said.

Derrick Pearson said he entered the race after years of public service as a police officer. Pearson said poor infrastructure remains one of the district’s most serious challenges.

“Our infrastructure is just so bad that we can't even draw business to our communities, to our towns,” said Pearson.

He pointed to deteriorating roads, inadequate sewer systems, and water infrastructure problems that he believes discourage business development. Pearson said many homes in the region still have sewage systems that discharge directly into nearby creeks. He also said corporations proposing data center projects should provide more transparency about their plans.

Pearson is opposed on the Democratic ticket by George C. Barker. Whoever wins will be vying for the seat currently held by Delegate Mazzocchi in the November General Election.

Republican Delegate Jordan Bridges is seeking another term representing House District 33. Bridges said his voting record reflects the views of voters in his district, even when it conflicts with Republican leadership.

“Well, I mean, I don't think that anybody can look at any of my voting records from the beginning to the end to state that I've never voted for the people or with the people,” Bridges said. “I carry their concerns to Charleston without hesitation, even when the leadership doesn't much care for it, but that's my job. My job is not there to please leadership or powers that be. My job is to represent the people, and that's what I do, and I think my record stands for itself on that.”

He cited his vote against legislation related to data centers, saying utility infrastructure costs for those projects could lead to higher electric rates for residents. Bridges also promoted his proposal for a Coalfield Resiliency Fund that would have directed millions of dollars toward water infrastructure in southern West Virginia.

On the topic of data centers, he said local governments should have authority to approve or reject data center developments. That authority was delegated to the state level by House Bill 2014, the same bill from the 2025 Legislative Session that provided major tax incentives for corporations to develop certified microgrid districts for future data center development.

Republican candidate Chris Tipton said federal funding opportunities could be available through the Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill and said the state should be drafting proposals to secure those resources. Tipton also expressed concerns about the idea of privatizing Child Protective Services, pointing to problems that developed after regional jails were privatized.

“That's stuff that, through legislation, you're really going to have to go through, and that's the great thing. When you're in those positions, you have a seat at the table. You can make some judgment calls, and you can go through making sure that you have good ideas, following what your district really wants, and making sure that we're staying on top of it,” Tipton said.

He said his views on issues such as capital punishment and abortion are influenced by both Christian beliefs and medical considerations. Tipton also said there are issues where the government should not intervene in personal decisions.

Democratic candidate Brittany Feury is also running for House District 33. Feury said her campaign focuses on support for students and education staff. She previously worked in Logan County Schools when the system was placed under state control in October 2022. Feury said the takeover was described as temporary, but the district remains under state authority nearly four years later. She said she decided to run for office after seeing the effects school district policy can have on families and children, especially when there’s a lack of transparency from the district.

“There's a big gap in communication between schools and families. I've heard that from parents since I announced my campaign,” said Feury. “The schools don't really encourage communication with the families. It's almost like, ‘well, they'll just communicate with you if they have an issue,’ but then they don't. They take the issues elsewhere. They'll either go directly to the board without trying to go through the proper channels to find out what's going on in the classroom. There's no direct communication between the schools and the families, and that's a huge, huge issue.”

She also said declining enrollment and funding changes connected to charter and private schools have contributed to layoffs in public school systems.

Feury is running against candidate Michael Browning for the Democratic nomination to face either Bridges or Tipton in the November election.

The race for West Virginia Senate District 7 includes Democratic candidate Michael Carr.

Carr said he decided to run because he is concerned about the direction of state leadership and the future facing younger generations. He said access to clean water remains a serious issue in parts of southern West Virginia. Carr also raised concerns about data center development, saying projects could strain water supplies and environmental resources. He pointed to communities in Putnam County that still lack reliable water access while large technology facilities move forward nearby. Carr said he wants to support policies that balance economic development with basic infrastructure needs for residents.

“I don't know what the answer is right now, but I think if we level the playing field, if we get West Virginians some power back, I think they need the power back in taking control of their lives with these things,” he said.

Carr is running against Cindy Brake for the Democratic nomination to face Republican Zach Maynard on the ballot in November.

The final candidates to speak on WVOW’s Candidate LIVE were those running for the Logan County Board of Education. The board has been a topic of controversy of late, having been under a state takeover since October 2022 and the more recent investigations into teachers and faculty over allegations of sexual misconduct in the school system.

Incumbent board member Tony Dean is running unopposed for reelection to his seat. He opened his time on the air by addressing what he described as the elephant in the room: local control. Under the state takeover, board members have had zero authority on matters of policy, personnel or finances. Dean said the local board was able to vote for the first time in nearly four years at the end of April, just two weeks before he spoke on WVOW, and that vote was to update school board policies.

“So, it’s been a long road, and I think we are on the right track. I think we’ve got some tail wind behind us and I’m looking forward to what the future holds and what we’ll be able to do once we get some more control back for the students of Logan County,” he said.

On the matter of student safety, which has been a topic of growing concern, he backs that punishment should happen and those found guilty of a crime against children not be allowed around children. He also said, however, that there are rules that the board has no control over which, frustratingly, can allow issues to slip through the cracks.

“We’ve got our open meetings act, that says board members can’t discuss things that’s not on the agenda, and I know people come to our board meetings and they sign up to speak and, you know, they’ve got questions. We are prohibited from answering any of those questions because it’s not an active item on the agenda. So, we’re kind of restricted on what kind of information is disseminated to the public in an official capacity, and for us that gets frustrating at times as well,” he said.

“From a perspective of what could we do better, you know, our hiring practices are kind of dictated by law, so if there’s holes in the background check then, not to pawn it off on anybody, but that’s up to the Legislature to fix.”

He said he initially ran for the board to become a voice for parents and teachers. He says he knew he had to step up to the plate and run his meetings, and does his best to run it as such. As a member of the Board of Education, he says he is fighting between transparency and confidentiality as enforced by the law, but encouraged parents and concerned members of the community to reach out to him.

Jason Cheek previously served on the Board of Education in 2022 but chose not to run for reelection at the time. This cycle, he said, feels different though. He says education has been his life; he’s been in the system for 23 years and said he feels his expertise can serve the interests of both students and families.

“After observing how things have went with the state takeover, I felt that my expertise in education and my experience on the board would add to the board so that we could work together to get the state to release some control,” he said.

“One thing I know about the state is you can’t go in there with a battleaxe with them. I’ve worked with the state for many many years. This is my 23^rd year in education, and you have to go by what they say, jump through their hoops if you want any kind of control back, and I feel like my knowledge of what the state expects would help the board out a lot.”

He says one of his priorities if elected to the board will be ensuring that students are taught to report adults engaging with them inappropriately, and said people need to be held accountable for their actions.

Check out the entire event with the link below for the live radio broadcast.

https://wvow-fm.streamitplayer.com/Live/live/22520079

Or watch Election Access at the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1E2AX9A6rn/

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