Lawsuit seeks to remove commission candidate from May ballot

A lawsuit filed in Logan County Circuit Court challenges Commissioner Diana Barnette’s eligibility for the May ballot, alleging she does not reside in the district she filed in. Greenville resident Chris Trent is seeking her removal through a writ of mandamus, naming county election officials as respondents.

LOGAN  A lawsuit in Logan County seeks to omit a candidate for Logan County Commission from the ballot this May. 

Filed in Logan Circuit Court on Thursday (3/19/26), Greenville resident Chris Trent alleges Commissioner Diana Barnette does not reside within the district she submitted when filing to run for re-election back in January. Barnette has run for office twice before filing this year. A failed attempt in 2018 and a successful election in 2020. 

In 2018, Barnette ran for the Democratic nomination to the commission and her residence, or domicile as referenced in the paperwork filed in the circuit court, was listed as 404 Meyers Street in Holden. In 2020, her party changed to Republican and her domicile moved to cabin one at the Appalachian Outpost at Lyburn. 

At issue, Logan County has four magisterial districts for three commissioners and no more than one commissioner can reside in a single district. It is Trent’s contention that Barnette lives at Holden and should be omitted from the ballot. The suit names Logan County Clerk John Turner as well as Rebecca Nagy and Shirley Baisden in their roles as Ballot Commissioners for the upcoming Primary Election. A writ of mandamus, is essentially asking the court to make the government do its duty.

Several exhibits were included in the paper work filing including pictures of Barnette’s home at Holden and cabin at Lyburn. Another exhibit included a speeding ticket from Jackson, Ohio in 2023 showing her home address as Meyers Street in Holden. None of the exhibits contain Barnette's voter registration that is listed at Lyburn.

 When contacted Monday by WVOW News, Barnette said she was out of town and has not seen the documents and has not been served. WVOW could not confirm anyone has been served and the petitioner Chris Trent has not responded to attempts for comment. 

Trent, also  running for the Logan County Republican Executive Committee, has successfully filed suit before including against the Logan County Development Authority over Freedom of Information requests. All those times Trent represented himself. The latest suit, Trent, is represented by Charleston attorney, James Cagle.

Barnette is running against Debbie Mendez for the Republican nomination to face Democrat Gary Runyon in the November General Election.

PHOTO | A.M. Stone