CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A former commissioner for the U.S. International Trade Commission is one of the seven Republican candidates seeking the nomination for West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District in next week’s primary election.
“When this seat opened up, I realized that it was important that we (Republicans) keep this seat and I was the person to keep it because I have spent a lifetime standing up for West Virginians,” said Charlotte Lane.
Prior to her eight-year stint as a member of the U.S. International Trade Commission from 2003-2011, Lane served as a chairperson and member of the state Public Service Commission and was a member of the state House of Delegates. She currently works as an attorney with Shuman, McCuskey and Slicer in Charleston.
If elected, Lane said she’ll support repealing the Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare, and replacing with an alternate plan.
“We would come up with a comprehensive plan that would get input from both Republicans and Democrats so that it is a bipartisan buy-in and explained to the American people, so we do not have this travesty that we have seen for the past several years,” she said.
Lane was a guest on Monday’s MetroNews “Talkline” as part of a series of interviews with the statewide candidates prior to next week’s primary election. She told Hoppy Kercheval she is a pro-life candidate, despite claims — she said she’s heard — from fellow Republican candidate Alex Mooney, a former Maryland state senator.
“He is raising questions about my pro-life stance and I resent that and he is wrong and people should be aware that he moved to this state just to run for this seat,” said Lane.
In addition to Lane and Mooney, the other Republican candidates in the 2nd Congressional District are Robert Lawrence Fluharty, an investigator from Charles Town; Ken Reed, a pharmacist from Morgan County; Steve Harrison, a former Kanawha County state senator; Jim Moss, a cost management specialist with Toyota Motors Manufacturing and Ron Walters, Jr., a financial consultant in Charleston.
The Democrats running in the 2nd Congressional District are Nick Casey, a former state Democratic Party chair, and Meshea Poore, a Kanawha County delegate.
Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) currently holds the U.S. House seat in the 2nd District. She is seeking the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in West Virginia’s primary election that will be held on Tuesday, May 13. Early voting continues through Saturday.