CHARLESTON, W.Va. — An eight-member committee selected on Thursday their three choices to serve the state’s 4th Senatorial District.
The committee — which consisted of people from Putnam, Jackson, Roane and Mason counties — conducted interviews earlier in the day with seven candidates interested in succeeding former Sen. Mike Hall, who resigned last week to become Gov. Jim Justice’s chief of staff.
The three candidates were:
— Delegate Jim Butler, R-Mason;
— Jeff Barnes, of Putnam County, the owner of Barnes Agency and first cousin of Olympic gold medalist Randy Barnes; and
— Mark Drennan, of Putnam County, the executive director of West Virginia Behavioral Health Care Providers Association.
Justice has five days to make a selection. The person who is chosen will serve through December 2018, when Hall’s term was set to end.
MetroNews affiliate WMOV Radio in Ravenswood contributed to this report.