CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Republican surge in the state Senate extended to a majority Wednesday when Democrat Daniel Hall of Wyoming County switched parties. The move gives the GOP an 18-16 advantage.
The shift came just hours after the general election where Republicans gained seven seats to pull into a 17-17 draw with Democrats, who had held the majority for more than 80 years. Tuesday also saw a 17-seat gain in the House of Delegates that gave Republicans a 64-36 margin.
Hall was previously a Republican who switched to the Democratic Party and was elected to to the House of Delegates for two terms, beginning with the 2008 election. He was elected to the state Senate in 2012.
The move Wednesday was engineered by Sen. Bill Cole (R-Mercer) who had organized a drive by the GOP to make inroads in the 2014 election. Cole confirmed Wednesday afternoon that Hall had made the switch.
Cole and the GOP moved swiftly to try to gain an advantage after the election left the Senate deadlocked. The state Constitution specifies that the Senate shall choose a leader, but provides no specifics, leaving the decision up to the members.
Current Senate President Jeff Kessler (D-Marshall) told Metronews “Talkline” Wednesday that he wasn’t sure how the divide was going to impact the leadership. Other states have used a variety of methods, including power sharing between the parties.
However, that could be negated if one party gains a numeric advantage between now and when the parties caucus before the start of the 2015 Legislative session.
If no other party shifts occur, Republicans will control both chambers of the Legislature for the first time in more than 80 years.
Senator Mike Hall (R-Putnam) is the current Senate Minority Leader. However, Hall and Cole have agreed on a power switch that will make Cole the Senate President if and when the GOP becomes the majority party in the senate.