CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia delegates will need to decide in short order who their new leader will be.
Speaker Tim Armstead, who served in the role since 2015, announced his resignation this week to run for state Supreme Court.
The House of Delegates is expected to be called back next week to pick a new speaker.
Each party will caucus privately to determine its choice. For Democrats, that’s current Minority Leader Tim Miley. For Republicans, the majority party, there’s more drama.
Once the caucuses settle on their candidate, there will be a vote on the House floor, expected to be 9 a.m. Wednesday. Republicans will have the say-so but no one yet knows their go-to.
The most-discussed possibilities for the role have been House Finance Chairman Eric Nelson, R-Kanawha, and Delegate Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, vice chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
But current Majority Leader Daryl Cowles, R-Morgan, put a twist on the decision Wednesday but suggesting he should be named the speaker on an interim basis.
“We have a lot going on. I think it is not a good time to have an intra-caucus battle,” Cowles said on MetroNews’ “Talkline.”
“The easy transition for us right now would be the majority leader to ascend to the speaker’s position, at least for the balance of the year.”
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Cowles was referring to several ongoing issues, including the impeachment proceedings on the state Supreme Court and the PEIA Task Force, which was established in response to striking teachers’ demands to deal with increasing out-of-pocket insurance costs for public employees.
“I’m willing to serve in the temporary role to get us there,” Cowles said. “What’s important to me is the stability and continuity.”
Other delegates contacted for this story said they would rather pick a new leader now to begin setting priorities for the next legislative session.
A lot still depends, of course, on the outcome of the November election. The results will shape the current Republican majority — and determine whether Republicans keep the majority, as most observers anticipate.
“We have a lot of important issues before us right now that we are dealing with as a Republican caucus,” said Delegate Riley Moore, R-Jefferson. “I don’t think there’s any reason we need to go through this process twice when we can go through it once.
“We can revisit it after the election, but I don’t think it’s advisable to have someone who has a temporary authority over forming our agenda and pathway forward.”
Delegate Gary Howell, R-Mineral, agreed that choosing a new speaker now would be the best course. Howell is the chairman of the House Government Organization Committee.
“I think it is a bad idea to have an interim Speaker,” Howell said. “The Speaker is the leader, and the caucus and staff need to work toward developing an agenda for the first session of the 84th Legislature. Whoever is elected next week will likely be re-elected Speaker in January.”
Armstead, R-Kanawha, was first elected to the House in 1998 and served as minority leader from 2007 until 2014.
He announced in January that he would not seek re-election to his seat in the House of Delegates, hinting strongly at a Supreme Court run in 2020.
This bumps up the timetable amid controversy over the impeachment of all the remaining members of the Supreme Court – Chief Justice Margaret Workman, Justice Beth Walker and suspended Justice Allen Loughry.
Ketchum resigned the day before the impeachment process began in the House of Delegates. He faces federal charges over driving a state vehicle for personal use without claiming the perk on his taxes.
It’s Ketchum’s seat — a two-year term — that Armstead is aiming for.
Some remaining members of his caucus said the majority should seek a new leader with Armstead’s best qualities.
“I’m thankful for Speaker Armstead’s steady and principled leadership and am confident that the House will be able to coalesce around a new Speaker who will provide the leadership necessary to continue the progress we’ve made over the last four years,” said House Education Chairman Paul Espinosa, R-Jefferson.
Delegate Kayla Kessinger, R-Fayette, expressed a similar sentiment.
“Whoever becomes the next Speaker of the House is going to have huge shoes to fill,” Kessinger said. “Tim Armstead is a man of immense integrity who has led our body through historic changes, and I am proud to have served under his leadership.”
Kessinger was among those who would prefer to see a long-term choice in place.
“The Republicans in the House have a responsibility to elect a strong and proven leader, not only through the interim but a Speaker who will lead into the next legislative session,” she said.
Each of the delegates most discussed as the next Speaker is part of the current leadership team.
Cowles, 47, was first elected to the House in 2006 and became majority leader when Armstead was elected Speaker.
He worked for many years with Cowles and Sons Construction, Inc., along with his twin brother. These days, he’s the executive director of the Morgan County Economic Development Authority.
Nelson, 57, was first elected to the House in 2011 and became Finance Chairman in 2015.
He’s the president of Nelson Enterprises, an investment company focusing on real estate, natural resources, money management and entrepreneurial activity.
Hanshaw, 38, was first elected to the House in 2014. He’s a lawyer with the Bowles, Rice firm, focusing on environmental and technical issues in business transactions, as well as regulatory compliance matters.
He also has a Ph.D. in chemistry and is a certified professional parliamentarian.
Both Nelson and Hanshaw have been busy with some of the Legislature’s ongoing, high-profile issues.
Both are on the PEIA Task Force, which is still in the process of determining the shape of insurance plans for public employees, as well as how to pay for the plans.
Hanshaw is co-chairman of the Legislature’s Committee on Flooding, which has been swept into a controversy over why state government has lagged on spending an available $150 million in federal grant money on relief for the devastating 2016 floods.
And Hanshaw, as vice chairman of Judiciary, has been among the delegates overseeing the impeachment of the Supreme Court. He is one of five official managers in that process, now responsible for presenting the impeachment case in upcoming Senate trials.
Delegate Kessinger said whoever becomes the next leader of the full House will have to demonstrate leadership ability.
“As we focus on the agenda for the next legislative session, continue to work toward solving the problems with PEIA and navigate through the historic impeachment proceedings, we need a Speaker who will lead through the interim and into the next chapter of West Virginia’s comeback story,” she said.
Delegate Ben Queen, R-Harrison, said many of the problems that have distressed the state demonstrate the need for the Speaker to help chart a better path.
“This state lacks leadership,” Queen said. “I hope the next Speaker prioritizes my generation as an important piece to move this state forward.
“Of course I’d love to see a young person lead this effort. It’s absolutely critical for young people to be front and center to keep my friends and my generation from moving away.”