MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The chairman of the Monongalia County Republican Executive Committee said Tuesday the party is pleased with its midterm election performance.
“We targeted 1,000 key households and presented them a message over and over again that it was key that they vote,” GOP Chairman Ethan Moore said on WAJR’s ‘Talk of the Town.’ “We’d like to think we participated and played a role in getting those voters to the polls and making a difference in Monongalia County.”
At face value the numbers suggested Democrats would easily win countywide races but Moore said the committee thought many Democrats would support Republicans.
“Monongalia County is predominantly Democrat, but some of those are moderate Democrats and we knew some of those would vote for our candidates,” Moore said.
Moore said the switch to single-member districts in House of Delegates races gave the Republican candidates an opportunity to interact directly and provide a clear contrast. He said the multi-member district model made messaging more difficult and forces candidates to distinguish themselves from several candidates rather than debate the ideas of one.
“The head-to-head races favored us because when given the opportunity between one or the other voters picked Republicans in three of six House races,” Moore said. “Had it been a multi-member district it might not have went that way because of the dense population in the metro region.”
Republicans elected included incumbent Del. Joe Statler and newcomers Gino Chiarelli and Debbie Warner. The GOP also retained the county commission seat when Republican Sean Sikora defeated state Senator Bob Beach, D-Monongalia.
According to information from the West Virginia Secretary of State’s office, there are 23,419 registered Democrats, 20,171 registered Republicans and 16,534 registered voters with no party affiliation. Moore said those voters were waiting to be engaged and they took the opportunity.
“The voters are leaving one party, but not joining another party. So we reach those voters in the no party affiliate, or Independent voters and present our message and it resonates with them.”
Moore said the Republican Party leadership is already planning for the 2024 election cycle.
“We think there is a vulnerable House district here in Monongalia County,” Moore said. “The vice-chair of the (WV) Democratic Party (Del. Danielle Walker) is headed back to Charleston and by my tally she’s doing so with the fewest votes of any winning delegate in the state- that sounds like a vulnerable district to us,” Moore said.