CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Senate will have 32 Republicans and 2 Democrats when the next legislature is sworn-in to office.
None of the incumbent Republicans senators lost in Tuesday’s election. The GOP picked up an additional seat when Scott Fuller defeated Del. Ric Griffith, D-Wayne, in a race for an open seat representing Wayne and Cabell counties.
Berkeley County Republican Tom Willis, who upset Senate President Craig Blair in the May Primary Election, continued his winning ways Tuesday.
“I just praise God, we had a great team and we’re thrilled. We are thankful that the voters of the Eastern Panhandle put their trust in me,” Willis told the Panhandle News Network Wednesday.
Willis defeated Democrat Anthony Murray by more than 22,000 votes.
Making West Virginia more competitive is one of Willis’ goals.
“I don’t really have just one thing that I’m focused on, I think we need a lot of work across-the-board because of where we are as far competitive picture with our neighboring states especially,” Willis said.
Del. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, was able to keep a Senate seat blue on Tuesday with a victory over Republican nominee Rebecca Polis. Garcia defeated Polis by more than 3,500 votes.
Garcia said his campaign message was “Stay, Rebuild, and Succeed,” and it was delivered hundreds of times during the run-up to election day.
“We need to have the basic building blocks that include quality jobs, quality health care, a first class public education, and good infrastructure, including things like childcare,” Garcia said.
Garcia plans to use what he called the biggest lesson he learned from Caputo—building relationships. Garcia said getting to know fellow West Virginians before focusing on issues is a big part of that.
“If you breakdown those barriers of party, I think you get down to the fact we’re all West Virginians and that we can all work together, but you have to build trust,” Garcia said.
After the Tuesday election, Garcia and Senate Minority Leader Mike Woelfel as the only Democrats in the Senate.
“I expect to work well with them, and I expect to work for West Virginia,” Garcia said. “And I will do everything I can not to just be negative, but when it calls for it, I will be a voice of opposition for things I don’t think are right.”
The Panhandle News Network contributed to this story.