CHARLESTON, W.Va. – With primary elections three weeks away, the fight for control of the Republican majority in the state Senate remains at the forefront, and the 8th senatorial district, covering parts of six counties, is one of the key battlegrounds.
Sen. T. Kevan Bartlett is the incumbent running for reelection, opposed by Kanawha County Commissioner Lance Wheeler and Dr. Steven Eshenaur, the executive director and health officer of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department.
Governor Patrick Morrisey appointed Bartlett, who pastors a church in Charleston and resides in the Sissonville area, to the 8th district seat after Mark Hunt was elected state auditor. Adding that to a stint in the House of Delegates after being appointed by then-Governor Jim Justice to serve the 39th district, Bartlett believes his conservative record holds up.
“My opponents are good people—honorable people. There are positions that I feel like I have a more conservative background on, and the fact that my conservatism is not just something that I talk about or aspire to at a campaign event. I’ve got three years of a voting record on my positions,” he said.
Wheeler, originally from St. Albans, was elected to the Kanawha County Commission in 2020 and has worked closely with local officials on several major projects in the county, including the planned Capital Sports Complex in downtown Charleston. His focus ahead of the election is trying to make life more affordable for West Virginians.
“We want to make sure that everybody knows that West Virginia is the best place to work, live, and raise a family, so we need to look at our taxes. We need to reduce and eliminate the state income tax. That way, we can give the money back to the taxpayers so they can use it for themselves and their families,” he said.
Eshenaur, a native of Mason County, is a US Army veteran who practiced military medicine in Iraq, Afghanistan, and South Korea while also serving as the State Surgeon of the West Virginia Army National Guard. With no prior political experience, seeing family members move out of the state inspired him to make a change through government.
“Three of our children have had to leave the state, and now four of our grandchildren live out of state. Why? For economic opportunity. As you look around the state, particularly in the 8th district, we have taken a beating. Kanawha County has lost more population than any county in the state over the last five years,” he said.
All three candidates count their personal experiences as an important factor in their candidacy. Bartlett is seeking his first successful reelection bid and wants to use the experience he gained during the last two legislative sessions during a new term.
“What I’ve learned and what the experience has brought me is navigating through relationships to advance good legislation—just building consensus and learning the process. It is something that you build on, so now with three years in the legislature, I’ve built on that,” he said.
Wheeler’s focus on fiscal responsibility reflects the work he’s done on the Kanawha County Commission to eliminate what he views as financial waste in the budget. He hopes voters remember that history when they go to the ballot box.
“Experience matters in my opinion, and I think what the voters are looking for is somebody who has their conservative beliefs and stands with their values and principles but knows how to get the job done, and that’s what I’ve proven as a Kanawha County Commissioner for the last five years,” Wheeler said.
While this is his first run for political office, Eshenaur believes the experience he’s gained as a veteran, physician, and business owner more than makes up for his lack of history in government. Job growth is one of his focuses, and he thinks he brings the right mentality to make it happen.
“I’m a 30-year military veteran—four combat tours—I’ve lived all around the world, and I’ve lived in a lot of states. I’ve seen a lot of the ways that other people do things and can bring that skill and talent back here,” he said.
Increasing opportunity for residents of the 8th district is at the top of mind for all three candidates, with Eshenaur’s development-driven campaign looking to support new and existing businesses. He aims for a future in which the state is a destination for growth.
“In this campaign, West Virginia needs to truly be a place that is open for business. We need to not just try to recruit new business. We need to be more supportive of our existing business to grow them,” he said.
Both Bartlett and Wheeler are in favor of further cuts to the state income tax following a five-percent reduction during the legislative session after Governor Morrisey originally proposed slashing it by ten percent. Bartlett voted in favor of the larger cut that passed the Senate and was later reduced in a compromise with the House.
Wheeler wants to use the tactics he’s learned on the county commission to find space for an income tax cut.
“What I’m going to do when I’m a state senator is I’m going to look over our budget and find those areas that we can cut so we can save money. We can be more efficient with taxpayer dollars, and we’re going to take those savings, and we’re going to reduce the state income tax, and we’re going to get it to zero,” he said.
With 12 contested Republican primaries to be decided next month, endorsements and campaign maneuvering have drawn headlines as the first date for votes to be cast draws closer. Bartlett does not want to be tied up in the controversy and hopes the 8th district race maintains the civility it’s seen so far.
“I don’t know that it’s healthy for the party. I don’t know that it’s healthy for the legislature, but election season ends, and we’ll work together. We’ll pull together, and we will advance as Republicans. We will advance conservative ideas to make West Virginia’s future continue to glow brighter,” he said.
Primary elections are scheduled for May 12.