WHEELING, W.Va. — The May Primary Election is just two more than two weeks away and competitive primary races dot the state, particularly for Republican nominations for state Senate.
Among the increasingly heated battles is the fight for nomination in the 1st Senatorial District, comprised of most of the northern panhandle, between incumbent Sen. Laura Wakim Chapman and Wheeling businessman Joe Eddy. Chapman is seeking reelection because she says her work isn’t done in the legislature.
“We have made great strides in my four years to kind of tackle the big issues that are important to the people of the northern panhandle, but there is more work to be done,” she said.
Eddy is pursuing political office for the first time but considers himself politically active and previously served as board chair of the West Virginia Manufacturers Association. He wants the opportunity to bring his background in business and engineering to Charleston.
“My focus will be on creating jobs, on increasing our current businesses, and recruiting new industries as well as the bottom line foundation of growth, and that is investing in infrastructure,” he said.
Energy is one of the primary focuses for Eddy, a petroleum engineer by trade, and he believes that West Virginia is not doing enough to take advantage of the natural resources within the state. He supports an increased emphasis on natural gas to keep energy cheap at home and hopefully create jobs.
“That actually gives us the ability to keep rates lower for residents as well as to recruit more energy-intensive industries. If we’re exporting all of that gas and all of that electricity, we’re not using it in-state to create more jobs and create more downstream value,” he said.
Chapman counts herself as an advocate for the northern panhandle, touting accomplishments like healthcare reform as solutions she’s helped bring home from the capital. She vows to make sure that her district always has a loud voice as long as she is in office.
“I’ve been in the trenches. I’ve fought the good fight, and we actually had some really great wins to bring more accessibility of healthcare to people in West Virginia, as well as lower their costs,” she said.
The race in the 1st District is one of several gaining attention for attempts by interest groups to influence the direction of the primary. Chapman believes she has proven that she is working for her constituents and not outside interests.
“We need people who aren’t afraid to stand up to special interest groups and lobbyists, and I’ve proven through my track record that every vote I take—every vote I do—is for the betterment of the northern panhandle, and I won’t let Charleston forget us,” she said.
Her opponent takes a more strident tone when it comes to negative campaigning and funds rolling in from political action committees.
Eddy hopes to be a unifier in the Senate but worries that the divide may be too large if he gets there.”I have had to bring teams of people together that didn’t necessarily see eye to eye on things. That doesn’t mean I’m a fool because I know that’s not going to be a simple thing with the divides in the Senate right now and they’re getting ever deeper,” he said.
As far as the origin of those divisions goes, Eddy is unafraid to point the finger at Governor Patrick Morrisey as one of the sources. Morrisey has unashamedly endorsed multiple candidates in Republican primaries this spring and is closely tied to the Sugar Maple PAC, one of the groups engaging in campaign tactics within the primaries.
“The governor is right, in my mind, to endorse any candidate he chooses. What’s sad, in addition to his endorsement, is the attack to destroy the opposing candidates within the same party that he’s supposed to be the leader,” he said.
West Virginia’s primary elections are scheduled for May 12, and early voting begins on April 29.