HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Back to where it all started.
Former Huntington mayor and former House of Delegates member Steve Williams is heading back to the House after winning election Tuesday night.
The Huntington Democrat defeated Del. Patrick Lucas, R-Cabell, by 459 votes.
Williams served in the House of Delegates 40 years ago from 1986-1994. He later was the three-term mayor of Huntington from 2013-2025.
When MetroNews caught up with Williams Wednesday he said his phone hadn’t stop ringing.
“I’m so grateful for the support that people gave me. It’s wonderful to be able to get right back to the ground floor and working with folks. Beginning today, I go to work,” Williams said.
Williams said he can make the case that nobody is coming into the legislature with more experience than he has. Williams, along with former Delegate Tom Susman, were the youngest members of the House in 1986.
“Now I can head up the senior caucus,” Williams joked.
All joking aside, he said experience does matter.
“For those who are new to the system I can offer perspective. For those who are aggressive, I can point to how to be aggressive.
Williams, who had an unsuccessful run for governor in 2024, said the formula that worked in Huntington from near insolvency to being ranked one of the top run cities in the nation can work on the statewide level.
“We can do it in West Virginia because we can identify sooner what works, quicker what doesn’t and faster how we can fix it,” Williams said.
Huntington was nearly bankrupted and wrought with crime and the impact of the opioid epidemic when Williams took over.
He’ll be one of 21 Democrats in the 100-member House. Williams said the split doesn’t make much difference to him.
“It’s not D or R but WV,” Williams said.