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Residents meet the candidates in Weirton

CANDIDATES GATHER — Kristine Roberts, of the Weirton Board of Realtors, welcomes residents attending a “Meet the Candidates” event, held Thursday at the Mary H. Weir Public Library. Candidates for several races, including House of Delegates, county commission and state Senate, were in attendance. -- Craig Howell

WEIRTON — Area residents gathered in the activity room of the Mary H. Weir Public Library Thursday to hear directly from several of those seeking office in the Nov. 6 general election.

The “Meet the Candidates” event was organized by the Weirton Board of Realtors.

Kristine Roberts of the Weirton Board of Realtors, explained the group opted to organize the event because its members feel it is important for residents to know about the candidates in order to have those in office who will work for the people of West Virginia, improve the business climate and move the state forward.

“Not only do we live and work here, we’re trying to bring people here,” Roberts said. “We need to win them over to our little sliver of West Virginia.”

Candidates in attendance were Kendra Fershee, Democratic candidate for U.S. House; Ryan Ferns, Republican, and Bill Ihlenfeld, Democrat, candidates for state Senate; Pat McGeehan, Republican, Mark Zatezalo, Republican, Randy Swartzmiller, Democrat and Diana Magnone, Democrat, all candidates for 1st District state House of Delegates; Don Perkins, Republican candidate for Brooke Commission; and Jeff Davis, Democrat, and Tommy Ogden, Republican, candidates for Hancock Commission.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, the Democratic candidate, sent a letter which was read to the audience, while his opponent, state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, the Republican candidate, sent a representative. U.S. Rep. David McKinley, Republican incumbent for U.S. House, also sent a representative.

Fershee touched on topics such as education, healthcare and service to the community, saying while progress has been made, more needs to be done.

Fershee also said she has not accepted money from corporate political action committees.

“I don’t want to listen to anybody but you,” she told the audience.

Ferns, the incumbent state Senator, said the Legislature has been working to create the proper environment to encourage job creation, saying a lack of opportunities has led to the state’s drug issues. He also pointed to the state’s budget surplus.

“We’ve drastically changed the direction of West Virginia,” Ferns said.

Ihlenfeld touted his career as a U.S. attorney and his efforts to fight the opioid epidemic and criminal enterprise.

“I’ve spent a lot of time on the opioid crisis. I spent a lot of time on public corruption,” he said.

He also suggested the creation of an inspector general’s office at the state level, noted the need to close several loopholes in state law and the need to lower taxes, in particular those on Social Security.

Magnone noted the platform developed for her campaign is made up of issues she’s been working on for more than a year, reaching out to state officials and others.

She said the state needs better financial controls, explaining while officials discuss a budget surplus, not all financial figures are up-to-date in order to give a full picture.

“You might as well take a magic wand and be Harry Potter,” she said.

She also recommended developing a better way to coordinate job opportunities for veterans.

McGeehan discussed his background in the U.S. Air Force and his time in the Legislature, saying he ignores lobbyists in order to focus on the needs of the state.

McGeehan said he is working on some job programs, mentioning efforts to obtain military contracts for Homer Laughlin. He also said he feels there is great promise in the natural gas industry.

Swartzmiller, who previously served 14 years in the state House, noting while he was in office, the Legislature reduced taxes by $450 million, built up a $900 million rainy day fund, paid down the state’s debt and privatized workers compensation.

“We were dealing with the problems of the past,” Swartzmiller said.

Swartzmiller said more work is needed on the state’s roads and highways, and more efforts are needed to get taxpayer money back to the region.

Zatezalo discussed the potential of the oil and gas industry, saying he has been pushing for the construction of an ethane storage hub in the Ohio Valley, and feels more aggression is needed in bringing jobs to the area.

“The energy possibilities are far, far greater than I ever thought,” Zatezalo said.

Davis, the incumbent Hancock County commissioner, noted efforts to leverage tax funds to obtain $80 million in water and sewer improvements in the county, as well as obtaining funds to renovate the county courthouse and build concession stands and other facilities at the Gas Valley Road athletic facility.

He discussed efforts to market available property for economic development.

“My plan is to continue doing the exact same thing I’ve done the last 18 years, and that is to work for you,” Davis said.

Ogden, a first-time candidate, promoted the idea of a port authority or task force specifically for Hancock County, to work alongside the Business Development Corp. and the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission, as well as the need for trade schools, new youth programs, career days and more.

“I think we need new energy and new ideas,” Ogden said, vowing to be pro-business and transparent. “We’re in a crucial time in our county’s history.”

Perkins said the drug problem and the need for jobs are the top issues in the area. He promoted support for education, the need to focus on beautification, work on infrastructure and encouraged the establishment of K-9 searches and police checkpoints.

“We have a small community, but it’s time to think big,” Perkins said.

Those in attendance also were offered opportunities to ask questions of the candidates as part of the event.

The forum was moderated by Patrick Ford.

(Howell can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com, and followed via Twitter @CHowellWDT)

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