Photo by Joselyn King West Virginia Sen. Laura Wakim Chapman, R-Ohio, left, celebrates with friend Amanda Sable at the City-County Building in Wheeling after Election Night returns showed Chapman winning the GOP nomination for re-election to the District 1 Senate seat.

WHEELING – Incumbent West Virginia Sen. Laura Wakim Chapman won the Republican nomination to the West Virginia Senate District 1 seat on Tuesday, setting up a tightly contested race in the Nov. 3 general election.

Chapman defeated former Eagle Manufacturing President and CEO Joe Eddy, receiving 4,023 votes to Eddy’s 2,761.

The winner will next face current Delegate Shawn Fluharty, D-Ohio, who ran uncontested for the Senate District 1 Democratic nomination on Tuesday.

“I want to thank voters from the bottom of my heart for entrusting me again,” Chapman said. “Of course, we still have to get through the general, but I’m very appreciative that they voted for me for a second term.

“I look forward to continuing my next four years and continuing to fight for the Northern Panhandle.”

Chapman also thanked Eddy “for running such a great campaign.”

“His work ethic is unmatched,” she said. “He is a terrific person.”

Chapman noted she won’t change her message as she heads into the general election against Fluharty.

“I will continue to go out into the community and talk to people about what my campaign is, and what I plan to do for the Northern Panhandle,” she continued. “I have already done a lot for the Northern Panhandle, including (supporting) three tax cuts – including an historic real estate tax cut.”

Chapman added she was the lead sponsor on legislation that cut taxes on Social Security paid by West Virginia residents and has championed issues relating to childcare.

“I have never stopped being out in the community,” she said. “I give everybody my cellphone number that I meet. That way they can reach me if they have issues.”

There were massive mailer campaigns waged by both candidates, and Chapman said it “could” have had an effect on the outcome of the race.

“There’s no way to know because there was outside spending against me, too – including from out of state,” she added.

Chapman – a constitutional lawyer and mother of two young children – is completing her first term in office.

She and husband Matthew, also an attorney, reside in Wheeling.

While in the Senate, Chapman has introduced and sponsored bills pertaining to school security, such as the “Guardian Act,” which permits the hiring of retired law enforcement and safety officials to provide security services in public schools.

This year, Chapman was instrumental in getting a measure passed that is intended to stabilize the budgets of businesses that provide childcare to working families. It bases state subsidies to childcare providers on enrollment rather than attendance, and expands tax credits for employers providing childcare.

Chapman had served as chair of the Senate Health Committee prior to resigning from the position during the recent legislative session. She has since explained her action came following pressure to support a bill providing locality pay to teachers, and that she believed this harmful to teachers in the Northern Panhandle.