justen

It’s hard to beat the excitement surrounding American politics this year, but West Virginia isn’t standing still either. Saturday was the filing deadline for candidates in the Mountain State, and the big surprise was Anne Barth’s entry into the race for the state’s Second Congressional District. Ms. Barth has served as state director for Senator Byrd’s office for as long as I can remember.

Also really exciting is that Margaret Workman is campaigning to rejoin the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. She left the court in 1999, just shy of the end of her second term. Ms. Workman, in 1988, was the first woman elected to the Supreme Court. When she was elected to the court, she became the first woman elected to statewide office in West Virginia.

Back to the congressional campaign for a second. Ms. Barth is challenging Shelley Moore Capito, the only Republican in West Virginia’s congressional delegation. Ms. Capito was the first woman elected to federal office from West Virginia when she ran in 2000, riding on the Republican vote for George W. Bush in 2000. A lot of folks feel she could be particularly vulnerable this year, given her close ties to the White House.

I was particularly disappointed that Congresswoman Capito didn’t do more to build support for renewing CHIP. She released a statement back in October which essentially said she voted for it just because she knew she’d face a very angry constituency back in West Virginia if she didn’t. The renewal was ultimately stripped bare by the White House and the Congressional Republican leadership, and President Bush finally stopped vetoing the bill once it left an acceptable number of children uninsured (acceptable to him, at least).

I hope Anne Barth can become a true voice for West Virginians in the House, a voice that has really been missing for the state’s second congressional district.

I really hope Margaret Workman can bring some level of respect back to the state Supreme Court. Please don’t even get me started on how much the court needs someone with her experience and integrity.