Published: May 11, 2008 02:27 am            

Marion County officials expect higher-than-normal voter turnout

FAIRMONT — With a contested presidential nominating race at the top of the Democratic primary ballot and a number of contested courthouse and state races, also in the Democratic camp, turnout is expected to be higher than normal in Tuesday’s primary in Marion County, officials said.

Add non-partisan races for two seats on the county school board and a school bond question, and local voters have a full slate of choices to make.

“I think we will have a decent turnout for a presidential primary year,” veteran Marion County Clerk Janice Cosco said Saturday afternoon.

Interest appears to be growing as the election nears. Early on Friday afternoon, Cosco was estimating about 2,100 voters from all parties would cast early ballots by the 5 p.m. Saturday deadline.

By 3:30 p.m. Saturday, the tally had easily exceeded that estimate. A total of 2,136 Democrats and 322 Republicans had made their way to the Allan W. Babcock Conference Room on the first floor of the courthouse annex to cast their ballots.

With a nearly 3-1 edge in voter registration in the county, most of the action is on the Democratic ballot.

The county has 27,034 Democratic and 9,390 Republican voters. There are 4,378 independents, according to official records kept by the Secretary of State’s office.

On the Democratic ticket, there are contested nominating races for assessor, county commission, sheriff, magistrate and family court judge.

Assessor Jim Priester is being challenged by George Yelich.

The county commission candidates are (in the order they appear on the ballot): Fran Warner, Cecily McAteer Enos, Robin W. Smith, Burley “Butch” Tennant Jr., Jack L. Oliver, Rick Garcia and Daniel K. Weber.

The sheriff candidates are: Donnie Leonard, Joe Carpenter and Randy Proctor. The four incumbent magistrates — Hank Middlemas, M.L. “Peggy” Twyman, Missy Pride Linger and Cathy Reed-Vanata - are running for re-nomination.

Also running for the four open seats are: Todd A. Rundle, Sylvia Cerisano Barr, Frank Cosco, Tricia Arbogast-Bush and Theodore “Ted” Offutt.

Amy Swisher, Marci R. Carroll, David P. Born and Stephen S. Fitz are running for the family court judge nomination.

In statewide nominating races, U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller is being challenged by Billy Hendricks Jr. of Whitesville and Sheirl L. Fletcher of Morgantown.

Gov. Joe Manchin III is being challenged by Melvin (Mel) Kessler of Beckley.

In the race for Secretary of State, Natalie Tennant of Charleston, Billy Wayne Bailey of Pineville and House Majority Leader Joe DeLong, D-Hancock, are seeking the party’s nomination.

Agriculture Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is being challenged by Wayne Casto of Martinsburg.

Supreme Court Justice Elliott E. “Spike” Maynard is seeking re-election. Bob Bastress of Morgantown, Margaret L. Workman of Charleston and Menis Ketchum of Huntington are also in the race for the court’s two open seats.

Mike Manypenny of Grafton and Leroy Stanley of Flemington are seeking the party’s nomination for the 42nd House Delegate district seat.

In the 41st House Delegate District, incumbent Dels. Ron Fragale, Samuel J. “Sam” Cann, Tim Miley and Richard J. Iaquinta are being joined by Anthony “Tony” Barberio in the nominating contest for four seats.

In the non-partisan school board race, incumbents Mike (Mickey) Welty and G.H. Budd Sapp are seeking re-election. Gail L. Redmond, Richard Pellegrin and George J. Boyles are also running for the two open seats.

In the Republican primary, there are a number of unopposed candidates for state and local offices.

J. Michael Teets of Lost River and Lawrence T. Beckerle of Tioga are seeking the GOP nomination for Agriculture Commissioner.

Dan Greear and Hiram Lewis, both of Charleston, are in the Attorney General’s race.

Tom Bowman, Gary Piccalo and W.L. “Fuzzy” Knight are running for sheriff.

Polls at the county’s 76 precincts will open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

For the first time, independent voters will be able to vote in the Democratic primary.

Independents (registered as “no party” voters) must ask for a Democratic ballot if they want to vote in that party’s primary. Independents can also vote in the Republican primary by asking for a GOP ballot.

E-mail Bill Byrd at bbyrd@timeswv.com.

        

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