HUNTINGTON – HuntPAC, the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Political Action Committee, unanimously has voted to endorse Justice Tim Armstead and Justice John Hutchison for re-election as well as Kanawha Circuit Judge Joanna Tabit to the West Virginia Supreme Court.
“After a careful review of the candidates on the ballot, conducting interviews with the more prominent candidates, and an analysis of the campaigns for these three seats on West Virginia’s highest court this year, Tim Armstead, John Hutchison and Joanna Tabit were selected as the right choices for our endorsement,” Huntington Regional Chamber President & CEO Bill Bissett said. “We wanted to endorse as soon as possible in these three races for the West Virginia Supreme Court, as this non-partisan ballot will be decided during the Primary Election, and these races will not be on the ballot in the General Election this fall.
"It is our hope that both our membership and prospective voters will make certain that the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals will continue to move in the right direction.”
In other endorsement news, the West Virginia AFL-CIO has endorsed Isaac Sponaugle in the May Democratic Primary for state Attorney General.
“Isaac Sponaugle has a proven track record of vigorously fighting to protect and support working families,” West Virginia AFL-CIO President Josh Sword said. “In the eight years he’s served in the House of Delegates, Isaac has never waivered in his dedication to ensuring West Virginians are provided a safe work place, fair wages and affordable health care – in fact he has a perfect voting record in the eyes of the West Virginia AFL-CIO.
“I am confident he will bring those values to the Attorney General’s Office.”
Sponaugle welcomed the endorsement.
“I have fought for working families throughout my legislative career in West Virginia," he said. "I’m honored to receive the endorsement from the West Virginia AFL-CIO. It represents the best part of our state, which are our working families,” Sponaugle said. “They believe a change must occur in the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office. They further believe that I’m the person who can deliver on that change. As Attorney General, I will continue to fight on behalf of working families.
"I will protect their health care, not play political games with it. I will hold Big Pharma responsible for the opioid crisis within our state, not profit off it. I will continue to deliver on my promise to fight for our working families at all times.”
Sponaugle faces Sam Petsonk in the Democratic primary. Incumbent Republican Patrick Morrisey is unopposed in the primary.
All three of the Supreme Court races are non-partisan. The Division 1 and 2 races are for regular 12-year terms on the Supreme Court. The Division 3 race is to fill the seat formerly held by Allen Loughry. Gov. Jim Justice appointed Hutchison to fill that seat in December 2018. The term for the Division 3 seat will end in 2024
For the Division 1 seat, Armstead is being challenged by former Justice Richard Neely and northern panhandle Circuit Judge David Hummel.
Running for the Division 2 seat currently occupied by Justice Margaret Workman are Tabit, former state legislator Bill Wooton, Putnam County Assistant Prosecutor Kris Raynes and Kanawha Family Court Judge Jim Douglas. Workman is not seeking re-election.
Hutchison is seeking re-election for the Division 3 seat. He was appointed after former Justice Allen Loughry resigned. The term is to finish the rest of Loughry's term and will end in 2024. Schwartz and Fifth Circuit Judge Lora Dyer also are running for the seat.
In 2018, Tabit finished third in a special election for two seats on the Supreme Court left by the retirements of Robin Jean Davis and Menis Ketchum. Armstead and Justice Evan Jenkins, both of whom had been appointed by Justice to temporarily fill those seats, won those elections. Douglas, Wooton and Schwartz all ran in the 2018 election as well.