CHARLESTON — Third District Congressman Evan Jenkins said Wednesday on MetroNews “Talkline” he’ll be a candidate for the state Supreme Court seat retired Justice Robin Davis used to hold.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Tim Armstead is among the names listed as possibilities to temporarily fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by Menis Ketchum.
Jenkins, whose time in Congress comes to an end at the end of the year, has hinted about a Supreme Court run for a few weeks. He made an announcement via email Tuesday and backed it up Wednesday with his reason for running.
“To restore the public’s trust in our state’s highest court,” Jenkins said.
A spending controversy has resulted in federal criminal counts against suspended Justice Allen Loughry and retired Justice Menis Ketchum and 11 Articles of Impeachment approved by the House of Delegates this week naming Loughry, Chief Justice Margaret Workman, Justice Beth Walker and the now retired Davis.
Loughry, Workman and Walker face trials in the state Senate expected to begin in about a month.
Jenkins said Wednesday he’ll run for the Davis seat that has six years left on the 12-year term. The filing deadline for both the Davis seat and the seat Ketchum left is Aug. 21. The Ketchum seat has two years left on the term. A number of candidates have already filed.
Others interested in the temporary position
Robert H. Carlton, Williamson
Gregory B. Chiartas, Charleston
Robert J. Frank, Lewisburg
Arthur Wayne King, Clay
D.C. Offutt Jr., Barboursville
William Schwartz, Charleston
Martin P. Sheehan, Wheeling
Those who have filed for vacancies
According to the Secretary of State’s office, six people have filed to be on the Nov. 6 ballot for the vacancies left by Ketchum and Davis.
Harry Bruner, a Charleston lawyer who has run for U.S. Senate before
Carl Hostler, general counsel for the West Virginia State Pipe Trades and a lawyer with Prim Law Office in Hurricane
Brenden Long, a Putnam County attorney
Marty “Red Shoes” Sheehan, a Wheeling attorney
Kanawha Circuit Judge Joanna Tabit
Judge William Thompson of Boone County
On Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Jim Justice issued a formal proclamation calling for a special election to fill Davis’s unexpired term.
Each seat will be on the ballot for the for a special election on Nov. 6, running concurrently with the General Election.
The Ketchum seat, a two-year term, will be designated Division 1. The Davis seat, a six-year term, will be identified as Division 2.
