CHARLESTON — The West Virginia Democratic Party announced Wednesday the nine applicants for the 7th Senatorial District seat previously occupied by Richard Ojeda.
Ojeda, who served for two years in the Senate, resigned this week to devote more time toward his bid for president.
The applicants:
- Paul Hardesty of Logan County, the president of the Logan County Board of Education and current lobbyist whose clients include the companies of Gov. Jim Justice.
- Susan Perry of Logan County, a former employee of the state Department of Health and Human Resources who sued the agency claiming she was fired after mentioning issues with handling bids.
- Sheila Riddle of Logan County.
- Harry Keith White of Mingo County, a former delegate who served from Sept. 1992 to Jan. 2016. He was House majority leader between 2013 and 2015, and the former chairman of the Bank of Mingo, which was charged in 2015 for failing to develop, implement and maintain an effective money laundering program.
- Ralph Rodighiero of Logan County, a current state delegate.
- Joe White, of Logan County.
- Harry Freeman of Logan County.
- Josh Watson of Lincoln County.
- Art Kirkendoll of Logan County, a former state Senator who lost to Ojeda in the 2016 primary election. He was appointed in 2011 following Earl Ray Tomblin becoming governor.
Ojeda was elected to the Senate in 2016. He unsuccessfully ran last year for the U.S. House of Representatives.
The 7th Senate District Democratic Executive Committee will meet Thursday to select the three people for Gov. Jim Justice to consider.
