MORGANTOWN — At least one of the four Morgantown City Council seats up for grabs in the April 25 municipal election will have a new inhabitant come July.
Ixya Vega said she will not seek reelection in the city’s 3rd Ward.
Joe Abu-Ghannam (1st), Danielle Trumble (5th) and Brian Butcher (7th) each said they intend to run for a second term.
“A lot of people know that I work for Planned Parenthood. I am the only organizer for the entire state of West Virginia. My job requires a lot of traveling and staying in different parts of the state,” Vega said. “Especially last year due to the abortion ban, it was extremely difficult for me to manage both my job and my responsibilities as a council person.”
This will be the first city election that doesn’t involve all seven council seats following passage of a 2021 referendum doubling council terms to four years and staggering terms so that no more than four seats are up every two years.
The previous iteration of council argued the quick turnaround of two-year terms was often a hindrance as new members would get up to speed and immediately face reelection.
Abu-Ghannam noted that’s particularly true in his case. He was appointed to the 1st Ward seat in August 2021 after Patrick Hathaway won the seat but ended up unable to serve.
“It really felt like I spent the whole last year and a half playing catch up,” Abu-Ghannam said. “Just as I’m getting my feet underneath me and really getting the hang of what I’m doing and making a difference, all the sudden here we are at election time. So I thought I’d run for reelection and hopefully get another four years.”
Butcher agreed.
“I just don’t think two years is enough for anybody,” he said.
During the Jan. 3 meeting of council, Butcher explained he’s currently experiencing symptoms of an as-of-yet undiagnosed neurological condition that’s substantially limiting his activity.
“I have every intention to run at this time. I feel like we can get my health situation figured out by April, so I intend to run and I hope to file soon, once I can get out of the house,” he said. “There are definitely things I want to see through.”
Trumble, currently the city’s deputy mayor, said her first term on council has been both “exciting and challenging.”
“There’s a lot more work to do and I think I have skills that will continue to be useful moving forward,” she said. “I’m going to run again and continue leading with my voice of transparency and collaboration and openness the way I have for the last two years.”
Certificates of announcement for council candidates are available for pickup in the city clerk’s office (430 Spruce St.) and must be filed by Feb. 13.
As of noon Thursday, only Trumble and 1st Ward challenger James Giuliani had filed as candidates.
City Clerk Christine Wade said voter information cards will be included in future Morgantown Utility Board bills, and noted the number of seats up for election is only one of the changes this time around.
Early voting will be held from April 12-22, excluding Sundays, in one location, the historic train depot building near the Hazel Ruby McQuain Amphitheater.
Additionally, recent changes to voter precincts means city voters may have a new polling location come April.
“We’re still working on one other location, but we’re trying to make sure they’re in a convenient place for people to go,” Wade said, explaining once the locations are set, voters will be able to confirm their voting site on the city’s website. “You can type your address in and it will tell you where you need to go.”
For more election information, including how to serve as a city poll worker, check out the “city clerk” link at morgantownwv.gov or contact Wade’s office at 304-284-7439.
