Denny Magruder elected next mayor of Wheeling

Denny Magruder, former WesBanco Arena executive director, has won the race for mayor of Wheeling. If the results stand, no woman or person of color will represent the city of Wheeling on its council.

*CORRECTED* On Monday, May 20, Connie Cain was declared the winner in the race for Ward 3 city councilor after a canvass of the vote. Cain defeated Jerome Henry by three votes.

Wheeling, W.Va. – Denny Magruder, former WesBanco Arena executive director, has been elected the next mayor of Wheeling with 2,622 votes, or 36.96%. He succeeds current mayor Glenn Elliott who is term-limited and running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. 

Ward 3 Councilor Rosemary Ketchum came in second place with 23.16% of the vote, JT Thomas, insurance agent, in third with 18.84%, Vice Mayor Chad Thalman in fourth with 15.01%, Beth Hinebaugh, business owner, in fifth with 5.38%, and Carl Carpenter, Warwood resident, with 0.61%. 

Tony Assaro has been elected to represent Ward 1 with 47.28%.

Incumbent Councilor Ben Seidler has been reelected to represent Ward 2 with 62.40%.

Incumbent Councilor Jerry Sklavounakis has been reelected to represent Ward 4 with 63.00%

Incumbent Councilor Ty Thorngate has been reelected to represent Ward 5 with 64.80%.

Incumbent Councilor Dave Palmer has been reelected to represent Ward 6 with 71.65%.

At the time of publication, Ward 3 has Jerome Henry in first place with 199 and Connie Cain in second place 197. Wheeling Free Press is not calling this race as a recount of the vote is expected.

If these results stand, the entire Wheeling city council will be represented by white men.

Kevin Stryker (Division 1), Patricia Murphy (Division 2), and Janine Varner (Division 3), were reelected as Ohio County magistrates. Tom Howard, Ohio County Sheriff, was elected to preside over Ohio County Division 4 Magistrate Court. 

Bernard Albertini and Anne Hercules were elected to represent District 2 and District 1 on the Ohio County Board of Education, respectively.

Joseph Barki, Brooke County Prosecutor, appears to have won his election for Circuit Court Judge, 1st Circuit, against incumbent Judge Ron Wilson. Wilson is 86 years old, and Barki ran on a platform to offer a fresh set of eyes to the Court. 

The levies for Ohio County Schools, Ohio County Public Library, and the Ohio Valley Regional Transit Authority were reauthorized overwhelmingly with 75.25%, 77.27%, and 82.10% respectively. These levies are not new taxes. 

John Haglock (Dem) and Nelson Croft, Jr (Rep) will face each other for Ohio County Sheriff in the November 5, 2024, general election. 

Incumbent Senator Ryan Weld, W.Va. Senate District 1, will win the Republican primary against far-right challenger Scott Adams, effectively sealing Weld’s reelection in November. 

At the time of publication, Bill Flanigan is ahead of incumbent Delegate Diana Winzenreid in the Republican race for House of Delegates District 4. Winzenreid was appointed to the position by Governor Jim Justice on June 5, 2023, replacing Erikka Storch. The winner will face Democratic candidate Johnny Haught, owner of Ohio Valley MMA, in the general. 

With 99% of the vote in, incumbent Delegate Jeff Stephens appears to have narrowly defended his place as the Republican nominee for House of Delegates District 6. He will face Democratic candidate Cody Cumpston, union worker, in the general election. 

As for the statewide races, Wheeling Free Press is calling the following races:

Former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden have won their respective party nominations for President. While this is not a surprise, at the time of publication neither candidate has hit 90% of the vote. Trump sits at 88.2% of the vote with 90% reporting, while Biden has 71.2% with 68% reporting. 

Jim Justice, governor of W.Va., has won the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate. At the time of publication, Glenn Elliott, mayor of Wheeling, is the likely Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, currently ahead by over 9,000 votes against progressive challenger Zachary Shrewsbury, with 66% of the votes counted. 

Don Blankenship, disgraced coal baron and convicted felon, appears to have played a spoiler effect in the Democratic race for U.S. Senate having won 18.2%. Blankenship ran an unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaign in 2018 as a Republican. 

Incumbent Representative Carol Miller has won the Republican party’s nomination for U.S. House of Representatives, District 1, defending her seat against a far-right convicted felon Derrick Evans. Chris Reed holds a significant lead in the Democratic primary with 55.9% of the vote at the time of publication.

Riley Moore, W.Va. State Treasurer and grandson of former governor Arch Moore, has won the Republican nomination for U.S. House of Representatives, District 2. He will face Steve Wendelin, uncontested Democratic nominee, in the November general election. 

Patrick Morrisey, Attorney General of W.Va., is leading in the Republican primary for W.Va. governor with 65,183 votes. Moore Capito, son of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, is in a distant second with 53,756 votes. Whoever wins will face Steve Williams, mayor of Huntington, in the general election.

John McCuskey, W.Va. State Auditor, has overwhelmingly defeated State Sen. Mike Stuart to win the Republican nomination for Attorney General. McCuskey will likely face Teresa Toriseva, Wheeling lawyer, who is leading in the Democratic primary with 54.4% of the vote.

Kris Warner, brother of current Secretary of State Mac Warner, has won the Republican nomination for Secretary of State, defeating three other challengers with 45.3% of the vote at time of publication. She will face Democrat Thornton Cooper who ran in an uncontested primary.

Mark Hunt, W.Va. Senator representing the 8th Senatorial district, has won the Republican nomination for W.Va. State Auditor. Hunt will face Mary Ann Claytor, Democratic nominee, in the general election. 

Kent Leonhardt, incumbent Agriculture Commissioner, has successfully defended the Republican nomination for Agriculture Commissioner. He will face Deborah Stiles who ran uncontested in the Democratic primary. 

Ryan White, an attorney from Charleston, W.Va., has defeated former Republican chairwoman Elgine McArdle and Mychal Schulz for an open seat on the Intermediate Court of Appeals. 

Wheeling Free Press has excluded any race where both Republican and Democratic contests were uncontested. Results are subject to change.