Four running for House of Delegates

By EMILY SCOTT, For The Weirton Daily Times
Three Democrats and one Republican have filed for two seats in the

West Virginia House of Delegates First District.

Incumbent Randy Swartzmiller will face Tamara Pettit and Benton

Manypenny. The two candidates who receive the top number of votes

will face Pat McGeehan in the general election. McGeehan is the only

Republican candidate.

Swartzmiller, a New Cumberland resident, has served in the House

since 2000.

He has served as chairman of the Homeland Security Committee and as

assistant majority whip, as well as being appointed to Governor

Manchin’s business transition team.

Swartzmiller said he has been successful is getting money back for

the municipalities in the district, for such things as sidewalks in

Weirton and new tractors for Chester and New Cumberland.

Swartzmiller said he also was able to secure $7 million to have the

Jennings Randolph Bridge painted this year and has been working for

four years to get the former TS&T pottery site cleaned up, which no

taxpayer money has gone into.

“We’re moving forward on that building. ... It’s a goal of mine to

see that building to the ground and get some new development in

there,” he said.

Swartzmiller said he also secured money for the new Oak Glen Middle

School.

“That was something very near and dear to my heart,” he said.

Swartzmiller said he also has worked to get additional bridges built

in the district, as well as passing legislation to get the parks

money, including for the pool at Tomlinson Run.

Swartzmiller added that he is working to eliminate the food tax,

which already has been reduced, as well as the business franchise tax

and corporate net tax to draw businesses into the district and keep

them there.

Swartzmiller said he also was the lead sponsor of a bill to place all

excess table games revenue going to the state toward the state debt

instead of budgetary items. Swartzmiller also said he is working to

make all pension plans solvent, including teachers’ pensions, which

he said has gone from being 13 percent funded to 53 percent funded.

Swartzmiller said his priorities include paving more roads, health

care, and focusing on alternative energies.

With the amount of coal in the state, “We have a lot of opportunities

to help the state as well as the country,” Swartzmiller said, adding

that he supports coal-to-liquid fuels projects in the state.

Swartzmiller said he wants to continue to reduce the state debt and

taxes, as well as continuing to raise the pay of educators.

“I’ve been very blessed to have the people of the community come to

me,” so he knows what to stay focused on, Swartzmiller said.

Swartzmiller was employed for 20 years at Weirton Steel and has

worked at Ergon since 2004.

Swartzmiller is a graduate of Oak Glen and graduated magna cum laude

from West Liberty State College’s Regents program. He is working

toward a master of science degree in strategic leadership from

Mountain State University.

Swartzmiller is a member of the Chester Kiwanis Club, the Friends of

West Virginia Northern Community College, the West Liberty and Oak

Glen alumni associations, the National Rifle Association, a board

member for Weirton Medical Center, a member of the board of directors

of West Virginia Kids Count, and an honorary member of the Wheeling

Composite Squadron of Civil Air Patrol.

Swartzmiller and his wife of 16 years, Jeanmarie, have two children,

Taylor and Molly.

Pettit, a Chester resident, previously served in the House from 1989

to 2000 and was the chair of the Business and Industry Committee and

served on the Finance, Education, Health and Human Resources Committees.

During her previous terms, Pettit said her accomplishments included

sponsoring and passing legislation to create the West Virginia Steel

Advisory Committee to benefit the steel industry, as well as co-

sponsoring the 1994 Racetrack Video Lottery Act, which she said “not

only saved the jobs at Mountaineer, but enabled Mountaineer to create

jobs and become a destination resort.”

Pettit says she also was deeply involved in education, child abuse,

and domestic violence, as well as placed an emphasis on constituency

service.

“Whether it be a road or an issue with health care or child support,

I was always very diligent to help them get that issue solved,” she

said.

Pettit said she will make it a priority to attract new industries to

the district, particularly in the property being sold by ArcelorMittal.

“I think we’re a district in crisis as it relates to job

diversification,” Pettit said. “It not only impacts jobs, it impacts

the school system.”

Pettit said she would also like to have a pilot project to work with

parents at risk for child abuse and neglect and continue to make

steps in improving senior health care.

“I think dedicated funds need to be acquired to help with

prescription costs,” Pettit said.

Pettit, a former reporter, wrote and produced UNION FOCUS, the

official publication of the Independent Steelworkers Union, and was

previously employed as the community relations coordinator at the

Weirton Campus of West Virginia Northern Community College. She

currently is the public relations director for Mountaineer Casino,

Racetrack and Resort.

Pettit serves on the board of directors of the Chester/Newell Area

Chamber of Commerce, the Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce, the

Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle, CHANGE, Inc.,

and the Salvation Army. She is also a member of the Board of

Governors of WVNCC and is vice president of the West Virginia Council

on Problem Gambling. She is a graduate of Oak Glen and holds a degree

in journalism from West Liberty State College.

Pettit has two children, Shannon Sayre and Doug Pettit, and six

grandchildren.

Manypenny, a Weirton resident, said he has secured the support of

many unions, including the West Virginia chapter of the American

Federation of Teachers, the United Steelworkers, the United Mine

Workers, the AFL-CIO, the Service Employees International Union, and

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 23. He added they must see a

lot of qualities in him that they want in a representative.

“I don’t back down if there’s an issue I feel strongly about. ... I

won’t let anyone scare me away,” Manypenny said.

Establishing a connection with the public is one of Manypenny’s top

priorities.

“The main thing is about getting government in the hands of the

people and giving them a voice again. ... You have to be able to work

with people,” Manypenny said. “If you can’t have communication with

the people you represent, there’s no point.”

Manypenny said other priorities include lowering taxes on pensions

and retirement plans, making health care more affordable and

diversifying the local economy.

“We need a lot of better jobs and some different businesses ... with

competitive, living wages,” Manypenny said, adding that the community

cannot rely on just one industry to carry the economy.

Manypenny is employed at the law firm of Manypenny and Carey and

Weirton American Legion Post 10. He also owns and operates his own

business.

He is a graduate of Weir High and is working toward a degree in

business administration from West Virginia Northern Community College.

Manypenny is a member of Saint Paul’s Parish, Sons of Italy, the

Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center, and the Hancock County

Citizens Corp.

McGeehan, a Chester resident, served as a captain in the Air Force,

completing tours of the Middle East and Afghanistan, and currently

owns Mountain State Packaging.

McGeehan said that the job of leading men in combat has “instilled a

deep sense of honor and personal integrity” in his character.

“I can’t be swayed by special interests,” he added.

McGeehan said he would like to focus on the economy, including

changing obsolete policies, such as an “outdated and uncompetitive

tax system.”

McGeehan also said he will take a tour of the mid-west and the

eastern seaboard to bring expanding businesses to the district, as

well as work with federal agencies to improve infrastructure that

impedes new businesses.

“A delegate must consider the position full-time,” McGeehan said.

McGeehan said he will be briefing Senator Byrd and his staff about

brownfields on May 16 in Washington, D.C.

McGeehan said he also will work to destroy corruption by holding

officials “to a higher standard of integrity. ... I won’t tolerate

this any longer. ... Special interests breed corruption.”

McGeehan said his life experiences have strengthened him to push for

stronger ethics reform. McGeehan saw his father die in a B-52 bomber

accident when he was 15 years old.

“It helped my leadership to grow. ... Nothing too big really phases

me much anymore,” he said.

McGeehan was appointed to the U.S. Air Force Academy after graduating

from Oak Glen.

McGeehan is a member of the Rotary Club, the Lions Club, and the

Chester Veterans of Foreign Wars. He is the son of the late Colonel

Mark McGeehan and Jodie McIntosh-Juszczak.

(Scott can be contacted at escott@reviewonline.com)