KEYSER, W.Va. — Mineral County voters reshaped their nonpartisan school board on Tuesday, and advanced a longtime state delegate challenged by a sitting county commissioner, according to complete but unofficial returns from the West Virginia primary election.
Just 3,428 (17.6%) of the county’s 19,492 registered voters cast ballots, sending newcomers Bret Ridgel and Gordon Brubaker to the Board of Education with incumbent Terry Puffinburger, the top vote-getter in the race. Incumbents Lara Courrier and Mary Jane Baniak finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the race for three seats.
Seats held by Tom Denne and Donnie Ashby were not up for reelection. The newly elected board members will take their seats July 1.
Puffinburger finished with 1,669 votes, followed by Ridgel with 1,479 and Brubaker with 1,427. Courrier received 1,322 votes, Mary Jane Baniak 1,288 and William “Butch” Wahl Jr. 687.
Turnout was low statewide, about 21%.
In the county’s other marquee race, District 87 Del. Gary Howell, a Republican, advanced to the general election, earning 754 votes. County Commissioner Charles “Dutch” Staggs received 653 votes.
Howell, who is serving his seventh term, faces Democrat Rebecca Holler in the November general election. She ran unopposed and earned 500 votes.
Incumbent Republican Rick Hillenbrand ran unopposed in District 88, which includes a portion of Hampshire County. He’ll face Democrat Dorothy L. Kengla, who also ran unopposed, in the general election.
Republican State Sen. Jay Taylor defeated challengers Marc Harman and Mike Manypenny in a close 14th District race. Taylor received 4,193 votes to Harman’s 3,827 and Manypenny’s 890.
The district includes Barbour, Grant, Mineral, Preston, Taylor and Tucker counties.
Taylor will face Democrat Jason Armentrout, who ran unopposed, in the general election.
Republican Kirk Kesner was the lone candidate from either party for Mineral’s one open county commission seat, earning 1,994 votes. The seat is currently held by Roger Leatherman, who did not seek reelection.