CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Two candidates are on the ballot on Tuesday for the Democratic nomination for Kanawha County Commission.
Four candidates in Kanawha County are vying for the open seat on the county commission left behind by Hoppy Shores. Shores, a Republican, has served on the commission for 42 years and announced in January he would not seek an eighth term.
The two Democrats are Mark Hunt and Greg Childress.
Hunt is a familiar name in the Charleston area when it comes to office holding as he spent 14 years in the state legislature and was the 2014 democratic nominee for US Congress in the district.
Born and raised in Charleston, the practicing attorney told 580-WCHS his experience separates himself from any candidate on the ballot.
“I understand how the system works, I am used to building coalitions and I can work with the legislature to help funding with the county, I can work with the other members of the commission. I have done those things,” Hunt said.
Hunt said there is plenty of work that needs to be done in the county including the drug crisis and linking that to joblessness and homelessness. He said an educated and drug-free workforce will go a long way in Kanawha County.
He said that’s only the beginning of what he wants to change.
“We have to continue to look into our roads and our schools. Our schools can be better and they can be safer,” Hunt said.
“It’s not a sexy topic but clean water and sewage programs. Let’s face it, when you get 10 or 15 miles outside of Charleston it gets pretty rural and we still have people running their sewage in the creek.”
He added one of his initiatives would be to look at the tax structure.
“I am a non-proponent of new taxes. I do think we need to collect the taxes that are on the book fairly. Everybody needs to pay their fair share,” Hunt said.
Childress, 52, has been a volunteer firefighter in Tornado for more than 30 years and is an engineer in the railroad industry. The service veteran, farmer and union employee told 580-WCHS he has spent his entire life serving the people.
“I was in the Marine core then the West Virginia Air National Guard. I have dedicated a lot of my life to the service of the people. Not only West Virginia but to the United States and especially here in Tornado area,” Childress said.
Childress said he wants to see more support for all parts of the county and not just for the center including bus service, funding for parks and cell service.
He cited the Shawnee Sports Complex.
“If you can spend $15 million in a park in Institute why can’t you put a little bit of money in the park in Tornado. They also need a park in the eastern end of the county. They don’t have anything up there,” he said.
Childress said he sees far too many people suffer because of a lack of transportation in the county.
“I see a lot of people walking up and down Coal River Road and then up and down Cabin Creek. We don’t have a bus service out here. Everywhere else in Kanawha County does but not out here we don’t,” he said.
Those running for the Republicans nomination include Dewayne Duncan and Lance Wheeler.