BY KYLE LOVERN
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — Mingo County had few surprises in the General Election results.
Several key offices saw the Republican candidates unopposed in the November election after winning their primary races back in May.
Incumbent Sheriff Joe Smith, incumbent County Commissioner Diann Hannah, Republican Assessor candidate Bethany Cisco-Goad and newcomer GOP Prosecutor Brock Mounts were all officially elected after votes were counted Tuesday night once the polls closed.
Deana Wellman won one contested race for a seat on the Mingo County Board of Education. She defeated Daniel Dean in the nonpartisan seat that former member James Ed Baisden had vacated. Kermit’s Steve Kominar had been appointed to finish Baisden’s term until the election.
In the state Senate race, Mingo County Republican Craig Hart defeated Democratic candidate Jeff Disibbio of Bluefield and Independent Dave Sartin.
For the House of Delegates 29th District, Republican candidate Henry Corbin Dillon of Wayne County got 1,155 votes, while Democrat candidate Wayne Bug Williamson of Kermit got 801 votes. (This does not include the votes from Wayne County, where the district is included.)
Incumbent House of Delegates 34th District member Mark Dean, a Republican candidate, was unopposed.
Mingo County went with the “red wave” on both the national and state levels. President Donald Trump and his Vice Presidential mate J.D. Vance received 7,198 votes compared to 1,022 votes for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz.
On the state level, current Governor Jim Justice, a Republican, won the U.S. Senate race over Democrat Glen Elliot, the Mayor of Wheeling. Justice, the owner of the historic Greenbrier Hotel and several other businesses, helped the GOP take the lead nationally in the Senate. He replaces Republican Joe Manchin, who chose not to run for reelection.
Current Attorney General Patrick Morrissey, who has held that seat for three terms, will move his office at the State Capitol into the governor’s office in Charleston as he won that seat. He received 5,781 votes in Mingo County and easily won in W.Va. Huntington mayor, Democratic candidate Steve Williams, received 1,725 in the county.
J.B. McCuskey will now serve as the Attorney General. He defeated Democratic candidate and Wheeling attorney Teresa Toriseva.
The Secretary of State position is open because Mac Warner, who held it for two terms, ran for governor but did not win the primary. Kris Warner, one of Mac’s brothers, won the race for this seat.
Mark Hunt, a former Democrat who served many years in the state Legislature, won the race for state Auditor as a Republican. The Democrat in the race was Mary Ann Claytor, a St. Albans resident who has run for auditor twice before.
Incumbent Kent Leonhardt won Agriculture Commissioner. Leonhardt has served the past two terms. The Democratic candidate for Agriculture Secretary is Deborah Stiles of Parsons.
The only candidate for State Treasurer was Republican Larry Pack, who won easily.
West Virginians have elected a newcomer to Congress with a long political pedigree, Riley Moore.
State residents also reelected Congresswoman Carol Miller for the region that includes Mingo and Wayne counties.
In West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, which covers northern counties, Republican Congressman Alex Mooney opted to run for U.S. Senate – leaving the seat open to new faces. Mooney lost in the primary election.
Moore, the state treasurer from Harpers Ferry, is a former state delegate from Jefferson County and nephew of state Senator Shelley Moore Capito.
Moore received an endorsement in the race from Trump, who remains very popular in West Virginia.
The Democrat in the race was Steven Wendelin.
There will be a canvass of votes by the Mingo County Commission to verify the results this week.
Mingo County General Election 2024 unofficial results:
With 100% of the 28 precincts reported, the following is a list of the final unofficial results in Mingo County’s 2024 General Election. The totals include early voting, absentee ballots and 127 provisional ballots.
President and Vice President of the United States:
Donald J. Trump and J.D. Vance (R) — 7,198
Kamala D. Harris and Tim Walz (D) —- 1,022
Chase Oliver (LBN) — 16
Jill Stein (MTN) — 8
Robert F. Kennedy (IND) — 76
West Virginia Governor’s race:
Republican candidate Patrick Morrisey — 5,781 votes
Democratic candidate Steve Williams — 1,725 votes
Libertarian candidate Erika Klie Kolenich — 88 votes
Mountain Party candidate Chase Linko-Looper — 111 votes
Constitution Party candidate S. Marshall Wilson — 95 votes
U.S. Senator’s race:
Republican candidate Jim Justice — 6,821 votes
Democratic candidate Glenn Elliot — 1,043 votes
Libertarian candidate David Moran — 169 votes
U.S. House of Representatives (1st Congressional District):
Republican candidate Carol Miller — 5,915 votes
Democratic candidate Chris Bob Reed — 1,264 votes
Independent candidate Wes Holden — 316 votes
West Virginia Secretary of State:
Republican candidate Kris Warner — 6,116 votes
Democratic candidate Thornton Cooper — 1,246 votes
West Virginia Attorney General:
Republican candidate John “JB” McCuskey — 6,147 votes
Democratic candidate Teresa Toriseva — 1,117 votes
Member of House of Delegates 29th District:
Republican candidate Henry Corbin Dillon — 1,155 votes
Democrat candidate Wayne Bug Williamson — 801 votes
Member of House of Delegates 34th District:
Republican candidate Mark Dean — unopposed
State Senator 6th District:
Craig A. Hart, Republican — 5,636 votes
Jeff Disibbio, Democrat — 879 votes
Dave Sartin, Independent — 950 votes
Mingo County Board of Education:
(For the two years remaining on former board member James Ed Baisden’s unexpired term):
Dingess resident and Kermit-Harvey District representative Deanna Wellman — 4,689 votes
Verner resident and Stafford District representative Daniel Dean — 2,247 votes
Mingo County Commission:
Diann Hannah, Republican — unopposed
Mingo County Sheriff:
Joe Smith, Republican — unopposed
Mingo County Assessor:
Bethany Goad-Cisco, Republican — unopposed
Mingo County Prosecutor:
Brock Mounts, Republican — unopposed
West Virginia Constitutional Amendment 1 (For or against physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia or mercy killing):
For — 3,598 votes
Against — 2,670 votes