West Virginia House of Delegates District 9 Republican Primary: Candidates and Key Issues

In the rural stretches of West Virginia’s 9th District, the political conversation isn’t centering on national headlines or partisan talking points from Washington. Instead, the debate is happening on the porches and at the town halls of communities where the primary concerns are the reliability of a water line, the reach of a cell signal and whether the next generation will have a reason to stay home.

As the Republican primary approaches, six candidates are vying for a seat in the House of Delegates, presenting a crowded ballot that reflects a deep-seated desire for local stability. While the candidates share a party label, their pitches vary from the pragmatic municipal experience of a sitting mayor to the faith-driven advocacy of a local pastor, all attempting to solve the same fundamental problem: the slow erosion of rural viability.

The race features incumbent Delegate Betsy Kelly, who is seeking to build on her tenure in Charleston, facing a diverse field of challengers including Mark Kimball, Dan Boley, Kerry Murphy, Steve Thomas, and Scott McGraw. For the voters of District 9, the choice is not merely about ideology, but about which specific set of priorities—be it school choice, veteran benefits, or the foster care system—will most effectively stem the tide of youth migration and economic stagnation.

The Battle for Economic Survival

Across every campaign interview, the distinction between “jobs” and “careers” has emerged as a central theme. In a region where the loss of a single major employer can devastate a town, the candidates are arguing over how to move beyond temporary employment toward sustainable, high-paying livelihoods.

Kerry Murphy, a construction worker and volunteer fire chief, has framed his candidacy around the concept of career-building. His pitch is rooted in the blue-collar experience, arguing that the district needs an environment where families can build lifelong professional trajectories without being forced to leave the state. This sentiment is echoed by Dan Boley, the chair of the Republican committee in Pleasants County, who warns that when stable work disappears, the resulting “brain drain” separates families and hollows out the community’s future.

For Mark Kimball, a 13-year Air Force veteran, economic stability is tied to specific local assets. He has pointed to the Pleasants Power Plant as a cornerstone of the local economy, arguing that keeping the facility operational while simultaneously planning for the site’s future development is critical for the district’s broader economic strategy.

Delegate Betsy Kelly has focused her economic pitch on the quality of employment, emphasizing that higher-paying jobs with robust benefits are the only way to ensure long-term stability for rural households.

Infrastructure: The Unseen Lifeline

While economic growth captures the headlines, the “unsexy” realities of infrastructure—water, sewer, and broadband—are dominating the ground game. In many parts of District 9, these are not mere conveniences but essential services that remain inconsistently available.

The candidates’ approaches to these failures vary by scale:

• Municipal Focus: Steve Thomas, the mayor of Friendly, is leveraging his experience in local government to argue for continued progress on water and sewer upgrades, treating these as the foundational requirements for any further economic development.
• Connectivity: Mark Kimball has highlighted the critical gaps in broadband and cellular coverage, arguing that the district cannot compete in a modern economy if its residents cannot reliably connect to the internet.
• Maintenance: Dan Boley has taken a critical view of current road conditions, arguing that a lack of preventive maintenance has accelerated the deterioration of the district’s highways.
• Basic Access: Del. Kelly has pointed out the stark reality that some communities in the district still entirely lack water and sewer services, framing this as a primary quality-of-life crisis.

Diverging Visions for Education and Social Services

Where the candidates diverge most sharply is in their vision for the district’s social fabric. While all agree on the need for a stronger workforce pipeline, their methods for achieving it range from market-based competition to morality-based instruction.

The debate over education is split between those advocating for flexibility and those advocating for content. Del. Kelly and Dan Boley have both championed school choice, with Boley specifically citing the Hope Scholarship as a tool to introduce necessary competition into the system. Kelly has emphasized the importance of homeschooling and private options to meet the diverse needs of families.

In contrast, Pastor Scott McGraw is proposing a “Character Curriculum Act.” His platform suggests that traditional academics are insufficient and that schools should explicitly teach morality, perseverance, and hard work as part of the core curriculum.

The candidates have also carved out niche priorities that reflect their personal backgrounds. McGraw has brought the foster care system to the forefront, citing a critical shortage of CPS workers and a high rate of children entering the system. Meanwhile, Del. Kelly has highlighted the dangers of rural health care gaps, noting that long travel distances to hospitals place an undue burden on first responders and patients in critical condition.

The Path to Collaboration

Despite the crowded field and differing priorities, there is a consensus among the candidates regarding the nature of the job in Charleston. In a political climate often defined by polarization, the District 9 Republicans are largely pitching themselves as pragmatists.

Steve Thomas has explicitly called for a shift away from partisan agendas in favor of “day-to-day” issues affecting West Virginians. Similarly, Scott McGraw has adopted a philosophy of “agreeing to disagree without being disagreeable.” Mark Kimball has proposed a “listening tour” to ensure that his legislative priorities are driven by residents rather than political intuition.

The outcome of this primary will determine which version of rural advocacy reaches the state capitol—whether it is the institutional experience of the incumbent, the municipal focus of a mayor, or the faith-led approach of a pastor.

Voters can find official polling locations and updated candidate filings through the West Virginia Secretary of State’s office. The next critical milestone will be the primary election day, after which the Republican nominee will advance to the general election to represent the interests of District 9.

Do you believe school choice or character education is more vital for rural West Virginia? Share your thoughts in the comments below.