by Ron Gregory
ronjgregory@gmail.com
MADISON — The Boone County Commission will lose one of its members at the end of the year but a former United States Attorney is throwing his hat in the ring for Governor. That was the latest political developments as the filing period for the 2016 looms just a few days away. Candidates can file from Monday, January 11, through midnight, Saturday, January 30.
Local candidates file in their County Clerk offices; those running for seats the represent multiple counties, such as the legislature, must file with the Secretary of State in Charleston.
The first news coming from a meeting of the Boone County Democrat Executive Committee is that incumbent County Commissioner Atholl Halstead will not seek re-election in 2016. Supporters had indicated earlier that Halstead would, in fact, run again. But Democrat Chair Sue Ann Zickefoose read a letter from Halstead Tuesday evening indicating he will not stand for re-election.
Sources said Halstead has suffered some health problems and was actually out-of-state Tuesday evening for a medical procedure. “Al wanted to come and tell us in person but his appointment prevented that,” said a friend.
Meanwhile, former U.S. Attorney for West Virginia’s Southern District, Booth Goodwin, officially announced his candidacy as a Democrat for Governor in a Wednesday noon press conference in downtown Charleston. Goodwin, a Ripley native, launched his “Goodwin for West Virginia” campaign at the corner of Virginia and Goshorn streets, not far from his former office as U.S. Attorney.
Goodwin made the formal declaration amid a backdrop of several law enforcement units, including the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department and Kanawha Prosecutor’s Office located nearby in the W.Kent Carper Public Safety Building. Across the street is the Federal Courthouse, where Goodwin served five-and-a-half years as U.S. Attorney.
During Goodwin’s tenure, he said he focused on tackling West Virginia’s prescription drug and heroin crisis, holding corporate criminals accountable for putting workers at risk and polluting water sources, prosecuting corrupt public officials, protecting children and the elderly, and helping communities rebuild after being ravaged by drugs and violence.
Goodwin resigned December 31, 2015, shortly after obtaining a misdemeanor conviction of former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship. Goodwin oversaw an investigation that led to three felony indictments of Blankenship in one of the most high-profile cases in state history. His “war on drugs” in Southern West Virginia has been hailed by both Republicans and Democrats as an effective deterrent of the epidemic.
Halstead, meanwhile, had been under political fire for some time due largely to budget cuts forced on the County Commission by the downturn in the coal economy. Whereas the county once recently received as much as $5 million from Coal Severance Taxes, they are on target to only get about $1 million this fiscal year.
That meant popular services, such as garbage transfer stations, were placed on the cutting block. At Commission meetings, Halstead often became the object of citizen scorn when he insisted Commissioners had been planning for the downturn but had not expected it to he so severe.
Many who attended a packed-house Commission meeting to discuss the transfer stations were heard commenting in the hall, “Halstead just gave up his job” when all three Commissioners voted to start the process of closing the stations. Other members of the Commission,whose terms will continue past 2016, are Eddie Hendricks and Mickey Brown.
Some early speculation, based on Halstead’s announcement, is that current Republican House of Delegates member Joshua Nelson will now run for County Commission. Nelson had said, previously, that he was weighing various options for the 2016 election cycle.
“Josh and Al are big buddies,” said one local politico. “Josh wouldn’t have run against Halstead but this news clears the way for his filing (for Commissioner).”
Halstead lives at Seth. Residents of that magisterial district are eligible to file next week.