by Ron Gregory
ronjgregory@gmail.com
CHARLESTON – Kanawha County Circuit Judge Joanna Tabit has announced her campaign for Justice of the state supreme court. She will be campaigning for the seat made vacant with the recent resignation of former Justice Menis Ketchum. While a temporary replacement will likely be appointed to Ketchum’s vacancy, voters in the November election will select the person who fills out the remainder of the term.
Tabit, who has been a circuit judge since 2014, said she believes West Virginians deserve supreme court justices who are fair, honest and transparent.
“Now more than ever, our court needs a proven, experienced, qualified judge,” she said. Tabit said she plans to run an aggressive and positive campaign. “I believe voters want to know why they should vote for me, not why they shouldn’t vote for the other candidates,” she said. “I plan to meet as many people across the state as possible in hopes of earning their trust and their vote.”
Tabit, a Charleston native, received her undergraduate degree from Marshall University and her law degree from the West Virginia University College of Law. Before becoming a judge, Tabit was a law clerk for former Supreme Court Justice Thomas McHugh. She was also deputy attorney general of the appellate division. She is a current member of the business court, the juvenile justice commission and presides over Kanawha County’s juvenile drug court.
She said she plans to immediately begin campaigning for the supreme court seat.