CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – As the election season heats up, the fate of the United States House of Representatives is up to voters with all 435 districts up for election. West Virginia has two districts on the ballot, one of them is open with the incumbent not running for reelection.
There are five candidates vying for West Virginia’s Congressional District 1 seat, which is currently held by Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV1). The district is comprised of 28 counties, including Kanawha and Cabell.
Miller was first elected to Congress back in 2018 and now seeks reelection. In an interview, she touted her ability to work across the aisle and said she’s all about solving problems.
“I can couple with democrats that have the same type of demographic in their states to do good, positive legislation to help us have good healthcare as well as trade, as well as energy. We are an energy state,” she said.
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Fellow republican Derrick Evans is running against Miller. He served 3 months in federal prison for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks on the U.S. Capitol.
“I want to use my personal experience that I went through with January 6th and the weaponization of government and bring that experience to Congress and prevent what happened to myself from happening to other American citizens across this country,” he said.
Evans was elected to the WV House of Delegates in 2020 but resigned the following January after his arrest. During an interview, he highlighted the differing views on energy, foreign aid and border control between himself and Miller, asking voters to do the same.
“I’m America first, Carol Miller is Ukraine first … I want to secure our border, Carol Miller has voted to prioritize and secure the border of other countries while our own border is being invaded,” he said. “I think when the voters see the differences between me and Carol Miller they’ll make the right decision.”
Spirited race for Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney
On the Democratic ballot, Chris Bob Reed and Jim Umberger are running against one another hoping to flip the seat. 13 News asked both candidates about the fentanyl epidemic that has struck West Virginia and their take on border control.
“The border is our number one crisis and we’re putting it off solving it because Donald Trump asked us to. I believe that’s a mistake,” Umberger said. “As far as fentanyl goes I think most of the fentanyl is not being walked across the border … We need to do whatever we can to enhance enforcements because fentanyl is killing West Virginians. That there is no question about. That is not a debate.”
“I think more of this fentanyl is coming across just in the day-to-day trade in Mexico and the United States,” Reed said. “I think we should do away with our sanctions on Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua that’s driving a good bit of the immigration.”
Aside from their political views, both candidates said their background is another factor they bring to the table. Reed, a retired educator who lives in Charleston, said he’s a strong supporter of public education and working to help at-risk youth.
Umberger, who is also from Charleston, is a Vietnam veteran who previously worked in mental health. If elected, he wants to focus on economic development, healthcare and the environment.
Whoever wins the Democratic and Republican primaries will go head-to-head with Independent candidate Wes Holden in the general election in November.