House District 43:
Chris Toney- Republican (Incumbent) – 3,537 votes – 82%
Joanna Vance- Democrat – 778 votes – 18%
Republican Chris Toney defeated Democrat challenger Joanna Vance to secure his 3rd term in the West Virginia House of Delegates. Delegate Toney was first elected to the legislature in 2018 and has served on the House Education Committee and House Finance Committee. Toney, a school service personnel employee, has fought for support of teachers and school service personnel, the coal industry, and the improvement of roads and infrastructure in Raleigh County.
Lootpress spoke to Delegate Toney about his win, and Toney stated “I want to thank all of my supporters, family, friends, and members of my community for their unwavering support. I will continue putting our shared WV values first, and I look forward to pursuing new economic, educational, infrastructural, and even more opportunities for our WV families.”
Toney and the rest of the newly elected members of the legislature will take office in January of 2023.
House District 44:
Todd A. Kirby- Republican 2,438 votes – 55%
Tony O. Martin- Democrat 1,980 votes – 45%
(No Incumbent)
Republican Todd Kirby, a Beckley attorney, has defeated Beckley Businessman and Democrat Tony O. Martin in the House District 44 race. Kirby, who has worked as an attorney in Beckley for over 10 years, is a lifelong resident of Raleigh County, graduating from Liberty High School. Kirby attended Marshall University where he received his bachelor’s degree, and Liberty University School of Law in Lynchburg, Virginia. Kirby and his wife and two children reside in Beckley.
Kirby spoke with Lootpress and said “I’m honored to be chosen as the Delegate in Beckley’s district, especially given the historical Democrat control of this seat. I want to personally thank everyone who voted for me. Please know that I don’t take this lightly, and that I sincerely appreciate you placing your trust in me. I have been fortunate to have an outstanding group of supporters who have sacrificed their time and who have become one of the most active campaigns in this state. I owe it all to you.
We met through common values and I am proud to now call these people family. I truly could not have pulled this off without their dedication and passion for conservative values.
I would also like to congratulate my opponent on running a good, clean race and I really appreciate his dedication to the people of Beckley. I am looking forward to spending time with my children, and then getting to work to advance an agenda that benefits the wonderful citizens of the 44th district.”
Kirby succeeds Delegate Mick Bates who did not seek re-election to the House seat, but instead ran for the 9th Senatorial District seat. Kirby and the rest of the newly elected members of the legislature will take office in January of 2023.
House District 45:
Eric Brooks- Republican 2,507 votes – 65%
Christian Martine- Democrat 1,338 votes – 35%
(No Incumbent)
Republican Eric Brooks succeeded in securing his election to the House District 45 seat being vacated by Delegate Kayla Kessinger. Kessinger served in the House of Delegates since 2014 and did not seek re-election. Brooks defeated Democrat Christian Martine by a margin of 2 to 1. Brooks, a retired Federal Corrections Officer, is an active member of his church and volunteers in the community.
When speaking with Lootpress after his victory, Brooks stated “I want to thank the citizens of the 45th District for trusting me with their vote. I am looking forward to serving as their Delegate during the next Legislative Session. We have a lot of work to do and I am eager to start working towards building a safer and stronger West Virginia.”
Brooks and the rest of the newly elected members of the legislature will take office in January of 2023.