HARRISON COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) — Delegate Laura Kimble announced Friday that she has formally filed an election contest regarding the Republican primary election for West Virginia’s 71st House District, citing concerns about potential voting irregularities and discrepancies in voter records.
Kimble said she filed the contest on June 5 following a recount that confirmed she lost the race by just six votes.
In a public statement, Kimble said her decision was based on concerns about election integrity and reports of voting irregularities discovered elsewhere in West Virginia involving individuals who allegedly were not registered Republicans casting ballots in Republican primary elections.
According to Kimble, her review of public records revealed discrepancies in some Harrison County precincts where the number of Republican ballots counted appeared to exceed the number of registered Republican voters reflected in available voter history records.
Kimble emphasized that the information does not prove wrongdoing but believes the discrepancies warrant further examination through the election contest process established under West Virginia law.
“That information alone does not provide final answers, but does warrant further examination of the underlying election materials and records,” Kimble said in her statement.
Under West Virginia law, candidates have a limited period following election certification to file an election contest. Kimble noted that because she requested a recount, she retained time to challenge the results after certification.
She acknowledged that the chances of overturning the outcome of her own race are slim but said the contest is intended to ensure transparency and help identify any weaknesses in the election process that could affect future Republican primaries.
“The election contest process exists to provide that examination,” Kimble said. “It allows evidence to be gathered, records to be reviewed, and facts to be established in an orderly and transparent manner.”
Kimble said she hopes information uncovered during the contest could help strengthen election safeguards and ensure all lawful votes are properly counted in future elections.
The election contest will now move through the legal process, where election records and evidence may be reviewed as officials examine the claims raised in the filing.
Kimble concluded her statement by thanking supporters and emphasizing the importance of public confidence in the election system.
“All voters deserve confidence that election laws are followed and that the final result reflects the lawful votes cast in any election,” she said.
