By: Phil Kabler, Staff Writer | Posted: April 18, 2018 | Source: WV Gazette-Mail
With House Speaker Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, stepping down after nearly 20 years in the West Virginia Legislature, the House of Delegates’ 40th District is a wide-open race, with one Democrat and three Republicans vying for the open seat.
While the platforms of two of the Republicans, business owner Dean Jeffries and lawyer Kenneth Tawney, check off several of the traditional GOP boxes — anti-abortion, pro-Second Amendment, less government and lower taxes — the third candidate is a bit unique.
Ron Shamblin, a longtime union crane operator, shares many of the traditional party values, but also objects to the Republican majority’s votes to repeal West Virginina’s prevailing-wage law and to enact the right-to-work law, and supports increasing the severance tax on natural gas to fund state programs.
Shamblin first ran against Armstead in 2016, irate over repeal of prevailing wage and enactment of right to work.
He said repeal of prevailing wage sent a message to construction workers that, “We are not worth what we were being paid.”
Shamblin said he believes measures such as right to work, which he considers anti-union, not only hurt the state, but, ultimately, the Republican Party itself.
“Probably about 60 percent of our union membership are Republicans, and when the Republicans sit there and blast the unions, they’re not realizing they’re blasting their own people,” he said.
While many of the projects Shamblin has worked on in recent years involve natural gas drilling sites, he also supports increasing severance taxes on natural gas, and said he was irritated that legislative leadership would not even consider an increase to fund education and teacher pay.
Shamblin said he believes the booming natural gas industry would hardly notice a small severance tax increase, adding, “When it comes right down to it, this belongs to our state.”
Shamblin faces formidable opposition in the May primary election.
Elkview insurance agent Dean Jeffries bills himself as a “Christian Conservative Republican,” and has endorsements from Armstead and the Kanawha County Republican Executive Committee, which said that, as a small-businessman, Jeffries knows the challenges business owners face in the Mountain State.
“Mr. Jeffries is a vocal supporter of the Second Amendment, right to life, [and] supports limited government and fiscal responsibility,” the endorsement states. “He stood side-by-side to help those who were affected by the 2016 flood.”
Jeffries said the aftermath of the flooding in the Elkview area was one of the reasons he decided to run.
“We’ve watched a lot of people leave since then,” he said. “It’s been kind of an unfortunate opportunity for a lot of people to leave.”
Likewise, he said, it is difficult when his teenage children discuss possibly having to leave the state at some point for job opportunities.
“As a local businessman, as you watch your population decrease, you want to do something about that,” Jeffries said. “I want to do things to bring jobs back to West Virginia.”
Jeffries said he is optimistic going into the primary, particularly with Armstead’s endorsement.
“I’ve known Tim for a while. I’ve worked with him on some things,” Jeffries said. “We feel pretty good about it.”
Lawyer Kenneth Tawney could not be reached for comment, but his campaign website says he wants to use his “experience, skills and conservative values to keep our State moving in a positive direction toward prosperity.”
Tawney’s platform includes promoting economic growth by “lowering the barriers to new businesses,” cutting state government spending, promoting better roads and infrastructure, including expanding high-speed internet access, and “protecting Constitutional rights, including the right to life and right to bear arms.”
Like Jeffries, Tawney worked on flood recovery efforts in 2016, noting, “I am frustrated every time I drive from Big Chimney to Clendenin and see so much that remains to be done. One thing I am confident about is that ‘Elk River Strong’ is not just a cliché. We can and will meet this challenge, and I want to do everything I can as a legislator to provide the resources and the assistance required to rebuild our communities.”
Shamblin, meanwhile, said he believes his 2016 primary race, when he got nearly 25 percent of the vote running against Armstead, bodes well for the May 8 primary, and said he believes mainstream Republicans will not be dissuaded by his pro-union positions.
“I have conservative values,” he said. “I’m a Christian. I’m pro-life. I’m very, very strong Second Amendment pro-gun, but I’m also a 21-year union crane operator. I know the value of labor, and the Republican Party used to know the value of labor, as well.”
The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Melissa Riggs Huffman in the general election. Huffman, an Elkview teacher, is running unopposed in the 40th District Democratic Primary.
Reach Phil Kabler at philk@wvgazettemail.com,304-348-1220 or follow @PhilKabler on Twitter.
