Four Candidates Chase West Virginia House District 12 Seat Ahead of November 3 Election
Parkersburg voters face a crowded and unusual contest for the District 12 seat in the West Virginia House of Delegates as the Nov. 3 General Election approaches. According to reporting from the Parkersburg News and Sentinel, the race features three candidates on the printed ballot alongside one determined write-in contender.
The ballot lineup took shape after Republican Charles Hartzog defeated incumbent Del. Vernon Criss in the GOP primary. That primary victory set up a three-way general election race between Hartzog, Democrat Dennis Rempel, and Libertarian Stephen Thomas Smith. Yet the exclusion of unaffiliated voters from the closed Republican primary shifted the dynamics of the district entirely, opening the door for Criss to wage an uphill write-in campaign.
Challengers and Incumbents Outline Competing Visions for Wood County
Hartzog, a 24-year-old Speedway employee and former candidate for the Monongalia County Commission, entered the race out of frustration with legislative stagnation. I’m tired of the same old things never getting done.
I want to see things get done,
Hartzog told the Parkersburg News and Sentinel. While acknowledging the 2023 income tax reduction legislation, Hartzog questioned what people in office have done to create more jobs.
On the educational front, Hartzog supports school choice alongside public school improvements, arguing that the Hope Scholarship program and public institutions do not harm one another.
I want an educated populace. That’s what’s going to make for prosperity.
Stephen Thomas Smith, a 67-year-old retired professor from West Virginia University at Parkersburg with a background in private finance, initially had no intention of running this year. That changed when he met Hartzog. Smith has raised pointed questions about the youth of his Republican opponent while emphasizing the need for fiscal oversight. I want to put some parameters around school choice, not just send out checks,
Smith noted, adding that addressing the state’s troubled foster care system and contaminated drinking water supplies remain top priorities.
Meanwhile, Dennis Rempel, a 62-year-old Air Force veteran and retired IT assistant manager from the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, entered his first race to ensure voters actually have a contested choice on election day. Rempel emphasizes bipartisan problem-solving, veteran healthcare access, and stronger accountability measures for the Hope Scholarship program.
The Write-In Factor and Primary Fallout
Vernon Criss. Criss, a 72-year-old businessman who has served in the House since 2017 after an earlier stint from 1987 to 1990, filed as a write-in candidate after losing his primary bid to Hartzog. Criss points out that the Republican primary nominee captured less than 4 percent of total citizens’ votes in District 12 due to the closed primary structure.
Having served as chairman of the House Finance Committee for the past four years, Criss argues that his deep budgetary experience is essential. He has also clashed with Gov. over economic development priorities, arguing that the administration's heavy focus on data centers will not generate the strong manufacturing jobs Wood County needs.
Age isn’t always a measure of wisdom or experience.
