Published: May 14, 2008 08:33 pm      

McNeely will challenge Caruth this Nov. for 10th Senatorial District

PRINCETON — Don Caruth, the current GOP Senate Minority Leader from the 10th Senatorial District, will be challenged this November by Democrat James W. “Jim” McNeely.

McNeely passed Anita Skeens Caldwell of Princeton by 928 votes to capture the Democratic nomination for the 10th Senatorial District, which includes a large portion of Mercer County, all of Monroe, Summers and Greenbrier counties, and a small section of Fayette County.

With 109 of 109 precincts reporting, McNeely won the Democratic nomination with 10,246 votes to 9,318 for Caldwell.

Caruth ran unopposed and won the Republican nomination with 4,284 votes.

The race couldn’t be called Tuesday night because election results from Mercer County were delayed.

Due to an apparent glitch in the electronic vote counting system at the Mercer County Courthouse, final election results from Mercer County were not released until early Wednesday morning.

In Mercer County, Caldwell led with 4,256 votes followed by 2,049 for McNeely. Caruth netted 1,503 votes in Mercer County.

In Monroe County, McNeely led with 1,698 votes to 900 for Caldwell. Caruth garnered 993 votes.

In Summer County, McNeely led with 1,692 votes to 1,632 for Caldwell. Caruth garnered 397 votes.

In Greenbrier County, McNeely led with 4,557 votes to 2,270 for Caldwell. Caruth had 1,294 votes in Greenbrier County.

In Fayette County, Caldwell led with 260 votes to 250 for McNeely.

Caruth garnered 97 votes in Fayette County.

McNeely, of Peterstown, previously served as prosecuting attorney of Summers County in 2000 and 2004, and has worked as a general practice attorney since 1992.

He is a former elementary school teacher in Mercer, Summers and Wyoming counties and was first elected to the House of Delegates in 1974 at age 27 to represent Mercer, Monroe and Summers counties.

He was re-elected in 1976, but chose not to run in 1975. He ran and was elected again in 1984 and 1986 for Mercer County.

McNeely’s campaign included a promised battle against dividing any 10th District counties as a result of redistricting in 2011.

He also pledged to seek fair taxation and responsible state spending, and said he would fight for environmental protection and the cleanup of the state’s landscape and waterways.

He also promised to oppose any turnpike toll increases, while voicing his support for the restoration of funding to small libraries in the state.

Caruth, a resident of Athens, practices law at a firm in Bluefield. Caruth has served in the Senate since 2004. During his first term in the Senate, Caruth was named to the post of minority leader of the Senate.

In the 6th Senatorial District contest, incumbent Democrat John Pat Fanning, D-McDowell, won the Democratic nomination after defeating Democratic challenger Charles Sammons. Fanning won with 12,633 votes to 9,026 for Sammons. The 6th Senatorial District includes parts of McDowell and Mercer counties.

— Managing Editor Samantha Perry contributed to this report