Huntington's Ketchum moves on in Supreme Court race

HUNTINGTON — And then there were three.

The field of Democratic candidates for a seat on the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals was cut in half Tuesday night, with former justice Margaret Workman and Huntington Attorney Menis Ketchum moving on to the general election.

The two will vie against Republican Beth Walker for the two available seats on the court in November.

With 92 percent of precincts reporting, Workman had 36 percent of the vote, with Ketchum had 27 percent.

“I feel great,” Ketchum said. “I’m elated. When we first did a poll in December, I had 6 percent name recognition statewide. We’ve come a long way.

“I am just very, very elated to win it and to run with Margaret in the general election.”

Ketchum said the campaign for the general election begins today.

“I’m going to travel around the state thanking my supporters,” he said.

Incumbent Chief Justice Elliott “Spike” Maynard finished third with 19 percent of the vote, and WVU law professor Bob Bastress finished last with 18 percent.  

Maynard’s image took a hit in the months leading up to the primary, as he and Justice Brent Benjamin, who is not up for re-election, were questioned about their friendship with Massey Energy executive Don Blankenship.

Maynard and Benjamin were part of a slim majority that overturned a Boone County verdict that tagged Massey for $76 million after finding the company stole coal contracts from smaller operations and ran them out of business.

Shortly after the ruling, which came in November, photos surfaced showing Maynard vacationing in France with Blankenship. Repeated objections to Benjamin’s participation in the case have been brought to the court because Blankenship spent roughly $3.5 million on advertisements against Benjamin’s opponent, Warren V. McGraw, in 2004.

Though at first he said Blankenship’s friendship had no impact on his judgment, Maynard did eventually disqualify himself from all cases before the court involving Massey Energy, as did Justice Larry V. Starcher, who had made statements criticizing Blankenship to national media. Benjamin did not recuse himself.

He ended up serving as chief justice on the case and voting to uphold the Supreme Court’s decision overturning the verdict against the coal company.  

Maynard had released some attack ads targeting Ketchum late in the campaign, playing on the attorney’s first name and calling him a “Menace.” Ketchum said he was glad to see the ads didn’t distract voters.

“Obviously, it didn’t have any effect,” he said. “The voters have paid attention and want a change on the Supreme Court.”

In other statewide races, Gov. Joe Manchin was having no problem in the primary, snagging 74 percent of the vote over challenger Mel Kessler.

In the Democratic primary for secretary of state, Natalie Tennant led heavily with 52 percent of the vote, with Joe DeLong at 37 percent and Billy Wayne Bailey at 12 percent.

In the Republican primary for attorney general, Dan Greear led with 55 percent of the vote, while Hiram Lewis held 45 percent.

Incumbent Agriculture Commissioner Gus Douglass had no problem in the Democratic primary, landing 61 percent of the vote over challenger Wayne Casto. Douglass will face Michael J. Teets in November.

Teets had 66 percent of the vote in the Republican primary as of press time, cruising over Lawrence
Beckerle.