By Steven Allen Adams, The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Among the many duties of the West Virginia Secretary of State is serving as the keeper of the State Seal, the iconic image of the farmer and coal miner flanking a stone with the state’s founding carved into its face.
Four Republican candidates for Secretary of State hope to be the next keeper of that seal.
Secretary of State Mac Warner is wrapping up his second four-year term since first being elected in 2016 and defeating previous two-term Democratic Secretary of State Natalie Tennant. Warner is now one of several GOP candidates for governor of West Virginia.
The secretary of state is the state’s chief elections officer and business registrar, keeper of executive branch documents, appointments and other official records. The office also oversees charities and nonprofits, administers the Uniform Commercial Code, and manages legislative and emergency rules.
The GOP field includes a former member of Democratic Party leadership in the Legislature, a former lawmaker and county commissioner, a long-time county election official, and the brother of the current Secretary of State who has spent the last several years in economic development.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Listen to the full interviews with the four Republican candidates for secretary of state on the Mountain State Views podcast, available on most major podcast platforms.
