By LACIE PIERSON, HD Media
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Senate Finance Chairman Craig Blair said Friday he is the likely next president of the state Senate.
Blair told MetroNews’ Hoppy Kercheval Friday he had unanimous support from both the Republican and Democratic caucuses to take the orderly helm of the state Senate in January.
The Republican from Berkeley County said he plans to keep Sen. Tom Takubo, R-Kanahwa, as majority leader, and name Sen. Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, to replace him as Finance Chairman.
When first elected as a Republican to the House of Delegates in 2002, Blair said he had no way to know the state would come to elect Republican supermajorities in both legislative chambers, let alone become a Senate President in-waiting.
“We’re still very early in the process of shaping [our priorities] up, but our goal will remain the same as it’s always been: To make West Virginia the best place to live, work, and raise a family,” Blair said in an email to the Gazette-Mail Friday. “One of the key elements to that is building our broadband infrastructure — especially in light of the ongoing pandemic — and I think you’ll see us focus on that pretty strongly this upcoming session.” …
