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Some in WV still unsure of GOP convention status

WHEELING, W.Va. — The West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office is still waiting for 18 counties to submit official results from the May 10 primary, leaving a couple area Republicans still unsure of whether they’ll be delegates to the party’s national convention in Cleveland in July.

West Virginia GOP officials say they won’t determine their list of delegates until the secretary of state’s office certifies the vote totals. Briana Wilson, spokeswoman for the secretary of state’s office, said vote totals have been submitted by 37 of West Virginia’s 55 counties.

Many counties, such as Ohio County, delayed their certification because of scheduled recounts, while other counties are awaiting their county commissions to approve and sign the results. A scheduled recount is yet to be conducted in Upshur County, while a recount was called off Tuesday in Logan County, according to Wilson.

The Secretary of State’s office has until June 9 – 30 days after the election – to certify election results. Results in the delegate races are close enough to be affected by any changes in vote totals.

Most recent tabulations still show Gregory Baldt of Hancock County, a Trump supporter, and Wheeling Mayor Andy McKenzie, who is uncommitted, as Northern Panhandle residents slated to represent West Virginia as delegates to the convention.

Wheeling Park High School Vice Principal Katrina Lewis, a Marshall County resident, had been the only Kasich supporter on an earlier list of at-large delegates, while Mary Beth “Betsy” Andreini had been shown as winning a seat in the 1st Congressional District delegate race.

Neither is listed on updated lists, which are still subject to change.

“We just want to make sure the list is correct before we put it out,” said Jordan Burgess, political director for the West Virginia GOP. “We don’t want to do the candidates a disservice and tell them they’re elected, then they find out they’re not. I am 100-percent optimistic that the votes are coming soon.”

Neither Lewis nor Andreini immediately returned calls seeking comment on Tuesday.

A total of 220 candidates filed in the race for 22 at-large delegate seats to the Republican National Convention, set for July 18-21 in Cleveland. Dozens of other candidates, meanwhile, ran for nine delegate seats divided equally among the state’s three congressional districts.

Another three unelected Republican National Committee members from West Virginia also will join the state’s delegation, for a total of 34 delegates.

State party rules dictate the first seat among the 22 at-large candidates goes to the candidate receiving the most votes. State Sen. Donna Boley of Pleasants County is currently the top vote-getter, according to most recent information provided by the West Virginia Secretary of State.

The remaining 21 at-large seats then will be divided equally among West Virginia’s three congressional districts, with each getting seven seats. Top vote-getters aren’t necessarily guaranteed seats, however, as no more than two convention delegates can come from the same county.

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