ELKINS — A House of Delegates campaign rematch is in the works after the filing period for the May 14 primary election ended Saturday.

Incumbent District 67 Delegate Elias Coop-Gonzalez, a Republican, has filed to run for re-election.

Democrat Cody Thompson also recently filed to run for the District 67 seat. Thompson served as a delegate for four years, before losing to Gonzalez in the November 2022 general election.

With Coop-Gonzalez the only Republican to file for the seat, and Thompson the only Democrat, the two will likely face off again in this November’s 2024 general election.

Thompson currently serves as a Fifth Ward Elkins City Councilman. Last year, Coop-Gonzalez took to social media to urge residents to vote against Thompson in the 2023 Elkins Municipal Election. After the city election, Coop-Gonzalez continued to post criticism of Thompson, drawing dozens of responses from other local residents.

In previous social media posts, the two men have stated that they live in the same neighborhood in Elkins, across the street from each other.

In District 66, incumbent Delegate Ty Nestor, a Republican, announced late last year that he would not seek re-election, but would instead run for the open Circuit Judge position in Randolph County. 

Mill Creek resident Jonathan B. Kyle, a Republican, is the only candidate to file for the District 66 seat that will be vacated by Nestor.

Two names were recently added to the list of those running for the State Senate Senatorial District 11 seat on the May 14 ballot.

Republican Robert Karnes, who currently holds the seat, recently filed to run, as did Democrat Mandy Smith Weirich. Longtime Randolph County Development Authority Director Robbie Morris, a Republican, filed to run for the seat early on during the filing period.

Four candidates have filed to run for Randolph County’s second circuit judge position in the primary.

For the second circuit judge position, now known as Division 2, the candidates include Frank P. Bush Jr., Ray Lamora III, William “Ty” Nestor and Jaymie Godwin Wilfong.

Bush is a former prosecuting attorney in Randolph County, while Lamora is a former prosecuting attorney in Tucker County who currently works for Legal Aid of West Virginia.

Nestor recently announced that he would not seek re-election to the state legislature in order to run for Randolph’s second circuit judge position. Godwin Wilfong formerly served as a circuit judge and family court judge in Randolph County.

Current Circuit Court Judge David Wilmoth’s term will end at the end of 2024. Wilmoth’s position (Division 1), along with the newly added second judge in the county (Division 2), will both be on the ballot May 14. Wilmoth has filed to run for re-election and is currently unopposed.

Two candidates have filed for the one open Randolph County Commission Cheat District seat, incumbent Republican David Kesling of Elkins and Republican challenger Gary L. Hart of Montrose.

Randolph County Sheriff Rob Elbon will run for re-election unopposed, as will Prosecuting Attorney Michael Parker. 

Longtime Randolph County Assessor Phyllis Yokum recently announced she will be retiring at the end of this year after serving as the county’s assessor since 2005.  Lance Marcum, a Republican, and Seth Pratt, a Democrat, have filed to run for the assessor’s seat. Both currently work in the county assessor’s office.

Randolph County Board of Education President Amanda Smith of Mill Creek filed for re-election in the Tygart District, and will be challenged by Ed Daniels of Mill Creek and Paul Louk of Mill Creek.

In the Elkins District BOE race, incumbent Rachel Anger has filed for re-election, and will face challengers Robin Sinor and Anita Thompson.

All three incumbent magistrates in Randolph County will run unopposed, as Tracy Harper (Division I), Mike Dyer (Division 2), and Ben Shepler (Division 3) are the only candidates to file for magistrate in the primary.

Incumbent Leon Mallow will run unopposed for the Randolph County surveyor’s set.

Incumbent James Dean has filed to run for re-election as the Conservation District Supervisor in Randolph County.

Timothy Cunningham, who was appointed to another Conservation District Supervisor seat, has also filed to run in the primary.

Those wishing to run for office were required to have announcement certificates postmarked by midnight on Saturday. Candidates had until noon on Saturday to register in person at the Randolph County Courthouse. 

Early voting for the primary election will take place in Randolph County from May 1 to May 11. The General Election will be held on Nov. 5, with early voting scheduled for Oct. 23 through Nov. 2.

Randolph County voters seeking to cast their ballots early can do so at the Weese Annex on Randolph Avenue in Elkins, or at the Russell Memorial Library in Mill Creek.