Wood Democrats choose delegates for state caucus
State convention in JuneRachel Lane
POSTED: April 12, 2008
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Wood County Democrats elected delegates to the state convention:Walt Auvil, Jean Grapes, Carol Sams, Kim Wilson, Sheila Hunley, Tandra Mays, Michele Rusen, Lyn Westbrook, Catherine Roedersheimer, Linda Riggs, Sharon Wilson, Sarah Townsend, Cynthia Pyles, Margaret Watzek, Johnnie Williams, Nancy Stephens, Barbara Maki, Jennie McAtee, Judith Bonser, Lisa Alfred, Janet Farley, Sandra Cowan, Janet Frazier, Frances Ball, Helen Eddy, Mary Jo Blythe, Jeffrey Gunnoe, Ottie Metz, Kevin Kaufman, James Ball, Harold Brown, Ralph Stanley, Dennis Kennedy, Dave Shelene, Lonnie Long, Dan Poling, Fred Voshel, Joe Kiger, Charles Webb, Carl Butcher, William Farley, Oral Ball, Charles Meyers, James Slate, Jennings Eddy, David Daniels, Don Griffith, Robert Friend, Brian Raitz, Charles Corra, Jim Marion, Kevin McCaffrey, Laura Garcia, LeAnne Brown, Kathryn Drost, Neva Bock, Linda Angelo, Ann Landon, Peg Griffith, Janice Coffey, Jorie Kennedy, Marianne Bennett, Lucille Morales, Lorraine Metz, Rhonda McNamara, Judith Barrl, MaryLee Armentrout, Amanda Moler, Kay Dunn, Brenda Brum, Debra Hendershot, Marcie Ankrom, Darlene Kiger, Dolores Townsend, Emogene Ford, Floyd Villers, Harold Bock, Travis Bock, Dale Lowther, Jeff Sandy, Wayne Dunn.
* Walt Auvil and Jean Grapes are members of the West Virginia State Executive Committee and will go as delegates to the state convention, but are not in the total allowed Wood County.
Alternate Wood County Delegates: Karen Campbell, Loretta Knight, Linda Meyers, Tracie Villers, Van Angelo, Sharon Lynch, Dave Williams, Gary Prater, William Butler, Steve Mestamacher, Joyce Mestamacher, Tim Fittro, Bill Cowan, John Gainer, Sherri Daniels, Megan Deel, Ricky, Deel, Barb Sullivan.
About 100 people attended the convention at the Judge Donald F. Black Judicial Annex Saturday. Walt Auvil, chairman of the Wood county Democratic Executive Committee, said everything went smoothly for the first-time event.
"I think part of the reason we had a lot of people come out was because there's still a race," Auvil said. "It indicates a high level of interest."
Delegates to the state convention will choose 18 district-level delegates three men, three women for each of the three congressional distircts who will go to the Democratic National Convention, at the state convention on June 13 and 14.
At the district level, the delegates must be registered in support of the popular vote winning candidate, Auvil said.
West Virginia will send 37 delegates and four alternates to the national convention.
"It was a very good convention," said Joe Kiger, who was elected a delegate to the state convention. "It was very enthusiastic."
Kiger's wife also is a delegate.
"We've been Democrats all our lives. We're still looking at the issues. Kiger said he's also excited about the county election this year.
"We've got a lot of good people running for office right here in Wood County," Kiger said. "Iám hoping everyone will look at the issues then vote."
Kirk Auvil, 17, of Parkersburg said he hopes to follow the delegates' journey from the local level to the state level for a video essay.
"Even though there's a lot of arguments between Clinton and Obama supporters, it was very civil," he said. "This was positive and relative to Democratic issues and solutions. It shows that Democrats here, can still put their nose to the grind stone and do what's required with the issues."
