PARKERSBURG - Voters returned the local incumbents to the West Virginia House of Delegates 8th, 9th and 10th Delegate Districts, according to the unofficial tallies of Tuesday's general election returns.
In the 8th District, incumbent Republican Bill Anderson was elected to his 11th two-year term with 4,796 votes.
"I'm very pleased," said Anderson, who was out picking up his election signs as the results came in. "When you run for office, the voters are telling you if they are happy with the service you have provided and I'm glad they are happy."
Anderson, 64, of Williamstown said he is pleased with the positive campaign he and opponents Democrat Denzil "Buddy" Malone (1,752 votes) and independent Bob Buchanan (624 votes) ran.
"The campaign that took place in the 8th District is what I would like to see across the state and nation," Anderson said.
In the House of Delegates 9th District, Republican incumbent Anna Border was elected into her first full-term to the district that covers part of Wood and all of Wirt County.
"I'm not surprised as I felt like I knew the people of the 9th District pretty well and I got a lot of support from them," Border said.
Border, 59, has been in the seat since June 2011 when then-Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin appointed her to fulfill the remainder of the term of her late husband, Larry Border, 60, who suffered a hemorrhagic stroke and passed away with more than a year left on his term.
"I look forward to serving as an elected official this time around," she said.
Border received 3,067 votes in Wood County and 1,377 votes in Wirt County (4,444 total) while opponent Democrat James Marion received 1,634 votes in Wood County and 662 votes in Wirt County (2,296).
In the 10th District, the three incumbents , Tom Azinger of Vienna, Republican, John Ellem of Parkersburg, Republican, and Dan Poling of Parkersburg, Democrat, won re-election.
Azinger, 77, received 12,832 votes for his 11th term in the House of Delegates.
"I am pleased to have been re-elected," he said. "I am pleased and honored by the results and I hope I can continue to please the people."
Ellem, 45, got 12,698 votes for his seventh term.
"I am very grateful to the voters in the last six elections," Ellem said. "I am excited to go back to Charleston and continue to work for the people."
Ellem said with the House of Delegates becoming more and more even between Republicans and Democrats, those elected will need to work together.
"We need to keep working to keep West Virginia moving forward, which will be crucial," he added.
Poling, 58, received 11,720 votes to secure the third open district seat in the 10th District.
Contacted Tuesday night, Poling said he was excited about being re-elected to his fourth term in office and thanked all of the people who supported him in the election.
Republican Dr. Fredrick Gillespie, 83, of Parkersburg lost with 10,171 votes.
