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EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the fourth of five previews of Parkersburg City Council races that will be published this week in the News and Sentinel.
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PARKERSBURG -- City Councilman Eric Barber is being challenged by Democrat Wendy Tuck as he seeks a second term.
Elected as a Democrat, Barber changed his affiliation to independent and then Republican, defeating Brett Bringardner in the GOP primary. Tuck won in the Democratic primary against another first-time office-seeker, Donna Sue Helmick.
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Eric Barber
* Party: Republican
* Age: 42
* Address: 900 13th St.
* Occupation: heating and cooling technician
Barber said his time on council has "provided a wealth of understanding, knowledge (and) experience for myself to draw upon while moving forward in the next four years."
He said he's pleased with the "really aggressive swing at blight" the city's taken in recent years and would like to see that approach continue. He's optimistic about the prospects of small homes after council approved a zoning overlay area for them in his district.
Barber said he'd like to work to bring motorsports events to the city as a way to draw visitors to the area.
Barber said he's proud to have been endorsed by both the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 79 and International Association of Firefighters Local 91 fraternal organizations. He pledged to continue "unapologetic support for first responders" if re-elected, saying he wished there could be more money for the Fire and Police departments to add staff. Beyond that, "they need moral support; they need affirmation from not only the politicians … but the people in the community," he said.
Throughout his term, and as recently as this week, Barber has drawn criticism for posts on social media, often related to issues like LGBTQ organizations and events and abortion. While he has acknowledged problems with some of his communications, Barber said he won't apologize for "defending faith and family values.
"There's a cultural war that's occurring not only in Parkersburg but everywhere else in America," he said.
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Wendy Rawlins Tuck
* Party: Democrat
* Age: 67
* Address: 1020 14th St.
* Family: husband, Steve; three adult children, Andy, Marty, Beth; three grandchildren
* Occupation: child development specialist, West Virginia Birth to 3
Tuck said she can help bring people together to address issues affecting the neighborhood.
"We could really sit down and go, 'OK, what? What can we do? What have we got?'" she said.
Crime is a concern in the district, Tuck said, with some residents fearing for their safety. In some cases, areas with drug activity and dilapidated housing appear to not be addressed. While there may be good reasons for why some actions are delayed, Tuck said it needs to be explained to citizens.
"Everybody understands there's process, but when you feel like nothing's happening and you don't know what's happening, you feel helpless," she said.
Tuck called the idea of defunding the police "laughable" and said she thinks more officers are needed. She'd also like to see the Neighborhood Watch program reinvigorated to improve communication with residents.
"You would just have a stronger sense that the police are here to serve and protect," she said.
Tuck questioned the reallocation of funding away from some projects in District 4 in recent years and a proposal to spend approximately $600,000 on three affordable homes (an amount later reduced to about $500,000 with the decision to use modular homes).
"I don't know how they came up with three homes," she said. "It's not really helping the people that are living here. … That money could make a huge difference."
Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.