Jenny Thacker
Jenny Thacker is the Democratic candidate for House of Delegates District 100, representing parts of Jefferson County. She is running against Republican William Ridenour. Thacker earned a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of California, Santa Barbara before joining the Peace Corps. She later settled in Jefferson County and works for NOAA. Her campaign identifies several issues she wants to address, including schools, data centers, water, utility rates and poverty.
· Candidate campaign website & Ballotpedia (secondary source)
Campaign site
“Jenny Thacker will focus on the practical things that affect everyone in the district regardless of party: lower utility rates, safe water, and fair pay for our teachers and other public servants.”
(Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey) “Local control. We have one of the most beautiful counties in the country. It's filled with dynamic people, beautiful scenery, natural resources, and historic sites. We don't need to give it away. This state tends to run the government from the top down, and because the Eastern Panhandle has more money they don't always support us. We need to change that.”
(Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey)William Ridenour
William Ridenour is the Republican incumbent for House of Delegates District 100, representing Jefferson County. He was first elected to the House in 2022 and is seeking another two-year term in the 2026 general election. He is running against Democrat Jenny Thacker. Ridenour is a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer and Defense Intelligence officer. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Purdue University, a master’s degree in economics from the University of Oklahoma and a master’s in strategic studies from the Marine Corps War College. During the 2026 legislative session, Ridenour sponsored legislation concerning crime, elections, immigration, education and taxation, among other issues. He serves as an assistant majority whip and sits on the House Homeland Security, Judiciary and Legal Services committees.
Campaign site
“George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, U. S. Grant, Calvin Coolidge, and Ronald Reagan. These were great men, great leaders and great innovators. If I were to pick any one, it would be George Washington, not only because he was president and the key figure in the Revolution, but because he understood the People would have been made him a king. But Washington believed, with all his heart, that Liberty was the destiny for our country and the world.”
(Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey) “Honesty, integrity, courage and intelligence. Each of these are integral to being a servant of the People. We are not a direct democracy; we are a representative democracy in which the People entrust elected officials with the responsibility of representing their interests and values. That responsibility requires officials who are honest with the public, act with integrity, have the courage to make difficult and controversial decisions, and possess the intellectual ability and judgment necessary to understand complex issues and their consequences.”
(Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey) “Governor Patrick Morrisey Senator Patricia Rucker We the People of Jefferson County Stand for Health Freedom Eastern Panhandle Business Association West Virginia Coal Association West Virginians for Life National Rifle Association - "A" rating”
(Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey)