Current seat holder: Gregory A. Watt (Republican).
Jourdan Deitz is from Richwood, West Virginia. This is her first time running for a state office. Due to some health problems four years ago, she says she is currently retired but the situation has allowed her to devote her time to her campaign and treat it like a full-time job. Deitz says she plans to treat being a delegate in the House of Delegates as a full-time job if she is elected to office. Deitz sits on the Richwood City Council and says she’ll apply those experiences as a city council member if elected to the House of Delegates. Deitz says her priorities include improving the education system in West Virginia, tackling infrastructure needs and bringing stable jobs to the state. Deitz ran unopposed in the primary and will face Mackenzie Holdren in the general election on Nov 3.
Mackenzie Holdren is a lawyer in Nicholas County, West Virginia. Holdren received her undergraduate degree in political science from West Virginia University (WVU) in 2018, and she graduated from West Virginia College of Law in 2022. She then started her own law firm in Summersville, West Virginia. Holdren primarily works with child abuse cases. This is Holdren’s first time running for state office. Holdren’s priorities include increasing the number of jobs in West Virginia and improving the abuse and neglect docket in the state. She argues it takes too long for children who need help to receive support, taking months before cases are heard in court. Holdren won the primary over the incumbent Gregory Watt, when she received 53.4% of the vote. Holdren will face Jourdan Deitz in the general election on Nov. 3, with both candidates vying for their first term in state office.
· Candidate campaign website & Ballotpedia (secondary source)