On a sunny fall morning, reporters and editors from Mountain State Spotlight hosted more than a dozen Wood County residents at the Parkersburg & Wood County Public Library for a community listening session.
In a state that only flipped to Republican control in 2014, Wood County has long been a stronghold for conservative candidates. 70% of voters in the county cast their ballots for President Donald Trump in 2024.
But a lot has happened since the last election. The community was roiled by (short-lived) layoffs and the loss of union protections at the federal Bureau of the Fiscal Service office in Parkersburg. And during the spring primary, Republican voters shook up the county’s representation in the House by booting incumbent lawmakers Dels. Vernon Criss, Bill Anderson and Scot Heckert.
So, less than three weeks out from the midterm elections, we wanted to know what was on the minds of residents as they considered who they would vote for.
Members of the community, including elected officials and candidates running for state office, shared what’s on their minds this election season.
“It’s really tough in this town”
As a Parkersburg city council member, Wendy Tuck has knocked on doors and spoken to constituents. She shared some of the issues she’s heard from people on their porches: child care, transportation and health issues, to name a few.
The median household income of a Wood County household was $55,911 in 2024, below West Virginia’s household median of $60,798.
“We’ve seen a lot of job loss,” said Jeff Fox, a former Parkersburg city council member.
West Virginia University data shows that employment in the Parkersburg area declined from 2005 to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted economies around the world.
“It’s really tough in this town.”
“Education is first and foremost”
Debbie Hendershot, a Wood County Board of Education member, said students are leaving Wood County’s public school system. She said some kids are going to private schools or homeschooling, and others are moving out of the community.
She’s not opposed to the Hope Scholarship, though she would like to see some guardrails.
“The Hope Scholarship would be a wonderful program if they had rules and regulations like state schools do,” she said.
During this year’s legislative session, Wood County delegate Vernon Criss tried to put guardrails on the private school funding program. Out-of-state political groups spent more than $145,000 to boot him from the legislature.
“Education is first and foremost, and that’s where we’re screwing up the worst,” said Cindy McKown, a Wood County resident who grew up in Parkersburg.
Making politicians work for people
Wood County voters have historically turned out at higher rates than the rest of West Virginia. Despite that, participants said residents struggle to keep up sustained engagement in politics.
“We got a lot of apathy,” said lifelong Wood County resident Brenda McGinnis. “People just want to sit back and let things go.”
The county’s League of Women Voters chapter disbanded in 2023, and several attendees lamented the loss of the resources the nonpartisan, pro-democracy group used to provide, such as nonpartisan candidate forums and county-specific voter guides.
One attendee, Kathy Moran, said politicians spend too much time raising money and seeking attention as media personalities and influencers.
McKown said she has grown disillusioned with politicians who campaign on issues important to her but don’t follow through when they’re in office.
“None of them are doing what they said they were going to do,” McKown said.
She said it’s a skepticism shared by other Wood County residents: “They feel hopeless, helpless and ‘why bother?’”
“We’re not creating a system where we solve problems,” Tuck said. “What politics could and should do is work toward solutions for people.”
One participant, Kim Kramer, said it’s hard to keep a long-term view.
And Fox said residents are struggling to meet their immediate needs, much less talk politics.
“People are busy trying to survive.”
