78th House District GOP race features three newcomers

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Toni DiChiaccio, Geno Chiarelli, and Scott Nale are all making their first run for office as trying secure the Republican nomination in the House of Delegates 78th District.

DiChiaccio has a background in healthcare. She’s a practicing nurse and has degrees in accounting and economics. She says her experience fighting for the community will benefit her in Charleston.

“I’m a non-politician who has years of advocacy work who can hit the ground running,” DiChiacco said. “I have experience in areas that are important to West Virginia. Most importantly I just like to solve problems and I don’t care who gets the credit.”

She founded her own business before changing careers in 2001 to become a practicing nurse.

Scott Nale an engineer has studied traffic issues in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. He says his skills at solving engineering problems translate to the legislature.

“I have a background in project management and project delivery. Finding the problems and developing solutions to get things fixed and that is why I decided to step forward and get involved in this,” said Nale.

Nale says improving infrastructure is a top priority for him.

Geno Chiarelli has worked as an investigator for Child Protective Services… and has seen the state’s drug problems firsthand.

“I think that the state should lift the moratorium on new treatment facilities. I’d like to see more access and transportation services. There are some that are sort of available but don’t operate as efficiently as they should. I think the state should get involved because there is a societal cost.”

He says changes to the criminal code could be beneficial, differentiating between users and the people who are selling and distributing the drugs.

All three are first-time candidates. The winner will face Democrat Jeffery Budkey in the General Election in November. Budkey is running unopposed on the Democratic ticket.