MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The City of Morgantown officially has a complete list of candidates running for City Council for the upcoming 2021 General Election.
Several candidates will be running unopposed with the three council members choosing to run for reelection being among them. Longtime Morgantown City Council stalwarts in Second Ward Councilor Bill Kawecki and Fourth Ward Councilor Jenny Selin respectively, will be returning to council unopposed as well as Sixth Ward Dave Harshbarger, who is returning after his first term on council. The same is currently the case for First Ward candidate Patrick Hathaway, who is running for the spot previously taken by Deputy Mayor Rachel Fetty, who’s decided not to run again this year.
For the Fifth and Seventh Wards previously occupied by Morgantown Mayor Ron Dulaney and Councilor Barry Wendell respectively, those will have competition. In the Fifth Ward, Tony Setley, as well as Danielle Trumble and Marly Ynigues will be competing in a three way race. For the Seventh Ward, Brian Butcher and Ben Mayle are running as the only two candidates for that spot on council.
The Third Ward Council seat held by Councilor Zach Cruze, currently has no candidates running leaving Morgantown City Council a vacancy.
Qualified voters from the Third Ward can enter the race by completing the Write-in Candidate’s Certificate of Announcement for the Third Ward no later than Tuesday, April 13, 2021. If a write-in candidate is not declared council members can nominate and vote on the Third Ward representative within 30 days of the vacancy. If council does not act, a special election would be called between 90 and 120 days from election day.