There is nothing I like more than covering political campaigns. It’s exciting and almost unpredictable. The 2010 Congressional primaries here in West Virginia are no less difficult to predict.

Between data supplied by the  W.Va. Secretary of State‘s office and the Federal Elections Commission, there are 12 fresh faces running to unseat 1st District Democrat Alan Mollohan, 2nd District Republican Shelley Moore Capito, and 3rd District Democrat Nick Rahall.

I’m going to take a look at each district and each party primary. Do not take anything I say here as an endorsement. West Virginia Watchdog DOES NOT endorse political candidates and never will. I have always looked down on the endorsement tradition that many newspapers maintain. I’d much rather give you the tools and information so YOU can make your own choices. You’re smart, you can figure out who to vote for.

Mollohan has a whole pack of people out to unseat him, including one Democrat. As we have reported, Mollohan’s campaign continues to be in six-figure debt, so now he’ll have to spend money in a primary on top of probably continuing on to the general election.

The Democrat challenger, R.J. Smith, is a political unknown, but could become the posterchild for the constituents that Mollohan has ignored. Smith is steelworker who had been formerly laid off; his wife is also a steelworker and their son is a coal miner. Smith could garner the support of working men and women across the district.

But the real action will be the Republican primary. Cindy Hall of Wheeling is the only woman. A California native who had only been in W.Va. for about a year before deciding to run, Hall works as a real estate broker. Entrepreneur Daniel Swisher, though a native West Virginian, is another out-of-stater. He grew up in Parkersburg but filed his precandidacy papers while still in Connecticut. Hall and Swisher will both have a hard time, but if you judge the candidates by their websites, Swisher seems well organized and articulate, while Hall…well…is using her website to smear anyone that says they don’t like her – a bad idea if you want to gain voters.

If you’re a Tea Party supporter, businessman Tom Stark might not be a bad choice. He is active with the Parkersburg Tea Party and tends to follow a Ron Paul philosophy. Then there is Randy Smith of Terra Alta…but that is really all that is known about him.

Plus there are three new contenders, Morgantown businessman Mac Warner, State Senator Clark Barnes, and former W.Va. Republican Executive Committee Chair David McKinley. We’ve written about Warner, plus out of the big three only Warner has filed precandidacy papers. You don’t have to file as a precandidate, it’s simply a way for potential candidates to test the waters. But Warner has taken the step the other two haven’t taken.

Barnes has been a State Senator in the West Virginia Legislature for several terms, and thus has campaign experience. However, he considers himself a progressive Republican, which has certain connotations. McKinley is already seeking money and support from the National Republican Congressional Committee. McKinley is considered an statesman here in the state, but voters may decide they want someone younger, such as Warner or Swisher.

Capito’s only competition is from two Democrats: Virginia Graf of Charles Town, and political unknown David Harless of South Charleston. Graf is President of the Jefferson County Organization of Democrat Women. Capito has safely repelled challenges from attorney Jim Humphreys, Mike Callaghan, and Senate staffer Anne Barth.

3rd District

Rahall has three Republican challengers: Mercer County Republican Executive Committee Chair Marty Gearheart, former Capito staffer Conrad Lucas III, and nurse Lee Bias. Democrat Delegate Ralph Rodighiero will give Rahall a primary challenge.

There is one thing missing from the 3rd District. Certainly Gearheart has the passion, but Rahall has defeated him at least once, and would be cannon fodder this time. Bias is an unknown, will continue to be so until his website starts functioning. As for Lucas, at 28 he might be too young to be taken seriously by southern West Virginia.

While the northern 1st District needs someone younger and fresh, the 3rd District needs someone seasoned at the helm. What is missing is an statesman to challenge Rahall. The one man who could probably pull off a challenge is Democrat Elliott “Spike” Maynard, former West Virginia Supreme Court Justice. Maynard still has some supporters in southern West Virginia, plus as a judge Spike is used to making clear decisions. Frankly, both Rahall and Mollohan have been noncommittal on important issues, including cap-and-trade. They both waited until the 11th hour to announce how they were going to vote for it, then voted against it. Judges can’t be that wishy-washy and have to write detailed opinions and dissents explaining their decisions.

Spike Maynard jumping in the race would change the whole dynamic and probably hurt Rahall in the primary. But if that happens is anyone’s guess. Has anyone heard from Spike?

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