By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — Both leading candidates for West Virginia governor attacked each other on the issue of the public sector retiree health care debt.
Other post-employment benefits, or OPEB, is made up of mostly retiree health care for public employees. OPEB debt as of June 30, 2011, stands at $8.3 [...]

By Steven Allen Adams
steven@westvirginiawatchdog.org
Happy Monday. I hope you all have recovered from the primary and election night Saturday. I chose to spend my Sunday shooting random firearms and relaxing in a hot tub. But today is a new day, with lawmakers meeting in Charleston for the Legislature’s interim meetings.
I’m covering these meetings as I write [...]

Secretary of State Natalie Tennant, a candidate for governor in the 2011 primary, congratulated Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, the acting governor and Democratic nominee in the Oct. 4 primary. (Photo/Steven Allen Adams)
By Steven Allen Adams
steven@westvirginiawatchdog.org
While high school students were having their proms Saturday night, both Democrat Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, the acting governor, [...]

By Steven Allen Adams
steven@westvirginiawatchdog.org
We have less than 24 hours until the polls open at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow for West Virginia’s primary for governor. It’s been a wild and musical ride. I’ll explain what I mean by musical in a moment. Either way, the field of six Democrats and eight Republicans have made for some interesting [...]

By Steven Allen Adams
steven@westvirginiawatchdog.org
The 11-day early voting period for West Virginia primary for governor, which ended yesterday, saw a 8.36 increase in turnout over last year’s general election primary according to Secretary of State Natalie Tennant.
Tennant briefed the media on the updated numbers at a Thursday morning press conference at the State Capitol Complex in [...]

By Steven Allen Adams
steven@westvirginiawatchdog.org
Hey friends, just a friendly reminder that early voting for the 2011 gubernatorial primary ends today at 5 p.m. You have just around five hours to get to your local courthouse and cast a vote for either one of six Democrats or one of eight Republicans.
As of today 35,331 people have cast [...]

By Steven Allen Adams
steven@westvirginiawatchdog.org
With less than five days until the Saturday, May 14, primary for governor of West Virginia, many candidates, third-party groups and Political Action Committees are pouring money into robo-calls and direct mail. However, at least two independent groups doing this have not filed paperwork with the West Virginia Secretary of State‘s office, [...]

By Steven Allen Adams
steven@westvirginiawatchdog.org
Our friend Bill Phillips over at Phillips Billboard took a look at some of the campaign expenditures of Republicans and Democrats running in the May 14 primary for governor of West Virginia and found thousands of dollars being spent outside of the state.
I gave a quick review of the financial reports filed [...]

By Steven Allen Adams
steven@westvirginiawatchdog.org
Last night three out of six Democratic candidates in the May 14 primary participated in a debate at the University of Charleston. Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, the acting governor, declined to participate, citing other commitments. House Speaker Rick Thompson also did not participate, but his campaign spokesperson told Charleston Gazette reporter [...]

Editor’s note: this is a series of interviews I’m doing with all candidates in the May 14 primary special election for Governor of West Virginia. I have reached out to all candidates, either by email, by phone, and in person. I will continue to do so up until May 13. If you are a candidate [...]