WV State Senator Switches Party Giving GOP Control

[babylonsister]

http://www.wchstv.com/news/features/eyewitness-news/stories/State-Senator-Switches-Party-Giving-GOP-Control-55730.shtml#.VFu6TsnRP1V

WV State Senator Switches Party Giving GOP Control
Updated: Thursday, November 6, 2014 | Dan Matics, Kallie J. Cart


CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The state senator who switched parties giving Republicans a majority in the state Senate said he has not been promised a chairmanship, but said it "has been discussed."

On Wednesday, a day after the election, Sen. Daniel Hall of Wyoming County announced he was switching parties, from Democrat to Republican.

The senator, who was not up for re-election on Tuesday, told Eyewitness News over the phone, that the people in his district voted in large numbers against the Democratic Party and he made the change, to best represent their interests.

Hall told Eyewitness News there is a political power advantage to making the switch.

"There's been no chairmanships promised," he said. "There have been discussions."

Hall said his political advancement will help the people of his district.

The flip of the state Senate came as a surprise to many. Senate Minority Leader Mike Hall said the GOP expected to pick up a few seats, but never imagined it would win seven. After Tuesday night's victories, the Senate moved from a makeup of 10 Republicans and 24 Democrats to a tie, 17-17. With Hall's announcement, the Republicans are now the majority party, 18-16.

Hall said the Republican party has been courting him for more than a year, trying to get him to switch parties and now the time is right. Hall said he has always been conservative and the national Democratic Party no longer represents him.

Republicans also took over the House of Delegates, the first time in 83 years.

[BlueCaliDem]

1. Another Republican who campaigned as a Democrat.

How many more are out there??

[kelliekat44]

7. Quite a few. They take the votes and run. There are a few Dixicrats left in the party. nt

Last edited Thu Nov 6, 2014, 04:37 PM - Edit history (1)

[BlueCaliDem]

9. It's Dixiecrats like these that are making the Democratic Party look weak.

That's the message they send to the people when they pull stuff like this. On the other side, though, how many Republicans switch to the Democratic Party once they're safe and sound in their seats? Only Jim Jeffords comes to mind and that was in 2001!

[yeoman6987]

11. We will be seeing this a lot

After an election switching seats happens.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. WY not WV

Is the WV state legislature still Democratic?

[babylonsister]

4. ?? WV

http://danielhallwv.com/

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. My bad...I need new reading glasses...Mea culpa...My apologies.../NT

[babylonsister]

8. Ha! No prob! nt

[KamaAina]

14. Wyoming County, WV

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. He promoted himself from "Not as bad" to "Really crappy".

[kelliekat44]

6. I would love a survey to be conducted to ask these voters just why they voted against the Dems and

their own interests.

[BlueCaliDem]

10. They'll all argue till their faces turn blue that it's NOT because the Democratic president is black

But we damn well know that's exactly why they voted against their own and the country's best interest.

Hate is for some people the motivating drive in everything they do, including voting.

[theHandpuppet]

16. Y'know, I'm sure that's part of it

But I do wish folks would do a little homework before they give us a lecture about people who live in places they've never even been and know nothing about.

Wyoming County, WV is in the heart of the state's coal country. The jobs have been bleeding out at an alarming rate and they just suffered a massive layoff at the mines this summer. That means the few remaining well-paying jobs are gone.

The people in coal country blame the Democratic Party (and the EPA) for what they view as increasingly strict regulations that have gutted the domestic coal industry. It doesn't matter just how much these rules are needed, when you lose your job and can't feed your family, debates about climate change and pollution seem to be the abstract musings of people a thousand miles away, people whose kids won't be going hungry tonight.

Both parties have failed these people. You can't just take an interest in what's happening in Appalachia when election days roll around and trash them every day in between. There has been a shameful lack of federal investment in the region to create a more modern economy that would be less dependent on fossil fuels. A job at WalMart (WV's biggest employer) is no substitute for a livable wage or union jobs.

[ileus]

12. I bet no one here has ever been to "The County"

[KamaAina]

13. "The senator, who was not up for re-election on Tuesday,"

There you have it.

[KamaAina]

15. Too bad Rhythm's at the other end of the state

or he'd be in for a good .

[k8conant]

17. This is disgusting and disappointing.

I'm sitting up here on the Blue Ridge in the Eastern Panhandle and sick to my stomach.

I'm thinking we should all run for office here in West Virginia as Republicans then switch back to Democrats after.