HUNTINGTON, WV (WOWK) – Three candidates on the City of Huntington’s general election ballot are seeking to fill the mayor’s seat previously held by gubernatorial candidate Steve Williams.
Independent candidate Jay Michaels grew up in Huntington, has a 40-year career in entertainment and hopes to bring a “broad and diverse perspective to the tri-state area.”
“I bring a lot of different skills to the game here. I have a lot of experience living in the massive city, many years of the problems they had there… And I see here that they” “It’s the same things,” says Michaels.
Republican candidate Patrick Farrell is an Air Force veteran and a local businessman with leadership experience that he believes makes him the right candidate for the job.
“Being in the military and being a business owner is all about leadership. “It’s about leading people, identifying the goal, bringing the resources together and then achieving the goals,” says Farrell.
Democratic candidate Jennifer Wheeler has been elected to the Huntington City Council twice, has been actively involved in public service for 20 years and says she has an understanding of how local government works.
“Having served on the city council is a huge advantage because if you haven’t been in city government, you just don’t know what you don’t know,” Wheeler said.
Farrell says his campaign Goals include diversifying the local economy, reversing population decline, addressing flooding issues, combating the opioid crisis and keeping neighborhoods safe and sound.
Wheeler says she campaign focuses on “walkable, lighted neighborhoods” with the goal of creating safer neighborhoods through paving, lighting, demolition of dilapidated buildings, and expansion of programs such as SHINE.
She also says she hopes to establish so-called “small business incubators” in compact neighborhoods to improve the quality of life and enable commerce in smaller areas.
Michaels says his campaign focuses on reimagining the aesthetics of the city of Huntington. This includes restoring, repurposing or demolishing dilapidated buildings to beautify neighborhoods and combat homelessness and illegal drug problems.
Who will fill the office of mayor is now in the hands of the voters.
