Welcome to The Mon Dems Substack!

Welcome to The Mon Dems Substack! We are dedicated to promoting civic knowledge both in Monongalia County, as well as generalized voting information for West Virginia. The topics we will cover include but are not limited to: Community Outreach, GOTV (Get Out the Vote), Legislative Affairs, the West Virginia State Democratic Party Platform, and Running for Office. We will also have guest columns by current/former elected officials and Democratic community members who would like to contribute their voices to our conversation.

Our goal is to post bi-weekly, with a monthly update post prior to each of our meetings. During the West Virginia Legislative Session, we anticipate publishing more pieces between our regular content to keep you informed about what is going on in Charleston.

Overview of Monongalia County

Located in North Central West Virginia and an hour south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Monongalia County is home to over 105,000 residents. As of November 30th, 2024 voter registration totals from the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office, 23,249 of our 65,310 county voters are registered Democrats, making us one of nine (out of fifty-five) counties in West Virginia with a Democratic voter majority.

For the State Legislative representation, Monongalia County is divided into 6 House of Delegates districts: 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, and 82; and 2 State Senate Districts: 2 and 13. The current representatives for those districts (with party affiliation and home county for the State Senate Districts) are:

• House of Delegates, District 77: Joe Statler (Republican)

• House of Delegates, District 78: Geno Chiarelli (Republican)

• House of Delegates, District 79: Evan Hansen (Democrat)

• House of Delegates, District 80: John Williams (Democrat)

• House of Delegates, District 81: Anitra L. Hamilton (Democrat)

• House of Delegates, District 82: David McCormick (Republican)

• State Senate, District 2: Charles Clements (Republican, Wetzel) & Chris Rose (Republican, Monongalia)

• State Senate, District 13: Mike Oliverio (Republican, Monongalia) & Joey Garcia (Democrat, Marion)

At the County level, Monongalia County has a majority Democrat courthouse:

• Assessor: Mark A. Musick (Democrat)

• Circuit Clerk: Donna Hidock (Democrat)

• County Clerk: Carye L. Blaney (Democrat)

• County Commission: Jeffrey Arnett (Democrat, Eastern District), Tom Bloom (Democrat, Western District), & Sean Sikora (Republican, Central District)

• Prosecuting Attorney: Gabrielle Mucciola (Democrat)

• Sheriff: Todd Forbes (Democrat)

• Surveyor: Bob Andriotto (Republican)

How you can get involved:

We regularly receive messages asking what people can do to get involved and assist with the local Democratic committee. While we are in a rebuilding era and ramping up for the 2026 Midterm Election, here are some ways to join us and become engaged:

• Subscribe to our Substack. We encourage every reader to subscribe to our publication and share it with your friends and family members. We will also post the pieces to our active social media pages.

• Register as a Democrat. While Monongalia County is a Democratic majority county, only 29% of registered voters in West Virginia are registered as a Democrat. We strongly encourage everyone to check your voter registration using the Secretary of State’s Online tool. They also have an Online Voter Registration Portal to update your information.

• Attend our Meetings. The Mon Dems meet on the second Monday of each month at 7 pm at Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 152, located at 100 Richard Avenue, Morgantown, WV 26501. Our monthly meetings are a great space to meet with fellow Democrats from around the county and hear about what the committee is working on.

• Fill out our Volunteer Form. Let us know how you would like to help out with the committee. For each box you check, you will be added to the email list for that given subcommittee. If you have other ideas on how you’d like to volunteer, let us know!

• Join a Democratic Women’s Club. Most West Virginia counties have a Democratic Women’s Club, or you can join the West Virginia Federation of Democratic Women. More information can be found on the WVFDW’s website.

• Follow us on Social Media! We are active on Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. We regularly use these platforms to promote our meetings, volunteer opportunities, and upcoming events. We strongly encourage you to like and share our posts to help promote more progressive voices on social media.