The budget dog bites back: Ousted House Finance chair spoils GOP vote in Wood County

By: Henry Culvyhouse

Outlets: West Virginia Watch

Published: November 4, 2026

Words: 843

Last Updated: 5 days, 5 hours ago

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Ousted House Finance Chair Vernon Criss appears to have handed his delegate seat off to a Democrat after launching a kamikaze-style write-in campaign in the GOP stronghold of Wood County.

Democrat Dennis Rempel, a retired federal employee, defeated Republican nominee Charles Hartzog for the House District 12 race in Parkersburg. The victory is the first time Wood County has sent a Democrat to the statehouse since 2012.

Rempel, a first-time …

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