UPDATED: Raleigh County Commission may appoint Daniel Hall as new commissioner, Duckworth to serve as president

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — Raleigh County Commissioner Greg Duckworth is expected to be appointed president of Raleigh County Commission during a special meeting on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, Raleigh County Commissioner Linda K. Epling said on Monday, June 10, 2024.

Duckworth’s appointment comes after the June 3, 2024, death of Raleigh County Commission President Dave Tolliver.

Commissioner Epling said on Monday within the next 30 days, she and Commissioner Duckworth would appoint a candidate to temporarily take Tolliver’s position on the commission.

The Republican and Democratic executive committees will then each select a candidate to run in November, said Epling.

Commissioner Epling said her preference was to appoint the Republican candidate to serve until the election, when the voters would make the decision.

“If they could do that within the next 30 days, that’s who I would appoint to be the next commissioner, to take Dave’s place, because Dave was a Republican,” added Commissioner Epling. “That would be my choice.”

Republican Executive Committee President Julie Kominsky said on Monday night that the group held a special meeting and selected Daniel Hall as the Republican nominee on Monday evening.

She said that Hall and Commissioner Duckworth, who are both members of the committee, abstained from voting.

Kominsky said her group had reached out to the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office to ensure they were following proper procedure.

Tolliver, who had served consecutive terms on the commission since 2010, defeated Hall, Lucy Lester and Robert Mooney in the May 2022 primary election.

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