Daley’s GOP challenger trying again
Just a month after the last election, Donald “Bud” Cook kicked off his second candidacy for the state House seat representing the 49th Legislative District.
Cook , 59, of West Pike Run Township, is again challenging Washington County’s senior legislator, Peter J. Daley III, 64, of California, who was elected in 1982.
The Republican candidate grew up in Clover Hill and is a graduate of California Area High School and West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, where he served two, two-year terms on Buckhannon City Council.
The e-marketing professional said in a news release, “Do we have problems in our region? Just take a ride around our region and read the articles. You bet we have problems. As a close friend of mine said about the messages from candidates in our most recent election, ‘You would have thought it was all butterflies and rainbows in our region.’
“This time, the 2016 campaign will be all about asking the hard questions and then demanding answers from our current elected leaders.”
State representatives are elected to two-year terms. The salary is $84,012.
Filing deadline for Democratic and Republican candidates is Feb. 16, and the primary election is April 26. The general election is Nov. 8.
In Washington County, communities in the 49th District include Allenport, Beallsville, Bentleyville, California, Charleroi, Coal Center, Cokeburg, Deemston, Donora, Dunlevy, Elco, Ellsworth, Fallowfield, Long Branch, Marianna, Monongahela, New Eagle, North Bethlehem, North Charleroi, Roscoe, Speers, Stockdale, Twilight, West Bethlehem, West Brownsville and West Pike Run.
In Fayette County, the district includes three townships plus Belle Vernon, Fayette City and Newell boroughs.