GOVERNOR'S CHOICE Tomblin's Selection Of Putnam County Judge Has GOP Saying It's A Purely Political Move
Reported by: Kennie Bass
Videographer: Matt Durrett
Web Producer: Kennie Bass
Reported: May. 24, 2012 5:30 PM EDT
EYEWITNESS ONLINE WEBCAST VIDEO C L I C K T O P L A Y
Hurricane
, Putnam County
, West Virginia
Faced with a vacancy in the 29th Judicial Circuit, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin selected a name from three given to him by a committee.
Tomblin chose Teays Valley Lawyer Robert Leslie to take over the bench from retiring judge O.C. Spaulding.
Spaulding stepped down late last year after being diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
But Leslie wants the post on a more permanent basis. He won this month's West Virginia primary for the democratic nomination for the unexpired term.
Leslie's opponent is Putnam County lawyer Joe Reeder. He says the governor's selection is purely political.
However, Tomblin says politics had nothing to do with his choice to place a candidate on the bench five months before an election. He says Leslie was the best option of the three presented him.
Reeder says despite Tomblin's move, he doesn't think running as an incumbent will help his democratic opponent in the fall.
West Virginia's 2012 general election is set for November 6th.
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Kennie Bass
