ELKINS — Buckhannon City Councilman Jack Reger announced his campaign for the West Virginia State Senate on Tuesday at the Tygart Hotel, positioning himself as a political outsider in a three-way Republican primary.
Reger, a former assistant superintendent for Upshur County Schools, former chief financial officer for Monco Constructors and a former consultant for The Reger Group defense contracting firm, is seeking the District 11 seat. He will face Sen. Bill Hamilton and former Sen. Robert Karnes in the Republican Primary on May 12, 2026.
“I want to express my gratitude to everyone for attending this evening,” Reger told supporters. “I know it’s a sacrifice to come out on these chilly nights away from your comforts of home. I am thankful you’re here.”
Reger said West Virginia “stands at a crossroads,” arguing that decisions made now will shape the state’s future for generations.
“We need to work together to build this state and most importantly this senatorial district into one that is thriving and affords opportunities for our families today and for our children and our grandchildren in the future,” he said. “The barriers for prosperity need to be eliminated.”
Much of Reger’s speech focused on affordability for seniors and working families. He called for streamlining the senior citizens tax credit by removing the application process and automatically granting the benefit at age 65.
“They should receive the senior citizen tax credit once they turn 65 years of age,” Reger said, adding that lawmakers should expand the homestead exemption so “seniors and families can stay in their homes.”
He also advocated lowering utility bills by strengthening coal and natural gas policies, allowing cross-state insurance competition to reduce premiums and requiring insurers to pay valid claims.
Education was a central theme of the announcement. Reger criticized school closures in the district, saying no Senate district in the state “has seen more school closures than ours.”
“When schools close in Upshur, Barbour and Randolph counties, the loss goes far beyond a building. A school is the heart of a community,” he said. “This is not acceptable. And I won’t let that happen. Our students deserve better.”
Reger called the state Department of Education’s hiring practices “administrative incest,” arguing that leadership positions have too often been filled from within. He said he would introduce legislation requiring broader searches for the state superintendent and other top officials.
“We must bring in those individuals who are successful and bring in transformational leadership into our education system,” he said. “We want the very best. Our children deserve the very best.”
He also proposed creating specialized classrooms for students with autism at each programmatic level and establishing clearer pathways for teacher training and certification to serve those students.
On economic policy, Reger called for reducing business taxes from 6% to as low as 2% or 3% to compete with surrounding states, trimming regulatory burdens and expanding vocational and academic training.
“A thriving economy is the foundation of strong communities,” he said. “Let’s remove the barriers to investing in West Virginia.”
Reger sharply criticized Senate Bill 616, passed in 2022, which he said limits public access to records involving crimes against children. He tied the issue to recent reports alleging that Jeffrey Epstein flew into Randolph County beginning in 2005 while trafficking underage girls.
“Transparency not only respects the public’s right to know, but it empowers voters and strengthens our democracy,” Reger said. “Protecting children is essential and holding abusers accountable is a fundamental public safety responsibility.”
In closing, Reger pledged to focus on government accountability, ethics reform, transparency, child welfare, annual performance audits and increased support for municipalities, particularly for water infrastructure and emergency services.
“West Virginians deserve a government that is open, honest and responsive to its citizens,” he said. “Together, let us create a state that works for everyone.”
Reger is running in District 11, which includes Braxton, Webster, Pocahontas, Randolph, Upshur, Barbour and Pendleton counties. The Republican Primary is scheduled for May 12, 2026.
