WHEELING — Sen. Laura Wakim Chapman secured the Republican nomination Tuesday in District 1, defeating Joe Eddy in a four-county primary that drew attention amid significant outside political spending and industry opposition tied to insurance reform policy debates.
Chapman’s campaign became a focal point for the state’s insurance industry, with Big Insurance-aligned groups targeting her and opposing her support for measures aimed at strengthening policyholder and consumer protections. Despite the outside pressure, Chapman maintained a lead across the district and ultimately won the nomination. Her margin over Eddy increased following the endorsement by Gov. Patrick Morrisey.
Chapman defeated Eddy with 3,696 votes to 2,515, according to unofficial totals.
In Brooke County, Chapman received 730 votes (61.5%), while Eddy earned 458 votes (38.5%), giving Chapman a solid countywide advantage. In Hancock County, Chapman again led with 1,341 votes (58.9%) compared to Eddy’s 937 votes (41.1%), marking one of the largest raw vote totals in the district.
Marshall County delivered Chapman her strongest performance of the night, where she received 428 votes (66.9%) to Eddy’s 212 votes (33.1%), representing her widest margin of victory. In Ohio County, Chapman maintained a narrower but decisive edge, earning 1,197 votes (56.9%) compared to Eddy’s 908 votes (43.1%), which also marked Eddy’s strongest county performance.
Overall, Chapman won the four-county district with 3,696 votes (59.5%), while Eddy finished with 2,515 votes (40.5%). Chapman’s strongest showing came in Marshall County, while Eddy performed best in Ohio County, where he posted his highest percentage of the contest.
