W.Va. Gov. will not seek re-election

AP | 8/13/03 | LAWRENCE MESSINA

[kattracks]

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Gov. Bob Wise will not seek a second term, dropping out of the 2004 race three months after acknowledging an extramarital affair.

Wise, a Democrat, is the first governor not to seek re-election since the state Constitution was changed in 1970 to allow a sitting governor to serve a second consecutive term.

The 55-year-old Wise was linked to Angela Mascia, who oversees European projects for the West Virginia Development Office.

Mascia, 35, was married at the time but has since divorced. Her ex-husband, Phillip Frye, vowed to remind voters of the affair, even by running for governor himself.

"I've caused my wife significant pain," Wise said Tuesday. "We're dealing with it."

After word of the affair surfaced in May, Sandy Wise said she accepted her husband's apology but since has not been seen publicly with him. They have two children.

Wise said his family has returned to Washington, D.C., where they lived while he was in Congress. He said he commutes there on weekends.

"I'm spending the time with them that I should have been," he said.

The governor said he felt an obligation to be with his family and be an effective governor. Had he run for re-election, he said, he also would have to campaign, leaving him unable to meet all his responsibilities.

Wise served 18 years in Congress before defeating incumbent Republican Gov. Cecil Underwood in 2000.

As West Virginia's chief executive, Wise expanded the state lottery system to encompass video poker-style machines, long suspected of illicit payouts. He signed a bill legalizing heavier weights for coal trucks and supported jury award caps in medical malpractice cases.

West Virginia has also kept its solid bond rating and ended the recent budget year with a slight surplus, despite fiscal problems in most states across the country. Wise has credited his rounds of spending cuts for West Virginia's financial footing.

"I don't think he has anything to hang his head about in terms of accomplishments," said House Speaker Bob Kiss, a Democrat. "In difficult times, both he and the Legislature have accomplished a tremendous amount, and he deserves a tremendous share of the credit as the governor."

By April, Wise had raised more than $1 million for a 2004 campaign. He said he would refund his contributors.

Wise also said he has no immediate plans to endorse a successor. Four Democrats and four Republicans had filed pre-candidacy papers with the secretary of state's office.

[goldstategop]

What no "Monica Privilege" defense? Awwww....

[Viet Vet in Augusta GA]

The "European projects" office of the West Virginia state government???

[bmwcyle]

They elect the Dems and they get what they ask for.

[goldstategop]

Is that the one where two people do it on taxpayers' time?? ;-)

[Dahoser]

The "European projects" office of the West Virginia state government???

Projects where KKK Byrd's name is Europeanized:

• Robert O'Byrd Civic Center
• Robert Byrdadieu Post Office
• Robert Byrdarelli Ocean Research Center

[mountaineer]

See previous threads for a little background and commentary:

Gov. Bob Wise (D-W.Va), aka Hotlips, Not Running for Re-election; Dem vultures circling carcass and (WV Gov) Wise May Not Run.

This is good news for W.Va. and its emerging Republican party.

[jmaroneps37]

NOW THIS COULD BE VERY GOOD FOR US.

[mountaineer]

GOP chair predicts Jackson will be Dems' choice
By Mannix Porterfield/REGISTER-HERALD REPORTER

Gov. Bob Wise's exile from the race clears the way for Lloyd Jackson's certain victory in next year's Democratic primary, a Republican leader predicted Tuesday.

From the sandy beach of Top Sail, N.C., where he is vacationing with family members, GOP Chairman Kris Warner predicted the "good ol' boy" network would thwart Secretary of State Joe Manchin.

"Only one Democrat had the guts to stand up to Bob Wise, running no matter what, and that was Joe Manchin," Warner said via cell phone.

"Joe Manchin was not part of that Democrat political machine. I'm afraid he won't make it out of the primary."

Jackson plans to file candidacy papers right away, ending speculation the former Lincoln County senator would join the race.

"Once the key endorsements take place for Lloyd Jackson, it's over," Warner said.

"It's the same old Democrat political machine, the good ol' boy network, south of Route 60."

Unlike his opponents, Warner said Republicans will nominate a candidate "in a very open process," devoid of key endorsements.

"Our candidates truly have to run on the issues," he said.

"The cream will float to the top. We'll have the very best. Then we'll be in excellent position to handle the Democrat political machine south of Route 60. People are sick and tired of what they've had. They want change."

Warner felt vindicated in making the prediction about Wise last week, noting all of his forecasts have held up, despite protests from Wise's staff and Democratic leaders.

Another major one remains to be proven - that House Speaker Bob Kiss, D-Raleigh, will run for the state Supreme Court. Warner stood by that one.

"We're simply telling the hard-working people of West Virginia what their administration has not told them," he said.

Warner said he appropriately was in black swim trunks because he was "in mourning that this has happened" to Wise.

Wise's decision was hailed by Delegate Ron Thompson, D-Raleigh, as a matter of putting his family first.

"The governor has indeed chosen family over politics and I applaud him for that decision," the chairman of the House Banking Committee said.

Thompson said he planned to work with Wise for the duration of his term and is waiting with "great anticipation for the election process" to find his successor.

"These are difficult times we live in and, as with Gov. Wise and many members of the current Legislature, it is going to take serious people working with serious citizens of West Virginia to solve these tough problems," he added.

In the nation's capital, Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., saluted Wise's lengthy public service, saying he took on the difficult tasks.

"Despite the obstacles, Gov. Wise has never shied way from difficult decisions," the senator said.

"He has never wavered in his commitment to the people of West Virginia. Bob Wise is always willing to take the time to listen to people, to hear their concerns and to work to find solutions. That has been a hallmark of his public service."

[RushLake]

They elect the Dems and they get what they ask for.

You got it! My wife's family is from West Virginia. One of her sisters moved back there and married a very fine man who is an honorably retired 21 year Marine Corp veteran, loves fire arms, is opposed to abortion (as are many of the many fundamentalists in W. Va.), is opposed to anti-heterosexual rights, can understand the difference between "gross" and "net" on his check stub--in short, all the things that real conservatives stand for and believe. I pointed all this out to him, and asked him why he voted democrap. His response was that Robert Byrd has done a lot for W.Va. I'm sure he'll vote for the next democrap candidate for governor too.

[countrydummy]

Jackson? If he is the best they will offer, I do expect a republican in office this time. Wise really screwed up the demorat party this time! Thank you Bob Wise (not)!

[samanella]

Sen. Dementia brought in jobs, not businesses. Jobs that are purely government jobs, salaried by the taxpayers. Another form of welfare.

[HamiltonJay]

hahahaha West Virginians by and large don't care he fooled around.... now if he'd been found to have been sleeping with a guy, he would have become the next Jimmie Hoffa.

[HamiltonJay]

How do you figure? Have you actually been to WV?

This state has NOTHING... literally nothing! Its top 3 employers are federal government, state government and Wal Mart....

If you think WV is a bastion of hard core conservatism you are nuts... this is a state where something like 1/2 to 3/4 of the people recieve some sort of assistance. I don't think you are going to see a R governor here anytime soon, and if you do it won't be a hard core right winger.

[mountaineer]

Cecil Underwood, a Republican, was W.Va. governor from 1996-2000. He defeated an ultra liberal Dem in '96, Charlotte Pritt, but couldn't beat Bob Wise in 2000, who promised the sun, moon and stars to the electorate, especially senior citizens (of course, he hasn't delivered a thing, but I digress). Even West Virginians have their limits when it comes to electing Democrats, it seems. A Dem candidate could be corrupt, stupid, adulterous, a former Klansman, and mean to puppies, and still get elected, but he'd better not be a far-out pro-abort leftist.

[HamiltonJay]

He beat Charlotte Pritt in 96 because the state would no way elect a woman governor, no matter who she was. You write way too much into Underwoods victory if you think it was because he was a conservative or she was too liberal.

[mountaineer]

Well, what do I know, I only live in W.Va.

[samanella]

Cecil, IMHO, lost the last race because of his age. He was an excellent governor the first term he served and was saddled by a heavily good ol' boy legislature the last time he served.

You're right. A woman governor in WV?????? Well, maybe Shelley Moore Capito will stand a chance.

[samanella]

Yeah, but they already have a casino and NASCAR is comin'!!!!

[mountaineer]

We've had female legislators for decades, and currently have a woman congressional representative. I really don't think West Virginians are sexists. I just don't think they go for extremists, especially left-wingers.