CHARLESTON — Sen. Mike Oliverio, D-Monongalia, announced Friday he will not run for re-election. What would have possibly been an unopposed race for Oliverio has so far turned into a face-off between a current and a former delegate.
Delegate Barbara Evans Fleischauer, D-Monongalia, and former Monongalia County Republican Delegate Cindy Frich both filed Friday to run for Oliverio's 13th District Senate seat.
Oiiverio said, "It's time for me to begin a new chapter in my life." In the coming days, he'll announce what course he intends to pursue.
Another reason he decided to move on, he said, is family — leaving his wife and children in Morgantown during the 60-day session and for nearly a week each month during interims is difficult. During the session, he returns home to see them on weekends.
"With two small children it has become increasingly more difficult to leave them each week," he said.
He served in the House of Delegates 1993-'94, was elected to the Senate in 1994 and has served since January 1995. His term ends Dec. 31,
Oliverio said he wanted to announce his decision not to run tn order to give interested candidates time to file by midnight tonight.
Leaving an office he's held for 18 years is an emotional experience, he said. He's going to miss it.
"It's been the highest honor to serve the people of Monongalia and Marion counties," he said. "It's meant the world to me to serve."
One of his proudest accomplishments, he said, is the Day 50 rule. The 50th day of the legislative session is the last day a bill can pass out of its house of origin. Any bills not passed die. This leaves 10 days for the other chamber to examine and pass Lhe bill,
"I began advocating for that soon after I arrived here," he said.
Before the rule, "it was a circus in the last four hours," he said. Bills passed without being read. Amendments were tacked on without anyone's knowledge. "The process was in some degree a state of anarchy."
For instance, one legislator was able to include an extra pension for his father in a bill. Another bill passed with an amendment written by a lobbyist.
As other new members came aboard during his early years, he said, they joined to prod the leadership to adopt the rule.
"Now people know what they're voting on," he said. "It created transparency and openness. It improved dramatically the quality of our work as a Legislature."
Fiscal responsibility is the focus for this session, he said — paying down debt, particularly the $7.8 billion Other Post-Employment Benefits debt
At the same time though, "We can't allow the budgetary constraints to so occupy our time and efforts that we don't do some of the things that need to be done to enrich the quality of life" of West Virginians, he said.
The 13th District's other senator, Roman Prezioso, DMarion, said, "He's going to be missed in the Senate."
Prezioso was elected to the Senate in 1996, after serving three terms in the House of Delegates, and he and Oliverio have served together since.
"It's been a pleasure," Prezioso said of their service together. "He's just a remarkable individual. He has utmost integrity. Mike and I have had a great relationship. I've trusted his judgment. I appreciate his vision."
Prezioso also cited the Day 50 rule as one of Oliverio's major achievements.
"He's always thinking,'" he said. "He's always concerned about Monongalia and Marion counties."
Fleischauer previously registered to run for re-election to her House seat. Code says she has until midnight tonight to withdraw from that race, or she can't be certified to run for any office She said she intends to do this.
Fleischauer said she has wanted to run for Senate, but didn't want to run against Oliverio. When word of his announcement came,with short notice, she decided to run.
"If I was going to jump off the deep end, I might as well jump," she said.
Because there are only 34 senators compared to 100 delegates, senators have a stronger voice, she said, and she wants to take advantage of her 14 years of House experience to serv< Monongalia and Marion counties in the 13th District.
"I'm proud of what 1 was able to accomplish," she said. "It's really very exciting."
This is an office Frich had thought about seeking too, she said, but she also didn't wish to ru against Oliverio. She said She was also inspired to run by her legislative successes during her four years in the House, from 2003-'06. "I helped clean up a lot of messes," she said.
She, too, would like to have that stronger voice, and "In the Senate I'd have a lot more input," she said.
In the 2008 race for the House of Delegates 44th District, Fleischauer and Frich were separated by less than 1,000 votes: Fleischauer had 16,061 to edge out Frich, with 15,245 votes, for the fourth seat in the district.