In Our Opinion

Job Well Done

Charles Trump: The Morgan County delegate's decision not to run again will leave a big hole in state government.

The banner headline on the front page of Tuesday's edition of The Journal definitely was not the present we would have asked Santa Claus to bring us this year. We are sorely disappointed to see that Charles S. Trump IV, the Republican state delegate from Morgan County, has decided not to run for another term next year.

Trump was first elected to the House in 1992 and won reelection easily - often times unopposed - in 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2004. He was elected minority leader of the House by his fellow Republicans for this session and the past three legislative sessions and held the post of minority whip for the two previous sessions.

Trump quickly became one of the most respected and admired lawmakers in Charleston by members of both parties as well as observers of the legislative process, including the news media. He presented such an intelligent, articulate, positive image of West Virginia's Republican Party.

While standing up for the GOP agenda, he did not alienate his colleagues on the other side of the aisle. He truly worked hard to do what was best for the people of West Virginia. This is a rare attribute in politicians today.

The 45-year old husband and father of three has an AB degree from Princeton University and a JD degree from West Virginia University College of Law.

His reason for not running for a seventh term is to spend more time with his family, he says.

There should be no doubt in anyone's mind that Trump would have won another term in the House if he chose to run in 2006 even with his district expanded to include part of Hampshire County, which is predominantly Democratic but very conservative. The Democrats probably would not have been able to field a candidate to oppose him.

However, would he have been able to retain his post of leader of the GOP in the House of Delegates? Some of the more partisan members of the Republican Party do not necessarily like Trump all that much because he tries to get things done rather than be a shrill obstructionist.

Have the "me-first, people-second" partisan politicians gained that much power in Charleston that they could threaten the rational, pragmatic leadership of their own party?

Is this the real reason why Trump is stepping down?

Since the radicalization of the Republican Party in the Eastern Panhandle, Trump has been caught between a rock and a hard place.

As one of the highest ranking Republicans in the state, he cannot ignore his fellow Republicans, especially when they are on his very doorstep. But at the same time, if Trump gets too close to the back bench pariahs from the Panhandle, he would get nowhere dealing with Democrat leadership and the moderate, statesman Republicans.

And clearly, he's well respected by the Democratic leadership.

"I think he's more concerned with solving problems than with whether there's a 'D' or 'R' after your name," said House Speaker Bob Kiss, D-Raleigh.

At any rate, Trump's departure will open a hole in the GOP leadership. Who will fill it?

A long list of possible replacements for leadership of the GOP in the House could include former House Minority Whip Larry Border of Wood County, Mitch Carmichael of Jackson County, Donald Caruth of Mercer County, Cindy Frich of Morgantown, current House Minority Whip William Hall of Putnam County, Linda Sumner of Raleigh County, Christopher Wakim of Ohio County and Ronald Walters of Kanawha County.

The No. 2 man in the House GOP leadership, William Hall, must be considered a potential contender, making the short list. We would suggest Wakim and Walters be added to the short list, also.

And our dark horse candidate would be Frich.

We would suggest the battle lines will be drawn between the North and South and the moderate and the radical wings of the GOP.