WV STATEWIREJUNIOR, WV — Republican State Senate candidate Jack Reger pointed to concerns over school closures and rising costs during campaign remarks delivered outside a Barbour County Elementary School slated to close.
Reger, who is challenging incumbent Sen. Bill Hamilton (R-Upshur) and former Sen. Robert Karnes in the District 11 Republican primary, spoke in front of Junior Elementary School, which is scheduled to close at the end of the next school year.
“Junior Elementary School is a quality school,” Reger said, describing it as a place where families across the district send their children for its educational environment. “Regrettably, it is set for closure.”
Reger criticized what he described as a lack of timely action by current leadership to prevent rural school closures, while also calling for a shift away from divisive political rhetoric.
“The warning signs were there and action wasn’t taken in time by our current state senator,” he said. “Families, teachers and students are living with the consequences.”
At the same time, Reger urged a more unified approach to addressing community challenges, saying the impacts of school closures extend beyond political differences.
“When the school closes, it doesn’t matter if you’re a conservative or a moderate. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican or a Democrat. Our entire community feels it,” he said.
Reger also linked school closures to broader affordability concerns, including rising health care costs, which he said affect families across the district.
“When premiums go up, it hits families in our district, no matter who they voted for,” he said.
Framing his campaign around unity and solutions, Reger said he is seeking to protect schools, reduce costs for working families and ensure residents feel represented.
“We don’t need more division. We don’t need more negativity,” Reger said. “Our district is ready for leadership that unites, that listens, and delivers positive change.”
The District 11 Republican Primary is scheduled for May 12.
