Klempa Looks to Take On Drilling in Senate

Wheeling Intelligencer - 3 November 2010
By Casey Junkins, Staff Writer

With increasingly more Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling taking place throughout West Virginia's Northern Panhandle, state Sen.-elect Orphy Klempa knows it is time for the Legislature to act.

"Right now, there is entirely too much drilling with not enough regulations in place," said Klempa, D-Ohio, following his Tuesday general election victory over Republican Charles Schlegel of Wheeling. "We need to make sure these gas companies are respecting our land."

Klempa, who has served as a state delegate since his 2006 election, will replace outgoing 1st District state Sen. Ed Bowman, D-Hancock, who decided not to seek re-election this year. Klempa carried 58.7 percent of the vote in the district, which includes all of Hancock and Brooke counties, along with most of Ohio County.

Unofficial election totals indicate Klempa garnered a total of 17,044 votes, with 7,632 coming in Ohio County, 4,292 in Brooke County and 5,120 in Hancock County. Schlegel, meanwhile, carried a total of 12,015 ballots, including 5,437 in Ohio County, 2,448 in Brooke County and 4,130 in Hancock County.

"It seems like every time I'm in a race, it goes down to the last moment," Klempa said, noting he campaigned throughout the district. "My wife and I worked very hard because this was by no stretch of the imagination a good year to be a Democrat."

Schlegel, though disappointed in the results, pledged to support Klempa's efforts in Charleston.

"This was a very clean race," Schlegel said. "The voters of Ohio, Hancock and Brooke counties are getting a good representative. ... He (Klempa) will do a good job for us."

Klempa also thanked Schlegel for the amicable race, noting, "This was not a mud-slinging campaign."

"Charlie (Schlegel) is a man of honor. I wish him all the best," Klempa said.

The senator-elect added he hopes to continue the work he began in the House in his new role, including confronting some of the state's unfunded liabilities.

"I am very humbled by the level of support I got. I plan to do the very best I can do for the voters," Klempa added.