Wheeling Councilwoman Rosemary Ketchum Launches 2024 Mayoral Campaign at Centre Market
Eric Ayres Trending
WHEELING -- There was a buzz on the streets of Center Wheeling Wednesday night when scores of supporters and some curious passersby gathered during Wheeling City Councilwoman Rosemary Ketchum's official 2024 mayoral race launch.
An official announcement and launch party took place Wednesday evening outside the upper market house of Wheeling's historic Centre Market. Supporters held signs, sported T-shirts, welcomed a handful of speakers and cheered for Ketchum as she outlined past accomplishments and future aspirations if her campaign proves to be successful next year.
"I absolutely love the city of Wheeling," said Ketchum, who has worked in the trenches of her ward neighborhoods and for the city as a whole on a daily basis for 3½ years now. "The work has been incredible and has been difficult, and it's been worth it. When I look at the next four years here in the city of Wheeling, I want to make sure we're capitalizing on the momentum that we have."
Ketchum noted that the many issues that face Ward 3 - vacant properties and blight, lack of public transit, homelessness, small business impediments and other challenges -- impact these neighborhoods in particular, but also affect the entire community.
"I feel that the city of Wheeling is at a turning point - an inflection point," she said. "We need somebody who has the leadership, the skills and the enthusiasm to take that on."
If elected during next summer's 2024 municipal election, Ketchum would become only the second woman to serve as Wheeling Mayor, and the first transgender person elected mayor in West Virginia history, her campaign noted.
Ketchum, 29, has served in several different capacities in public service. She has served in leadership roles at the ACLU of WV, West Virginia Center On Budget and Policy, the Wheeling Arts Commission and the Friendlier City Project.
She was catapulted into the national spotlight during her first venture into public office, when she became the first transgender person elected to public office in the state of West Virginia in 2020. Since taking her position, she has served as Wheeling's Ward 3 council representative. Ketchum represents the city's East Wheeling, Center Wheeling, South Wheeling and Mozart neighborhoods.
Following her successful campaign for a seat on Wheeling City Council in 2020, she was interviewed by numerous national publications and television programs. Her efforts have been chronicled in a PBS documentary, as well as in Time Magazine, on MSNBC, CNBC and other shows.
Dozens of community leaders joined Ketchum on Wednesday night for her mayoral race launch, pledging to volunteer and support her 2024 campaign.
Kickoff "hosts" for Ketchum's campaign included Kellie White, Jenna Derrico, Braden Beckett, Alex Panas, Mikaya Green, Haley Steed, Crin Joy, Melinda Koslik, Wanda Morgan, Maddie McGregor, Ellie McGregor, Amy Cordy, Jermaine Lucious, Vincent DeGeorge, Joe Sparksman, Ron Scott Jr. and others.
The electric atmosphere of the launch filled the street outside of Centre Market, where motorists moving through the area had to navigate around the enthusiastic crowd that poured out into the middle of the street.
Ketchum said she is ready to take on challenges faced by the city and to represent everyone from all corners of the city - regardless of their age, background, political beliefs or social status. Often seen as a champion of those who are marginalized, Ketchum indicated that she is poised to elevate that fight to become known as a champion for everyone in the city.
"The city of Wheeling is an incredibly diverse city - geographically, socially, demographically - and it's really important that we elect somebody who can address issues across the border over every neighborhood," she said, noting that people in the community are passionate about Wheeling and issues stemming from infrastructure to economic development, recreation to beautification efforts, and litter prevention and neighborhood pride. "I know that community members - regardless of their neighborhood - care about these issues. So I'm excited to serve folks in every single neighborhood."
Ketchum said her ability to work collaboratively on these challenging issues and do so from an approach that involves hands-on community engagement sets her up to represent the community in a broader way.
Among the key issues Ketchum intends to tackle if elected are efforts to help small businesses and to keep entrepreneurs and young professionals from leaving the city. She said the city needs to help reduce the burden of overcoming certain obstacles to start a small business in Wheeling. Too often, people look to relocate to other locations in the area or even across the river to start their own business.
"Small businesses in Centre Market are a microcosm of the work that needs to be replicated across the city," she said.
Ketchum also said the city needs to stem the rise of homelessness.
"This is a state and federal issue that's begging for a local solution that just doesn't exist," Ketchum said, noting that local leaders need to continue the work that is moving the effort forward to address the homeless dilemma, but also need to work more closely on the matter with state and federal officials to access more funding needed to help bring local solutions to fruition.
If successful in her 2024 campaign, Ketchum would take the seat that will be vacated by current Mayor Glenn Elliott Jr., who will complete his second and final term in office at the end of June 2024.
The seat for mayor and all six ward council seats will be up for grabs during next year's municipal election. In the coming months, a number of additional candidates are expected to announce their intentions to run for seats on council - including candidates for the mayoral race.
Presently, only former Greater Wheeling Sports and Entertainment Authority Executive Director Denny Magruder has announced his intention to enter the race to become the Friendly City's next mayor.
The four-year terms for mayor and for the six ward council seats begin on July 1, 2024, and end on June 30, 2028. The positions on city council are non-partisan.