Judge Joseph C. Pomponio, Jr. retained his bench on the 11th Circuit for Division 1.  He has a great quality for a judge – being extremely humble and down to earth.  He prevailed in a campaign against a very prominent and well-liked candidate.  Overall, both candidates ran a very respectful campaign.

Judge Jim Rowe also retained his bench on the 11th Circuit for Division 2.  Judge Rowe has been a very popular judge in Greenbrier and Pocahontas counties.  In my experience Judge Rowe has been a fair, impartial, and knowledgeable trial judge, which is the heart of the job.  His opponent, a friend and mentor to me, ran a passionate and high-profile campaign, coming closer than anyone thought possible, and deserves credit.  It takes a lot of guts to put yourself out there and run for office.  A lot of people are willing to complain, but very few are willing to put their money (and their name) where their mouth is.

Patrick Via, a Republican, won the race for Prosecuting Attorney against Democrat challenger Martha Fleshman.  Pat is experienced, honest, and ethical, and will be a great prosecuting attorney for Greenbrier County – though I’m not sure if that is a good thing for defense attorneys….  

 – John H. Bryan, West Virginia Attorney