Ireland for Governor 2011!?

**UPDATE!**

Betty Ireland is expected to be a leading Republican for the 2011 Very Special Election for Governor. Several West Virginia GOP members (@WVGOP) met yesterday to discuss plowing the way for Ireland to run, including; new WV GOP Chairman Mike Stuart (@MikeStuartWV) and former Governor Arch Moore. Speaking of Moore, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito still tops the list for 2011 GOP gubernatorial candidates, because she can keep her House seat while running for Governor.

It's also rumored that Stuart would like to run for public office in 2012. Other GOP 2011 gubernatorial possibilities include Mark Sorsaia, the Putnam County Prosecuting Attorney. For more information on Sorsaia, check out Zac Taylor's story in today's Gazette (@wvgazette) : http://bit.ly/chT1dH.

Ireland and Pritt: Strapping on Stilettos in 2012?

Here’s an option I haven’t heard yet: Betty Ireland for Governor in 2012? Charlotte Pritt for Congress?

Everyone seems to think Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (@Capito4Congress) will run for Governor in 2012, but with the possibility of having 5 people sitting in the Governor’s seat between now and then, why would she want to? Her father was Governor, so continuing the family legacy in her father’s footsteps seems reasonable. But what will our beloved Mountain State look like between now and then? And with her eye on Rockefeller’s seat in 2014, why would she pass that up?

So what other Republican female has statewide recognition and could be strong contender for our first female Governor? Former Secretary of State Betty Ireland (@bettyireland). She’s “politically connected,” weekly Facebook updates and tweets that depict her as a lover of family, policy, and profession. Her latest tweet was about Governor Jan Brewer (@GovBrewer) and how they knew each other when they were both Secretary of State. Ireland was the first female elected to West Virginia’s Executive Branch when she became the 28th Secretary of State in November 2004. Winning that election proved she knows how to campaign to “likely voters,” so she’s got her media vehicles to all demographics covered.

Another former female politico who seems to be under the radar is Charlotte Pritt.

Pritt served in the West Virginia House of Delegates for 4 years,then went onto serve in the State Senate for two terms. In 1996, she became the first female to secure the gubernatorial nomination for either political party in West Virginia, running against Manchin. She also ran for Governor in 1992 but was defeated by Gaston Caperton. Does she have her eye on something in 2012?

2012 has been dubbed the year of the female in the political world, and these are two experienced West Virginia women that just might be strapping stilettos on and hitting the campaign trail.