Newly elected treasurer aware of history he is making

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) - The newly-elected treasurer of West Virginia says he’s aware of the historical nature of his victory.

Riley Moore defeated long-time incumbent Democrat John Perdue to become the state’s first elected Republican treasurer in nearly a century.

In doing so, he completed a sweep of statewide offices. Perdue, first elected in 1996, was the only Democrat holding state office after Governor Jim Justice, elected as a Democrat four years ago, switched parties to become a Republican eight months after taking office.

Moore is the grandson of long-time governor Arch Moore and nephew of current U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito.

But he told us in a telephone interview Friday it was his ideas-not his family name-that led him to win.

“The gravity or the historical significance is not lost on me or the campaign, since we have not elected a Republican state treasurer in 92 years," Moore said. "But we’re up to the task, and we’re really excited to get going.”

Moore wants to focus on implementing a savings plan, called the “Jump Start Savings Plan”, for non-college graduates he talked about often during the campaign.

He says it’s a plan that will help grow the middle class.

Moore adds he and Perdue have begun working on a transition for the treasurer’s office.

He takes office in January.