Kessler Becomes Senate President

• {Charleston, West Virginia}...Monday night, the Senate selected Marshall County State Senator Jeff Kessler to replace former Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, who vacated his long-time Senate seat Sunday to become West Virginia's 35th governor. Earlier in the day, Acting Senate President Jeff Kessler won the closed door Democrat caucus 17-11.  Eleven Democrats voted for Kanawha County State Senator Brooks McCabe. Senator Kessler has served as Acting Senate President since being elected on January 12th, 2011 after the Senate voted to adopt a change to the Senate rules to create the new position. Kessler was first appointed to the Senate in 1997 and has been reelected since then.