WHEELING — West Virginia’s youngest delegate to the Democratic National Convention — a Wheeling native — will be reading off the Mountain State’s vote total during the DNC’s ceremonial roll call today.

Kathryn Prather, 18, will be joined in the honor by the state’s oldest delegate — Jean Evansmore, 83, of Mount Hope. A virtual vote of the delegates took place prior to the convention.

The DNC started Monday, and Prather spent a part of Monday morning rehearsing the script for the announcement. She is a recent graduate of Wheeling Park High School who plans to attend Johns Hopkins University as an engineering student this fall.

“I’m super excited. I am honored I can do this and represent West Virginia,” she said. “The experience so far has been incredible, as has the scale of everything. I’ve met people from across the country already. Everyone is so friendly.”

Prather noted there is a very large security presence in the city, and she feels safe in Chicago.

“And that says something as a young woman walking around in a big city where she has never been before,” she added.

Prather and the other local delegates all said they supported Vice President Kamala Harris to be the party’s nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

They added there’s much more excitement evident at the convention under “Harris-Walz” banners than what was expected with President Joe Biden as nominee.

Former Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott — a current U.S. Senate candidate — attended his first DNC back in 1992 when he was a congressional intern. This is his first convention as a delegate.

“You see a discernible energy here that was missing a month ago,” Elliott said. “The excitement has been growing since President Biden’s withdrawal from the race. It was believed his age was depressing Democratic excitement, but that is no longer the case.”

“From what I’m hearing in the halls, there is enthusiasm.”

Elliott said he supports Harris as the party’s nominee.

“After the president’s debate performance, the quick consensus was that he was not the best messenger for the party. It just made sense to put the vice president into that position,” he continued. “I certainly think she has brought energy to the party. There is an understanding in West Virginia that the Democratic brand is challenged. But with her entry into the race, this is energizing younger voters.

“She will get more Democratic voters out in West Virginia. I won’t suggest she will win electoral votes, but she will help downvote races — including mine.”

Wheeling attorney Teresa Toriseva is a candidate for West Virginia attorney general, and also serves as first vice chair of the State Democratic Party. This is her first DNC.

“There’s so much energy here. It’s electric. Everyone is excited,” she said. “People approach you and want to talk about the election, and sometimes it’s just people on the street and not other delegates.”

Toriseva said Harris rightfully “earned” the nomination through the delegate vote that happened before the election, and she supports her.

But Toriseva acknowledged the nominee issue has been “a tricky issue for Democrats.”

“Joe Biden is an American hero,” Toriseva said. “As vice president, he stepped back and didn’t run when Hillary (Clinton) was the candidate. Now he is making a personal choice to pass the baton to his vice president.

“I was not in the group calling on him to resign. But he has proven himself to be a political genius, and that’s why he decided to step down.”

Toriseva added that “America is just getting introduced to Kamala Harris.”

“As we see that happening, excitement is unfolding,” she continued. “I am vice chair, and whip for the West Virginia delegation to Chicago. I was involved in the process. This has been a process where she earned the nomination, and earned with excitement and people on fire for her.

“We voted, and the support was overwhelming. The Democrats are excited in a way this Democrat hasn’t seen since the election of Barack Obama.”

And that excitement in 2008 didn’t fully reach West Virginia like the rest of the country, according to Toriseva.

“That’s not true of Harris,” she explained. “When I go to the grocery store, they want to talk about Kamala. This feels different and better. I haven’t felt more positive as a West Virginia Democrat in my whole life.”

Wheeling Middle School teacher Jenny Craig, president of the Ohio County Education Association, is among the 26 delegates representing West Virginia at the DNC.

She also serves as secretary of the West Virginia Democratic Party.

It is her first DNC, and on Monday, Craig spent the day in National Education Association training sessions that are part of the DNC.

“So far the energy is electric, and the convention hasn’t even gaveled in,” she said. “I’ve attended NEA conferences and trainings today with educators from across the country talking about winning the things our students need to thrive and our educators need to teach and support our students

“I feel very safe. There are hundreds of DNC volunteers here to help with transportation and directions and everything in between.”

Craig also was happy with the process used to nominate Harris for president.

“I am the communications captain for the West Virginia delegation and I was able to communicate with and make sure everyone knew and felt comfortable with the process,” she said.

Delegates across the nation first digitally signed an online nominating petition for Harris. Harris later received the nomination following a virtual roll call of the delegates, Craig explained.