Wheeling resident Owens Brown, also known for his role as president of the West Virginia NAACP, was selected from three candidates to fill the state Senate seat representing the 1st District.

Brown was one of three nominees to fill the vacant Senate seat left by William Ihlenfeld, who resigned Tuesday in order to take a new posting as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia. Brown was selected by Gov. Jim Justice above Del. Shawn Fluharty and former delegate Randy Swartzmiller, nominated by the 1st Senate District Democrats.

Brown said Thursday that he was honored to have been selected, and hopes to spend his time representing the 1st District focusing on retaining, and attracting, talent to the area.

“My major concern is how to bring people back to this area, and how to keep people from leaving the area,” he said. “That is a real big issue for me, to find ways to bring people back to this area.

“Stop the brain drain, basically,” he continued. “In West Virginia, … the brightest of our people are going elsewhere to make a living, and bring their talents elsewhere. We should be keeping those talents here.”

Justice made the announcement Thursday morning during his COVID-19 briefing, saying that Brown is someone he knows “fairly well.”

“I know this man will do incredible work,” he said.

Justice pointed out that Brown is the first Black man to have ever served in the state senate, and the first Black West Virginian to hold a Senate seat since Marie Redd’s 1998 election in which she served one term, representing the 5th District.

“He is now going to be the first African American serving in our Senate in over 20 years, and not only that, he is the first male African American in our Senate, ever. I congratulate him beyond belief. He will do an incredible job, I know he will…

“We need diversity,” he added. “We need other opinions. … I am so proud, so proud to be able to do that.”

Ihlenfeld was elected to that seat in 2018, so he would have faced a 2022 reelection campaign if he had remained in the Legislature.

Brown said Thursday that he is unsure at the present moment whether he will pursue a run to retain his seat in 2022.

“It’s an honor to be able to serve the people of West Virginia, and it’s an honor to represent this district especially,” he said. “I’ve got big shoes to fill there, and I hope to serve the people of this district to the best of my ability.”