CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Members of the House of Delegates are responsible for addressing both local issues important in their districts and larger questions that affect the whole state. In five delegate districts that lie along the lower Kanawha River, we recommend the following:

District 39 -- Republican Ron Walters is a knowledgeable incumbent who represents well the northwest corner of Kanawha County.

District 38 -- Democratic challenger Ginny Moles of Nitro, would be a good delegate for that area straddling the Kanawha-Putnam county line.

District 22 -- Democrats Josh Stowers and Jeff Eldridge, both of Alum Creek, bring knowledge and experience. Stowers is vice principal at Horace Mann Middle School in Kanawha County. Eldridge is a former delegate. Their district covers much of Lincoln County and southern corner of Putnam.

District 14 -- Democrat Jimmie Wood Jr. of Point Pleasant, is new to the electoral process but brings a solid, working-class sensibility to the effort for that Putnam-Mason district south of the Kanawha River.

District 13 -- Democrats Helen Martin and Brady Paxton, both of Poca, have proven to be reliable Democratic members for a district that stretches north of the Kanawha River through parts of Putnam, Mason and Jackson counties.