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Toni DiChiacchio
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Toni DiChiacchio (Republican Party) ran for election to the West Virginia House of Delegates to represent District 78. She lost in the Republican primary on May 10, 2022.
DiChiacchio completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2022
See also: West Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2022
General election
General election for West Virginia House of Delegates District 78
Eugene Chiarelli defeated Jeffrey Budkey in the general election for West Virginia House of Delegates District 78 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Eugene Chiarelli (R)  | 56.6 | 3,056 |
 | Jeffrey Budkey (D) | 43.4 | 2,341 | |
| Total votes: 5,397 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for West Virginia House of Delegates District 78
Jeffrey Budkey advanced from the Democratic primary for West Virginia House of Delegates District 78 on May 10, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jeffrey Budkey | 100.0 | 721 |
| Total votes: 721 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for West Virginia House of Delegates District 78
Eugene Chiarelli defeated Toni DiChiacchio and Scott Nale in the Republican primary for West Virginia House of Delegates District 78 on May 10, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Eugene Chiarelli | 36.8 | 444 |
 | Toni DiChiacchio | 31.8 | 384 | |
| Scott Nale | 31.4 | 379 | ||
| Total votes: 1,207 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Toni DiChiacchio completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by DiChiacchio's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Born and raised in WV, I completed accounting and economics degrees at Shepherd College and, like many, left the state for employment opportunities. I practiced for more than a decade in tax and accounting, primarily in my own practice I founded in 1997. In 2001, the events of 9/11 made me reflect on my contribution to others. I decided to pivot my career and became a nurse. I have been an RN since 2005. When I completed my graduate work I wanted to return to WV to care for my home state. I have practiced in numerous settings, including owning a primary care practice. I have also worked as a nurse faculty and administrator in higher education and four years ago I once again pivoted to the needs of my community to transition my clinical practice to the care of patients with addiction. During my time in WV I have worked on state policy through grass roots and leadership efforts as, among other roles, the President of the West Virginia Nurses Association and WV state representative for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. I have served as a board member and finance chair of the Monongalia County Health Department for the past seven years and held a number of other appointed roles on state health policy related boards, councils and commissions. Once again I find it time to pivot and further my contribution to my community. I am seeking elected office to use my knowledge and expertise to further the advancement of WV.
- We must work to contain healthcare costs and enhance the healthcare workforce to assure accessible, quality, affordable care.
- Government must be accountable and transparent with taxpayer dollars.
- Infrastructure, education outcomes and sound economic policies must be a focus to build our economic base for long-term stability.
Healthcare, right-sized regulation, government accountability, tax policy, infrastructure and economic development.
Free to Choose by Milton Friedman
Honor, integrity, hard-work & commitment, inquisitive, selfless and courageous in the service of constituents.
I am an experienced leader, both trust-worthy and gusty, with a broad skill set and professional experience conducive to addressing the needs of the state. I have experience in policy analysis and grassroots advocacy at the state legislature which has provided the opportunity to develop an understanding of the process and relationships with people involved in state policy-making, including elected officials and other stakeholders. I am hard-working, driven and detail oriented and very much enjoy the actual work involved in policy development. Most importantly, people and their needs truly matter to me; even if a legislative approach would not be the best method to assist a constituent in need, I would readily, and wholeheartedly, assist in finding solutions to problems brought forth.
The core responsibility of someone elected to office is to be a good steward of taxpayer funds. Understanding that a tax system is the mandatory relinquishment of citizen's assets under threat of punishment, including loss of freedom, at it's core requires a deep respect for the fiduciary responsibility held by those authorizing the collection and spending of said funds. Assuring the core common interests of a society are prioritized, including safe, maintained common infrastructure, public safety, and a judicial system that is fair and just is required. Spending on education and a social safety net are also important to a civil society. To do this effectively government has the responsibility to be accountable to the citizens, assuring money is spent wisely, outcomes are monitored and wasteful spending not achieving its expected purpose is discontinued. Transparency, even when uncomfortable, is absolutely necessary to mitigate the likelihood of the concentrated power held by government becoming corruptible. Finally protecting the individual rights and liberties of citizens through tempering unnecessary regulation and government overreach is important for a thriving community that maximizes the likelihood of upward mobility, community cohesiveness and resiliency.
My first job was at McDonald's in Martinsburg, WV when I was 16 years old. I worked there for nearly 1 year before moving on to work in retail and banking through college. My first professional job as a CPA after college was as an Internal Revenue Agent for the IRS which I did for 5 years before starting my own tax and accounting practice.
Do It Again (Beach Boys)
There is benefit in at least some level of engagement with government or politics for a state legislator. Experience in grass-roots advocacy for example has significant benefits. Having an understanding of the legislative process, the committee structure, bill-drafting, and a historical reference as to on-going issues allows for a new state legislator to hit the ground running and serve constituents interests most efficiently.
To be most effective it is very beneficial to build relationships with other legislators. Understanding what motivates colleagues, where their interests lie, common ground to build consensus and diversity of ideas to make better policy all are enhanced by good working relationships with other legislators. Each legislator has only one vote and only with a consensus of the majority can priorities be advanced.
Compromise is often necessary though not always desirable. In a legislative body each representative has only one vote and it takes a majority to move legislation forward. In contemplating desired policy, a good policymaker will understand what the ideal situation is, what they are willing to accept, and what they absolutely will not compromise. Understanding this in advance allows a savvy policymaker to prepare arguments and craft an acceptable position to achieve forward momentum in the key areas of desired change.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2022 Elections
External links
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Candidate West Virginia House of Delegates District 78 |
Personal |
Footnotes
Current members of the West Virginia House of Delegates
Leadership
Minority Leader:Sean Hornbuckle
Representatives
District 1
Pat McGeehan (R)
District 2
Mark Zatezalo (R)
District 3
Jimmy Willis (R)
District 4
Bill Flanigan (R)
District 5
Shawn Fluharty (D)
District 6
Jeffrey Stephens (R)
District 7
Charles Sheedy (R)
District 8
Bill Bell (R)
District 9
Trenton Barnhart (R)
District 10
District 11
Bob Fehrenbacher (R)
District 12
Vernon Criss (R)
District 13
Scot Heckert (R)
District 14
Dave Foggin (R)
District 15
Erica Moore (R)
District 16
Joe Parsons (R)
District 17
Jonathan Pinson (R)
District 18
Jim Butler (R)
District 19
Kathie Crouse (R)
District 20
Sarah Drennan (R)
District 21
Jarred Cannon (R)
District 22
Daniel Linville (R)
District 23
Evan Worrell (R)
District 24
Patrick Lucas (R)
District 25
Sean Hornbuckle (D)
District 26
Matthew Rohrbach (R)
District 27
Michael Amos (R)
District 28
Ryan Browning (R)
District 29
Henry Dillon (R)
District 30
Jeff Eldridge (R)
District 31
District 32
Josh Holstein (R)
District 33
Jordan Bridges (R)
District 34
Mark Dean (R)
District 35
Adam Vance (R)
District 36
S. Green (R)
District 37
Marty Gearheart (R)
District 38
Joe Ellington (R)
District 39
Doug Smith (R)
District 40
Roy Cooper (R)
District 41
Jordan Maynor (R)
District 42
Brandon Steele (R)
District 43
District 44
Carl Roop (R)
District 45
Eric Brooks (R)
District 46
Jeff Campbell (R)
District 47
Denny Canterbury (R)
District 48
Tom Clark (R)
District 49
Stanley Adkins (R)
District 50
David Pritt (R)
District 51
Marshall Clay (R)
District 52
Tresa Howell (R)
District 53
Tristan Leavitt (R)
District 54
Mike Pushkin (D)
District 55
JB Akers (R)
District 56
Kayla Young (D)
District 57
Hollis Lewis (D)
District 58
Walter Hall (R)
District 59
Andy Shamblin (R)
District 60
Dana Ferrell (R)
District 61
Dean Jeffries (R)
District 62
Roger Hanshaw (R)
District 63
District 64
Adam Burkhammer (R)
District 65
Carl Martin (R)
District 66
Jonathan Kyle (R)
District 67
District 68
Chris Phillips (R)
District 69
Keith Marple (R)
District 70
Mickey Petitto (R)
District 71
Laura Kimble (R)
District 72
Clay Riley (R)
District 73
Bryan Smith (R)
District 74
Mike DeVault (R)
District 75
Phil Mallow (R)
District 76
Rick Garcia (D)
District 77
Joe Statler (R)
District 78
Eugene Chiarelli (R)
District 79
Evan Hansen (D)
District 80
John Williams (D)
District 81
Anitra Hamilton (D)
District 82
David McCormick (R)
District 83
George Street (R)
District 84
D.R. Jennings (R)
District 85
John Paul Hott (R)
District 86
Bryan Ward (R)
District 87
Gary Howell (R)
District 88
Rick Hillenbrand (R)
District 89
David Cannon (R)
District 90
George Miller (R)
District 91
Ian Masters (R)
District 92
Michael Hite (R)
District 93
Michael Hornby (R)
District 94
Larry Kump (R)
District 95
Charles Horst (R)
District 96
Lisa White (R)
District 97
S. Anders (R)
District 98
Joe Funkhouser (R)
District 99
Wayne Clark (R)
District 100
William Ridenour (R)
Republican Party (91)
Democratic Party (9)
