About Joe Statler

A Proven Bipartisan Leader

A reliable, responsive delegate who serves in House leadership roles with the majority party

Joe Statler’s Monongalia County roots go deep: ten generations back prior to statehood. A lifetime Core resident, Statler is a retired coal miner with Consolidated Coal Company. Currently, he tends to his family’s 256-acre farm in western Monongalia County, and volunteers on various boards and other community projects.

Statler was elected to the WV House of Delegates in 2020, 2016 and 2014. During his legislative tenure, Joe has sponsored numerous pieces of legislation that has passed – 68 bills enacted into state law as of 2022 – including the LOCAL act, with the goal of improving roads across the state. He continues to push for improved roads, not just planning but maintenance too.

Recently, Joe secured a commitment from the WVDOH to improve and wide DuPont Road in anticipation of Mountain Top Beverage opening. This protects Westover residents and helps facilitate commerce at the Morgantown Industrial Park prior to the development of a new I-79 Harmony Grove interchange.

He championed education in Charleston, including proudly serving as Vice Chair of the House Education Committee. Joe’s long standing commitment to education meant that he always had the best interests of the state’s education system at heart. Statler was instrumental in creating and chairing the first House Committee on Fire Departments and Emergency Medical Services. In this position he has led the charge in addressing the concerns of West Virginia’ first responders, including getting funding for five mobile training simulators, and $169,000 to start a first responder training program via MTEC.

Previously in 2002, he was elected to the Monongalia Board of Education and served as Vice-President from 2008-2012. Statler led efforts to ensure that budget limitations were balanced with the need for outstanding curriculum, teachers, and facilities; always putting students and quality education first.

Statler has served on the Monongalia County Technical Education Center Advisory Board since 1992. Joe also led efforts as Co-Chair of the Clay-Battelle Athletic Facilities Board. He helped secure funding for the facilities, and dedicated hundreds of hours of labor to construct both the ballpark and athletic field for the students of Clay-Battelle.

As a farmer who believes in the power of education, it’s no surprise that Joe Statler is a strong supporter of agricultural education and leadership development opportunities for students, especially 4-H and FFA members. Joe likes to buy animals students raise as projects, and it’s not uncommon for him to give the animal back. Statler serves as an Extension Service committee member for the WVU Extension Monongalia County office.

Joe is also a past chairman and current member of the Morgantown-Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization, which has given him a comprehensive view of the county’s unique transportation and infrastructure challenges. Additionally, Joe also serves as a board member with Operation Welcome Home, he’s a member of the PACE Enterprises Board of Directors, board member of Clark Family Foundation, Co-Superintendent of Olive United Methodist Church, a founding member of the Mylan Park Foundation Board of Directors, and member of the FFA Alumni Association of Clay-Battelle High School.

He and his wife of 43 years, Louie are members of Olive United Methodist Church. Together they have three grown daughters all undergraduates of West Virginia University; Michelle, C.P.A., Kristen, M.D. and Marissa, J.D. He has two grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, and two more grandchildren on the way.