CHARLESTON — Four incumbents and two challengers from the area have filed pre-candidacy papers with the West Virginia Secretary of State's Office.
By filing pre-candidacy papers, the candidates are declaring their intentions to run for office in 2010.
Sen. Dave Sypolt of the 14th Senatorial District will be running for re-election, as will Sen. Walt Helmick of the 15th Senatorial District.
Sypolt is a Republican from Kingwood, and represents Mineral, Preston, Taylor, Tucker and Barbour counties, as well as a portion of Grant and Monongalia.
Helmick, a Democrat from Marlinton, represents Hampshire, Hardy, Morgan, Pendleton, Pocahontas, and Randolph counties, as well as a portion of Berkeley, Grant and Upshur.
On the House side, incumbents Del. Allen Evans of the 48th Delegate District and Del. Ruth Rowan of the 50th Delegate District have both filed for pre-candidacy. Evans is a Republican from Dorcas and Rowan, a Republican from Points.
Newcomer Alan Mitchell Davis, a Democrat from Romney, has filed his intentions to  challenge Rowan for her seat.
District 48 is composed of Grant and portions of Mineral and Pendleton counties, while District 50 is composed of portions of Hampshire and Mineral counties.
In the 49th Delegate District, which is composed solely of Mineral County and is currently represented by Del. Robert Schadler, a Republican from Keyser, will be up for grabs in 2010 as Schadler has indicated his intention to run for Mineral County circuit clerk.
Two political hopefuls — one from each end of the county — have filed their intentions to replace Schadler. Gary G. Howell, a Republican from Keyser, and Charles Messick, a Democrat from Ridgeley,  are both pre-candidates.
According to Mineral County Clerk Lauren Ellifritz, the state requires that candidates file pre-candidacy papers in order to be able to purchase any kind of election materials or do any advertising for the upcoming race.
Those running for statewide offices must file with the secretary of state's office in Charleston, while those running for county offices must file in the local county clerk's office.
The local offices to be on the ballot for 2010 include county clerk and the three seats on the board of education, along with the single county commission seat and circuit clerk.
On the state level, all three seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, one  State Senate seat in each district, and all 100 House of Delegates seats in the state will be up for grabs.
The regular candidate filing period opens on Jan. 11 and runs through midnight Jan. 30.