PARKERSBURG — A businessman from Parkersburg is running for chairman of the West Virginia Republican Party.

Matthew Herridge is a co-owner of the Qdoba Mexican Eats restaurants in Athens, Marietta and Vienna, the newest restaurant in the local franchises. His company, Charton Management, owned the local Burger King restaurants until selling the remaining eight franchised stores in May.

Chairwoman Elgine McArdle, an attorney from Wheeling, last week announced she was resigning. She became chair of the party in July 2022.

Herridge is the finance chairman of the state Republican Party. He was appointed two months ago.

Two important aspects of being chairman are building consensus and fundraising, skills Herridge said he acquired after years of involvement as chairman of the Government Relations Committee of the National Franchise Association. The association represented 7,500 Burger King franchise locations and was involved in lobbying and supporting candidates who were pro-business, Herridge said.

“Fundraising and consensus building, two very important skill sets that are going to be necessary for the chairman these coming years,” Herridge said.

A vote on the new chairman will be taken on Jan. 20 during the party’s Winter Meeting in Charleston, Kyle Saunders, executive director of the party, said.

The rules committee will meet prior to the meeting and propose a procedure for the election, then nominations will be taken and the executive committee membership will vote, he said.

The party bylaws require that the co-chairman be of the opposite gender of the chairman. Tony Hodge, the current co-chairman of the party, said in an email to the committee that his intention is to step aside if a male is elected as chairman.

“In such a scenario, I plan to vacate the co-chair office at the Winter Meeting’s adjournment, allowing the new chairman to appoint a new co-chair, as outlined in the bylaws,” the email said. “I have discussed this with Chairwoman McArdle and she has accepted these terms.”

Herridge said he has been contacting committee members to become acquainted with them and them with him.

“I’m hoping to get the confidence of the (State Executive Committee,)” he said.