Karen Shueler Stakem is a Democratic candidate for the West Virginia House of Delegates representing District 5. Stakem is a Wheeling native, graduating from Wheeling Park High School and going on to obtain bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from West Virginia University. Following graduation, her and husband, Eric Staken, relocated to Washington D.C. and then returned back to Wheeling in 2000 to raise their three children.
Stakem currently works from home as a public affairs consultant and helps run her family business, ?Hole-N?-Run? sporting goods store in Wheeling. She serves as president of the board for YWCA Wheeling, is a member of the greater Wheeling Sports and Entertainment Authority, and is a member of the Local School Improvement Council at Woodsdale Elementary School.
Stakem?s campaign focuses on addressing economic and education issues in West Virginia, bringing awareness to the ?everyday issues of West Virginians.? Stakem ran unopposed and advanced from the Democratic primary on May 12, 2026. She is the granddaughter of Thais Blatnick, a former member of both the House of Delegates and the West Virginia Senate. She previously ran in races for a seat on the Ohio County Board of Education.