▁Dr . ▁Martin ▁Luther ▁King ▁at ▁Sel ma , ▁Alabama . ▁He ch ler ▁voted ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁the ▁Civil ▁Rights ▁Act s ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁and ▁the ▁V oting ▁Rights ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 5 . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁principal ▁architect ▁of ▁the ▁Co al ▁Mine ▁Saf ety ▁and ▁Health ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁which ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁put ▁a ▁ce iling ▁on ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁res pi rable ▁coal ▁dust ▁allowed ▁in ▁coal ▁mines , ▁and ▁st ip ulated ▁string ent ▁safety ▁reg ulations . ▁Though ▁an ▁oppon ent ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁Democratic ▁machine , ▁he ▁faced ▁little ▁opposition ▁in ▁Democratic ▁prim aries ▁and ▁was ▁re elect ed ▁eight ▁times . ▁ ▁E lection ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁He ch ler ▁faced ▁a ▁strong ▁primary ▁challenge ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁since ▁his ▁initial ▁run ▁for ▁the ▁seat . ▁Following ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁Census , ▁West ▁Virginia ' s ▁decl ining ▁population ▁cost ▁it ▁a ▁con gression al ▁district . ▁The ▁state ▁legisl ature ▁merged ▁He ch ler ' s ▁district ▁with ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁ 5 th ▁District , ▁compr ising ▁several ▁coal - min ing ▁count ies ▁around ▁Blue field ▁and ▁Beck ley . ▁The ▁ 5 th ▁had ▁been ▁represented ▁by ▁Dem ocrat ▁James ▁K ee ▁of ▁Blue field ▁since ▁ 1