Satanic panic type of article which misleads through BAD linking:

First up: 'Cult' why not community or coven (as the Witches usually like to call it)?

Lissa Lucas rose through the ranks of a Wiccan cult to its third level — the highest stage for most Wicca cults — and instructed lower-level Wiccans in occult practices, TheDCNF’s investigation found.

https://blackwitchcoven.com/wicca-a-religion/initiation-for-third-degree-wicca is cited as a source for what this 'Third rank' is while it is not the order to which she belonged which is later named in the article. The link links to a ritual for which there is no evidence her coven does these things and to a site which is focused on the larpy 'black-magic' practice. The Wicca belief doesn't have a book and the book of shadow is (from wikipedia):

In Eclectic Wicca In non-traditional or "eclectic" forms of Wiccan or Neo-pagan practice, the term Book of Shadows is more often used to describe a personal journal, rather than a traditional text. This journal records rituals, spells, and their results, as well as other magical information. This can be either an individual or coven text, and is not normally passed from teacher to student. In many cases, this kind of Book of Shadows is an electronic document (disk or website) instead of a hand-written one. Some reserve the Book of Shadows for recording spells and keep a separate book, sometimes called the Book of Mirrors to contain thoughts, feelings and experiences.

Back to the article, you'll see why I quote the Eclectic Wicca part.

Llysse Smith Wylle has been Pagan for many years and Wiccan for seven,” the description reads. “She is a member of the Third Circle of the Tradition of Universal Eclectic Wicca; she also teaches and coordinates its First Circle degree via the Coven of the Far Flung Net.”

See, This 'Third cirlce' is the third rank named before and differs from coven to coven (some have way more ranks, some have none) From the CUEW wiki (their website is down, as the Far Flung Net... both don't exist anymore for a while):

Types of membership

There are five types of membership recognized in UEW:

    Pre-First Circle - those who have only basic knowledge of UEW or Wicca and who will be typically registered for an introductory course in UEW
    First Circle - in which a knowledge of The Five Points of Wiccan Belief must be demonstrated;
    Second Circle - in which a higher degree of knowledge and signing of the oath of practice are required;
    Third Circle - in which an independent project has determined a "higher level" of Devotion to a "Path" of UEW; and
    Clergy - ordained ministers.

The photo used in the article seems to have no direct connection to either her or her coven.

As to why she didn't mention it in her campaign: It's usually a more private practice as the journey is personal and not the same for anyone, the coven is there for support but not, like most mainstream religions, to dictate from books on what to do/how to live/what is true. Being a Wicca doesn't say anything about you, your trustworthiness and most certain nothing about your political capabilities, it would be like saying if you wipe from the front or the back, standing or sitting.

Again from their wiki, their views on the 'others' (could be a nice oath for politicians):

Affirmation of Acknowledgement

In addition to the 'Five Points', UEW requires its members to assent to the Affirmation of Acknowledgement, which is intended to inform behavior towards, and interaction with, those of other faiths. It states that:

I: I acknowledge the presence of other faiths on my planet, indeed, right here in my city/town/village. I acknowledge that the followers of these faiths feel as strongly, maybe more so, than I do about mine.

II: I forgive the other faiths and wipe clean the slate between us. I cannot hold a person responsible for the acts of their faith, I cannot hold a faith at fault for individual practitioners. It is not my place to convert, or otherwise alter a person's religion. I invite discussion of beliefs without judgment of those holding them.seems to be down

III: I acknowledge that I may be wrong, and I have found comfort in the fact that I may be right.

Lastly, the title: West Virginia Democratic Candidate Was Pagan Witchcraft Cult Leader

• Pagan (should be Neopagan or Modern-Pagan, a long explanation as to why: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paganism)
• Witchcraft (Wicca [and covers the Neopagan thing] is shorter, true it might not do so well when panic stricken people want to google democrat witchcraft)
• Cult (Already addressed that, slander)
• Leader (Elder might have been better because Wicca is a personal faith and has no 'Leaders' just a support community and sure the Elders might have more 'wisdom' or 'experience' but that doesn't make them a leader)

I, myself am not a Witch and usually am the one to poke fun at them for cherrypicking copy/pasting older traditions (like alchemy, Hermeticism, Roman-Christianity (Their banishing rituals are usually straight up catholic), the Greeks and various oral traditions and folk-tales) without knowing why those traditions put things a certain way into words/scriptures, but this article can't even do that. Apart from the mail exchange and the social media/biography quotes the article is a rambling of bad (if any) internet searches and TV knowledge.