Kent Gilkerson
Kent Gilkerson is a retired federal corrections officer born and raised in Fayette County. He has been a union leader for over 20 years, and is also a small business owner of Sunset Berry Farm, an agritourism venue. His top policy issues are data center regulation and education. His campaign says he has list of bills he wants to back to try and give residents a greater say in data center construction within their community. This is his first election. He ran uncontested in the Democratic primary.
· Candidate campaign website & Ballotpedia (secondary source)
Campaign site
“As a farmer, union leader, and retired prison worker, I've spent my life solving problems, standing up for working families, and fighting for fairness. It's time for leadership rooted in hard work and common sense — putting people before politics for a change.”
(Kent Gilkerson Campaign Website) “I'm a lifelong West Virginian, retired correctional officer, union leader, farmer, and small business owner. Raised in a hardworking Fayette County family, I've learned the value of honesty, perseverance, and standing up for what's right. Today, I'm running for the West Virginia Senate to protect our communities, strengthen education, support working families, and preserve our Appalachian heritage.”
(Kent Gilkerson Campaign Website) “Serving My Community Dedicated my life to mentoring others, supporting local families, and teaching the next generation the values of hard work, responsibility, and respect for the outdoors.”
(Kent Gilkerson Campaign Website)Vince Deeds
Deeds grew up in Hinton, West Virginia and attended Hinton High School. He has a master’s in psychology from Quantico and was trained but did not serve in the FBI. He is currently retired from the West Virginia State Police and is a pastor at Sink’s Grove Baptist Church, as well as working with the Lewisburg prosecuting attorney’s office, and serving as the Director of School Safety for Greenbrier County. He has been in the Senate since 2022 , serving as vice chair of the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee, and the Natural Resources Committee. His campaign says he is very proud of his role in the largest tax cut in state history recently signed into law, and positions himself as a strong example of conservative family values.
Campaign site
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(Vince Deeds Campaign Website)