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PARKERSBURG – Wood County will have a seat again in the West Virginia Senate as three candidates are vying for the unexpired term of the 3rd District seat.
Area businessmen Sam Winans, Gregory K. Smith and Mike Azinger are running for the two years remaining on the current term for the seat once heald by former State Senator David Nohe, R-Wood.
Nohe was re-elected to the four year term in 2014 and was only able to serve a year and resigned due to family commitments. Bob Ashley, a former delegate from Roane County, was appointed to the seat until the next regular election and served in the seat during the 2016 session. Ashley is now running for the full-term seat currently held by Republican incumbent Donna Boley of Pleasants County.
In announcing his candidacy for the full-term, Ashley said the seat with unexpired term could go back to being held by someone from Wood County.
Jobs and creating an environment condusive to creating jobs was a priority for each of the candidates.
Azinger, a Republican, has served the last two years in the West Virginia House of Delegates.
Azinger, 51 of Vienna, works in his family’s business dealing mainly with self-storage.
He is running for the Senate to be able to help strengthen the conservative faction of the state Senate so it can get more bills passed that will bring tax, tort, and regulation relief to West Virginia; also to help pass those very important social bills like religious freedom, gun freedom, and pro-life legislation.
“My priorities, if elected, will be to cut spending, cut government, cut taxes, and cut regulation-anything we can do to make it easier for job creators to do what they do best-create jobs,” Azinger said. “I believe we have been quite productive in these areas already in the last two years in Charleston, but we must continue doing so because we still have a long way to go.”
He wants to see the passage of a statewide Religious Freedom Restoration Bill (RFRA), which he says will give citizens the right to not violate their God-given freedom of conscience without fear of government persecution.
“This bill is crucial,” he said.
A similar bill, co-sponsored by Azinger, passed the House 72-26 on Feb. 11. However, the Senate ended up voting it down in early March.
Azinger said his time in the House has prepared him to serve in the Senate as he is already familiar with many of the issues already facing the state.
“I have two years of experience serving in the House of Delegates where I was glad to make many votes for the good of West Virginia,” he said. “These votes were not always popular, however; many were quite controversial.
“I do think that anyone who checks my voting record will see that I am not afraid to make those hard votes-the controversial votes. I will be proud and honored to do the same if elected to the state Senate.”
Smith, a Democrat, said it was important for a Senator to be able to work with both parties to get things accomplished for the state.
Since no other Democrat is running, Smith will move on to the general election in November and face the winner of the two Republican candidates.
Smith, 64 of Vienna, is the former Chief Executive Officer of Mountain State Blue Cross-Blue Shield from 1995 to 2009 when he retired; he’s a former member of the West Virginia University at Parkersburg Board of Governors; and a member of numerous community service organizations. He was also a past chairman of the Chamber of Commerse of the Mid-Ohio Valley.
“I’ve watched our state struggle with the same old broken politics,” he said. “I will work across party lines to find real solutions that will help the people of West Virginia.”
During his time with Blue Cross-Blue Shield, the company went from 100 employees when it first located in Parkersburg and it has grown to over 800 employees and does business all of the east coast of the United States.
The company also built a new $30 million headquarters on Market Street using local labor.
Smith wants to bring that business experience to the Senate. He understands how to work with people to get things done.
“I’m slso not going down there to sit in the corner,” he said. “I want to be a problem solver.”
He wants to be in Charleston addressing challenges. Since he is retired, he has the time to dedicate fully to his legislative responsibilities.
Smith is in favor of term limits for legislators.
“It would give the opportunity for someone with new and different ideas to serve the state,” he said.
The state has many problems and issues facing it from the state general revenue fund being underfunded to the persistant drug problem to the state’s deteriorating infrastructure. He wants to work on each of those and engage people in addressing those problems.
Creating an environment condusive to job growth and bringing in new jobs would go a long way to addressing those problems, Smith said.
“The major focus of my campaign is to get quality jobs created for the state,” he said. “I have the experience of doing that in our district.”
In dealing with the drug problem, he also favors a comprehensive approach.
Smith plans to visit the various voting precincts throughout the district over the next several months and talk with as many people as he can to get their opinions about what they see as the state’s greatest challenges and opportunities.
“I am convinced that the voters are tired of being talked at and are more interested in being listened to,” Smith said.
Winans, a Republican, said he is running because he believes he is the best candidate to represent the great people of Wood, Wirt, Pleasants an part of Roane counties.
Winans, 63, is the co-owner of Winans Services in Parkersburg.
“I am a West Virginian and I am exceptional proud of it,” he said. “We live here because we love being here in this beautiful State. The Mid Ohio Valley has given me and my family a wonderful place to run our businesses and to raise our family.
“Representing the citizens of the Third district is my way of giving back to our people. Let’s make West Virginia a home we all love.”
Winans’ priorities are to begin working to pare down an “overzealous government” and reinforce this is a “Government of the people and for the people,” not a Government of a heavy handed means.
“We can do this if we put our heads together and work toward common goals that will be defined by the people,” he said. “I am new at this but I believe the State of West Virginia must live within its budget the same way West Virginia families and businesses must.
“It makes no sense to me to pass laws unless we have the money to pay for the enforcement of them.”
The state needs to be able to attract a wide variety of businesses to West Virginia to provide needed jobs as the economy has changed over the years and the state needs to diversify its business climate to provide opportunities for its citizens, he said.
Winans wants teachers to be able to teach without stringent government regulations strangling their creativity. He wants West Virginia’s children to use their artistic and athletic skills to enjoy their educational years and he wants to work toward molding a climate where children can leave to explore our world and have jobs and an idyllic home to return to.
Winans wants to be able to to work with the other senators and delegates to raise the state’s profile so everyone will know it is a great place to call home.
“Achieving this is possible by listening to my constituents and find ways to make these ideas a reality,” he said. “We have numerous problems in West Virginia, but none so large that working together we cannot overcome.”
Winans was raised in a large family with nine children and his parents instilled a strong work ethic in them.
“I am a West Virginian because I want to be a West Virginian,” he said. “I was educated here and have had so many good things to remember here.
“It is my job to insure the people coming behind me have the same opportunities for success.”