Wed. Nov 6th, 2024

State Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt, speaking during a legislative interim meeting in Jan. 2022, won a third term in the role on Tuesday. (Will Price | West Virginia Legislative Photography)

West Virginia Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt won a third term in the role on Tuesday.

The Associated Press called the race for Leonhardt, a Republican over Democrat challenger Deborah Stiles at 8:50 p.m. Tuesday. At the time, Leonhardt had about 69% of the vote compared to Stiles’ 31%, with 46% of the votes counted. 

Leonhardt, a Marine and longtime farmer in Blacksville, previously served in the state senate. He was elected commissioner of agriculture for the first time in 2016 and reelected in 2020. He’s  a member of the Monongalia County Farm Bureau and past president of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture. 

Stiles is a farmer and a retired agriculture and rural policy researcher living in Parsons. She lives on a family farm on Limestone Mountain that raises vegetables, sheep, goats, cattle and poultry.

According to campaign finance reports on file with the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office, Leonhardt raised more than $265,000 as of mid-October. Styles brought in only about $7,300. 

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