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Gus Douglass
| Gus Douglass | ||
 | ||
| West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture | ||
| Former officeholder | ||
| In office | ||
| 1964 - 1988, 1992 - 2012 | ||
| Party | Democratic | |
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $95,000 | |
| Education | ||
| Bachelor's | West Virginia University | |
| Personal | ||
| Religion | Baptist | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
Contents |
On May 25, 2011, Douglass announced that he would not seek re-election in 2012.[1] He will be succeeded by Walt Helmick (D), who won election on November 6, 2012.
Biography
Douglass was raised in Grimms Landing, West Virginia in a farming family. Still today, he and his son operate a 540-acre family farm in Mason County, "specializing in beef cattle and grain production."[2]
Before beginning a long career in public service, Douglass operated a farm equipment and motor truck dealership. He started working for the West Virginia Department of Agriculture in 1957 as Assistant Commissioner, and in 1964 was elected Commissioner - a position he held continuously with the exception of the four years immediately following an unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in 1988.
Education
- BA, West Virginia University
- Honorary Doctor of Laws, West Virginia University
- Honorary Doctor of Sciences, West Virginia University
Political career
West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture (1964 - 1988; 1992 - Present)
Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture in the history of West Virginia and is the senior Commissioner of Agriculture in the United States. He served as president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture and the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture.
During his tenure in office, Douglass has received a number of awards, including the Gamma Sigma Delta award for Distinguished Service to West Virginia Agriculture and Progressive Farmer magazine's "Man of the Year" in West Virginia Agriculture. He was inducted into the West Virginia Agriculture and Forestry Hall of Fame in 2002.[2]
Elections
2012
Douglass (D) did not seek re-election in 2012. Walt Helmick (D) defeated Kent Leonhardt (R) and write-in candidates Betty Quintana and Carl Waggoner in the November 6, 2012 general election.
2008
Douglass won re-election in the November 2008 election, defeating Republican candidate J. Michael Teets.[3]
| West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
 Gus Douglass (D)
|
352,242 | |||
| J. Michael Teets (R) | 311,496 | |||
Campaign donors
Ballotpedia collects information on campaign donors for each year in which a candidate or incumbent is running for election. The following table offers a breakdown of Gus Douglass's donors each year.[4] Click [show] for more information.
| Gus Douglass's Campaign Contributions | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture | 2004 West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture | 2000 West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture | |||||||||||||||||
| Total Raised | $43,408 | $18,656 | $5,565 | ||||||||||||||||
| Total Raised by General Election Opponent | $163,154 | $1,899 | n/a | ||||||||||||||||
| Top 5 contributors | Gus Douglass | $8,656 | Marge & Billy Burke | $2,000 | Lewis Thomas | $1,000 | |||||||||||||
| John Perdue | $2,000 | John Perdue | $1,000 | Truman Wolfe | $1,000 | ||||||||||||||
| Arden Curry | $2,000 | Dr. Joe Starcher | $1,000 | Janet Fisher | $1,000 | ||||||||||||||
| BASF Corporation Employees PAC | $1,000 | Truman & Debbie Wolfe | $1,000 | Massey Energy | $500 | ||||||||||||||
| Heat & Frost Insulators and 7 individual donors | $1,000 each | Jacob Secor and Gary Connell | $1,000 each | West Virginia Farm Bureau | $500 | ||||||||||||||
| Individuals | $28,663 | $17,669 | $4,465 | ||||||||||||||||
| Institutions | $2,840 | $650 | $1,050 | ||||||||||||||||
| In-state donations | $39,815 | $11,888 | $4,850 | ||||||||||||||||
| Out-of-state donations | $2,500 | $1,100 | $0 | ||||||||||||||||
See also
External links
- West Virginia Department of Agriculture - Commissioner Gus Douglass
- Official campaign website
- Project Vote Smart biography
- Campaign contributions: 2010, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2000
- Gus Douglass on Facebook
References
- ↑ Wisconsin Ag Connection, "Long-time WV Ag commissioner to retire after 40 years," May 25, 2011
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 West Virginia Department of Agriculture, "Biography of Commissioner Gus R. Douglass," accessed December 28, 2011
- ↑ West Virginia State Board of Elections, "November 2008 General Election Results," accessed March 19, 2011
- ↑ Follow the Money.org
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by ' |
West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture 1964–1988, 1992-2012 |
Succeeded by Walt Helmick |
| ||||||||||||||
