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Ernest Blevins

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Ernest Blevins
Image of Ernest Blevins

Republican Party

Elections and appointments
Last election

May 14, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

College of Charleston, 1992

Graduate

Savannah College of Art and Design, 2001

Other

University of West Georgia, 2009

Personal
Birthplace
Spartanburg, S.C.
Religion
Unaffiliated
Profession
Archaeologist
Contact

Campaign Facebook

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Ernest Blevins (Republican Party) ran for election to the West Virginia House of Delegates to represent District 57. He lost in the Republican primary on May 14, 2024.

Blevins completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Ernest Blevins was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Blevins' professional experience includes working in historic preservation and cultural resource management as an architectural historian, historian, and archaeologist. He has worked as a contractor with FEMA and as a stagehand. Blevins earned a bachelor's degree from the College of Charleston in 1992, a graduate degree from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2001, and a degree from the University of Georgia in 2009.[1][2]

Blevins has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1]

  • Society of Mayflower Descendants
  • Sons of the American Revolution
  • Founders & Patriots
  • Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
  • Sons of Confederate Veterans
  • Living New Deal
  • West Virginia Historical Association
  • Southeastern Archaeological Conference
  • Southeastern Society of Architectural Historians

Elections

2024

See also: West Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2024

General election

General election for West Virginia House of Delegates District 57

Incumbent Hollis Lewis defeated Mark Carter in the general election for West Virginia House of Delegates District 57 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Hollis Lewis
Hollis Lewis (D) Candidate Connection
 
54.9
 
4,006
Image of Mark Carter
Mark Carter (R) Candidate Connection
 
45.1
 
3,287

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 7,293
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for West Virginia House of Delegates District 57

Incumbent Hollis Lewis advanced from the Democratic primary for West Virginia House of Delegates District 57 on May 14, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Hollis Lewis
Hollis Lewis Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
1,343

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 1,343
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for West Virginia House of Delegates District 57

Mark Carter defeated Ernest Blevins and Aaron Neil in the Republican primary for West Virginia House of Delegates District 57 on May 14, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Mark Carter
Mark Carter Candidate Connection
 
40.8
 
597
Image of Ernest Blevins
Ernest Blevins Candidate Connection
 
32.9
 
482
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Aaron Neil
 
26.3
 
385

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 1,464
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Blevins in this election.

2022

See also: West Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2022

General election

General election for West Virginia House of Delegates District 57

Incumbent Douglas Skaff, Jr. defeated Ernest Blevins and E.C. Anderson in the general election for West Virginia House of Delegates District 57 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Douglas Skaff, Jr.
Douglas Skaff, Jr. (D)
 
61.1
 
3,044
Image of Ernest Blevins
Ernest Blevins (R) Candidate Connection
 
33.1
 
1,650
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
E.C. Anderson (Mountain Party)
 
5.7
 
285

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 4,979
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for West Virginia House of Delegates District 57

Incumbent Douglas Skaff, Jr. advanced from the Democratic primary for West Virginia House of Delegates District 57 on May 10, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Douglas Skaff, Jr.
Douglas Skaff, Jr.
 
100.0
 
1,049

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 1,049
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for West Virginia House of Delegates District 57

Ernest Blevins advanced from the Republican primary for West Virginia House of Delegates District 57 on May 10, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Ernest Blevins
Ernest Blevins Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
641

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 641
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Mountain Party primary election

Mountain Party primary for West Virginia House of Delegates District 57

E.C. Anderson advanced from the Mountain Party primary for West Virginia House of Delegates District 57 on May 10, 2022.

Candidate
✔
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
E.C. Anderson

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Ernest Blevins completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Blevins' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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I work in cultural resources doing archaeology, architectural history and historic preservation. I formally worked for the state, but now in private contracting doing fieldwork (physical blue collar excavation), research, and reports. I moved here 10 years ago and remained by choice to raise my children who attend public school, virtual school, college and one in the workforce. My education includes a terminal Master of Fine Arts in Historic Preservation and Ph.D. courses in History. I've written history related articles for the local paper and appeared in magazines. I record historic sites related to the New Deal appearing as a national research associate volunetter on LivingNewDeal.org.
  • Eliminate the income tax. The income tax requires forms and personal information that can be stolen for ID theft. Furthermore, removing it saves the citizens time from not having to file forms and the state time and money of not processing forms and checks. Many states that are growing have no income tax and is a reason they are seeing relocation to those states. It also defines fair in taxes as all are participating at some level in society.
  • Improve the education in West Virginia by providing students with the knowlege they need including requirement for personal finance. Reintroduction of courses to expose new topics such as shop classes for the academic students providing life skills in tools and practical skills. I support a variety of educational means parents may choose including public, private, virtural, and home school.
  • Election protection. I support voter ID. I belive that the way the electoral college is held can be improved by creating districts for each electoral college vote and ceasing the winner take all. This reduces means for fraud with four (under present representation) districts to win vs just one large state. Main and Nebraska have current similar systems.
Income tax, education, cultural and natural resources, preservation of freedoms, state employee compensation similar to their national peers to help with recruitment and retention of state employees.
A good listener, a problem solver, someone who regularly looks further ahead than limiting thoughts/consequences to the immediate future. I get along well with most people, even those of different political opinions. I am interested in helping people.
Thought of as a good historian and historic preservationist leaving a research and writings for future generations to see the booksmarks of hitory left behind.
1. A moon landing. Not sure if it is the first one or a later one as the first one I was only months old. I think the memory is a combination of the first few landings. 2. The 1976 election results were broadcast on TV. In fact that year I recall the station I watched the Republicans were in blue and the Democrats in red on the state map.
My first job was in 1986 at Rax Resturant. I worked there about 11 months when it closed. I moved on to serving at a local stakehouse/buffett (simlar to Ryan's) which I worked the rest of high school and the summer before college.
"It's My Job" by Jimmy Buffett.
Making ends meet in various economic situations even having to work at times that required sacrifices for family time. I get living paycheck by paycheck and making ends meet with finding deals such as day of meat sales. Even when succesful the thrifty habits remain, in case they are needed again.
I tell alot of "dad jokes" to my kids and wife. They laugh or roll their eyes.
At this time no endorsements. In 2022, West Virginia Right to Life.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2022

Candidate Connection

Ernest Blevins completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Blevins' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I moved to Charleston, West Virginia, from Georgia in December 2013 with my wife and six children. I earned bachelors degrees in Studio Art and Anthropology with minors in music and history from the College of Charleston in South Carolina. I earned my Master of Fine Arts in Historic Preservation from Savannah College of Art & Design along with a Certificate in Public History from the University of West Georgia., I’m pursuing a Ph.D. in History through the online program at Liberty University.

In the past, I was a stagehand for almost 20 years, working both union and nonunion jobs – giving me insight into both sides of the labor issues. After leaving the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office, I currently work in the private sector in cultural resource management and historic preservation.

Areas of interest to me in state government include education, historic preservation, conservation, taxes, improving wages, supporting first responders, law enforcement, veterans, and supporting and protecting the 2nd amendment.

I also enjoy photography (often of historic places and a lot with work), genealogy, reading history and fiction (I usually listen to fiction on audiobooks while driving).

I am the right choice for House District 57.
  • Education: I have six children that attended (one graduated) Kanawha County Schools). I have one that, over his school years, was homeschooled. I think it is essential for parents to be the primary decision on their choices to educate their children, including what is taught and what is not taught. Subjects bringing in indoctrination and opinions should be left out of the schools.
  • Taxes: Protect citizens' identities from theft by limiting what government paperwork personal information is on, including tax returns that take time and resources to complete. Reduce citizens' workload on compliance and protect them by moving away from income tax. Having no state income tax will attract residents to move to West Virginia and be an incentive for those citizens to remain here. No income tax states such as Florida, Tennessee, and Texas demonstrate the value of this form of taxation. It also taps the cash economy and tourists with sales tax purchases
  • 2nd Amendment: The purpose of the second amendment is to protect communities with a militia. To arm the militia with weapons are protected right. I support freedom to carry guns, open and concealed carry. I oppose excessive taxation and limits on guns and ammunition. I support the creation of a state guard that is only answerable to the state such as Georgia and South Carolina maintain.
Historic Preservation, Cultural Resource Management (CRM), History and issues regarding preservation of sites and monuments and expanding the stories told at historic places without subtracting from other stories.

Protecting identity from theft by supporting the elimination of tax forms that can provide personal information, reduce the state burden on reviewing, going after, and refunding taxes, preferring an anonymous system that taps revenue that expands the obligation to those in the cash economy and tourists (while also promoting tourism in general to the state -- which ties to the first about historic preservation for heritage tourism).

Improving state workers' salaries. While in state service, I discovered the office was underpaid compared to 30 other states even when adjusted to Charleston, West Virginia dollars. I am sure this is anecdotal, but I believe other offices are similar. Improving this will retain state workers and prevent turnover (reducing the expense of replacing).

Education, I have six kids and strongly support parents' involvement in education, including homeschool., private, charter, and other situations. I support keeping divisive theories, social issues, and politics out of the classroom.
My late parents for all they taught and ingrained in me in my family. My ancestors who came here at various times, including the Mayflower in Massachusetts and to South Carolina. The ones that fought in the Revolutionary War, the War Between the States (I have both Confederate and Union). More recent of my ancestors got me in part into my career (and the subject of my MFA thesis) is my paternal grandfather, an architect who also worked in historic preservation, including part of the efforts to put in the first historic preservation ordinance in the United States. Outside of the family, I first heard of Rush Limbaugh in 1988 and realized that he thought a lot like me, even if some details vary.
Knowledge of history. Understanding their limits and having trusted experts in a variety of topics where the official can turn in times of need to understand proposed legislation.
I can listen and debate in a civil manner particularly with those where we are in disagreement. I am well read on a variety of issues and have friends and associates that know material better than I that I am willing to call upon to educate me as needed. I know my limits and I know who can help me stretch those limits. I have my support network.
First to their district that they represent. Second to the region then the state.
I have memories of the moon landing, although I'm not sure which one or ones as I was less than one in 1969. I think most of it is constructed from several of the landings. I do recall at seven (turning eight a week or so later) watching the 1976 election results, back when networks chose the colors, so some had Republicans as blue and Democrats as red. In 6th grade, we followed the Iran hostage crisis. I also put up a Reagan sign in the yard and wore Reagan-Bush buttons.
In my teen years I volunteered at a teen center most Friday nights where I did cashier, coatroom, and kitchen activities. This paved the way for my first paid job in high school was at Rax Restaurant in Spartanburg, South Carolina where I did cashier and kitchen. It operated for 11 months before closing.
So many to list both fiction (Sandra Brown is a favorite), and non-fiction (how many history ones can I include?)
Wilson Percell. No you have never heard of him. Its a story I started writing years ago involving time travel and reenacting. Its a fun adventure. Maybe one day I will finish it.
"The Weekend Song" Billy Joel, third cut off of the Piano Man LP.
Life is an adventure. Sometimes its easier than others, but successfully managed the ups and downs of family, career, finances in such a way that I've been married since 2001, have six healthy and well mannered children growing to responsible adults. Not sure I'd call it a struggle, but from time to time a challenge to rise up to.
I believe that neither should be a rubber stamp on the other's legislation. But they must work together.
Economic diversity and retaining/growing population. Since before the West Virginia was created in 1863, coal was a leading product along with timber. Coal will be around for a long time, but demand is in flux. The state needs to move towards getting infrastructure and a workforce reading for other jobs and with a tax system that benefits all by keeping and attracting citizens by removing the burdens of paperwork.
Only Nebraska has a unicameral state legislature. I do not foreseeing this as an issue in West Virginia of moving to such a model particularly after finally moving to single member House of Delegates districts with the 2022 election.
I believe a mix is best with some with experience in office but moving back to the private sector, changing to other offices, or retiring before becoming a career politician in one office. I believe that in community organizations that changes in leadership is good for bringing new leaders up, training new leaders, and preventing burnout.
Building relationships is good, either to know your friend or know your enemy. One can have a relationship and disagree on everything.
Look at the number needed. Maintain counties as much as possible, if split then keeping the county seat in the majority of the county. Ignore all race, sex, and political party data and only use the numbers. No thin connecting lines and linear "arms" unless natural boundaries or established political boundaries are already in existence. No territory of a district that is only a street wide. Keep the district as much of a blob as possible.
Agriculture and Natural Resources -- due to interest in historic preservation

Education -- having children in the schools and from teaching at a college level.
Government Organization -- as I have ideas addressing some of the issues I witnessed in my past state experience.

Judicial committee as covers some of my interests and is a catch all for things not referable to other committees.
Former Sen. Glenn McConnell of South Carolina, I admire his knowledge and use of the chamber rules when he was in office.
I would consider such at a future time. I am not planning on the office to be a stepping stone to another although I would not rule out a future office at some level of government.
I have some personal experience dealing with pay issues and the situation of state employee salaries in a particular office not equal to similar state offices (adjusted to local dollars.

Several have told me horror stories of the state foster care, DHHR, and adoption issues including weaponizing CPS.
I have kids how many "dad jokes" can I put? I do have a sense of humor, my wife and kids never know what funny stuff I may come up with.
The governor is best regarding immediate emergency powers as he is always present in the office. The legislature meets for 60 days, then in interim meetings. However, it may be appropriate to review, comment, and consent on emergency powers in those sessions, particularly if they extraordinary length of time.
Depends on the situation if it is desirable and/or necessary. Historically compromise was beneficial to progressing legislation and finding common ground. In the modern era, it is used as a way to incrementally make changes revisiting issues time and time again.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Ernest Blevins campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* West Virginia House of Delegates District 57Lost primary$223 $223
2022West Virginia House of Delegates District 57Lost general$3,161 $2,715
Grand total$3,384 $2,938
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

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    Footnotes

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on April 9, 2022
    2. ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email communication with Ernest Blevins," February 6, 2024


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