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Gus Douglass
Gus Douglass was a West Virginia commissioner of agriculture. Douglass, a Democrat, was the nation's longest serving state agriculture commissioner. He first assumed office in 1964 and subsequently re-elected until 2012, with the exception of 1988 when he ran for Governor.
On May 25, 2011, Douglass announced that he would not seek re-election in 2012.[1] He was succeeded by Walt Helmick (D), who won election on November 6, 2012.
Douglass died on March 19, 2015, after a fall at his Mason County home.[2]
Biography
Douglass was raised in Grimms Landing, W.Va., in a farming family. Until his death, he and his son operated a 540-acre family farm in Mason County, "specializing in beef cattle and grain production."[3]
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, he was elected commissioner - a position he held continuously with the exception of the four years immediately following an unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in 1988.[3]
Education
- B.A., West Virginia University
- Honorary Doctor of Laws, West Virginia University
- Honorary Doctor of Sciences, West Virginia University[3]
Political career
West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture (1964-1988; 1992-2012)
Douglass was the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the history of West Virginia and was the senior commissioner of agriculture in the United States at the time of his retirement. 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 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.[3]
Elections
2012
Douglass (D) did not seek re-election to the Department of Agriculture 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 to the Department of Agriculture in the November 2008 election, defeating Republican candidate J. Michael Teets.[4]
| West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, 2008 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Gus R. Douglass Incumbent |
53.1% | 352,242 | |
| Republican | James Michael Teets | 46.9% | 311,496 | |
| Total Votes | 663,738 | |||
| Election results via West Virginia Secretary of State | ||||
2004
On November 2, 2004, Gus R. Douglass won re-election to the office of West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture. He defeated Andrew Yost (R) in the general election.
| West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, 2004 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Gus R. Douglass Incumbent |
63.3% | 437,881 | |
| Republican | Andrew Yost | 36.7% | 253,402 | |
| Total Votes | 691,283 | |||
| Election results via West Virginia Secretary of State. | ||||
2000
On November 7, 2000, Gus R. Douglass won re-election to the office of West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture. He ran unopposed in the general election.
| West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, 2000 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Gus R. Douglass Incumbent |
100% | 485,648 | |
| Total Votes | 485,648 | |||
| Election results via West Virginia Secretary of State. | ||||
Campaign finance summary
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Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms West Virginia Agriculture Commissioner Gus Douglass. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| West Virginia | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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External links
- West Virginia Department of Agriculture, "Commissioner Gus Douglass"
- GusDouglass.com
- Project Vote Smart, "Gus Douglass Biography"
- Campaign contributions: 2010, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2000
- Facebook, "Gus Douglass"
Footnotes
- ↑ Wisconsin Ag Connection, "Long-time WV Ag commissioner to retire after 40 years," May 25, 2011
- ↑ WOWKTV.com, "Gus Douglass, longtime West Virginia agriculture commissioner, dies," March 19, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 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
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John T. Johnson (D); Cleve Benedict (R) |
West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture 1964–1988, 1992-2012 |
Succeeded by Cleve Benedict (R); Walt Helmick (D) |
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