Kent Stevens (West Virginia)

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Kent Stevens

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Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

May 10, 2022

Education

Associate

Marshall University, 2006

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Navy

Years of service

1995 - 1999

Personal

Birthplace

Parkersburg, W.Va.

Religion

Christian

Profession

Building contractor

Contact

Campaign website

Kent Stevens (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent West Virginia's 1st Congressional District. He lost in the Republican primary on May 10, 2022.

Stevens completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Kent Stevens was born in Parkersburg, West Virginia. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1995 to 1999. He earned an associate degree from Marshall University in 2006. His career experience includes working as a building contractor.

Elections

2022

See also: West Virginia's 1st Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House West Virginia District 1

Incumbent Carol Miller defeated Lacy Watson and Belinda Fox-Spencer in the general election for U.S. House West Virginia District 1 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Carol Miller (R)	66.7	151,511
		Lacy Watson (D)	28.8	65,428
		Belinda Fox-Spencer (Independent)	4.5	10,257

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 227,196
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House West Virginia District 1

Lacy Watson advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House West Virginia District 1 on May 10, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lacy Watson	100.0	32,686

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 32,686
= 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 U.S. House West Virginia District 1

Incumbent Carol Miller defeated Scott Fuller, Zane Lawhorn, James Houser, and Kent Stevens in the Republican primary for U.S. House West Virginia District 1 on May 10, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Carol Miller	66.3	41,852
		Scott Fuller	9.8	6,197
		Zane Lawhorn	8.8	5,530
	Submit photo	James Houser	7.7	4,877
	Submit photo	Kent Stevens	7.4	4,658

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 63,114
= 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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Craig Roberts (R)

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

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

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Republican businessman wanting to help our state grow socially, financially, and safely through these ever changing times.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Protecting and helping WV businesses grow and develop new means of financial stability through tax reforms, cutting back on EPA legislation, and government based restrictions that intentionally impede our growth and ability to achieve our goals as a state.
• Cutting back on the absolutely absurd amount of money the federal government is spending and demand oversight of all government funded projects both in the United States and other countries.
• All human life is precious and should be treated as such. The fact that federal dollars pay for abortions is absolutely wrong. Abortion of a human being is wrong and the fact that society is forced to pay for it is wrong on so many levels.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Pro-Gun, Pro-Life, Voter’s Authentication through Identification, Federal overreach and overspending, the lack of teachers and nurses in our state, the technological adversity our business owners face daily, our failing infrastructure, our inability to attract new businesses on a commercial scale, our lack of high paying manufacturing jobs when that infrastructure is already in place, our inability to attract new residents when our state has so much to offer young families, our inability to gain control of the fentanyl freeway that runs through our state, we need to be teaching our youth that there is growth and economic opportunity here, our trade schools sit empty when its the fastest growing job market in the state, broadband internet access to every person in the state regardless of geographical location. I don’t believe that our current Representative is representing us on a scale deserving of the people of Southern West Virginia and I would love to change that.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to David B. McKinley, P.E. the current Representative of West Virginia’s 1st District. In my opinion Mr. McKinley sets the bar on how a state representative should operate in office.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The King-James Bible, and The Art of War

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, Integrity, open-mindedness, willingness

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Unrelenting drive to achieve a better life for myself and those that support me.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Determination to achieve and exceed the expectations set forth by the people of this great nation.

What legacy would you like to leave?

A better world.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

January 28, 1986 I remember watching the Space Shuttle Challenger explode into a fireball above Florida. I was 9 years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job at age 12 I cut grass for my great grandparents and their friends on Orchard St. in Milton, WV. I made $37.00 a week.

What is your favorite book? Why?

I have several but the Bible takes the top spot, there is so much to learn about history, life, and the ability to act as a good human being. Honorable mentions include Living Clean, Think and Grow Rich, and The Hobbit.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Spiderman

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

That silly ABCDEFU song, I know it’s terrible but its the truth.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Figuring out the kind of man I want to be.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The house represents the people not the states and have the ability to conduct congressional investigation and oversights into federal practices. The house is supposed to be the financial watchdog keeping track of federal waste and fraud.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Perhaps it’s beneficial but definitely not required for the position. Sometimes it’s easier for someone that hasn’t been groomed for the position to say, “ This isn’t right.”

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Energy independence

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

House Energy and Commerce

Subcommittee on Energy
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Education and Labor

Homeland Security

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Honestly I don’t know yet.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

The position I am running for has a 2 year term limit and I believe that is fair. If the Representative fails to meet the public’s expectations in that time period the public can very easily vote them out.

Tell us your favorite joke.

The current administration is always good for a laugh or two.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

I believe that compromise is an undesirable necessity that comes with making all policies. There is absolutely no way to please everyone at the same time but we must endure to do what is right.

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.

See also

2022 Elections

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Government

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Newsletters

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External links

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Candidate

U.S. House West Virginia District 1

Website

Footnotes

[show]

West Virginia's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Shelley Capito (R)

Jim Justice (R)

Representatives

District 1

Carol Miller (R)

District 2

Riley Moore (R)

Republican Party (4)