Lacy Watson

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

Lacy Watson

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 8, 2022

Education

High school

Princeton High School

Bachelor's

Concord University, 1999

Graduate

Nova Southeastern University, 2006

Personal

Birthplace

Bluefield, W.Va.

Religion

Christian

Profession

Instructor

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Personal Facebook

Lacy Watson (Democratic Party) (also known as Eugene) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent West Virginia's 1st Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.

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

Biography

Lacy Watson was born in Bluefield, West Virginia. Watson earned a bachelor's degree from Concord University in 1999 and a graduate degree from Nova Southeastern University in 2006. Watson's career experience includes working as an instructor at Bluefield State College.

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

---

	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

---

	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

---

	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.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Craig Roberts (R)

2020

See also: West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020

West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020 (June 9 Democratic primary)

West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020 (June 9 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House West Virginia District 3

Incumbent Carol Miller defeated Hilary Turner and Belinda Fox-Spencer in the general election for U.S. House West Virginia District 3 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Carol Miller (R)	71.3	161,585
		Hilary Turner (D)	28.7	64,927
		Belinda Fox-Spencer (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	0

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 226,512
= 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 U.S. House West Virginia District 3

Hilary Turner defeated Lacy Watson, Paul Davis, and Jeff Lewis in the Democratic primary for U.S. House West Virginia District 3 on June 9, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Hilary Turner	29.5	16,862
		Lacy Watson	29.3	16,760
		Paul Davis	24.5	14,020
		Jeff Lewis	16.7	9,542

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 57,184
= 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 3

Incumbent Carol Miller defeated Russell Siegel in the Republican primary for U.S. House West Virginia District 3 on June 9, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Carol Miller	70.3	40,226
	Submit photo	Russell Siegel	29.7	17,024

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 57,250
= 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.

2018

See also: West Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2018

General election

General election for West Virginia House of Delegates District 27 (3 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for West Virginia House of Delegates District 27 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John H. Shott (R)	23.3	9,749
✔	Submit photo	Eric Porterfield (R)	21.1	8,845
✔		Joe Ellington (R)	20.9	8,757
	Submit photo	Carol Bailey (D)	14.5	6,084
	Submit photo	Phoebe Jeffries Meadows (D)	10.1	4,224
		Lacy Watson (D)	8.1	3,391
	Submit photo	Karen White (Mountain Party)	1.9	787

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 41,837 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= 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 27 (3 seats)

Carol Bailey, Phoebe Jeffries Meadows, and Lacy Watson advanced from the Democratic primary for West Virginia House of Delegates District 27 on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Carol Bailey	42.7	2,639
✔	Submit photo	Phoebe Jeffries Meadows	30.3	1,871
✔		Lacy Watson	27.0	1,666

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 6,176
= 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 27 (3 seats)

Incumbent John H. Shott, incumbent Joe Ellington, and Eric Porterfield defeated Zane Lawhorn and Mike Swatts in the Republican primary for West Virginia House of Delegates District 27 on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John H. Shott	23.8	2,226
✔		Joe Ellington	21.8	2,038
✔	Submit photo	Eric Porterfield	19.8	1,858
		Zane Lawhorn	19.8	1,850
	Submit photo	Mike Swatts	14.9	1,391

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 9,363
= 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.

2016

See also: West Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2016

Elections for the West Virginia House of Delegates took place in 2016. The primary election took place on May 10, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was January 30, 2016.

The following candidates ran in the West Virginia House of Delegates District 27 general election.

West Virginia House of Delegates District 27, General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Joe Ellington Incumbent	21.05%	10,446
	Republican	Marty Gearheart Incumbent	20.60%	10,221
	Republican	John H. Shott Incumbent	25.25%	12,528
	Democratic	Sabrina Shrader	10.33%	5,126
	Democratic	Lacy Watson	7.48%	3,713
	Democratic	Carol Bailey	15.28%	7,580
Total Votes				49,614
Source: West Virginia Secretary of State

Sabrina Shrader, Lacy Watson and Carol Bailey were unopposed in the West Virginia House of Delegates District 27 Democratic primary.

West Virginia House of Delegates District 27, Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate
	Democratic	Sabrina Shrader
	Democratic	Lacy Watson
	Democratic	Carol Bailey

Incumbent Joe Ellington, incumbent Marty Gearheart and incumbent John H. Shott were unopposed in the West Virginia House of Delegates District 27 Republican primary.

West Virginia House of Delegates District 27, Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate
	Republican	Joe Ellington Incumbent
	Republican	Marty Gearheart Incumbent
	Republican	John H. Shott Incumbent

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Lacy Watson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Watson's 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.

Lacy Watson is a father and a former educator living in southern West Virginia. Passionate about moving West Virginia’s working families forward, he envisions serving in Congress and utilizing the legislative process to ensure a living wage for all West Virginians. He believes in representative government where the will of the people dictate the agenda, not billion-dollar corporations. He believes it is critical that we elect representatives that understand the power of the purse and are making and passing effective legislation to help working families throughout the district. His objective is to form effective coalitions to target and address West Virginia’s most pressing needs. West Virginians deserve the resources needed to compete in a globalized world; this includes infrastructure such as reliable broadband, a clean environment, and top tier education for our children and our professionals. As our society pivots and adapts to a changing climate, West Virginia finds itself at a crossroads. Our decisions will set us on a course of action that will influence every generation that comes after. We must ensure our district has representation that will vote in our best interests. He asks that you stand with him in this effort

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?

• Healthcare - I will protect reproductive rights, bodily autonomy, & access to affordable healthcare including prescription drugs for all.
• Education - I will work diligently to earmark & allocate funds for the further development & support of our public schools & higher education systems, in an effort to retain & attract the best school counselors, teachers, & administrators. This starts with recruiting the best talent, offering competitive wages, that will retain the best talent.
• Infrastructure/Broadband - We need to have 21st century infrastructure to compete. This includes affordable & accessible broadband access to grow our economy, create jobs, attract businesses, & further support & preserve our middle class.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about education, healthcare, and infrastructure as these 3 areas critically impact West Virginians. It is imperative that our workforce earn a living wage. It is imperative that our residents have access to broadband and healthcare services that lead to a full, productive, and sustainable quality of life. I will not stop until we attain those goals for our residents.

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 website

Watson's campaign website stated the following:

“	Healthcare Every American should have access to affordable health insurance, therefore expanding coverage and cutting healthcare costs is the priority. Preserving the original intent of Medicare without the use of vouchers, privatization, or arbitrary insurer cancellation is one of my primary goals. It is time to end the suffering of elderly Americans being forced to choose between meals and medication; it is time we modernize Medicare with a prescription drug benefit. Everyone is born with a pre-existing condition and it is tantamount that we include coverage in our healthcare system with no penalties to the consumer. With the number of Americans on Medicare expected to double in the next 35 years, this objective is critical. Women’s Health I support full access to health services for women in West Virginia. I support expansion and enhancement of preventative services for the total well-being of all women in West Virginia. Seniors I value our West Virginia senior citizens, their well being is an important part of our states overall health. I am committed to helping these citizens retain their independence, dignity, and standard of living. Children and Families I support the maintenance of a strong family life (as defined by the individual citizen), I support: a. family medical leave and sick days. b. safe and affordable daycare/after-school care. c. funding for effective intervention services for families in crisis. d. effective and fair child support collection system. e. policies that support healthy child bearing and planning with comprehensive family life education. Education Education is the cornerstone of the foundation of West Virginia, it is the most important means by which future generations compete in a global society. A good education starts with a qualified, certified teacher in every classroom. I stand by an educational system that provides this for our children. Civil Rights I continue, like our past state leaders, to champion for the civil rights of all persons within the state. I support laws and policies that recognize, utilize, respect, celebrate and assimilate these cultures and social differences among the states citizens and systems. Access to Broadband There are many parts of Southern West Virginia where access to broadband internet is limited or nonexistent. The state of West Virginia is doing us a huge disservice by not investing in the infrastructure and technology to bring broadband internet access to rural communities. I support partnering with new businesses that do this work and I hope we can end this lack of service for Southern West Virginia. Taxes I support a tax system that is fair, based on the ability to pay. A tax system that preserves adequate household incomes, that increases family spending power. Agriculture and Forestry I support family farms in West Virginia. I believe producing locally grown foods ensure that West Virginia farmers and families have a sustainable system of nutrition that achieves profitability in the state and national marketplace. I support good conservation practices that leaves more to future generations. I fully support clean air and water efforts that maintains our state’s natural beauty while expanding, promoting, and developing tourism in our state as a means to further diversifying our economy. Economy West Virginia’s best natural resource, “We, the people”. Southern West Virginia has the potential to become one of the economic engines for the state. Right now we have a very unique opportunity to attract more good-paying jobs to Southern West Virginia as we attract the state’s brightest minds; our educational systems and local governments, in conjunction with civic and religious organizations are positioning themselves to do all they can to keep that talent here in West Virginia’s 3rd District. Libraries I support full funding for public libraries. Our public libraries are the lifelong resource for learning for the community. Public libraries make technology access available for all citizens. Law and Order I faithfully adhere to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of West Virginia. Drug Policy I support the end of incarceration for non-violent drug offenders. I stand behind funding for recovery, treatment, and integration programs for residents with addiction. I believe in the full decriminalization of cannabis and understand that the WV legislature lags far behind the citizens of the state when it comes to support for cannabis reform. Polls taken recently have pegged support for cannabis legalization nationally at between 54 and 61 percent (Christopher Ingraham, Washington Post). It is clear that the voters’ opinions concerning cannabis policy reform have shifted significantly over the past decade, but the attitude of our state and federally elected officials have not progressed in a similar manner.	”
—Eugene Watson's campaign website (2022)

2020

Lacy Watson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Watson's 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.

I am running for Congress in West Virginia's 3rd district because I am passionately committed to the well-being of my state and its people. I intend to influence public policy that creates a better quality of life for all West Virginians. As an active member of the social justice movement in West Virginia and the surrounding region, I help build broad based coalitions that create positive communal change. I am also a member of the West Virginia United Methodist Church where I serve as a Lay Leader.

Our grassroots movement is built on the needs of our people who work within the existing social structures of our local communities. Our policies reflect our communities' values and hopes as we combat negative legislation that threatens our well-being. My aim is to empower the citizens of the district to connect with their federal representatives in efforts to produce sustainable changes that reflect the diversity of our communities where race, color, gender, sexual orientation, disability, identity, age, veteran status, national origin, or religious denomination are no longer barriers to participation.

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?

• Healthcare is a right.
• Education is a right.
• The Economy should work for all of us.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am personally passionate about healthcare, economics, and education policy.

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

The greatest challenge this nation faces over the next decade is climate change.

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

Yes. I would like to be a part of the finance, intelligence, and/or education committees.

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

Yes.

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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Candidate

U.S. House West Virginia District 1

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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)