West Virginia House of Delegates District 12 candidate surveys, 2022

Elections in West Virginia, 2022

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On the ballot:  • U.S. House • State Senate • House of Delegates • State ballot measures • Municipal

This article shows responses from candidates in the 2022 election for West Virginia House of Delegates District 12 who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

• Click here to see candidates and election results.
• Click here to see Candidate Connection survey responses.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for West Virginia House of Delegates District 12

Incumbent Vernon Criss defeated Jonathan Defibaugh and Stephen Smith in the general election for West Virginia House of Delegates District 12 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Vernon Criss (R)	62.3	2,467
		Jonathan Defibaugh (D)	30.2	1,196
	Submit photo	Stephen Smith (L)	7.5	295

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,958
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

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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.

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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?

Jonathan Defibaugh (D)

I want to restore West Virginia's labor movement. We've historically been a bastion of hard working men and women that come together and agree we deserve better, but with dwindling union membership and shrinking industry, that position is threatened. Let's support unions, promote worker safety, and grow small business.

I want to improve West Virginia's health. We consistently top the charts for things like suicide, heart disease, and cancer risk. Taking mental health seriously, combatting the opioid epidemic with compassion and strategy, and supporting expansions to FMLA that allow parents or the seriously injured to take payed time off is crucial.

I want to bridge the gap between our neighbors. We need to remember that we are all West Virginians, not just democrats or republicans, and that most people have good reasons for believing what they do. I want to cooperate with other democrats, independents, and especially republicans to build a better state for all of us.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Jonathan Defibaugh (D)

Labor, health, and social cooperation are all incredibly interesting policy wise. I'm also interested in policy relating to expanding affordable housing, fostering small business growth, and offering younger people more opportunities so they stay in our beautiful state.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Jonathan Defibaugh (D)

Retaining a young and educated population, tackling the opioid crisis, and rebuilding strong labor for the resurgence of industry.

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

Jonathan Defibaugh (D)

Compromise is essential in any social interaction, especially one as important and divisive as politics. Too often does the federal legislature seem to forget this, dropping months of debate and work on particular bills with no alternatives proposed - wasting all of our time and money. Reaching across the aisle is something I pride myself on, and I'm willing to work with practically anyone to get the job done.

See also

More about these elections:

• West Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2022

Select a district below to read responses from candidates in those races:

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