Meet the Candidate: Doug Smith for House of Delegates – 39th District

⁃ Tell us a little bit about yourself and your experience/accomplishments

Originally from Kansas, I have called West Virginia home since 2005, residing in Princeton with my wife Shirley and our loyal companion, Buddy. My career path led me through over three decades of service in the U.S. Army, culminating in retirement as a Colonel in May 2018.

Educationally, I hold a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Wichita State University, Kansas, along with two master’s degrees: an MPA Degree in Criminal Justice from City University, Bellevue, WA, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.

My military journey began in 1984 as an enlisted Soldier, Combat Medic in the Army Reserve before transitioning to an officer role via ROTC at Wichita State University. From there, I delved into various roles across different locations, including leadership positions in Korea, Missouri, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Florida, Cuba, Iraq, and several other states.

During my service, I received several esteemed awards, including the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Combat Action Badge, and others, which stand as testament to my dedication and accomplishments.

I seek to continue to leverage my extensive background in leadership and service to represent District 39, advocating for the community’s needs and interests.

Outside of my military and civic pursuits, I maintain affiliations with organizations such as the NRA, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), Reserve Officers Association (ROA), West Virginia Citizens Defense League (WVCDL), Bluefield Mercer Lodge No. 85, reflecting my ongoing commitment to various causes and communities.

In my (4) years as a Delegate I was the lead sponsor for the following bills that are now law in West Virginia: Expansion of Charter Schools, Alignment of Levy Elections with Primary &/or General Elections, Requirement for County Sheriff’s to itemize where citizens taxes will be paid, Allow for a person to distill liquor for personal consumption, Waiver of initial licensing fees for low income individuals and Military families.

⁃ What motivated you to run for House of Delegates, or if you’re an incumbent, what made you seek reelection?

My life has been about serving, first with the military for over (34) years and as a Delegate representing the people of Mercer County, West Virginia for (4) years. I want to use the skills I have acquired to continue to serve the people.

⁃ What are some issues affecting West Virginia currently that you would like to see addressed and fixed? How would you fix those issues?

The single greatest issue for West Virginia is the loss of population. We have made great strides the past few years to create a business environment where people want to work, live, and raise their families however we must continue to bring more business with solid jobs to West Virginia to encourage our youth to stay and make West Virginia home. I will continue to fight to protect our children by reintroducing bills to increase penalties for child abuse and to allow for a sales tax exemption for certain hygiene and infant products. As a Veteran myself I fully support everything we can do to support our Veterans and will reintroduce a bill that will allow for widowed spouses of disabled Veterans, already receiving a real property exemption, to continue receiving the exemption.

⁃ What makes you stand out from the rest of the candidates, what do you bring to the table that they don’t?

While many candidates are single issue candidates, I am a commonsense conservative, and I do not focus on single issues. I try to focus on issues that concern the day to day lives of people, to include jobs, schools, and freedoms. As the House Chairman for the Rules-Review Committee I work with all State Agencies to ensure the rules the Agencies operate under are fair to the people.

⁃ Is there anything else voters should know about you and your campaign?

You can email your responses and photo to camerongunnoe@lootpress.com.

I believe in representing what is best for the people over my own desires and beliefs. I believe my voting record for the past (4) years reflects that.