2012 West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture election
Open-knowledge reference entry
The 2012 West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture election was held on November 6, 2012, to elect the West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, concurrently with the 2012 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, governor, and other state and local elections. Primary elections were held on May 8, 2012.
Incumbent Democratic commissioner Gus Douglass, the longest serving agriculture commissioner in U.S. history, opted not to seek re-election to an eleventh term in office. Democratic state senator Walt Helmick won the open seat over Republican candidate Kent Leonhardt. Helmick later lost re-election in 2016 in a rematch with Leonhardt.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
Walt Helmick, state senator from the 15th district (1994–present) and 12th district (1990–1994)
Eliminated in primary
Joe Messineo, farmer
Steve Miller, assistant agriculture commissioner
Sally Shepherd, farmer and former waste authority director for Kanawha County
Bob Tabb, deputy commissioner of the West Virginia Department of Agriculture
Declined
Gus Douglass, incumbent commissioner of agriculture (1993–present, 1965–1989) (endorsed Miller)
Endorsements
Results
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
Kent Leonhardt, former Marine Corps lieutenant colonel
Withdrew
Mike Teets, commissioner of Hardy County and nominee for commissioner of agriculture in 2008 (endorsed Helmick)
General election
Post-primary endorsements
Results
By congressional district
Helmick won two of three congressional districts, including one that elected a Republican.
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