Candidate Announcement: Gary Howell
KEYSER, W.Va. — Delegate Gary Howell is seeking re-election to the people’s 87th District seat.
Howell stated, “West Virginia is a great state, but we also have some challenges that we need to solve. The most important of our challenges is keeping the state’s economy moving. Not all are able to participate in West Virginia growing economy and those people are hurting as they struggle to make ends meet with the inflation we are seeing. They’re worried about their future and that of their children and grandchildren. I want to continue to fight in Charleston to ensure that we leave them a West Virginia that is the best place to live, work and raise a family.”
Howell is the owner of Howell Automotive, a mail-order auto parts company established in 1990. Howell Automotive is an award-winning business, including in 2003 being named West Virginia Export Business of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration, in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 being honored by the West Virginia Economic Development Office for opening new export markets, and in 2021 being presented with a national lifetime achievement award in Las Vegas by the Specialty Equipment Market Association’s State Automotive Leadership Caucus, to name a few.
Howell says he will continue to use these skills learned building his business to push for the additional changes needed to bring more jobs to West Virginia. “When building a business, you learn to build relationships to accomplish common goals. This is a skill I use every day in Charleston, working not only with delegates within my own party, but across the aisle and in the Governor’s Office.”
Besides serving as your delegate, Gary is also active in local government and the community, serving on the Mineral County Planning Commission from 2005-2007 as vice president, serving on the U.S. 50 Association as secretary from 2004-2009, and serving as the National Chairman of the State Automotive Leadership Caucus from 2013-2021. Howell is a past president of the Keyser Rotary Club, where he has been a member since 2005.
In the House, Gary was named leader of the Freshman Republican Caucus by his colleagues, he then served as the chairman of the powerful Government Organization Committee for six years, before becoming the Speaker Pro Tempore in 2021, one step below Speaker of the House. He was also named House Economic Development director by Speaker Hanshaw for his work on making West Virginia a better place to create jobs.
These connections between community, local government and his colleagues form the bridge that has allowed Gary Howell to be an effective legislator from Day 1.
This article originally appeared on Mineral Daily News-Tribune: Candidate Announcement: Gary Howell
