FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — Fayette County Attorney Tom Ewing announced Thursday his plans to run for the Republican nomination in the 10th District of the West Virginia State Senate.
“This region of the state, especially Fayette County, has been heavily dominated by Democratic politics. You look at things now and it has not worked out well for us,” said Ewing, a life-long resident of Fayette County who hopes to serve Fayette, Greenbrier, Summers and Monroe counties.
Ewing said on Thursday’s MetroNews “Talkline” he’s ready to address the challenges facing Southern West Virginia.
“I look at all the stuff with the education system, the economic woes, the drug epidemic facing our county and I look at all that and think it’s time for a different direction in our leadership and I’m willing to step up,” he said.
Currently, State Senator Bill Laird (D-Fayette, 10) holds the position and has said he plans on running for re-election. Ewing said his Christian-conservative views of being a “family man” will hopefully help his run against Laird.
“Some of my motivation is I just want to better West Virginia, better Southern West Virginia, better Fayette County for my kids. I think I’m willing to come with a different perspective than what Senator Laird has and the Democratic establishment in Fayette County over the years,” he said.
Ewing said, as a defense lawyer, he mostly represents businesses. “I’m coming from more of a business-jobs perspective.”
Ewing works for the Charleston-based law firm Kay Casto & Chaney PLLC. In April, he opened the firm’s branch office in Fayetteville, where he serves as the managing member of that office. This year, he was listed in “The Best Lawyers in America” from Best Lawyers — a peer review rating system for the legal industry.
Ewing remains involved with youth sports and community programs as a former certified teacher and coach in the Fayette County school system. He is also an active member of ministry programs at the Sunday Road Baptist Church in Hico. He graduated Order of the Coif from the West Virginia University College of Law in 2004 and graduated summa cum laude from Glenville State College with degrees in both History and Social Studies Education.
This is Ewing’s first run for public office.