ELKINS, W.Va. — Senator Greg Boso (R, Nicholas – 11) launched his campaign for election Saturday at the Randolph County Courthouse Annex to the cheers of around 30 supporters.
Governor Tomblin appointed Boso to fill the empty seat in 2015 after then-Senator Clark Barnes was appointed as the Senate Clerk.
Boso, a professional engineer now running his first ever political campaign, said he’ll have to adapt quickly to the world of politics.
“Obviously there’s a great learning curve having never run a campaign before [and] never been involved in politics,” he said. “I’m going to have to learn a lot. Most of it is going to be the lay of the land.”
The candidacy filing period begins Monday, but no other Republicans have publicly expressed an interest in running against Boso in the primary yet.
Despite this, Boso believes it will be a hard-fought race. One Democrat has expressed public interest in running for the seat–Delegate Denise Campbell (D – Randolph, 43).
“It’s going to be an uphill battle,” he said. “We’ve got good momentum so far.”
When asked about his campaign platform, Boso’s first response was immediately centered around jobs.
“Jobs has to be a big part of what we’re all about as we go into the next legislative session and for the next four years,” he said.
Boso expects his experience as both a professional engineer and a volunteer firefighter to be a big help to him in the race and in the Senate if he wins the election.
“One of the things you have to understand is as engineers, we think a little differently than most people,” he said. “As engineers, we recognize that safety is paramount.”
Campbell expressed her interest in running just before Thanksgiving during an interview on MetroNews Talkline with Hoppy Kercheval.
“I want to make a difference, and I want that difference to be positive for West Virginia,” she said. “I want to be the advocate for the individuals in West Virginia who don’t feel like they have a voice.”
Campbell has served as a Delegate since 2011.
The 11th senatorial district is one of the largest in West Virginia, and may be one of the largest east of the Mississippi River.
According to the Boso campaign, it represents about twenty percent of West Virginia’s land and about six percent of the population.