LANSING – Local attorney Tom Ewing has announced the start of his Republican campaign for State Senate in the 10th District.
Ewing made the announcement of his first run for public office Oct. 8 at Chetty’s Pub in Fayette County.
“I’m coming from a different perspective than the people that are currently there,” Ewing said.
Ewing plans to focus his campaign on three major issues: the economy, education, and drug abuse.
“The economy of West Virginia and particularly my county, Fayette County, have both been hit very, very hard,” Ewing said, pointing to recent news from the West Virginia University Bureau of Business and Economic Research that reported West Virginia’s growth rate remains flat.
Ewing blamed the economic lag on failures in education.
“My kids go to public school in Fayette County, and the state has taken over the education system there. It has let us down. It’s time for them to get out of our way, and let us doing something, because our education system is in shambles.”
Tying West Virginia’s struggling economy and education system together, Ewing said, is it’s dire need for drug reform. As an attorney, Ewing said that he has been appointed to many abuse and neglect cases.
“Every one of those cases, some how, some way, has some kind of drug aspect to them. It’s ravaging our communities, and harming our children. And it ties the economic issues and education issues together – if somebody can’t pass a drug test, they can’t be employed. If we aren’t able to control [this problem], it doesn’t look good for our next generation,” said Ewing.
In order to address these problems, Ewing plans to give power to businesses and limit the role of the government.
“I think the important thing is listening to the businesses out here on the ground, and seeing that they need for success… the government doesn’t make jobs, the government costs private jobs. Its job is not to create jobs, but to create a level playing field,” said Ewing.
Ewing is a lifelong resident of Fayette County, leaving only to attend college and law school at Glenville State College and West Virginia University College, respectively. Formerly a certified teacher and coach for the Fayette County school system, Ewing is now an equity member of the law firm Kay Casto & Chaney, PLLC. He opened the firm’s Fayetteville branch in April of 2015 as the branch’s managing member. Ewing and his wife, Mindy, have been married for 16 years and have four children.
He said that his activity in ministry programs at the Sunday Road Baptist Church and the John A. Flournoy Youth Basketball league are what drove him to run for public office.
“It helps me to know the struggles of real people,” said Ewing. “Being involved in those organizations, helping kids and teaching them about life, you can help some. But you can help a whole lot more people in the position that I’m trying to get to, so that maybe those kids that I coach now stay around here and get involved in West Virginia’s community.
The election is set to take place on Nov. 8, 2016. The 10th District includes Fayette, Summers, Monroe, and Greenbrier counties.