Jay Wolfe (born April 5, 1955) is an American business owner and former West Virginia state senator, and U.S. Senate candidate.
Jay Wolfe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the West Virginia Senate from the 13th district | |
| In office December 1, 1986 – December 1, 1990 | |
| Succeeded by | Joseph M. Minard |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 5, 1955 Parkersburg, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Mollie Wolfe |
| Residence | Clarksburg, West Virginia |
| Alma mater | Glenville State College |
| Profession | Legislator, business owner |
Early life, education, and business career
editWolfe was born in Parkersburg, West Virginia[1] to Donald and Emogene Moore Wolfe. He graduated from Parkersburg South High School in 1973. He attended Marshall University and graduated from Glenville State College in 1977 with a degree in business administration.[2]
He owns Wolfe Rentals LLC and Wolfe-Furner Insurance Inc.[3]
Political career
editIn the 1980s, Wolfe was elected to one term in the West Virginia Senate. He was also a member of the Harrison County and state Republican executive committees.
1988 U.S. Senate campaign
editWolfe lost to incumbent Democrat Robert C. Byrd, but his 35.2% of the vote was the highest percentage that any of Byrd's opponents had scored since his first Senate win in 1958 over Chapman Revercomb (who received 40.8% that year). Byrd outspent Wolfe by $3 million to $200,000.
2002 U.S. Senate campaign
editWolfe lost to incumbent Democrat Jay Rockefeller, receiving 36.9% of the vote. Rockefeller outspent Wolfe by $5 million to $150,000.
2008 U.S. Senate campaign
editWolfe lost a rematch with Rockefeller by a nearly identical margin (he received 36.3% of the vote), but with Rockefeller spending more than he did in 2002.
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robert Byrd (inc.) | 410,983 | 64.8% | ||
| Republican | Jay Wolfe | 223,564 | 35.2% | ||
| Majority | |||||
| Turnout | |||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jay Rockefeller | 275,281 | 63.11 | −13.54 | |
| Republican | Jay Wolfe | 160,902 | 36.89 | +13.54 | |
| Majority | 114,379 | 26.22 | −27.08 | ||
| Turnout | 436,183 | ||||
| Democratic hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jay Rockefeller | 447,560 | 63.7 | +0.6 | |
| Republican | Jay Wolfe | 254,629 | 36.3 | −0.6 | |
| Majority | 192,931 | ||||
| Turnout | 702,189 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
Personal life
editWolfe married his high school girlfriend, Mollie. They have been married for over 40 years. He has four children and ten grandchildren.[7]
References
edit- ^ "Parkersburg, West Virginia". City-Data.com. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
- ^ "Jay Wolfe, Candidate for West Virginia U.S. Senate". Archived from the original on 2010-12-04. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
- ^ "Jay Wolfe (R)". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2012-10-02.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - WV US Senate Race - Nov 08, 1988".
- ^ "Our Campaigns - WV US Senate Race - Nov 05, 2002".
- ^ "U.S. Senate: West Virginia". CNN. 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
- ^ "WVPubcast News". www.wvpubcast.org. Archived from the original on 2008-10-14.