Jay Wolfe
Jay Wolfe (born April 5, 1955) is an American business owner and former State Senator, and U.S. Senate candidate.
Jay Wolfe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the West Virginia Senate from the district | |
| In office 1987–1990 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 5, 1955 Parkersburg, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Mollie Wolfe |
| Residence | Clarksburg, West Virginia |
| Alma mater | Glenville State College |
| Profession | Legislator, business owner |
Early life, education, and business career
Wolfe 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
In 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
Wolfe lost to incumbent Democrat but with the highest percentage of any other opponent of Robert C. Byrd. Byrd outspent Wolfe $3 million to $200,000.
2002 U.S. Senate campaign
Wolfe lost to incumbent Democrat Jay Rockefeller. Rockefeller outspent Wolfe $5 million to $150,000.
2008 U.S. Senate campaign
Wolfe lost a rematch to Rockefeller in a nearly identical margin but with Rockefeller spending more than he did in 2002.
Electoral history
| 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
He married his high school girlfriend, Mollie. They have been married for over 40 years. He has four children and ten grandchildren.[7]
References
- "Parkersburg, West Virginia". City-Data.com. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
- http://vote-wv.org/Intro.aspx?State=WV&Id=WVWolfeJay
- "Jay Wolfe (R)". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2012-10-02.
- http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=3544
- http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=199
- "U.S. Senate: West Virginia". CNN. 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
- http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=4764
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Cleve Benedict |
Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from West Virginia (Class 1) 1988 |
Succeeded by Stanley L. Klos |
| Preceded by Betty Burks |
Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from West Virginia (Class 2) 2002, 2008 |
Succeeded by Shelley Moore Capito |