Former House of Delegates member Zack Maynard (R-Lincoln, 7) was sworn into the West Virginia Senate Wednesday afternoon during a brief ceremony in the Senate chamber.
A native of Harts, Maynard will represent the 7th Senatorial District, which includes parts of Kanawha, Lincoln, Boone and Logan counties.
Maynard replaces Mike Stuart, who left the Legislature last month after being confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as President Donald Trump’s general counsel for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Judge Stacy L. Nowicki-Eldridge, who serves the state’s Ninth Judicial Circuit (Boone and Lincoln Counties), administered the oath of office to Maynard.
Maynard was joined in the chamber by his wife Brittany and two young daughters as well as a host of family, friends, elected officials and dignitaries from around West Virginia.
Delegates Wayne Clarke (R-Jefferson, 99), Josh Holstein (R-Boone, 32), Jeff Eldridge (R- Lincoln, 30), Scot Heckert (R-Wood, 13), and J.B. Akers (R-Kanawha, 55) were on hand to show support.
Senate President Randy Smith (R-Preston, 14) as well as Senators Kevan Bartlett (Kanawha, 8), Rupie Phillips (R-Logan, 7), Tom Takubo (R-Kanawha, 17), Eric Tarr (R-Putnam, 4)Â and Tom Willis (R-Berkeley, 15) were in the upper chamber to support their new colleague.
Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt was also in attendance.
During brief remarks following the ceremony, Maynard, a businessman by trade, expressed a desire to better the lives of his constituents in any way that he can. He mentioned jobs, infrastructure and education as his priorities to make West Virginia an attractive place for young people to live, work and raise a family.
Maynard formerly served three terms in the House of Delegates in Lincoln County from 2016 to 2022.
