Upson |
Editor’s note: This is another in a series of Eastern Panhandle candidate previews that The Herald-Mail will be running over the next several months. The announcements also will be posted on our website, www.herald-mail.com, through the West Virginia primary on May 8. To submit announcements, email them and a color photo (preferably a jpeg) to billk@herald-mail.com or matthew.umstead@herald-mail.com. Any questions? Call 301-791-7281.
Jill Upson has announced that she will run as the Republican candidate for the 65th District in the West Virginia House of Delegates.
Upson said in a news release that “a vibrant and prosperous Jefferson County” is very important to her.
“This means that I will work to improve the business climate in our county which will ignite job growth,” Upson said. “Too many of our hard-working citizens opt to drive to neighboring states to seek employment.”
Upson, 45, of Pebble Beach Drive in Charles Town, also emphasized the importance of having an accountable local government that lives within its means.
Upson spent 10 years as a retail manager, making decisions, responding to the needs of people from all walks of life, producing budgets and effectively managing them, according to her news release.
Although she said she preferred to work in Jefferson County where her children were attending school, due to the scarcity of jobs available nearby, Upson traveled to and from Virginia from 2003 to 2008 for work. With the bursting of the housing bubble, the retail chain for which she was employed closed all 130 of its locations.
She said this firsthand experience with a slumping economy places her in the company of many Jefferson County residents who have also been hit by difficult times.
Upson worked as a volunteer during the 2010 election cycle. After working in support of other candidates in the Eastern Panhandle, she decided to step up and offer her service to the community she loves.
Upson said she believes that better days are ahead, and is committed to bringing a stronger, more robust economy to the 65th District, which includes Charles Town and Ranson and pushes north into Shenandoah Junction, W.Va.
Upson is married to Commander Kelvin Upson of theU.S. Navy, and she has one son, 22.
Additional information can be found at: www.upson4wv.com
