Austin Lynch
Austin Lynch (Libertarian Party) ran for election to the West Virginia State Senate to represent District 12. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Lynch completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Austin Lynch was born in Summersville, West Virginia. He served in the West Virginia Army National Guard from 2006 to 2015. He earned a high school diploma from Nicholas County High School and a bachelor's degree from Cedarville University in 2012. Lynch also attended the Regent University School of Divinity. His career experience includes working in the federal government, as a hospice chaplain with Amedisys, and as a pastor with Congregational Missionary Church in Stonewood, West Virginia.[1]
Lynch has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1]
- Free Methodist Church - USA
- North Central West Virginia Emmaus and Chrysalis Community
- Life Choice Pregnancy Resource Center, board member
- American Legion
- Veterans of Foreign Wars
Elections
2022
See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for West Virginia State Senate District 12
Ben Queen defeated Austin Lynch and Harlin Felton in the general election for West Virginia State Senate District 12 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Ben Queen (R) | 68.7 | 18,711 |
 | Austin Lynch (L)  | 31.3 | 8,529 | |
 | Harlin Felton (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 8 | |
| Total votes: 27,248 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for West Virginia State Senate District 12
Ben Queen advanced from the Republican primary for West Virginia State Senate District 12 on May 10, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ben Queen | 100.0 | 6,723 |
| Total votes: 6,723 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Austin Lynch completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lynch's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Austin Lynch is running for West Virginia State Senate to represent the people of District 12 (Taylor, Harrison, Lewis, Gilmer, and Calhoun counties). Austin is a husband, a proud adoptive father, an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran, a pastor of a local church, a hospice chaplain, and a Stonewood City Councilman. Austin served nine years in the West Virginia Army National Guard and has served in pastoral ministry for ten years. Despite several opportunities to relocate out of the state, Austin chose to raise his children here with his wife Rebekah, who is also a lifelong West Virginian. From a working-class family, Austin understands the struggles of average West Virginians and the importance fighting for their interests. Austin’s priorities will be centered around protecting the God-given rights of citizens. “Montani semper liberi,” or “Mountaineers are always free,” should be the guiding light of the state legislature. Austin is unapologetically pro-life and pro-liberty. He supports lowering taxes, rolling back regulations, reforming the foster care system, and protecting the second amendment. He wants to be a voice in Charleston who listens to normal people from the district, not special interests. As a veteran fighting for liberty, Austin promises honesty, accessibility, and integrity.
- I am a veteran fighting for liberty. I believe in minimum government and maximum personal freedom.
- I promise honesty, integrity, and accessibility. I have no grandiose political ambitions and sincerely want to represent and help regular, hard-working West Virginians. I will always tell the truth and respond to phone calls and messages from my constituents.
- I am unapologetically pro-life, pro-liberty, and pro-Second Amendment.
Austin’s priorities will be centered around protecting the God-given rights of citizens. “Montani semper liberi,” or “Mountaineers are always free,” should be the guiding light of the state legislature. Austin is unapologetically pro-life and pro-liberty. He supports protecting life from womb to tomb, lowering taxes, rolling back regulations, reforming the foster care system, and protecting the second amendment.
First and foremost, I look up to Jesus Christ and his teachings. I strive to follow his example in how I treat others, especially in showing love, mercy, grace, and compassion to everyone I encounter. I believe the world would be a better place if we all were striving to love like Jesus.
I vividly remember the trauma of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. I was twelve years old.
I enlisted in the West Virginia Army National Guard when I was 17 years old and served for nine years. I moved out of my parents' house on my 18th birthday and deployed to Iraq shortly after high school graduation, from 2007-2008. I also served in Operation Flintlock in Mauritania, Africa in 2013.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
