Freshman Delegate Chris Stansbury, R-Kanawha, has announced he will run for state Senate in 2016.
Stansbury, an optometrist and an owner of West Virginia Eye Consultants, said in announcing his candidacy he believes he can better serve the county as a state senator.
In his term representing the 35th District in the House of Delegates, Stansbury focused on issues dealing with the state's drug addiction crisis. He was the lead sponsor of legislation passed this session establishing an addiction treatment pilot project (HB2880), and hosted an addiction summit in Charleston in June.
As a small business owner, Stansbury said he also wants to promote policies, including lower taxes and less red tape, that he said will encourage businesses to locate in Kanawha County.
The Senate seat Stansbury is seeking currently is held by two-term Sen. Corey Palumbo, D-Kanawha, a former Senate Judiciary Committee chairman. Palumbo has not announced his intentions for 2016.