Ric Griffith

Ric Griffith
Member of the West Virginia House of Delegates from the 19th[1] district
Incumbent
Assumed office December 1, 2020
Personal details
Born	(1949-02-02) February 2, 1949 (age 75) Kenova, WV[2]
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	University of Toledo College of Pharmacy

Ric Griffith is a Democratic member of the West Virginia House of Delegates. He assumed office on December 1, 2020, representing the 27th District, which encompasses parts of Cabell and Wayne County, and was reelected to a second term in 2022. As his current term ends on December 1, 2024, he is currently running for West Virginia Senate, on the ballot to represent District 5, which covers all of Cabell County and northern Wayne County.[3]

A former mayor of Kenova, WV,[4] his house district was formerly part of the 19th District[3] prior to 2021 redistricting following the 2020 U.S. census.[5]

Early life and education

Griffith graduated from Ceredo-Kenova High School and received a degree from the University of Toledo College of Pharmacy.[6]

Government service

Griffith served two terms as Kenova City Council President and two terms as Mayor of Kenova.[4]

The Pumpkin House

Griffith is well known for displaying several thousand jack-o'-lanterns on his property each Halloween.[7] Carving all the pumpkins is a community event, with around 20 dedicated volunteers helping. The pumpkin display is part of Ceredo-Kenova AutumnFest, a community-wide event which has a parade, scavenger hunt, and haunted trail. In 2019, he displayed over 3,000, one for every resident of his home town of Kenova, West Virginia.[8]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Griffith decided it was too risky to do the display at his home due to the large crowds that congregate to view it. He opted instead to have members of the community come by and pick up a pumpkin so it can be carved and displayed at their own homes. He created printed out instructions to go with each pumpkin to help the children and their families carve them.[9][10]

References

1. "Ric Griffith". Charleston, West Virginia: West Virginia Legislature. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
2. "West Virginia House of Delegates". www.wvlegislature.gov.
3. "Ric Griffith". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
4. "W.Va. House 19 candidate: Ric Griffith (D)". The Herald-Dispatch.
5. "Redistricting 2021". www.wvlegislature.gov. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
6. "Ric Griffith's Biography". The Voter's Self Defense System – Vote Smart.
7. "Kenova's Pumpkin House". www.wvculture.org.
8. Pennell, Julie (September 26, 2019). "This house in West Virginia displays 3,000 carved pumpkins every year!". Today. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
9. Creasy, Luke (July 29, 2020). "Pumpkin House tradition won't end, owner says, but display was 'too risky' because of virus". The Coal Valley News. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
10. Ward, Lee (October 23, 2020). "Lighting up Halloween — Pumpkin House owner hopes wife is right: 'If you carve them, they will come'". The Daily Independent. Retrieved January 9, 2021.