Gov. Jim Justice on Tuesday appointed Ryan Browning of Wayne County to fill the House seat vacated earlier this year by Republican Rep. Mark Ross of Wayne.
Ross, a retired teacher, resigned from his position on May 21, according to a Letter of resignation sent to the governor’s office that day. The letter did not include a reason for his departure. He was elected to the House in 2022 and was the lead sponsor of 45 bills during his two terms – 36 in 2023 and nine in 2024.
Browning, 42, is president of Golden Bear Transport, according to records with the Secretary of State’s office. He will serve the remainder of Ross’s term, which ends next year. He is also already the projected winner of that seat in the general election, as no Democrat is running and he won the primary against two other Republican candidates with about 43% of the vote in his favor.
Browning, from Kenova, describes himself as “pro-life, pro-family, pro-[Second Amendment]” conservative, according to his Campaign websiteIn a candidate survey sent to the Charleston Gazette-Mail Before the May primary, he said his policy priorities included supporting career and technical education programs, investing in tourism and creating additional jobs for the local economy.
