Jill Upson

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Jill S. Upson

| image =

| office = Executive Director of the West Virginia Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs

| governor = Jim Justice

| term_start = 2019

| state_delegate1 = West Virginia

| district1 = 65th

| term_start1 = 2015

| term_end1 = 2019

| preceded1 = Tiffany Lawrence

| succeeded1 = Sammi Brown

| party = Republican

| birth_date =

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education = Shepherd University (BS)

| occupation =

| spouse =

| residence = Charles Town, West Virginia, U.S.

}}

Jill Upson is a former Republican Delegate of the West Virginia House of Delegates, representing the 65th district, which includes Jefferson County, West Virginia. Upson was the first black Republican woman elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates.{{cite news |last=Dewan |first=Shaila |date=November 29, 2014 |title=G.O.P. Gains by Tapping Democrats' Base for State Candidates |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/30/us/gop-gains-by-tapping-democrats-base-for-state-candidates-.html |newspaper=New York Times |location=New York, New York |access-date=December 1, 2014}}{{cite news |last=Schouten |first=Fredreka |date=November 12, 2014 |title=Liberal donors plan new investments in state politics |url=

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/11/12/democracy-alliances-liberal-donors-plan-new-investments-in-state-races-ballot-initiatives/18913139/ |newspaper=USA Today |location=Arlington, Virginia |access-date=December 1, 2014}}

Education

Upson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Shepherd University.{{Cite web|title=Bluefield State College's 2019 Founders Day Speaker will be the Honorable Jill Upson, Executive Director of the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs|url=https://bluefieldstate.edu/community/news-and-events/bluefield-state-colleges-2019-founders-day-speaker-will-be-honorable-jill|access-date=2022-01-14|website=Bluefield State College|date=October 8, 2019 |language=en}}

Career

In 2012, Upson challenged incumbent Delegate Tiffany Lawrence and lost by four percent.{{cite news |date=November 6, 2012 |title=West Virginia Election Results |url=http://apps.sos.wv.gov/elections/results/results.aspx?year=2012&eid=13&county=jefferson |newspaper=West Virginia Secretary of State |location=Charleston, West Virginia |access-date=December 1, 2014}} In the 2014 election, Upson defeated Lawrence in a rematch.{{cite news|last=Emke|first=Dave|title=More funds going to Dems in area races|url=http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/619089/More-funds-going-to-Dems-in-area-races.html|access-date=November 9, 2014|newspaper=The Journal|date=October 1, 2014|archive-date=November 10, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110035855/http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/619089/More-funds-going-to-Dems-in-area-races.html|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|last=DeMello|first=Chelsea|title=Upson upsets Lawrence for 65th District seat|url=http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/621430/Upson-upsets-Lawrence-for-65th-District-seat.html|access-date=November 9, 2014|newspaper=The Journal|date=November 4, 2014|archive-date=November 10, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110040517/http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/621430/Upson-upsets-Lawrence-for-65th-District-seat.html|url-status=dead}} Upson won the 2014 election 56 to 44 percent.{{cite news |date=November 4, 2014 |title=West Virginia Election Results |url=http://apps.sos.wv.gov/elections/results/results.aspx?year=2014&eid=21&county=Jefferson&type=OFFICIAL |newspaper=West Virginia Secretary of State |location=Charleston, West Virginia |access-date=December 1, 2014}} GOPAC, the national Republican political action committee, contributed over $20,000 to Upson's 2014 campaign.{{cite news |last=Kercheval |first=Hoppy |date=November 3, 2014 |title=Breaking down WV House of Delegates races |url=http://wvmetronews.com/2014/11/03/breaking-down-wv-house-of-delegates-races/ |newspaper=West Virginia Radio Corporation |location=Morgantown, West Virginia |access-date=December 1, 2014}}

In 2016, Upson won re-election over Democratic challenger Sammi Brown.{{cite news|last=McCoy|first=Jeff|title=Upson wins re-election to maintain 65th House seat|url=http://www.journal-news.net/news/local-news/2016/11/upson-wins-re-election-to-maintain-65th-house-seat/|access-date=December 15, 2016|newspaper=The Journal|date=November 9, 2016}} In 2018, Upson was defeated by Brown.{{cite web |last1=Umstead |first1=Matthew |title=Moore, Upson lose House of Delegates seats |url=https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/news/election_2018/west_virginia/moore-upson-lose-house-of-delegates-seats/article_bd6eb69a-19bd-50de-a780-31d2a9dd3b03.html |website=Herald-Mail Media |language=en |access-date=January 25, 2019 |archive-date=November 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107072726/https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/news/election_2018/west_virginia/moore-upson-lose-house-of-delegates-seats/article_bd6eb69a-19bd-50de-a780-31d2a9dd3b03.html |url-status=dead }}

Since leaving office, Upson has served as the executive director of the West Virginia Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs.{{Cite web|title=West Virginia Women Moving Forward {{!}} Jill Upson|url=https://wvwomenforward.wvu.edu/women-in-the-boardroom-panel/jill-upson|access-date=2022-01-14|website=wvwomenforward.wvu.edu|language=en-US}}

Personal life

She is married to Kelvin Upson, who served in the United States Navy.{{cite news |last=McCormick |first=Liz |date=November 7, 2014 |title=Meet Delegate-Elect for the 65th District, Jill Upson |url=http://wvpublic.org/post/meet-delegate-elect-65th-district-jill-upson |newspaper=West Virginia Public Broadcasting |location=Charleston, West Virginia |access-date=December 1, 2014 |archive-date=December 1, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141201020545/http://wvpublic.org/post/meet-delegate-elect-65th-district-jill-upson |url-status=dead }} She has one son and had one daughter.{{cite news |date=2014 |title=Future Majority Project: Races to Watch |url=https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/gopro/pages/722/attachments/original/1405095039/FMP_14in14_Final.pdf?1405095039 |newspaper=Republican State Leadership Committee |location=Washington, D.C. |access-date=December 1, 2014}}{{cite web |title=Obituary for Chandler Nicole Upson |url=https://www.brownfuneralhomeswv.com/book-of-memories/1357204/Upson-Chandler/obituary.php |access-date=20 September 2019}}{{cite web |title=Happy birthday, Chandler. |url=https://twitter.com/ArlingtonNatl/status/1174786299674447891 |website=Twitter |publisher=Arlington National Cemetery |access-date=20 September 2019}}

References

External links

{{CongLinks | congbio= | votesmart=135455 | fec= | congress= }}
[https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jill-Upson-for-WV-House-of-Delegates-65th-District/261963413876113 Jill Upson Facebook page]

Category:African-American state legislators in West Virginia

Category:21st-century African-American women politicians

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Republican Party members of the West Virginia House of Delegates

Category:Women state legislators in West Virginia

Category:Living people

Category:Politicians from Charles Town, West Virginia

Category:21st-century American women politicians

Category:21st-century African-American politicians

Category:Shepherd University alumni

Category:21st-century members of the West Virginia Legislature