Leonhardt

ELKINS — West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt will be the keynote speaker at the 2026 Randolph County Republican Executive Committee’s Lincoln Day Dinner.

The annual dinner will be Saturday, Aoril 11 at 5 p.m. at the Elks Country Club in Elkins. The social hour will begin at 3 p.m., with the dinner at 4 p.m.

Leonhardt is a longtime farmer whose passion for agriculture began at a young age and grew into a business operation while still serving in the United States Marine Corps.

Early in his military career, Leonhardt bought a farm near Blacksville that had been abandoned for more than 40 years. He and his wife Shirley Leonhardt graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Management. He focused on a variety of courses pertinent to agriculture, natural resources, and environmental protection.

While still on active duty, he earned a Master of Business Management from Central Michigan University. He is also a graduate of the Defense Language Institute – Arabic, Defense Intelligence College, and the Marine Corps Command and Staff College.

After two decades in the United States Marine Corps, Leonhardt retired from the military in 1996 as a Lieutenant Colonel. During that time, he served on multiple joint service assignments, leading American men and women during wartime and peace. Among the 10 decorations he received are the Legion of Merit, and Combat Action Ribbon.

In 2014, Leonhardt was elected to the West Virginia State Senate in the Second Senatorial District. At the time, the district was one of the largest and most rural in the state, containing all or parts of Marshall, Wetzel, Gilmer, Marion, Monongalia, Tyler, Doddridge, Calhoun and Ritchie counties.

In 2017, he resigned from his position in the Senate after being elected West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture. Leonhardt is also a member of the Monongalia County Farm Bureau.

The Leonhardts have three sons, six grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.

Tickets are available for the event. Contact Randolph County Chair Carolyn Jackson at 304-516-1286, or by email at rlcjjack@suddenlink.net for more information.