Johnny Haught Will Fight To Win District 4 Seat in West Virginia House of Delegates
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WHEELING -- Johnny Haught has run distance races in bare feet and backwards to raise money for children's shoes. He also once ran a race while hitched to a 45 pound sled to assist veterans in hospitals and their families.
Now he is a Democratic candidate for the District 4 House of Delegates seat in 2024, and he promises his won't be a conventional run for office.
The Ohio County Democratic Executive Committee recently appointed Haught, 43, to the ballot after no Democrat filed to seek the District 4 seat currently held by Delegate Diana Winzenreid, R-Ohio. Winzenried, appointed to the seat last year, also is seeking election in November.
Haught, a professional fighter, is owner of Ohio Valley MMA in downtown Wheeling -- where he is a fight training coach, and offers personal and cardio training. On the side, he also is involved in property maintenance and landscaping.
Haught gained national attention in 2023 after he and some of his fighters volunteered to provide security for members of the LGBTQIA community participating in a "drag brunch" at a local restaurant following reports of potential threats to patrons and performers. Known for sporting colorful hair, Haught has already had his hair dyed a deep Democrat blue for the upcoming election.
But he said he never wanted to enter politics.
"I didn't want to, but I'm the right person to do it," he said. "It doesn't help my resume. It doesn't help my profession, and I am not looking for it as a stepping stone into politics.
"I am looking at it as a way to make change that I can't do on the street level where I live."
Haught said he has watched District 5 Delegate Shawn Fluharty, D-Ohio, "fight until he was red in the face" on issues and said Fluharty needs help in Charleston.
"I think (government) should stay out of people's lives. I think we should let people live," Haught continued. "I don't think there should be legislation passed to tell a woman what to do with their body. I don't think there should be legislation passed that dictates you can't be whoever you want to be because it offends somebody or goes against somebody's book."
Haught noted most everyone in the valley is familiar with the stance he took in defending the LGBTQIA members last year.
"I stepped into a battle that was not mine to defer the hate toward me instead of the people who were getting the hate," he said. "I'm tough enough to take it, and there's nothing these people can do to scare me."
He added he would do the same for any other group.
"I'm a very protective person," Haught said. "I protect everybody around me. I have the ability to do that.
"When I saw bullying being done and people being pushed around, I said that is enough."
He said his intent was to declare "that bigotry and hatred are not going to exist in our valley anymore."
"And if I have to eradicate it by myself, I will," Haught added.
It is hard to also not notice the many unique tattoos adorning Haught's body. On his calves are portraits of musician "Weird" Al Yankovic and Dwight Schrute from "The Office." He noted there also is a tattoo of actor David Hasselhoff on his foot, and one of Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees on his thigh.
"In my profession, I'm surrounded by ... dudes with skulls and scary tattoos," Haught said. "I can't be like everyone else, and I'm very cartoonish. Cartoons and pop culture stuff -- that's what I came up with."
Haught grew up in Marshall and Wetzel counties before moving to Bethlehem 21 years ago. He is married to his wife Sydney and has a son, Jake, 20, and a daughter, Willow, 14.
He attended both Bethany College and West Liberty University, where he eventually found himself a theater major.
While he completed all the classes within his major, Haught said he never graduated because he never wanted to take other required classes in which he wasn't interested.
After leaving college, he joined his family's direct marketing company.
"I was raised a salesman by my dad, but I didn't want to work in sales," Haught explained.
But along the way he learned how to sell himself as someone a client could trust. This led him to successfully raise money for charities over the years, and to later find sponsors to back his fighting career.
Haught noted he wouldn't be going to Charleston as "a guy in a suit."
"I've forged my way and built my own business," he continued. "I've worked with my body and I've got calluses on my hands. So when it comes down to the voice of the people, I think I have that."