Photo courtesy of WV Legislative Photography Former House Minority Leader Doug Skaff, seen here at the state of the 2023 legislative session, died Tuesday afternoon due to an automobile accident.

CHARLESTON – Doug Skaff Jr., a businessman and politician who once led the Democratic minority in the West Virginia House of Delegates before switching parties to run as Republican for Secretary of State, died Tuesday afternoon in an automobile accident. He was 48.

According to West Virginia 511 Central, the accident took place at mile marker 101 on I-64 near Weston around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, causing a shutdown of traffic in the southbound lanes. No further information was available Tuesday evening.

Skaff is survived by his wife Marisa and their three children, Andrew, Elias, and Alexander.

Skaff was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2008 representing parts of Kanawha County, declining to see re-election in 2014. He returned to the House, running and winning again in 2018. The House Democratic Caucus chose Skaff as its minority leader in 2020. Skaff stepped down as House Minority Leader in August 2023 and resigned from his House seat in September 2023.

In October 2023, Skaff switched his registration to the Republican Party and ran in the GOP primary for Secretary of State in 2024 to succeed former Secretary of State Mac Warner. Skaff came in second to Mac Warner’s brother, current Secretary of State Kris Warner, the former executive director of the state Economic Development Authority.

According to the Secretary of State’s Online Campaign Finance Reporting System, Skaff had filed as a precandidate for state Senate for District 17, which is represented by state Sen. Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha, and state Sen. Anne Charnock, R-W.Va., who was appointed by Gov. Patrick Morrisey to succeed former state senator Mark Hunt, who now serves as State Auditor.

Memorials to Skaff and condolences for his family began flooding in Tuesday evening from Republicans and former colleagues in the Democratic Party.

“I am heartbroken to hear about the passing of our friend Doug Skaff,” said Morrisey in a social media post. “Doug was a longtime state legislator, the Minority Leader of the West Virginia House of Delegates, and omnipresent in the Charleston community. He will be greatly missed by many.”

“Doug Skaff was more than just a colleague; he was a friend to many of us, even after he left the Legislature,” said Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, the chairman of the West Virginia Democratic Party, in a statement. “His humor was infectious, and his dedication to his family, particularly his love for his children, was evident in everything he did.”

“I was shocked to hear the terrible news of the loss of Doug Skaff this evening,” said Senate President Randy Smith, R-Preston, who served with Skaff in the House. “I had the honor of serving with Doug in the House of Delegates and while we may have been on opposite sides of the aisle – and often on opposite sides of an issue – he always treated me with kindness and respect and with the spirit of wanting to find the best solution for West Virginia.”

“Doug Skaff, my good friend, was a West Virginian through and through,” said Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va. “When we both had kids at Sacred Heart, Doug and I coached our kids’ soccer team together, and I got to see firsthand how much he loved his boys. My family cherishes memories of those soccer games, and Doug is a big part of each of them. Our hearts break for the beautiful family he leaves behind. We pray that Marisa and their boys find peace in the wake of such horrible tragedy.”

Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin announced Tuesday night that all flags in the city would be lowered to half-staff immediately and remain at half-staff until the day after his services.

“I am shocked and heartbroken to learn of the passing of former WV Delegate Doug Skaff,” Shuler said. “He was an outstanding public servant, and businessman, but most important he was a wonderful husband, father and son. My prayers are with his wife, their three beautiful boys and his entire family during this difficult time. The City of Charleston, Kanawha County and the State of West Virginia have lost a true champion for her people.”

Skaff was president of HD Media, the owner of several newspapers, including the Charleston Gazette-Mail and the Huntington Herald Dispatch. He was also interim executive director of the West Virginia Press Association.

“I’ve known Doug for 25-26 years,” said Doug Reynolds, the managing partner for HD Media and a former member of the House of Delegates, in a statement Tuesday night on the website of the Charleston Gazette-Mail and other HD Media newspapers. “I knew him when he was in school, in the Legislature, in business. He’s probably one of the most energetic, finest entrepreneurs and public servants I’ve known. Just unflappable optimism.”

“He literally is unbelievable,” Reynold’s continued. “[It’s] terrible for our state to lose a leader like that. They don’t make people like him.”

Skaff was a businessman with several companies, including most recently acquiring Fazio’s an Italian restaurant in Charleston. Skaff was also known for his love of West Virginia University, graduating in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree and later a master’s degree, as well as serving as student body president. The Skaff family have been active donors and supporter of WVU and other initiatives, such as the YWCA.

“Doug was deeply committed to the community – whether through his public service, his entrepreneurial spirit, or his active community involvement,” Pushkin said. “He leaves behind a lasting legacy of community engagement and dedication, and he will be deeply missed by all who knew him.”