I had a great meeting with the chief organizer of the Ohio County Democratic party today, and we swapped notes and talked about our plans going forward for the next few months. I’ve been in contact with several college students here in Bethany, and we are probably going to meet over the weekend and have a bbq at my house and work out some schedules for postcard writing, phone banking, canvassing, and other GOTV activities.
One of the candidates we discussed today at length is another one Kendra Fershee:
I am a working mom who has dedicated the majority of my professional life to public service. I am a law professor, a family law expert, and a mom of two kids. I’ve been married to Josh, the love of my life, for almost nineteen years, and together we’ve built a life in West Virginia for ourselves and our family. We live and work in Morgantown, our kids go to Monongalia County public schools, and we were so happy when our careers allowed us to choose to move to wild and wonderful West Virginia. And because we love it so much here, it’s hard to see West Virginia struggle so mightily. We work hard, love our family, and want the best for our gorgeous state. I know that people in the First District of West Virginia deserve better from their representative than they’re getting right now. So, I want to go to Washington, D.C. to shine a spotlight on this incredible place so that others can recognize it for the gem that it is and join us as we fight the unparalleled challenges destroying our people and our communities. In short, I want to fight for your freedom to stay in West Virginia.
Here’s a fundamental American truth: living free in a free country requires team effort. An individual’s success is often hard fought, but individuals cannot reach their full potential without a little help from their friends. West Virginians deeply value freedom, and we can achieve freedom if we work together to ensure stable employment, access to healthcare, and quality education for our fellow citizens. Unfortunately, right now, many of your legislators are the biggest obstacles to your success. They are not fighting for you or your community at the ground level. They are doubling down on a failed attempt to give money to the top 1% in the hopes that some of that will drip down to you, even though it never does. You deserve a teammate who fights with and for you, your kids, and your community.
I have a two-track plan for the West Virginia’s First District. First, we are trying to fight a war at home – with little help from Washington – to attack a drug addiction crisis that is devastating our state. This is not political rhetoric. No one is immune from this catastrophe because we are living in ground zero. We need resources – money for detox facilities, rehab centers, and law enforcement – and we needed the help yesterday. At the same time, we must build economic and individual stability by supporting and strengthening our communities and infrastructure. We must ensure that we all have access to quality health care, and we must improve our struggling schools. Make no mistake: this is a struggle for your freedom. People dying from drug addiction are not living free. People who can’t get jobs are not living free. People who can’t get healthy are not living free. People who can’t access the education they need are not living free.
My experiences as a teacher, lawyer, high-level administrator, public servant, and mom have honed my skills as a team player, leader, listener, counselor, negotiator, unifier, and communicator. I know I can work with others in Congress, on both sides of the aisle, to seek creative and innovative solutions to the challenges faced by both our state and our country. No idea is too bold or too small, and nothing is off the table. It’s time for real change in Washington. Who better to change things than a working mom who knows West Virginia families and wants the best for yours? I am ready to go to Washington to fight for your freedom to stay. Want to help me? Join Team Kendra, and let’s do this.
Her campaign is not getting the love it should be from the DCCC, so they are in a bad way for money, so I have set up an ActBlue for her. I’d really like to take a really good crack at knocking Rep. Mckinley out of his seat- he’s an unapologetic Trumper who needs to go. I’ll start with $50.00:
Mary G
Put in $5 monthly. Wish it was more, but way over budget.
les
god I wish our folks didn’t have to recite the “work across the aisle” bullshit; has to be said, would be nice, but there’s nothing across the aisle that can be worked with. I dunno, John, that bio sounds pretty elite to me. Can WV look past the puke funnel? I despair that “my” Kansans can.
Mnemosyne
As I’m sure you already know, John, one of the best ways to get college kids to show up for juat about anything is to offer free food. That may be one of the elements that Suzanne’s local AZ Democrats are missing at their meetings. ?
Patricia Kayden
Good luck to her!! Given how red WV is, I suppose saying that she will work across the aisle is a necessity when you’re trying to woo Republican voters.
J R in WV
I’ve signed up with ActBlue already for this candidate. Her campaign manager is a young woman who ran a call center for Hillary and other Democratic candidates in 2016, where I volunteered most evenings for several months. I did a monthly kick in for her, and hope it will help.
PhoenixRising
And there is the winning message for rural America:
Democrats want your kids to be able to come back home, if they leave for college or the military after graduating from excellent local schools.
We’re gonna fight for your right to stay in…OH-4. IA-2. Etc.
$20 to the cause.
CliosFanBoy
West VIRGINIA, OHIO County? Sheesh, is anything there NOT named after a neighbor state? :P
CliosFanBoy
Miss the edit feature. But kicked in $25. As a native Buckeye I gotta support someone from Ohio, even if it is West-by-God Virginia!
Mary G
DiFi may be old, but she’s still got it:
Great visual.
Mnemosyne
@Mary G:
DiFi has her faults — sometimes many, many faults — but she has never wavered in her support for gun control. Hearing your colleagues being murdered while you frantically barricade yourself in an office with the other survivors tends to do that to a person.
Mnemosyne
@Mary G:
Hang on, according to Wikipedia I got Feinstein’s actions slightly wrong:
Hell of a way to earn a political promotion, and not one that any decent person wants.
TenguPhule
@Mnemosyne:
For the record, Kale and cauliflower are not food.
TenguPhule
WV doesn’t have any infrastructure other then coal and maybe booze AFAIK.
Mary G
Good thread by Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii:Thread by @brianschatz: “We are now around two months from the most important midterm elections possibly ever. I want to offer some incomplete thoughts on what we mi […]”
MomSense
I received a letter from Susan Collins today. She was responding to my letter about —- net neutrality. I sent her that letter months ago.
I’ll probably get a response to my kavanaugh letter the day after he is the deciding vote denying Mueller the ability to indict trump.
California Stars
She sounds on the up and up. I chipped in a bit.
schrodingers_cat
We can has a primary thread? I voted and canvassed! Yeah me.
TenguPhule
@schrodingers_cat:
I’d prefer a food thread.
Raoul
I’m so pissed off about Kavanaugh (I know, other chamber, but still!) I’m in for $100.
Also, this!
BCHS Class of 1980
I kicked in. Probably will do it at some point for Ojeda as well (In WV, it’s o-GEE-da). I’ve read some stuff indicating that non-evangelical whites are reconsidering to a small extent their blind loyalty to Trump. Not sure how far that’ll go in heavily evangelical WV.
Scott
This is a good message for all, not just rural areas. We need a modern Four Freedoms message. With a lot of flag waving to go along with it.