Wendelin hopes to land seat in U.S. House in race against Moore
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PARKERSBURG -- Steven Wendelin says he is looking to make government work for the people again.
The Hardy County resident is running for West Virginia's 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in the seat held by Republican Alex Mooney.
Wendelin is facing Republican Riley Moore, the West Virginia treasurer, after Mooney lost his primary bid for a U.S. Senate seat to Gov. Jim Justice.
Wendelin retired from the U.S. Navy as a commander in August 2023. He spent 28½ years on active duty and another 10½ years in the reserves. He started as enlisted and got his commission in 1990 after graduating from the California Maritime Academy. He had combat deployments in Iraq as a telecommunications and information systems officer to the Coalition Provisional Authority and two combat deployments in Afghanistan where he served as a senior military adviser to both Afghan civilian and military authorities. He spent five years teaching ethics and naval history at the U.S. Naval Academy.
He said he stayed in the Navy for so long because he enjoyed what he was doing. He had no plans to seek out a second career after retirement, but the riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, changed his mind.
"I realized I was not happy with what is going on in our nation," Wendelin said. "I realize if I don't run then I am part of the problem.
"We are so much better than this. I am tired of the name-calling and how polarized things are. I decided to run."
He has never held elected office, but he looked at the Democratic candidates who have run and although they were fine people, he didn't think they were electable in West Virginia.
"With my background in the Navy and the federal government, I am electable," Wendelin said. "I know how the federal government is supposed to work."
One of the things he feels has to happen is for people to come together and stop the political polarization.
His three priorities for government are to get the money out of politics, balance the federal budget and stop the erosion of civil liberties by special interests.
Wendelin said so many special interests, political action committees and corporations spend a lot of money backing candidates to the point the candidates become beholden to who donates to them.
"I do not accept money from PACs, special interests or corporations, only individual donors," he said . "That's on purpose."
He said he once received a check from a special interest group, but he returned it. He did not name the group.
"I am a fiscal conservative and what was referred to as a 'Blue Dog Democrat,'" Wendelin said. "We can't run our household without balancing the budget. That is Congress' one job, to fiscally run the country."
There hasn't been a balanced budget passed in Congress since the early 2000s, he said.
"We need to stop the theatrics," Wendelin said.
He said people's liberties are being eroded by special interests who have the ear of legislators and undue influence.
"I consider myself a pretty reasonable guy, and I am a moderate," Wendelin said. "I will work across the aisle, and I will work with anyone who is willing to work with me.
"We need to keep the extremes at both ends of the spectrum in check."
His other priorities include health care reform so people don't have to choose between food/rent or medication/medical care, reversing climate change, being pro-choice, tax reform, making sure the state has high-speed internet and cell coverage (which he views as a utility now), reversing globalization, having digital privacy and reducing poverty and homelessness.
He said most of the tax burdens are placed on the working middle class.
"The tax code is too complex," Wendelin said.
"I suggest we take it out into the parking lot and set it on fire, but that won't help the climate," he added with a laugh.
Wendelin said he wants to see everyone paying their fair share. He said he has seen a lot of the waste in government and believes it can be cut while still allowing the U.S. to have the strongest military in the world.
Wenedelin feels there need to be realignments. Immigration courts are overwhelmed and Homeland Security is understaffed, he said, adding the Environmental Protection Agency needs to be part of the common defense as many waterways are being polluted, especially in rural areas like West Virginia.
He said he is up front about being pro-choice and said trying to legislate having no abortions is an example of the ultimate government overreach. There are medical and other reasons why this kind of care is needed.
"It is up to an individual, their family and their health care provider," he said. "I can't think of anyone who would say, 'Gee, I'm looking forward to this abortion.'
"We have to be realistic about it."
Wendelin said he understands people not wanting tax money to be used for abortions and he is fine with that. However, he thinks abortion rights should have been codified a long time ago, even before Roe v. Wade was overturned. That includes requiring health and sex education in public schools, he said.
He said Republicans want to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, but he found in the 27 counties that make up the 2nd Congressional District, the Board of Education is the largest employer in 12.
If those schools are defunded, that will mean the loss of jobs throughout the state, he said.
"These are your jobs," he said. "West Virginia gets a lot of money from the federal government, because Charleston doesn't fund the schools adequately."
Wendelin was born in San Mateo, Calif., but has spent most of his life moving around with his service in the Navy.
He is the father of three from his first marriage and has three grandchildren. He was third-generation Navy and has a son and son-in-law who are in the Navy.
When the time came to retire, Wendelin said he wanted to come to West Virginia where his wife Lila has roots in the Wheeling area. The state was also very welcoming to retired military because the state did not tax military retirement income. He is also an amateur blacksmith with a setup at his home in Hardy County.
He is prepared for people to call him a "carpetbagger" and the other terms that come with not having been born in West Virginia.
"I did not get to choose where I wanted to live for 39 years," he said of his time in the military. "However, when I knew I was going to retire, I chose West Virginia.
"I have lived all over the world. I could have picked anywhere in the world to retire. I chose West Virginia because it is beautiful here and the people are wonderful."
Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com