Candidates: Look to the future and do not cling to the past
Trending
As the field of potential West Virginia gubernatorial candidates gets even more crowded -- and a growing group of people is hinting they plan to challenge U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., for his seat, too -- one can't help but wonder: Which of these folks is ready to be what the Mountain State needs to grow and move forward, in 2024?
State House Judiciary Committee Chairman Moore Capito, R-Kanawha, West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner, state Auditor J.B. McCuskey, Terri Bradshaw, Alexander Gaaserud, Chris Miller or Rashida Yost … which potential gubernatorial candidate has got what it takes to lead West Virginia into a bright future, to encourage the diversification and growth of our economy, to keep government in its place (serving the people, rather than working to control as much as possible), to develop the kind of environment that brings employers -- and therefore good jobs, to tackle our myriad health crises --including substance abuse and mental health woes, to bring public education up to the standard we expect for our kids, to bring our infrastructure (including broadband internet access) into the 21st Century?
The list could go on and on. But the bottom line is: Who will bring hope and push West Virginia forward, while remembering his or her job is to do what is best for the people of the state, rather than special interest groups?
It's an almost insurmountable task, yet these folks seem to be lining up for the job. Voters, now is the time to let potential candidates know what we will expect of them.
And candidates, if your planned campaign involves stoking the division and extremist politics of recent years, plucking the low-hanging fruit of disruptive social issues rather than tackling the above-mentioned challenges, and pretending our state can benefit by clinging to the past, move along. West Virginians have had enough.
Here's hoping those who are talking about throwing their hats in the ring understand the Mountain State deserves better.