Op-ed: Shrewsbury right for the job, West Virginia
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To say that West Virginians are not exactly inspired by those who run for office in the state would be an understatement. Low turnout amongst registered voters is the norm in the Mountain State. Even in a high profile and contentious election year like 2020, statewide turnout in West Virginia was 3.5% below the nationwide figure, and that was considered epic by West Virginia standards. In 2022, a midterm election year, statewide turnout was a measly 43%.
Even before Sen. Joe Manchin III chose not to run again for the seat he's occupied since being appointed by former Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin to finish out the term of the late Robert C, Byrd in 2010, a candidate stepped forward who was willing to challenge Manchin if necessary to deliver the kind of leadership our state deserves. That candidate is Zach Shrewsbury.
Zach is a community organizer who served for five years in the Marine Corps and whose grandfather was a UMWA coal miner. Zach has been working in the field as part of his job helping compile a massive report on renewable energy initiatives in Southern West Virginia under the Inflation Reduction Act. As a candidate, Zach has put over 37,000 miles and counting on his vehicle since October 2023 traveling to almost all 55 West Virginia counties, many more than once, with plans for all 55.
Zach has shown that he has the organizational and fundraising prowess to win a U.S. Senate seat, with incredible digital and in-person outreach performance and reported fundraising totals this election cycle through March of $185,815. In just the first quarter of 2024, Zach has raised $113,000 with an average donation of $30.89, 327 unique West Virginia donors, and 99% grassroots support.
Zach has a detailed and extensive policy platform and is not afraid to take definitive, unwavering stances on the issues (see shrewsburyforsenate.com). What drives Zach more than anything is his commitment to the working class. He wants all workers across the economy to have collective bargaining rights and be protected by union contracts; to earn not just surviving, but thriving wages and salaries; to have a universal healthcare system that guarantees affordable healthcare for all while taking the onus off employers for providing it; and for West Virginia to become a 21st Century energy state that manufactures renewable, sustainable, efficient, and far more affordable energy, building, transport, and agricultural products the world needs.
Zach also recognizes that a "just transition" has to be more than pretty words tossed around by greenwashing corporations. Fossil fuels workers like Zach's grandpa and their families and communities have powered the world and built civilization from right here in West Virginia since we became a state and Zach recognizes that they must never be left behind, no matter what. These communities will have a powerful ally with Zach in the U.S. Senate.
Zach is facing Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott in the Democratic primaries. With all due respect to Mayor Elliott and appreciation for his time in public office, the Mayor's background is in corporate law and he is a real estate investor who has been endorsed by Sen. Manchin. I feel strongly that there are more than enough corporate lawyers on Capitol Hill. Real estate is one of the biggest lobbies in Washington. Manchin's endorsement of Elliott means there are now likely to be two candidates in this race who have earned Manchin endorsements over the years: Elliott and Gov. Jim Justice, who Manchin helped elect Governor as a Democrat.
Jim Justice is the likely Republican nominee in this race and the baggage he brings is gargantuan. Lawsuits, failure to pay taxes with tax liens, mine safety penalties by family-owned mines, past failure to pay healthcare costs for retired miners, unsettled debt obligations, the list goes on and on. Justice has proven time and again that he'll be looking out for one person and one person only on Capitol Hill -- himself. We don't need any more of that following Joe Manchin and his coal brokerage, yacht on the Potomac, and Maserati.
West Virginians deserve a candidate we can get excited about who is going to put in the work and treat us with the respect we deserve as constituents. We deserve a working-class veteran who understands how we live and wants better for us all. Vote Zach Shrewsbury on May 14 or during early voting through May 11.
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Eric Engle lives in Parkersburg.