(Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection - Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Corner)

With the primaries now behind us, I can’t say I’m entirely surprised by the outcomes.

If West Virginia has taught us anything about politics in the last decade or more, it’s that culture war and social issues are exceedingly potent, even in the shadow of actual problems in dire need of a fix. Then when you factor in out-of-state money and PACs, the real issues don’t stand a chance of reaching the people.

According to the most recent financial reports, the Sugar Maple PAC alone spent close to a million dollars on primary elections, much of which in our area. Of the listed donations on their Q1 filings, individuals or entities from 12 different states contributed anywhere from $2,500 to $100,000 to the PAC in a single quarter. This included hedge fund managers, major political donors, and even some of the richest people in their respective states. Combine this level of support with the PACs connections to Governor Morrisey, and it becomes clear that West Virginians were heavily influenced by out-of-staters.

Much of the same arguments made about the political “swamp” — big spending, shadowy figures and political demagogues — have made a new home in West Virginia.

Let’s talk about the issues we heard the most about. From my perspective, ads centered around three main issues: abortion, transgender issues, and how “pro-Trump” a candidate was. Aside from the occasional reference to a vote or comment in committee, most of these talking points had little to no substance. They were merely vanity ads that turned attention to a very overused standard — “pro-life, pro-Trump conservative.”

Compare this to the things we didn’t hear about that actually impact our daily lives. We live in a state with the fourth highest poverty rate in the country, with nearly 1 in 5 of our neighbors living below the poverty line. We are also one of the most unhealthy states, ranking 49th nationally for chronic illness rates at the same time we are seeing increasing numbers of healthcare deserts across the state.

And finally, the environment. We all know the history of the Mid Ohio Valley and environmental issues. We live in one of the densest concentrations of chemical plants in America, resulting in decades of air and water pollution that have harmed our people, animals, and natural beauty in more ways than one for generations.

Despite these real challenges, what did we get for months on end? We were inundated with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of ads, telling us that someone was “woke” or a “radical liberal” — or both. Think about that. What kind of good could hundreds of thousands of dollars have done to combat actual problems we face? Expanded community healthcare programs, new air and water quality assessments and mitigation planning, support for food banks and financial assistance programs for our neighbors impacted by the affordability crisis, just to name a few. Instead, we got a half dozen pieces of paper in our mailbox that we ultimately threw away, delivered right next to our increasingly high utility bills. Money well spent…

So where does this put us? Are we better off today than we were on May 11? Do we feel like we made the right choice, or did we do the bidding of those who had the money to make up our minds for us? I know one thing: Wood County and West Virginia at-large will surely miss the principled, focused leadership we once sent to Charleston. I hope one day we come to our senses, not necessarily for us, but for the future of our kids, community and planet.

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Griffin Bradley is a lifelong Wood County resident, graduate of West Virginia University, and a contributing author for Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action.