News + Press
News + Press
News + Press
From the Chair
Column by Mike Pushkin, Chair of the West Virginia Democratic Party
During Senator Bernie Sanders' recent visit to West Virginia he did something our Republican congressional delegation flatly refuses to do: meet openly with the people they represent, answer their questions, and listen to their concerns in real time.
Senator Sanders held town halls and public meetings across the state and the turnout was overwhelming. At every stop, it was standing room only. West Virginians of all ages and backgrounds packed into community centers, auditoriums, and union halls, eager for the opportunity to engage with a national leader who was willing to look them in the eye, hear their concerns, and offer straight answers. In many ways Senator Sanders, like President Trump, speaks to people who have been left behind by a broken system. The difference is, it’s people like President Trump who broke the system and it’s people like Senator Sanders who are trying to fix it.
The enthusiasm was undeniable. People are hungry to be heard, and Senator Sanders gave them that chance. What they heard in return was a message that resonates deeply in West Virginia: that we must get dark money out of our politics, protect Social Security and Medicare, and fight for an economy that works for everyone—not just the wealthy and well-connected.
This is not the first time Senator Sanders has energized West Virginians. In 2016, he won the Democratic primary here, exciting new voters and bringing many people back into the political process who had given up on it. His message of fairness and opportunity spoke to West Virginians across party lines. But, unfortunately, many West Virginia primary voters felt their voices were disregarded when arcane party rules allowed party leaders to ignore the voters and denied him the delegates he had rightly earned in West Virginia.
The good news is this: Our party has learned from that mistake. Since then, the Democratic Party has changed its rules to ensure that the will of primary voters cannot be overturned in smoke-filled rooms or brushed aside by insiders. And now, those reforms are being formally incorporated into the bylaws of the Democratic Party under the leadership of our new Chair, Ken Martin. We’ve worked hard to make sure our party is more democratic, more accountable, and more reflective of the people it serves.
For too long, West Virginians have been represented in Washington by politicians who seem to forget who they work for. Our Republican members of Congress avoid public town halls, preferring tightly controlled events or closed-door fundraisers with big donors – such as Governor Morrisey’s high dollar fundraisers in Napa Valley, California and Dallas Texas. West Virginia Republicans hide from accountability while casting votes and advancing an agenda that hurt working families in the Mountain State. Whether it’s trying to privatize Social Security and Medicare, rubber-stamping tax breaks for billionaires, selling off state hospitals, or sitting on their hands while prescription drug prices skyrocket, they’re not standing up for the people of West Virginia.
Contrast that with what we saw during Senator Sanders’ visit. Here was a leader who did not shy away from tough questions. He didn’t dodge. He didn’t deflect. He talked about issues that matter—health care, wages, retirement security, and the corrosive influence of corporate money in our democracy. And the response he received shows that West Virginians are more than ready to have that honest conversation.
When Senator Sanders spoke about protecting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid the crowd erupted. That’s because these programs are lifelines for tens of thousands of West Virginia families. Our parents and grandparents worked hard their whole lives, paying into these programs with the promise that they would be there when they needed them. Any attempt to cut or privatize them isn’t just bad policy—it’s a betrayal.
When he called for taking on Big Pharma and lowering the cost of prescription drugs, the crowd cheered. That’s no surprise. West Virginians pay some of the highest prescription drug costs in the nation. We’ve all seen friends and family forced to ration medications, cut pills in half, or choose between groceries and prescriptions. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies are posting record profits. It’s wrong, and people know it.
And when Senator Sanders called for removing dark money from politics, he got perhaps the loudest response of all. Because West Virginians understand what’s going on: billionaires and special interests are writing the rules to benefit themselves, and ordinary people are paying the price. That frustration cuts across party lines, and it’s time we demand a government that answers to us, not to corporate PACs.
That’s why Senator Sanders’ visit was so important. He reminded us that politics doesn’t have to be about ducking accountability, hiding behind partisan talking points, or selling out to the highest bidder. It can be about people. It can be about meeting them where they are, listening to their stories, and fighting for their needs.
Unsurprisingly, Senator Jim Justice, Senator Shelley Moore Capito, and Representatives Moore and Miller have chosen a different path. They hide from the public while pushing policies that benefit the wealthy few. They pose for ribbon cuttings and photo ops but refuse to face hard questions about Social Security, Medicare, PEIA, or why prescription drug costs keep rising. They have the time for big donors, but not for the people of West Virginia.
Senator Sanders showed us what real leadership looks like: honest, open, accountable, and focused on the needs of ordinary people. It’s time for Senator Capito, Senator Justice, Representatives Moore and Miller to stop running from their constituents and start listening to them.
The question now is simple: whose side are they on? The side of the people—or the side of the powerful?