Democrats Hit The Road To Hear From Voters

This story originally aired in the Oct. 14, 2025 episode of West Virginia Morning.

In August, the Democratic caucus of the West Virginia House of Delegates announced a statewide listening tour. The Kitchen Table Tour is bringing legislators into communities to hear about the most important issues facing West Virginians. 

Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, and the chair of the state Democratic party, said they decided to call it the Kitchen Table Tour because they expected people would want to discuss the issues that they talk about in their homes.

“Issues that affect their day to day lives, whether it’s access to health care, affordability of health care, public education, things that really affect West Virginians,” he said. “What we’re not hearing so much about is what the Republicans seem to be obsessed with these days, and that’s divisive, culture war issues.”

So far the tour has taken a rotating cast of the state’s 11 Democrat legislators to five stops including Huntington, Martinsburg, Fairmont and Charleston. 

In Morgantown, attendants asked the lawmakers about a broad range of issues, from fixing local roads to how state Democrats can do a better job communicating with their constituency. But being a college town, particular attention was given to the younger attendants in the crowd and their concerns like the increasing cost of living and lack of job opportunities.

“If the state’s going to have any future at all, everything that we do as legislators should be run through the prism of, will this attract young people to the state?” Pushkin said. “Will this make young people want to stay in the state, because, unfortunately, right now, our greatest export in West Virginia are young people.”

Pushkin said the tour was conceived to give voters across the state, regardless of political affiliation, a chance to speak directly with their lawmakers. He said an added benefit is that it is useful preparation for the upcoming 2026 Legislative session in January.

“It helps us do our job,” Pushkin said. “We can be better legislators. We can be better representatives of the people, if we stay out there and listen to what the people need us to do.”

One attendant in Morgantown asked why the legislature didn’t do more to help the state improve its national standings. 

“West Virginia, along with Mississippi and Louisiana, have achieved third world status on the basis of poverty, education and health,” they asked. “The legislature has responded with thunderous silence. Why?” 

According to U.S. Census data, 17% of West Virginians were living in poverty in 2024, the third-highest rate among states. Only Mississippi, Louisiana, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico had higher rates.

Del. Sean Hornbuckle, D-Cabell, had a simple reply.

“Simply put, it’s been priorities,” he said. “These have not been the priorities of this current legislature, and, quite frankly, the Republican super majority.”

Del. Anitra Hamilton, D-Monongalia, said that with dwindling numbers both in the voter rolls and in the seats of power, Democrats have to work across the aisle to address the needs and desires they’re hearing from West Virginians. But she emphasized that success in the legislature does not happen in a vacuum.

“I know a lot of times people look to elected officials, and the expectation is for us to be able to provide everything, but the reality is, we depend a lot on organizations and agencies,” Hamilton said. “We’re all a big team.”

Hamilton said one of the benefits of the tour has been to build back a sense of community that she feels has been lost. A lot of people have come to the meetings she’s attended to say they want to be engaged but just don’t know how, and she encourages them to start locally. 

“That not only makes our legislative process better, but it makes West Virginia better because they touch families and children every day,” Hamilton said. “So if you want to get involved, please reach out in your community and look for ways within your community to get engaged.”

The next stop on the Kitchen Table Tour is scheduled for Wheeling on Oct. 16.