Stephen Smith Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Democratic Hopefuls Face Off In Gubernatorial Debate Amid Virus Fears

Three candidates vying for the Democratic nomination for governor of West Virginia debated Tuesday night, as the coronavirus pandemic continued to spread globally and across the Mountain State.

The virus loomed large throughout the hour-long debate hosted by WVVA between attorney and Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango, physician and Boone County state Sen. Ron Stollings and child advocate Stephen Smith.

Each candidate tailored their pitch to showcase their background. Stollings, who has served in the state Senate for 14 years, said his legislative experience would give him a leg up as the state’s leader.

“I have the record, not just a plan on paper,” he said. “I have 14 years of experience as a state legislator and the relationships that can get things done.”

Salango, who has racked up endorsements by prominent labor organizations including the AFL-CIO, touted his business and public service record.

“I’ve proven I can get things done,” he said. “I’ve stood beside working families. I’ve stood up for the little guy. I’ve fought for those who’ve been ignored, those who’ve been forgotten.”

While repeatedly offering his cell phone number to connect with constituents, Smith highlighted the accomplishments of his grassroots campaign, which does not accept corporate donations and has traveled to each of West Virignia’s 55 counties at least twice over the past 15 months.

“Never in West Virginia’s history has one politician been the solution to our problems. We are the only ones who can save ourselves,” Smith said. “We want a government by and for the people.”

The Democratic hopefuls also took jabs at former Democrat and current governor, Jim Justice, for both his leadership during the current outbreak and his ties to business and industry. Justice is West Virginia’s wealthiest citizen, and his family owns more than 100 businesses including numerous coal companies and the luxury resort, The Greenbrier.

“After this pandemic subsides, we need a leader who can step up and rebuild our economy,” Salango said. “We need a leader who can step up and rebuild our workforce. We need a governor who actually wants this job rather than the title.”

On many issues the candidates often aligned. All supported tackling the state’s opioid and substance use disorder crisis through boosting treatment, growing jobs in the state and were all adamant against repealing the state Business and Occupancy Tax.

But on the details, the candidates offered different policy suggestions. Both Salango and Smith urged viewers to look at their campaign platforms and plans posted online. Stollings citing many of his past legislative accomplishments.

Smith offered a more radical vision for the Mountain State, which includes ending all tax breaks for corporations. And on working with Republicans, he offered a different take from his colleagues, who urged cooperation. His campaign has worked to recruit dozens of other political candidates running in races across the state.

“And finally, we disagree about what the real fight is,” Smith added. “We don’t think the real fight in West Virginia is Republican and Democrat, and left versus right. We think it’s the good old boys versus everybody else. And we have to be willing to fight that fight, not against our own interests.”

The West Virginia primary is currently set for Tuesday, May 12. Voters may now request an absentee ballot due to the coronavirus.

West Virginia Community Organizer Jumps in 2020 Gubernatorial Race

Charleston community organizer Stephen Smith has announced his candidacy for governor in 2020.

Smith, who is running as a Democrat, recently stepped down as director of the West Virginia Healthy Kids and Families Coalition. The organization has focused on raising the minimum wage, child heath care and other policies aimed to help working class families.

“In some ways, the central idea of this campaign is: What if the values of service and generosity that we see in our neighborhoods were also the values that governed the statehouse?” he said.

Smith said he plans to help organize candidates for other statehouse offices as part of a larger movement. It’s his first time running for office.

In October, Republican Gov. Jim Justice said he may seek another term. According to the Secretary of State’s website, Justice have yet to file as a pre candidate paperwork for 2020. The website lists Smith as a candidate for an undeclared office.

As of Monday, five others have filed early to run for the state’s highest office — two Republicans, two Independents and one candidate from the Constitution Party.

Child, Family Advocates Continue Fight Over State Budget

Child and family advocates are not giving up their fight to restore more than $800,000 in funding cut from service programs across the state. A vigil, spearheaded by the Our Children, Our Future campaign, took to the State Capitol Tuesday morning to have their message heard.

Executive Director for the Healthy Kids and Families Coalition Stephen Smith stood in the lower rotunda of the Capitol surround by fellow social service advocates holding signs. Some contained countless purple ribbons representing families expected to lose services if the cuts aren’t restored, others with 80 pink slips representing the number of jobs expected to be lost.

“We want commitments from our legislators and from that the state that we’ll never be in this position again,” Smith said.

The cuts came as part of a line item veto by the governor in March. Of the approximately $1 million cut, Gov. Tomblin has since restored about $200,000, but advocates and even some lawmakers say that’s not enough, including Senate President Jeff Kessler.

“I don’t anticipate these cuts are going to be restored before we leave this week, but my message to you is don’t give up on our children and I pledge to you I have not, I will not,” Kessler said.

Senate President Jeff Kessler at Tuesday’s rally.

Kessler said if these groups want to see the change in funding, they have to make a commitment to educate the governor and his staff about what they do, that the services they provide are not duplicative.

House Speaker Tim Miley didn’t attend the vigil, but joined Kessler in his backing of the services.

“If these services aren’t being provided than what services are? How does intervention occur if not through these services?” Miley said Tuesday.

But Miley said for the administration, it’s not a question of are these programs important, it’s a question of being able to afford them in an incredibly tight budget year.

“The governor’s fiscally conservative which is not a bad thing, but when you have to make cuts, do you make them generally across the board or make some additional or greater cuts in certain areas and less in others? So, the governor with his line item veto chose to make cuts to these programs as well as cuts across the board in many others and his position, at least as its been explained to me, is that if he starts opening the door to restore some of the cuts to the line item veto, it creates a slippery slope to then decide: are the other cuts to these other programs not worthy of restoration?”

Two hundred supporters met with their senators and delegates at the Capitol following the vigil, asking their lawmakers to commit to restoring the funds by July and to finding a more stable source of funding for the future.