CHARLESTON, W.Va. — With the May 10 primary election around the corner, two of the three Democratic gubernatorial candidates took the stage together for the first time at University of Charleston Tuesday night.
Sen. Minority Leader Jeff Kessler and former U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin both gave five-minute speeches, followed by a sit down with a panel in a round-table format before an audience at the university’s Geary Auditorium.
Goodwin, who described himself as a problem solver and not a career politician, said his experience as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District would help him serve as governor.
“I always approached my job as U.S. Attorney as a community problem solver. I wasn’t simply a case processor,” he said. “I looked very deeply at the issues that were facing our communities, and used my tool kit as U.S. Attorney to attack those. That’s exactly what I would do as governor.”
Kessler took the stage first, promising he would invest in both the people of West Virginia and its infrastructure. He said that begins with higher education.
“The worst thing we ought to be doing is more budget cuts, particularly to higher education,” Kessler said. “I’m the only candidate that truthfully has a history of fixing problems within the state government structure.”
Kessler said he wanted to implement a system similar to Tennessee’s Promise scholarship, which provides two years of tuition-free attendance at a community or technical college to high school graduates.
He also wanted to focus on broadband Internet, claiming that it would help businesses grow exponentially.
“They may make the best quilts in the world but if all they can do is hang it over the rail and say quilts for sale, they’re not going to sell many in Fayette County,” said Kessler giving an example of a business. “What we need to do is have that website out for the world to be open to the best quilts ever made in Fayette County. We’re going to have broadband in every nook and cranny in this state.”
Both Goodwin and Kessler discussed growing the state economy beyond coal. Kessler said he never expects coal to again experience the boom it once had. Goodwin said West Virginia must expand its economy.
“We do have to diversify our economy, there’s no question about it. It’s not going to happen overnight. We’ve got to invest in our infrastructure, we’ve got to invest in our education systems and we’ve got to empower people again with the faith that can do something more and be something more,” Goodwin said.
Greenbrier owner Democrat candidate Jim Justice and Senate President Bill Cole, who’s running unopposed on the GOP side, both declined to attend Tuesday night’s event. Justice’s absence was unsurprisingly criticized by both Goodwin and Kessler.
“It’s unfortunate. I’ve said from the beginning, Jim’s a fine man but at the end of the day if you want to hold the highest office in this state, then you ought to have the guts to stand up before the people of this state and tell them what your vision is,what you stand for and why you believe you’re the best candidate,” said Kessler.
Goodwin said Justice and Cole are running a “different sort of campaign, one of sound bites and trying to avoid issues.”
In addition to questions from the panel, a series of queries submitted by the audience were also asked.
All three Democrat candidates will appear for a forum at 11 a.m. on April 16 at the Charleston Civic Center.