CHARLESTON, W.Va. — After 19 years in the West Virginia Senate, the current Minority Leader will not be returning next year. Instead, Senator Jeff Kessler is hoping to win the Democratic nomination for governor by “telling people the truth” and showing them the way.
“I’m an idealist and optimist that thinks that we can change the world. We can certainly change West Virginia because we need to,” said Kessler (D-Marshall, 02) during an interview with MetroNews. “My vision for the state is simple. I intend to invest in infrastructure and invest in people.”
By doing so, he said there needs to be an increase in revenue instead of cutting programs from state government.
“I’m the only candidate that’s telling people the truth that in order to fill this budget hole, you can’t cut enough programs to fill that hole and you’ve got to replace that coal and depressed energy market severance tax with something,” he said of the state’s $270 million hole for next fiscal year’s budget.
Kessler also pledged to attack West Virginia’s low work force participation rate by investing in education. In order to do that, he wants to take money from a tobacco tax increase and use it to make it easier for students to get training at community and technical colleges.
He said not enough West Virginians are working partly because people are turning to drugs, including his son who is now 15 months clean. Kessler’s plan includes investing in more drug treatment centers across the state.
“I could not and will not give up on my own kids, so I can’t give up on any kid in this state because I have seen first hand what can happen when kids get appropriate treatment and recover,” he said.
Moving West Virginia forward also means investing in broadband expansion for the last mile by issuing bonds, Kessler said. “If you have (products) open to the Internet, the world becomes your market.”
Kessler has been targeted in recent debates by fellow Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Justice, the owner of the Greenbrier Resort, for “down playing” coal, but Kessler told MetroNews that’s not the case. He said he knows coal will never be dominant in West Virginia, like it was years ago, and that the state should join other states when it comes to using other resources like natural gas.
“I haven’t given up on coal, but I’m realistic about it,” he said. “We can keep our head in the sand and say ‘We love coal, coal, coal,’ but the rest of the world isn’t thinking that way and the rest of the country isn’t.”
A big supporter of coal is Justice who has pledged to put miners back to work and create jobs throughout the Mountain State, but Kessler said one of his biggest frustrations on the campaign trail has been the fact that he hasn’t heard the specifics of how Justice will create jobs.
“All he does is say ‘I love West Virginia. I love it. I love it. No one loves this state more than me.’ Well, love alone isn’t going to get it done,” Kessler said.
As for Booth Goodwin, the other Democratic candidate and former U.S. Attorney, Kessler said he takes pride in the fact that he’s prosecuted cases for 16 years — one year more than Goodwin has.
“I’m probably the only one running for governor that’s ever put a man in prison for the rest of his life,” he said.
But running his campaign hasn’t been all about debates. Kessler said meeting people over the last several months has been the best part.
“Getting out, shaking hands, sharing ideas — I get energized when I’m on the campaign trail, particularly when I talk to young people. What are their hopes and dreams? What are your problems? How can we make you stay here?” he reflected.
Kessler attended events in both Charleston and Beckley last week where MetroNews caught up with the senator and his supporters. Ann Worley, a Beckley councilwoman, was at the Black Knight Country Club where the Beckley Rotary Club met for a luncheon.
Worley said she’s voting for Kessler because he “knows the players” in state government and he speaks specifically about how he can change the state around.
“I want specifics, I want facts, I want to know that my governor knows the issues and he does,” she said. “He knows how to work things through the Legislature. He knows who to go to for support and that, to me, is huge.”
John Mullins, a member of the Beckley Rotary Club, was on the fence about who to vote for, but after listening to Kessler’s speech at the event, he said it became clear Kessler was the right guy for the job.
“I feel that he has the answers that we’ve been looking for for a long time,” Mullins said. “We have issues that need fixed now that I feel like that Jeff can do that now.”
Earlier in the day, the senator spoke to a group at the Grace Bible Church in Charleston, hosted by Rev. Matthew Watts, to discuss social issues in the region.
“This idea of investing in people, I think that’s the key,” Watts said. “People have problems, but people solve problems and the answer to all of our problems reside with the people.”
Kessler, who has been representing the Second District since his appointment in 1997 along with formerly serving as the Senate President, is “in politics for the right reasons,” according to Delegate Mike Pushkin (D-Kanawha, 37). He confirmed Kessler has his vote.
“Jeff is my friend. I know what’s in his heart,” Pushkin said. “He loves this state and wants to help us move forward.”
But no matter what happens on Primary Election Day, Kessler won’t return to the Senate. He said it’s time to “live under the same roof” with his wife, five kids, three dogs and a cat in Glendale.
“I’ve got a law firm to go back to. I can always go back and probably make more money certainly than what I’m doing here in the state Senate,” he said. “It’s not a bad fallback.”
“I do believe I’ve been drawn to public service my entire life,” he continued. “I’m proud to be a Democrat. I believe that government, when done right, can create huge opportunities for people.”
This story is part of a series on the gubernatorial candidates ahead of the West Virginia Primary Election on May 10. Early voting begins Wednesday.