CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Good ole shoe leather.
State Senator-elect Richard Lindsay Jr. said on Thursday’s MetroNews “Talkline” that the leather was one of the main reasons why he was elected to the state Senate in District 8.
“We had a campaign that was robust, the same type of campaign I ran in the primary,” he said. “We knocked on a lot of doors and talked to a lot of West Virginians. The message of working with working folks and helping them, and talking about opioids and the crisis our state is in the midst of, made all the difference in the world.”
Lindsay Jr. defeated incumbent Republican Ed Gaunch in the closest state Senate race in West Virginia. The unofficial final tally was 16,153 votes to 15,865. The difference of 288 votes made the percentages even at 50. Lindsay Jr. said Gaunch was the first person to call and congratulate him on the victory.
“The people in the eighth district had a good choice between two good candidates and I was lucky enough to win at the end of the day.”
Lindsay Jr. added on “Talkline” that he felt large support from educators and laborers that helped him win the election.
“I think the teachers played a major role expressing their thoughts, and me, through their support and the folks at labor, that message went out.
“Their request, claim and demand to get paid better and to have PEIA fixed is something that wasn’t contained with their group. It speaks for a number of West Virginians who believe they are working hard and not getting the wages and benefits they deserve.”
The eighth district covers parts of Kanawha and Putnam counties, and even though it is one of the smallest districts in the state ground wise, it holds a lot of population.
“The primary and the general, I talked to a lot of West Virginians from a whole swath of the socioeconomic status from Rand to Red House. In the process, I was told and I listened to what mattered most to those folks.
“It was to help working folks and make sure the government works for them.”