WELLSBURG, W.Va. — Brooke County Senator Ryan Weld is continuing to take lessons from his late father with him to Charleston and around his district when serving citizens.
Weld (R-01) told MetroNews on Tuesday that one lesson, in particular, helped in his decision to announce a reelection campaign in the state Senate for 2020.
“The lesson that I learned was that you have to fight and keep fighting until you have nothing left to fight for. At this point, I feel that I have a lot to fight for when it comes to this district and this state. I am not ready to throw in the towel yet,” Weld said.
The official campaign kickoff took place Tuesday morning at the Wellsburg City Building, which sits in Brooke County, one of the four counties Weld represents. He serves district one, which houses all of Hancock, Brooke Ohio, and part of Marshall counties.
Two areas that Weld said will be his priority if reelected are two that he said he has fought for since 2016: substance abuse and veterans issues.
Weld, the Majority Whip and Chair of the Military Committee in the Senate, is one of two veterans in that chamber.
In August, one of Weld’s biggest priorities during the 2019 regular legislative session became reality when the state reinstituted a veterans court program. The court is meant to help veterans that may find themselves in the system because of an issue that relates to their time in service.
During the 2018 session, Weld said another proud moment came when a bill he introduced became law. That bill required that private health insurance carries cover inpatient substance abuse treatment for people suffering from addiction, which he wanted to aim in helping the middle class.
West Virginia became the second state in the country to pass a law of that nature.
Weld said on Tuesday that he believes substance abuse is the problem that is holding the state back, which is why he wants to address that and mental health even more immediately in the next regular session if reelected.
“We can change all the regulations and tax laws we want but if an employer is looking at West Virginia to relocate here or an existing employer to expand here, the first thing they are going to look at is whether or not they can get a drug free workplace and workforce,” he said.
Weld’s reelection announcement comes on the heels of numerous lawmakers announcing they will not be running for reelection in 2020.
House Minority Leader Tim Miley, D-Harrison, House Judiciary Chairman John Shott, R-Mercer, Senate Minority Leader Roman Prezioso, D-Marion, and Senate Minority Whip Corey Palumbo, D-Kanawha, all have announced they are not running for re-election with some citing the environment of partisan politics playing a factor in the decision.
“Everyone’s experience is what they want to make of it and what they want to accomplish there. For me, I do not buy into the partisanship on either side and I just try to get things done for my district and state at-large,” Weld said.
“There are times when it’s contentious and there are times when people put politics ahead of policy but that’s not me. That’s not how I operate. I don’t work for a party, I don’t work for anyone in Charleston, I work for the people who live in the first district.”