CHARLESTON, W.Va – From potholes to data centers, pollster Mark Blankenship says West Virginians are viewing local issues through the lens of finances.
That’s the message he gave to assembled leaders at the 2026 West Virginia Municipal League Conference in Charleston on Thursday.
“The overarching thing is the cost of living. They’re paying a whole lot more for more things than they ever have been, and it creates a little bit of anxiety among the voters right now, so they’re looking at everything through that prism,” Blankenship said.
Blankenship’s workshop focused on taking the data collected from sources like his MBE Enterprises and using it to connect with constituents on the issues they care about. He called on mayors, city managers, and other municipal officials to connect with people in a more direct way than most elected offices.
“They see the same voters every day, and the voters have access to them and the voters can talk to them about their concerns. If you saw in there, I asked them to write down what they thought the most important issue was, and I think it was about 60 percent that said our voters talk about finance and cost of living,” Blankenship said.
According to Blankenship, the data shows the cost of living colors West Virginians’ views on almost any issue. For that reason, he encouraged officials to take it into account when considering new projects.
“That’s the first point of contact that voters have with government of any kind. A mayor has to be responsible for patching potholes, but also has to try to address bigger, broader issues like the economy,” he said.
The big picture in Blankenship’s numbers shows a clear trend. He believes that the economic impact on individual residents has to be front of mind for any local leader.
“They have to consider, first and foremost, does this address the number-one issue—cost of living? Does this help reduce people’s cost of living?” he said.
The West Virginia Municipal League Conference continues at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center through Friday.