2020 WV Senate race: on Government Reform


Paula Jean Swearengin: Voter turnout depressed due to money influencing elections

Q: What would be your top priorities, if elected?

A: Ending Corruption in Washington. Voter turnout continues to be depressed because people feel defeated by the massive sums of money spent influencing politicians and elections. Our current campaign financing system is largely legal bribery. Representatives who gladly take huge checks from industry and special interests are not representing the will of their constituents. This has to stop! We have already seen the mess caused by dark money and unchecked corporate donations. Our goal to create free and fair elections should be a clean public financing system. A Constitutional amendment to overturn the corrupt Citizens United ruling will help stem the tide. Americans deserve free, fair, accountable, secure elections so we can trust that Washington is on the side of the people.

Source: Ballotpedia statement for 2020 West Virginia Senate race Apr 10, 2018

Paula Jean Swearengin: We as voters need to hold representatives accountable

Primaries are the voters' opportunity to kick out politicians that aren't working for them. Right now both parties prop up and protect their incumbents and undermine primaries. Gerrymandering, voter suppression and corrupt millionaires and billionaires have done all they can to keep their power. More people need to run for office and we as voters need to hold our representatives accountable.
Source: The Herald-Dispatch on 2020 West Virginia Senate race Apr 4, 2020

Richard Ojeda: Federal employees/appointees should donate excess assets

Ojeda has proposed having anyone elected to federal office or appointed to the Cabinet give up any assets over $1 million in net worth to a charity of their choice. "A real charity," he wrote, "not some family foundation run by their kids."
Source: PublicIntegrity.org on 2020 West Virginia Senate race Oct 17, 2019

Richard Ojeda: Introduced bill: lobbyists should wear body cameras

As a state senator, Ojeda introduced a bill that would require lobbyists to buy and wear body cameras while at the state Capitol, along with other restrictions.
Source: PublicIntegrity.org on 2020 West Virginia Senate race Oct 17, 2019

Richard Ojeda: Move toward public financing for campaigns

It's no surprise that Mr. Ojeda has called lobbyists "the absolute scum of the earth" and proposed (humorously) that they wear body cameras any time they meet with legislators. He hopes to help overturn the Supreme Court's decision that allows the wealthy to contribute unlimited amounts of money to political candidates and he hopes to move toward a system of public financing for election campaigns.
Source: The Pro-Gun Democrat on 2020 West Virginia Senate race Jun 1, 2020

  • The above quotations are from 2020 West Virginia Senatorial race: debates and news coverage.
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Candidates and political leaders on Government Reform:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Feb 14, 2023