Where we Stand

We are Democrats, an inclusive big tent party focused on building a better future for all. We share these common values:*

 

• Reproductive Freedom: In West Virginia, we have lost the right to reproductive freedom that we had known for generations. Democrats strongly support reproductive rights.

 

• Protecting Democracy: The extreme wing of Republicans would damage basic norms of democracy, including voting rights, transparency in governance, embracing a big tent philosophy, and non-violent compromise in politics.

 

• Democratic Economic Bill of Rights:
   

• The right to a safe job and a living wage

• The right to a voice in the workplace through a union and collective bargaining

• The right to comprehensive quality healthcare

• The right to a complete, cost-free public education and access to broadband internet

• The right to decent, safe, affordable housing

• The right to a clean environment and a healthy planet

• The right to meaningful resources at birth and a secure retirement 

• The right to sound banking and financial services

• The right to an equitable and economically fair justice system 

• The right to vote and otherwise participate in public life

 

• Infrastructure is more than roads: We must invest in innovative solutions for affordable housing, childcare providers, recreation, the arts, and excellent broadband to make our state a viable home for more people.

 

• Labor: We believe in strengthening the voices of all workers on the job. We urge state and local officials to support collective bargaining for improved wages, benefits, and working conditions.

 

• Human Rights: We believe in inclusion for all, regardless of race, gender, disability, or sexual orientation, which means listening to all voices and ensuring everyone gets a seat at the table.

 

• Addiction Recovery: Substance use disorder and the opioid crisis have shattered countless lives across West Virginia. Long and short-term recovery must be supported through public policy across all settings. Our criminal justice system must safely and increasingly promote meaningful opportunities for success with recovery.

 

• Education: An excellent and free public education is a fundamental constitutional right in West Virginia. From early childhood education to child protective services to K-12 schools to higher education, we believe we should invest more dollars intelligently—and not cut public funds.
   

• Fixing Foster Care: West Virginia routinely has over 6,000 children in foster care. The Republican Legislature has talked a lot but has not taken action. We support action to prevent the need for foster care and improve the current system.

 

• Healthcare for All: Access to quality, affordable healthcare is a fundamental human right. We are the party of Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act, providing health care to over 100 million Americans. Those with pre-existing conditions, from heart disease to asthma, are secure in the knowledge that insurance companies can no longer discriminate against them. Women can no longer be charged more than men just because of their gender. More Americans can get health coverage (including mental health) than ever before, including the young and the vulnerable.

 

• Energy: Democrats led the way in passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (2021) and Inflation Reduction Act (2022) with which we are rebuilding infrastructure, raising new factories, and investing in cleaner, more affordable energy. We believe in an industrial expansion that avoids the booms and busts of the old economy, focusing instead on efficient, sustainable development that is better for workers and public health.
   

• Environment: Protecting the environment is about conserving natural resources, protecting unique places, and ensuring that resource development does not cause more harm than good. Development should not leave behind billions of dollars in unfunded reclamation costs and climate impacts, which vastly outstrip the economic benefits of resource production and harm tourism opportunities.
   

• Public Health: We believe we must reverse decades of underinvestment in America’s public health infrastructure. Democrats support the physical, mental, and social health of all residents, including access to food security and nature.
   

• Immigration: West Virginia was settled by diverse people from all over the world looking for a better life who became the backbone of our middle class. We support securing our borders while welcoming all who legally enter our country. Secure borders, humanitarianism, and attracting the best and brightest are not mutually exclusive. We support immigration law reforms.
   

• Global Leadership: We believe our foreign policies must protect and advance America’s security, prosperity, and values. We will revitalize the power and purpose of American diplomacy to compete in a more contested world. We honor our veterans and our military and believe we must invest in honoring their sacrifice. We will place our core values of democracy, labor, fair trade, and human rights at the center of our foreign policy. 

 

*Adapted from the West Virginia State Democratic Party Platform – Adopted at the 2024 State Convention June 15, 2024.