West Virginia Legislature photo.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — New West Virginia Democratic Party Vice-Chair Del. Danielle Walker, believes the key to reaching voters is persistence and hard work.
Walker, a member of the House of Delegate from Monongalia County, was elected to the party position earlier this month. Fellow delegate, Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, is the new party chairman.
Walker said they plan many miles of travel to meet voters of all backgrounds.
“We have to be an active listener from northern West Virginia to the eastern panhandle down to the southern coal fields,” Walker said during a recent appearance on WAJR’S “Talk of the Town.” “We do that by meeting Democrats and meeting neighbors where they are.”
State Democratic leadership does believe they have a good opportunity to pick up seats in some single-member delegate districts. Walker said they’ll when voters with common themes for working families.
“Clean air, clean water and a supportive well-funded education system,” Walker said. “This is what we want, this is what every West Virginian wants- safe affordable accessible housing and affordable healthcare- we will get the job done.”
Democrats are in the minority in both the Senate and House of Delegates and the party holds no state offices other than U.S. Senator Joe Manchin. Walker said the tide of declining Democratic registration can be stemmed through inclusiveness and action.
“When I get a call or when other Democrats get a call we don’t ask anyone what are they registered as or what county they’re calling from because mountaineers are always free.”
Information from the Secretary of State’s Office shows Democrat voter registrations have fallen from 552,000 five years ago to 383,461 today. That’s about 59,000 voters below state Republicans.