She was first elected in 2010. Twelve years ago. But don’t remind her.
It’s not that she is not proud of representing residents in Ohio County and fighting for the Northern Panhandle as a whole. She just doesn’t like reminded of the time that has passed over the past decade or so.
“I’m proud of my years in the Legislature,” Storch said with a grin. “But we can skip how long it’s been, OK?”
When the lawmaker was first elected, she was a member of the minority party, but West Virginia was in the process of changing politically. Not only did the Mountain State turn red in 2000 in favor of former President George W. Bush, but West Virginians have favored Republican presidents ever since and that trend continued with the elections of other state delegates and senators.
“The mindset shifted, that’s for sure,” Storch said. “And we’ve seen a lot of positive changes and that’s why I am running for re-election. We have more to do.”
Storch’s campaign focuses on District 4 this time around, and that’s because of the redistricting that took place following the 2020 count by the U.S. Census Bureau. It is a single-delegate district now, and Del. Shawn Fluharty is running in the new District 5.
Still, though, Storch cherishes each and every vote cast in her favor.
“I absolutely will never take a single vote for granted because it is an absolute honor I can ever imagine receiving is somebody’s vote. It’s an incredibly humbling experience,” she insisted. “When I think of it, it makes me feel awestruck because of how much that means to me. I really hope my constituents know that because it’s true.
“I have had people ask me why I campaign the way I do since I was first elected in 2010, and the answer is simple. I want to continue representing the people in the new District 4 because they trust me to do that for them,” she said. “That’s why I try to interact with the people in my district on social media so much, and why I asked a lot of questions about upcoming votes, and why I always stop in the grocery store if someone wants to talk.”
The Republican and Her Constituents
It is unique how she goes about collecting opinions although social media is more popular today than it has been since its creation. That’s how she reaches out, though, because she wants to know what “her people” are thinking about this issue and that issue.
“There’s a reason why I’m called a representative,” Storch said matter-of-factly. “I represent, so I ask those folks I represent how they feel about things. It’s worked, too.
“I do ask questions a lot on Facebook during the (regular) session because that’s when I get to see the specifics for a lot of the legislation that I’ve only heard about,” she explained. “So, while the topic may be something I’d like to see happen, the map on how to get there might not what I have in mind, so that’s when I ask people about it on Facebook.
It is that process, however, that has hindered her climb up the ladder of leadership in Charleston. Last year, she served as the chair of the Interstate Cooperation and Pensions and Retirement committees and was a member of the Finance, House Rules, Political Subdivisions, Redistricting, and Technology & Infrastructure committees.
None of those, though, equate to much political power.
“And that’s OK. I’m not there for titles,” Storch said. “I’m there to make sure Ohio County and the whole Northern Panhandle isn’t forgotten as has been suggested recently. I work with the other others in the Northern Panhandle to make sure we’re included because we should be. Without us, quite frankly, West Virginia would be in really, really big trouble.
“Plus, I learn a lot from those online conversations, so I appreciate them very much,” she said. “I get elected to vote the way the people in my district want me to, so that’s one way I go about finding out.”
Here’s the best part, at least to those who returned her to the position in the House of Delegates six times since Storch’s first campaign in, um, well, when she first ran for office.
“I am elected to represent everyone regardless of what party they belong to or if they voted for me or not, so it doesn’t matter who comments on my social media questions,” Storch said. “I just want to do the job as well as possible and that’s why I hope the voters send me back so I can continue representing everyone.”
