He heard about the same three wishes while traveling up and down the Northern Panhandle during his Republican primary campaign for a seat in the West Virginia Senate.
More jobs. Better roads. Transparent government.
A,B,C. 1-2-3.
And Eddy believes governing the Mountain State should be that simplistic right now since the population has been declining for a few decades, thanks to a severe lack of opportunity.
“Everything that I’ve talked about during this campaign has really been about how we can make life better for the individual, his family, for the community as a whole,” Eddy explained. “I’ve talked a lot about taking advantage of our strengths in energy and manufacturing and our history in the valley, and those build on each other to create more good jobs.
“My platform is a pretty basic platform because I want to help our state government improve in ways that will promote growth and job creation,” he said. “I’ve created jobs (in the private sector), I’ve created businesses, and I’ve watched them grow while helping their communities grow. There is a system that works and can be made even better.”
While Eddy is not sure why members of leadership in West Virginia’s House of Delegates and state Senate did not cooperate more to pave the way for economic development, he has explained his thoughts to voters along the campaign trail.
“When you look at the nuances between a private corporation building a business and hiring employees, and how the state can affect that in a serious manner, it’s easy to see what can be accomplished to improve the environment,” the candidate explained. “The key thing is building a competitive advantage business environment, and if we don’t do that as a state and as a Legislature, it’s impossible to have a growth plan.
“Good leadership matters, and I’m not only talking about the governor; I’m talking about having an organized leadership within the Senate in West Virginia,” Eddy said. “We didn’t have great leadership in the Senate, and that needs to change. It needs to improve.”
That’s the conclusion he’s come to after witnessing significant efforts by House Speaker Roger Hanshaw to move economic legislation to the chamber’s forefront.
“I really appreciated what Speaker (Roger) Hanshaw did when he brought out an agenda, and they made some progress and had some successes, but they really weren’t able to push through some of the key components of economic development because it stalled in the Senate,” Eddy said. “That’s why unifying our state Senate should be a priority when I get there.
“There were a lot of good ideas in the House during the regular session,” he said. “They’re on the right track, but most of it hit a wall when it went over to the Senate.”
Grow Within
The economy should always be a top priority in West Virginia.
That’s what Eddy believes, and the Republican also feels strongly that the work to improve the state’s economic environment starts in the state itself.
“I think existing businesses within West Virginia get overlooked a lot of times,” Eddy said. “Creating a tax advantage and creating an environment where our existing businesses can continue to grow and hire employees is something we have to do. And we must take advantage of our energy resources and recruit specific industries that are highly energy-intensive industries to diversify our economy.
“We want to see a difference in the future of West Virginia. Advanced manufacturing, advanced materials, composites and manufacturing,” he explained. “We have to convert our natural gas to downstream value and jobs, and the key thing there is, let’s look at energy and creating more electricity. If we do, we create more jobs and build out in West Virginia as well as export some of that electrical energy.”
And what does Eddy believe the state’s role is when it comes to economic development?
Paving the way.
“Infrastructure is the foundation of growth for any community, for any business, and for any state. We’ve been making some, but we need to make really intelligent projects that give us the ability to build on,” Eddy said. “And then on the backside of that is education in the workforce, and that’s something I’ve been working on for 30 years here in West Virginia.
“It’s the basis for everything we have to do to grow. That’s where it starts,” he said. “That’s the number one question everybody who comes into West Virginia asks. ‘How’s your workforce?’ That’s why we must continue to build on education and the workforce with our kids in high school right now. They are the key to building up our state again, so we have to give them reasons to stay.”
Dark Money Has a Face
He’s been labeled, nicknamed, and misrepresented by those supporting his opponent in the Republican primary in the 1st Senatorial District, and every time he’s been asked about the claims made by potential constituents, he’s set the record straight.
Eddy also has reminded those residents about the endorsements he’s received since launching his campaign a few months ago, including the recent backing of U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito. The W.Va. Gas & Oil Association, the W.Va. Chamber, the state Business & Industry Council, the Home Builders Association, the State Medical Association, and the W.Va. Manufacturers Association are a few of the organizations that have supported the former businessman’s candidacy.
“I’ve talked with a lot of people, and I like to think I’m a better listener than I am a speaker,” Eddy said. “I’ve listened to a lot of good people while I’ve been out knocking on doors, and we’ve talk about the affordability issues, the roads, and the shrinking population. Our people really care about where they live, and they care about the future, too. And they haven’t enjoyed the negativity either.
“I’ve told my wife, Debbie, that I would go through this process and, win or lose, I won’t let it change my integrity. I’ve defended myself against the lies that are being told, of course, but my integrity will not change,” he said. “I am proud of the integrity that I’ve been able to uphold through my entire career and through my life. I said I also don’t want it to ever adversely affect my dignity.
“I’m a pretty settled guy, and I want to put people together to do great things for the people of West Virginia.”
Thousands of dollars, however, have communicated and distributed a different message, and political action committees tied to W.Va. Gov. Patrick Morrisey – the Sugar Maple and Black Bear PACs – have performed the heavy lifting by inundating local residents with negative mailers and TV commercials.
Eddy’s campaign, meanwhile, has stayed on his positive message to the voters in the Northern Panhandle.
“I thought I was a pretty smart guy, but we don’t know what we don’t know,” Eddy said. “I’ve learned how low people are willing to go, and how they’ll change their character to do so. Well, I won’t let this change my character.
“I won’t let this experience change my honesty and my kindness,” he insisted. “Maybe some people will change, but that’s not what this is about for me.”
