During the time I was elected to serve in the West Virginia House of Delegates, there were countless lessons I could share about politics, policy, and public service. When people ask what part of the job I enjoyed most, what mattered most, my answer is always the same: constituent service.
Legislation is important. Debates and votes shape our Mountain State’s future, but the day-to-day work of helping the people who sent me to Charleston, far and away, was the most satisfying. Whether it’s answering their calls, solving their problems, or connecting them to resources, this is where the heart of public service lives.
That is the service I love to do.
Constituent service is what keeps an elected official grounded. It’s what reminds you, in a world that too often praises titles and committee assignments, that you are not more important than the people you serve. You are their voice, their advocate, and sometimes even their lifeline to a system that can feel distant and overwhelming. I cringe when anyone elected to office, pulls a, “Do you know who I am” attitude, and often (probably unfortunately for me), make it a point to call them on such behavior.
Early in my career, I realized that being available was half the battle. If someone called, emailed, or showed up at an event to speak with me, it was imperative that I made it a point to respond, even if I did not have the answer right away. Often, I did not know the answer off the top of my head, but I knew where to find the answer. People do not expect you to know everything. They expect you to listen.
They expect you to care enough to try.
I enjoyed helping people with their issues. Several would never make a headline. They were not the types of issues to be discussed in caucus meetings or used in campaign speeches. But they were issues that mattered to whoever brought them to my attention. So, they mattered to me. Working alongside my constituents and connecting them with the right contacts whether they be state, local, federal office holders, departments, agencies, or staff, we would eventually be able to get the answers needed. Oftentimes, their gratitude was overwhelming. It was a powerful reminder that, to each individual constituent, their problem is the most important issue in the world. As their delegate, it was equally important to me too.
During Covid, I was connected with a woman from outside of the district and outside of my area. Her brother was hospitalized in a hospital in the (3rd at the time) district. He was terminal. She was distraught over not being able to see him. I, quietly, worked with the hospital to get her the precious time she needed. I still have the voice message she left for me following this visit as a reminder of why public service is so very important.
Constituent service teaches humility. It teaches patience. It teaches that you are not an emperor sitting atop a throne, but a public servant whose very title, “Delegate,” means you have been entrusted to represent others, not yourself.
One of the worst mistakes an elected official can make is to act as if they are somehow above the people they serve. I saw it happen over the years. I saw colleagues who lost touch with their communities, who stopped returning phone calls, who seemed more concerned with special interests or camera time than with answering a constituent’s simple question about a pothole, a tax issue, or a fishing license. Inevitably and rightfully so, voters notice.
They remember who showed up, and they remember who did not. In many cases, those officials found themselves “former delegates” sooner than they expected or would have liked.
The truth is, political power is fleeting. The voters are the boss, and they are wise enough to know when someone has forgotten that. An elected official reveling with holding the title will never be there for the people or the right reasons.
When I first ran for office, I promised myself I would always return calls as soon as possible. Being a member of a part-time, citizen legislature who did not always use technology to assist with basic job duties, sometimes the return time took a little longer than I would have liked. The days can be long and unpredictable during a legislative session, but if I was contacted during session or on any number of published phone numbers, I tried. Even a quick message saying, “I’m looking into this and will get back to you soon,” meant something. It showed respect. It showed that their concern had been heard.
It is not always glamorous work. It certainly, more often than not, does not earn flashy headlines. But, in my mind, it is the work that matters the most.
Constituent service also offers a constant education. No matter how much you think you know about your district, there is always more to learn. Every call, every letter, every conversation at a town hall meeting reveals something new. It may offer a new challenge, a new opportunity, or a new idea. Listening to constituents made me a better legislator. It sharpened my sense of priorities. It reminded me that behind every policy decision were real people whose lives would be directly impacted.
If we want to restore faith in government, and heaven knows we need to, it starts with the simple act of being responsive. It starts with a genuine commitment to help, not just when cameras are rolling, but when no one is watching. It starts with remembering that public office is not a prize.
It is a trust.
After seven terms, I am proud of the legislation I helped pass and the policies I supported. But when I think about the legacy I hope to leave behind, it’s not the votes or the speeches that matter most. It is about the small things, the returned calls, the problems solved, the doors that were opened for people who needed a hand. I will always be there for the people. Title or not.
To me, those are the victories that count.
Public service, at its core, is about human connection. It is about treating people with dignity, no matter how busy one may be or how insignificant their issue might seem to someone else. It is about keeping your feet firmly planted in the community you represent, and your heart open to your constituents’ needs.
The minute you start acting as if you are more important than the people you serve, you have lost your way. And, frankly, you do not deserve the honor of representing them anymore.
I consider it one of the greatest privileges of my life to have served the people of the 3rd and 4th districts. But more than that, I consider it one of the greatest lessons: that real leadership starts and ends with service.
Everything else is just noise.
