I’m Sue Thorn. People throughout West Virginia’s 1st Congressional District have been asking me to run for Congress. Some are friends I’ve known for years, but most are people who have told me their stories as I’ve traveled throughout the state. They are stories of workers who struggle to get ahead as their wages and benefits decline, of proud seniors who are embarrassed to admit they cannot afford the medicines and food they need, of veterans, who return after risking their lives in combat, to the stress of not finding a living wage job and the medical care they deserve. These conversations have convinced me of the need for a change in representation in Washington.
Follow me below the fold to find out more about the district, who I am and what I plan to do.
West Virginia District 1
West Virginia is different from most of the country. This is an area where people have long memories and deep roots, and it has been solidly Democratic since the New Deal. It was a shock to me when our congressional seat was won by a conservative Republican last year (for details on last year's race and the district, see this diary by Andrew Cockburn).
I decided then and there that I was going to do whatever was needed to win the seat back. It never occurred to me that that might mean running myself!
Who am I?
I live in a log cabin that has a special meaning for my family. My grandfather and great grandfather worked for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression and this cabin was built by WPA workers who, like my family, survived on the work provided by the government. The WPA was just one of many Great Depression relief programs created under the auspices of the Emergency Relief Appropriations Act, which President Roosevelt implemented. The WPA, the Public Works Administration (PWA) and other federal assistance programs put unemployed Americans to work in return for temporary financial assistance. Out of the 10 million jobless men in the United States in 1935, 3 million were helped by WPA jobs alone. These jobs weren’t handouts. These workers built infrastructure and public facilities we still appreciate and use today.
My dad’s work as a union electrician in a United Steel Workers plant enabled my family to join the middle class. When I was in grade school, my mom returned to college and became a teacher.
I came to Wheeling in the ’80s when many people my age were leaving WV. We moved into our cabin when our older daughter was 2 and just before our younger daughter was born. This was a wonderful place for our girls to grow up, whether they were roller blading in the living room or building a tree house in the back yard. My 5 year old granddaughter is the newest generation to roast marshmallows in the fireplace and curl up in a sleeping bag in front of it when the power goes out.
Over the years I’ve worked throughout WV’s 1st District bringing people together to work on issues that impact their lives. I was thrilled when I was able to combine my faith and what I do for a living as a congregation-centered organizer. Through this work I united people from diverse faiths to understand that their destinies are intertwined and only by working together could they build the power to improve their neighborhoods and community.
I was also previously employed by Organizing for America. I, like Senator Robert C. Byrd, former Governor Joe Manchin and the entire WV Democratic Delegation and Party found great promise in Senator Barack Obama. After he succeeded in his Presidential Campaign, I longed to see his message of Hope and Change become reality. Although the President has accomplished some of what I envisioned occurring, I determined earlier this year that I could be more effective working outside the confines of Organizing for America.
What do I plan to do?
I am running because I believe that we must restore justice and respect in this country: justice and respect for workers, justice and respect for the elderly, justice and respect for veterans, and justice and respect for families. The Republicans have perfected the use of wedge issues and lies to drive us apart: "protecting the environment costs jobs", "unions make companies send jobs overseas", "greedy geezers will bankrupt their children", and "children only deserve protection before they are born". I am embarrassed that the richest country on earth will not provide for its least powerful citizens, and I will fight for them as long as I am alive.
I have posted position papers on my web site, so I will just touch on the main topics.
Jobs: We need decent jobs for the middle class.
Senior citizens: We need to provide our parents with the support they have earned.
Veterans: We need to provide veterans with the care they deserve and stop war profiteering.
Education: We need to provide our children with the education they require for this country to prosper.
Health care: The health care reform act was a step forward, but we need to rein in the insurance companies and make sure that no one is denied affordable coverage.
Taxes: We need to ensure that everyone pays their fair share, including the billionaires.
Democracy: We need to fight back against shadowy far right groups like ALEC that are trying to deny people their right to vote.
I will be participating in the comment thread this evening. I hope to see you there.
More campaign links
Watch my candidacy announcement video.
The campaign Facebook page. Everyone is invited to join in the conversation!
My ActBlue page
If you can't help yourself, you can also donate through my web site.