Weirich

ELKINS — An Elkins resident has filed as a Democratic candidate for the District 11 state senate seat.

Mandy Smith Weirich said she has “lived a life of service” and wants to continue that in the state Senate.

“The people of West Virginia have always been resilient, and they know how to make do with less,” Weirich said in a press statement. “I often hear people say, ‘I don’t have it as bad as someone else.’ Well, that may be true, but we shouldn’t have to settle for less. 

“I have lived a life of service for my entire adult life; from my first career as a police officer in my twenties to my career as a social worker in West Virginia for the last 15-plus years. As a military spouse, service and sacrifice were facts of daily life.”

The District 11 state Senate seat is currently held by Republican incumbent Robert Karnes, who has filed to run for re-election.

Longtime Randolph County Development Authority Director Robbie Morris, a Republican, has also filed to run for the open District 11 seat.  Morris has served as director of the RCDA and the West Virginia Wood Technology Center for the past 12 years. Before filing, Morris said he confirmed with legal counsel that he could continue to serve as the RCDA director if elected. 

Weirich said she has deep family ties to the local area.

“My family roots are in Randolph, Barbour, and Upshur counties,” she said. “I was born in Barbour County and went to elementary and middle school there. I moved quite a bit growing up, but West Virginia has always been home to me.

“When it was time to leave our military life behind, my husband and I decided to raise our children in Elkins. We would be close to my family, and our children would be able to go to small schools. It was important to us to be a part of a community.”

Weirich said that, while working for the state, she recognized many needs and issues that have local repercussions.

“I worked for almost eight years in Adult Protective Services for the Department of Health and Human Services,” she said. “Through that work I saw how incredibly important it is to have access to health insurance and to plan financially for the future. I also saw the great need for affordable housing, transportation and food security for our seniors and people with disabilities.

“Unfortunately, there are far too few resources for older adults and their families in our communities. I remain committed to working toward improving the lives of seniors and vulnerable adults in West Virginia. I am also invested in finding solutions to the PEIA debacle, and fighting for living wages for the people that work for our state.”

Weirich said she is not interested in “fighting culture wars” but in working to help her constituents.

“For too long flat budgets have essentially cut funding to higher education, senior services, the State Police, and the Division of Highways,” she pointed out. “A flat budget doesn’t account for increased costs to run these agencies or improvement in wages and benefits to draw a workforce.

“Our minimum wage has been stagnant for years. Our workers in the service industry – the backbone of our economy, our essential workers -should be able to work a full-time job and still be able to pay for the basic needs for their families. Instead of fighting culture wars, we need legislators that are willing to fight for the people.” 

Weirich also stressed that she is a pro-choice candidate.

“To be a truly healthy democracy, we need to have a two-party system,” she noted. “West Virginia has long been a one-party state, first under Democratic leadership and now under Republicans. When you have a two-party system, you have debate and compromise, and a greater willingness to do what is right for all the people. In 2022, we witnessed how easy it was for one party to strip away liberty from over half of our population. 

“I am running for Senate District 11 because the citizens of West Virginia deserve a pro-choice candidate. Women are fully capable of making their own medical decisions and I trust that women can make decisions that are right for them without our politicians interfering. We need a candidate that believes Mountaineers should Always be Free.” 

Weirich serves on the board for Meals on Wheels of Randolph County and Highland Community Builders, and is a member of the National Adult Protective Services Association policy committee, and represents the Cheat District on the Randolph County Democratic Executive Committee.

She is a social work educator and a member of AFT Academics. Weirich has a Bachelor’s degree from St. Leo University and has a Masters in Social Work and a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology from West Virginia University.

She and her husband, Ryan, have two adult children, three dogs, two cats, and 13 chickens.

The state primary election will be May 14.