Richard Ojeda
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Richard Ojeda (Democratic Party) was a member of the West Virginia State Senate, representing District 7. He assumed office in 2016. He left office on January 10, 2019.
Ojeda (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. Senate to represent West Virginia. He lost in the Democratic primary on June 9, 2020.
Ojeda also ran for election for President of the United States. He did not appear on the ballot for the Democratic convention on August 18, 2020.
Ojeda filed presidential candidacy papers on November 11, 2018, and withdrew from the race on January 25, 2019.[1]
Biography
Richard Ojeda was born on September 25, 1970, in Rochester, Minnesota. He was raised in Logan County, West Virginia, and graduated from Logan High School in 1988. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1989. He earned a bachelor's degree from West Virginia State College in 1997. After 24 years of service, Major Ojeda retired from the U.S Army in 2013.[2]
Elections
2020
U.S. Senate
See also: United States Senate election in West Virginia, 2020
United States Senate election in West Virginia, 2020 (June 9 Republican primary)
United States Senate election in West Virginia, 2020 (June 9 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. Senate West Virginia
Incumbent Shelley Moore Capito defeated Paula Jean Swearengin and David Moran in the general election for U.S. Senate West Virginia on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Shelley Moore Capito (R) | 70.3 | 547,454 |
 | Paula Jean Swearengin (D)  | 27.0 | 210,309 | |
 | David Moran (L) | 2.7 | 21,155 | |
| Total votes: 778,918 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Franklin Riley (Unaffiliated)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia
Paula Jean Swearengin defeated Richard Ojeda and Richie Robb in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Paula Jean Swearengin | 38.3 | 71,725 |
 | Richard Ojeda | 32.9 | 61,712 | |
 | Richie Robb | 28.8 | 53,944 | |
| Total votes: 187,381 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia
Incumbent Shelley Moore Capito defeated Allen Whitt and Larry Butcher in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate West Virginia on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Shelley Moore Capito | 83.3 | 173,331 |
 | Allen Whitt | 9.6 | 19,972 | |
 | Larry Butcher | 7.1 | 14,673 | |
| Total votes: 207,976 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Presidency
- See also: Presidential candidates, 2020
Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) won the presidential election on November 3, 2020. Biden received 306 electoral votes and President Donald Trump (R) received 232 electoral votes. In the national popular vote, Biden received 81.2 million votes and Trump received 74.2 million votes.
Ojeda filed to run for president on November 11, 2018, and withdrew from the race on January 25, 2019.
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House West Virginia District 3
Carol Miller defeated Richard Ojeda in the general election for U.S. House West Virginia District 3 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Carol Miller (R) | 56.4 | 98,645 |
| Richard Ojeda (D) | 43.6 | 76,340 | |
| Total votes: 174,985 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House West Virginia District 3
Richard Ojeda defeated Shirley Love, Paul Davis, and Janice Hagerman in the Democratic primary for U.S. House West Virginia District 3 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Richard Ojeda | 52.2 | 29,867 |
 | Shirley Love | 24.6 | 14,109 | |
 | Paul Davis | 16.0 | 9,137 | |
 | Janice Hagerman | 7.2 | 4,147 | |
| Total votes: 57,260 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Steve Williams (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House West Virginia District 3
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House West Virginia District 3 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Carol Miller | 23.8 | 8,923 |
 | Rupie Phillips | 19.5 | 7,319 | |
 | Marty Gearheart | 18.2 | 6,814 | |
 | Conrad Lucas | 18.1 | 6,771 | |
 | Richard Ray Snuffer | 10.6 | 3,987 | |
 | Ayne Amjad | 7.5 | 2,795 | |
 | Philip Payton | 2.3 | 861 | |
| Total votes: 37,470 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2016
Elections for the West Virginia State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on May 10, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was January 30, 2016.
Richard Ojeda defeated Jordan Bridges in the West Virginia State Senate District 7 general election.[3][4]
| West Virginia State Senate District 7, General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Richard Ojeda |
58.82% | 19,978 | |
| Republican | Jordan Bridges | 41.18% | 13,987 | |
| Total Votes | 33,965 | |||
| Source: West Virginia Secretary of State | ||||
Richard Ojeda defeated incumbent Art Kirkendoll in the West Virginia State Senate District 7 Democratic primary.[5][6]
| West Virginia State Senate District 7, Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Richard Ojeda |
55.17% | 11,154 | |
| Democratic | Art Kirkendoll Incumbent | 44.83% | 9,065 | |
| Total Votes | 20,219 | |||
Jordan Bridges defeated Gary Johngrass in the West Virginia State Senate District 7 Republican primary.[5][6]
| West Virginia State Senate District 7, Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Jordan Bridges |
57.04% | 2,807 | |
| Republican | Gary Johngrass | 42.96% | 2,114 | |
| Total Votes | 4,921 | |||
2014
West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District was one of Ballotpedia's U.S. House battleground districts in 2014 because of incumbent Nick Rahall's vulnerability as a Democrat serving in a Republican district. Fairvote projections showed the district as only slightly favoring Democrats, but Cook PVI showed the district as heavily favoring Republicans.[7][8] In addition, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney won the district by 26.8 percentage points in 2012, and Sen. John McCain won the district by 13.4 percentage points in 2008. The race was rated a "Tossup" contest by Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call.[9]
Rahall defeated Richard Ojeda in the Democratic primary on May 13, 2014.[10] Rahall was defeated by West Virginia state Senator Evan Jenkins (R), a former Democrat, who switched parties in July 2013 to challenge Rahall, in the general election.
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Nick Rahall Incumbent |
66.5% | 37,176 | ||
| Richard Ojeda | 33.5% | 18,767 | ||
| Total Votes | 55,943 | |||
| Source: West Virginia Secretary of State |
||||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Richard Ojeda did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2018
Campaign website
The themes below were taken from the candidate's website.
Net Neutrality
Your access to the open internet will be removed unless you take action now.
On February 26, 2015, the FCC ruled in favor of net neutrality by reclassifying broadband as a common carrier under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934 and Section 706 of the Telecommunications act of 1996. Now, with net neutrality under attack, Mozilla stated “Net neutrality is the freedom to say, watch and make what we want online without interference from internet service providers. The FCC has a plan to destroy net neutrality. It’s up to us to stop it.”
On Dec. 14, 2017, with the FCC headed by a previous Verizon lawyer, I fear that net neutrality will come to an end.
We cannot allow that to happen.
Two years ago, as a result of net neutrality, consumers were allowed to share and access information of their choosing without interference. Now, companies like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast will have the ability to not only interfere with accessible information but also to raise rates for specific internet services.
Net neutrality hinges on the American citizens to fight for an open internet.
Big phone and cable companies and their lobbyists have continually fought against net neutrality even though on June 14, 2016, a federal appeals court upheld the open-internet protections.
The situation is not only an issue of free speech and consumer protections. It is also an issue for the United States economy.
Let’s be honest and realize that large companies already dominate the market. We are talking about companies having the ability to shut out smaller companies, websites and innovation that would compete with them. That is not what America is about. That is not what the American Dream is all about.
Ensuring that American citizens have access to an open internet with limitless information – without interference from companies – will not be easy. We need not some, but every American citizen ready to join the fight. This will require Congress to stop the FCC and ensure that net neutrality remains in place. We are joining a movement with enough power to insist that Americans have more choices and better access to the information provided by the internet and that it is not hindered by a select group of companies looking to dominate, control and silence the flow of information to our citizens and the ability for smaller companies to thrive in the digital world.
Medical Cannabis
As a freshman state senator, Richard Ojeda worked tirelessly to pass the WV Medical Cannabis Act but when it comes to cannabis policy, that was only the beginning. Through comprehensive cannabis legislation, encompassing decriminalization, medical, and industrial use, we can utilize one of the most medically beneficial and economically viable plants on Earth to fight the opioid epidemic, generate revenue to fund new education and infrastructure initiatives, and address the problem of overpopulation within our state correctional facilities. With a comprehensive approach to cannabis policy, we can put West Virginia on a path to a prosperous future and grow a new economy that will benefit the people of our state for generations to come.
Veterans
One of my biggest priorities is taking care of our nation’s veterans. VA care is full of problems especially regarding those who live in rural areas like southern West Virginia. Veterans should be able to get quality care covered through the VA at any facility of their choice. We must also improve the process by which our nation’s heroes can get care in a timely matter. Far too often, men and women with legitimate illnesses are stalled for as long as a year before they can receive care which leads to a sense of hopelessness. A recent VA study found that as many as 20 veterans were committing suicide each day. We have to do better. We have to protect the men and women who have so diligently protected us. Veterans should also never have to worry about their military compensation being replaced with wellness programs. This way of thinking will lead to a drastic increase in veteran homelessness. I will also work to put Veterans back to work when they return home and protect their access to education.
Energy
I believe that West Virginia has the opportunity to be leaders in the energy economy once again. It is no secret that for decades, coal mining has powered our nation and put food on our tables. It is also no secret that for decades, the industry has been feast or famine. I do not believe coal is dead. In fact, I believe coal will continue to be mined especially for our nation’s steel industry and as long as coal is being used, West Virginia will be putting coal miners to work. However, I do not want to stop there. For far too long, coal companies and coal barons have kept West Virginia politicians in their pockets, threatening to close mines and lay off miners in order to sway politicians to say no to any other energy jobs. I will guarantee you that this will not happen to me if I am in Washington. I want to see West Virginia lead in coal production, biofuels, solar, wind and other energy resources as well as research and development of new energy solutions.
Immigration
I believe that immigration is an issue that Congress must face head on. Anyone should have the chance to legally become a citizen of our great country and have their chance at the American Dream.
This is why we must take action and focus on comprehensive immigration reform. Our immigration system is broken and often leaves people without access to citizenship for decades. We must start planning long term solutions for this problem including a pathway to citizenship that would include background checks, a steady employment history and paying fines.
I fully support the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. I believe we are a country of compassion and moral responsibility. DREAMers that were brought here as children deserve to be protected. This is their home. This is the only home that they know.
Keeping America Safe
For 24 years, I wore the uniform and I carried the weapon. If there is one thing I am confident in, it is the ability of our nation’s military. The best way to keep Americans safe is to let our military do their job without muddying up their responsibilities with our political agendas. We must be relentless and wise in our national security decisions. Regarding ISIS, I know from experience that the commanders on the ground know more about what needs to happen in order to defeat them. War is not a social experiment and I refuse to let politics play a role in my decision making when it comes to keeping you and your family safe. I will not take my marching orders from anyone else concerning national security. We must be on the offensive when it comes to defeating ISIS. We must be consistent with airstrikes, weaken their efforts with counterintelligence, seek to defund them and stop the radicalization of Americans with ISIS propaganda.
We must also ensure that terrorists do not reach American soil by abusing our immigration process. We must keep an up to date terror watch list but provide better vetting for those that go onto the watch list. The terror watch list should be for people who are serious potential threats to homeland security. It is not an area where mistakes should ever be allowed. Individuals who are on the terror watch list should be prevented from flying on American airplanes and from legally purchasing firearms.
Helping Seniors Retire
For decades, Medicare and Social Security have been a backbone of support for our middle class seniors. West Virginia seniors have worked for years as they paid into these critical programs that they now have to depend on. I am committed to protecting Social Security and Medicare.
Fiscally Responsible
Being fiscally responsible almost always means that you must make tough decisions. By targeting fraud, waste and abuse and bringing costs down in programs that are over budget, I believe that we can be more fiscally responsible without harming those who are most vulnerable.
College Affordability
College affordability is an urgent matter, especially with the amount of jobs that require more advanced degrees. I believe in easing the student loan debt burden by offering relief in the form of lower interest rates. In addition to easing loan debt, we must work with local governments and universities to better monitor tuition costs. One way for us to work with local universities and governments by offering incentives and tax breaks to rein in costs. A middle class family that has to pay for their child to go to college suffers more than anyone by far. Most middle class families make “too much” money to currently receive aid but not nearly enough money to cover college expenses out of pocket. We must expand aid to middle class families and raise the maximum income requirements for current federal aid such as the Pell Grant.
Holding Government Accountable
“We are a nation with a government that tends to only be accountable to those who line their pockets. I believe instead, they should be held accountable only to the voters. Their decisions, my decisions and the choices we all make impact the lives of millions of people. These decisions should never be influenced by personal gain, when it could harm millions of others. Unfortunately that is exactly what is happening now in Washington D.C.” – Richard Ojeda
POLICY PROPOSALS
- Do not allow Congress to use a budget vote for political gain without repercussions of withholding pay.
- Overturn Citizens United.
- Campaign Finance Reform. We must move toward publicly funded elections.
- Regulate the amount of money spent by Super PACS
- Ensure that Super PACs must disclose their contributions and contributors.
- Implement term limits.
- Put a stop to lobbyists having better access to politicians than the voters.
Economy
Despite what side of the political spectrum you belong to, job creation is the one thing I believe we can all agree on. I want to protect and grow West Virginia’s economy with steady job creation. Currently, so many families in West Virginia feel the strain of keeping up with the cost of living. While there are multiple contributing factors for West Virginia’s economic state, the one that is obvious is the decline of coal jobs. When coal jobs decline, other jobs in those communities decline because they are dependent upon the coal miners’ support.
“When coal jobs decline, other jobs in those communities decline because they are dependent upon the coal miners’ support.”
We cannot allow West Virginia and other states like it to survive with a mono economy. That is why I will fight for policies that will create jobs and job choice for West Virginians.
We are not going to allow lobbyists and special interests to keep politicians in their pocket while advocating that job choice and competition is not a good thing. I will work with my colleagues to ensure that West Virginia becomes an energy leader in this nation, not only in coal but in every field of energy that is available. West Virginia will no longer be used for extraction only. If I am in Washington, I will make sure that West Virginians’ are reaping the benefits from the service and profits they provide to others and this nation. And those benefits will be found in our economy.
We are not going to force entire communities to enter into job choices that they may not be interested in simply because it is all that is available. I will also work with Congress to ensure that middle class West Virginians who do not work in the energy industry also have job choice and options and this will include a focus on bringing technology jobs to West Virginia that allow the state to innovate and thrive.
We are not going to let states like West Virginia be the face of economic decline in our nation any longer.
It is wrong to leave West Virginians and other American citizens in the dark while the rest of the nation excels. In the future, I want West Virginia to be known as an energy industry leader and the home to Fortune 500 companies.
And, not only are we going to fight for coal mining families, families who wish to work in tech industries and manufacturing industries, we will fight for investments in education, infrastructure and research and development that will strengthen our middle class.
At a time when our nation is progressively moving towards innovation and new ideas, we need to make sure that states like West Virginia are not left behind or left out from every advance made in the effort to strengthen our economy.
When the U.S. unemployment rate is 4.4%, not only do we work harder to continue lowering it but we make sure that jobs are being created in middle america and Appalachia and not just the ever popular and growing coastal states.
“We need to make sure that states like West Virginia are not left behind or left out from every advance made in the effort to strengthen our economy. “ _______________________________________________________________________
RICHARD OJEDA WILL :
Fight for coal mining families across the United States
It is a national embarrassment that we have allowed entire communities of generational hard working families to suffer. The coal miner helped build our great nation. Today, there are 50,000 coal mining jobs across the United States. Richard Ojeda supports coal miners and their ability to feed their families.
Expand job choice in states like West Virginia
Ojeda has consistently spoken about his passion for seeing new jobs and industry begin to thrive in West Virginia. Ojeda will fight to expand job choice and job opportunity in West Virginia and other rural states who have recently found themselves crippled by the current economy and loss of jobs.
Go to action for West Virginians to reap the benefits they have sewn into this nation for decades
Ojeda will work for West Virginians to finally have the respect it has more than earned as the backbone of United States of America.
Generate technology jobs for rural America
Ojeda will work on a plan to entice technology jobs into rural areas by offering a highly motivated workforce, low cost of living and new opportunities to businesses that locate in unconventional areas.
Increase overall job growth in rural states and communities
According to the most recent statistics, rural job growth is 4.6 smaller than it was in 2008. Increasing job growth in rural America would significantly boost our nations middle class families.
Boost the number of Fortune 500 companies in rural America
The amount of Fortune 500 companies in rural communities versus metropolitan communities is incomparable. There are currently 27 million people employed by Fortune 500 companies across the United States. Increasing the amount of headquarters in rural areas would provide a better insight to the needs of rural communities as well provide even more jobs to states who are struggling in the current economy.
Provide manufacturing jobs to American workers
Ojeda will work to combat the mechanization that has decimated manufacturing jobs across the United States. Although mechanization is one of the leading factors that has put an end to the hard working American job, outsourcing and offshore manufacturing has also played a vital role in taking jobs away from American workers. Well, “reshoring” these jobs is crucial to the future of the American economy. American workers deserve to build and create American sold products. It is an insult to this nation that companies would look for workers in other countries when we have the best work force that this world knows. We built the American dream from the ground up and we should be allowed to continue building it. Ojeda would require companies to offer a percentage of jobs to American workers. In 2013, U.S. overseas affiliates employed 14 million workers which almost doubles the 7.5 million unemployed Americans today. We must require companies that want to make a profit in our great nation to also respect and use our great workforce.
Broaden investments in education
Ojeda will fight for the success of our nation and it’s future. If the United States can see past the partisnship and invest in our future, we can educate our citizens in order to remain competitive in the global economy of the 21st century. Today, more than half of Americans believe that bipartisan legislation can not pass in Washington. However, Ojeda believes that we can work together in Washington to invest in our future by offering solutions particularly to the rising costs of higher education. It is time to address low income students having access to a college education, middle class families who cannot afford outrageous tuition costs because they cannot receive aid and curriculum that many feel is too broad for the specific industries and degrees that the students are seeking.
Make infrastructure a priority
As a WV State Sen., Ojeda has committed more time to making phone calls related to road repairs that nearly anyone else in the state legislature. Ojeda will fight to increase infrastructure jobs that will not only boost our economy but provide better roads, bridges etc to the country.
Increase research and development
Ojeda will fight to expand research and development for agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the Department of Health and Human Resources and more. Expanding government support for research and development is needed in order to keep up with technological advances in other countries. Without research and development, innovation and new ideas will slow down and potential jobs will slow down as well.
Education
We must invest into public education now so that our young people can reap the benefits from it later.
A change regarding public funds and education could happen at any moment and that is why it is so important for us to fight for public education. There is simply no reason why public funds should be used for private institutions that limit community involvement, innovation, education and job training in our public schools.
To win the educational victories that we need to, it will take a movement of people that are ready to fight for our children’s education in order to see a boost in the not only STEM careers but in skills careers as well.
Public education is the key to forming a healthy middle class and equal opportunity should always be the driving force behind our education policies.
Healthcare
We have heard so much about healthcare over the last year. When I hear healthcare being discussed words like “death spiral”, “rising premiums” and “no choice” are used. Let’s be clear, we can no longer afford to look past the serious problems in our nation concerning the Affordable Healthcare Act.
Sign up now for more updates on Richard’s healthcare plans Successful healthcare. Let’s talk about it.
When a family cannot afford their premiums, that is not successful healthcare.
When the healthcare available in our nation is more expensive but with worse outcomes than other developed countries, that is not successful healthcare
When a family cannot afford their deductibles, that is not successful healthcare.
When our most vulnerable and sick citizens have poor access to healthcare, that is not successful healthcare.
Actually, these are all things that show the need to carefully look at, examine and improve the current healthcare system.
When it comes to healthcare, the United States is far behind other developed counties in the world. Americans pay far more for medical care than people in other rich Western nations but have little to show for it.
In other words, Americans are being used by the system that is suppose to keep us healthy and safe.
That is unacceptable. It is a sham and it should be offensive for anyone who plans to use healthcare in their lifetime and let’s face it, that includes us all.
TIME FOR A PUBLIC OPTION It’s an outrage that millions of people in this nation are forced to pay for insurance plans that they cannot afford, simply because they have no other options.
Many scholars and healthcare professionals who have studied healthcare agree that allowing citizens to enroll in a public insurance plan would solve many of the current problems we face concerning healthcare. It’s well known that a public option would increase coverage and create insurance competition at a time when many insurers are dropping out.
The Affordable Care Act, as it stands, is insufficient. Today, national healthcare expenditures are $9,523 per person in the United States. Even more devastating, out-of-pocket spending is $329.8 billion.
In my opinion, every person in America should have secure healthcare coverage including a choice of plans in all areas of the nation, especially in the counties where only a single private insurer now offers coverage. Through the public option, we would guarantee a choice of plans that allows a choice of medical providers.
Americans would buy in to the public option and build on to the current healthcare infrastructure. Families would then have access to a plan with better patient management, provider reimbursement and lower payments.
Tax Credits For Low and Middle Income Americans Millions of Americans pay up to 28 percent of what they earn in income taxes plus payroll taxes. They are overtaxed, underinsured and wondering when it is time for them to catch a break. Today, there are over 17 million people who are eligible for the current tax credits under the Affordable Healthcare Act. There are millions of middle income families who are working long hours and paying their fair share of taxes that are not eligible for these tax credits because they are just “over the line”.
This is why I would introduce a public option that also addressed creating more generous tax credits for American families. This is already being done a smaller scale but when paired with the public option, it will give families another incentive and reward for remaining insured.
Small businesses currently receive a tax credit but are currently struggling to provide health insurance to their employees. But through a public option, their employees would have a better more affordable option and businesses would no longer find themselves under the pressure of providing something that they cannot afford.
Tax credits would reduce American families taxes dollar for dollar.
Tax credits would be “refundable” so that if the amount of the credit is more than the amount of your tax liability, you would receive the difference as a refund.
There is no reason for Americans being underinsured. Our country is the most amazing country in the world and it is amazing because we have always been able to work together for the greater good of our citizens.
There is no reason not to offer tax credits to low and middle income families. It would benefit families, small businesses and the nation’s healthcare system as a whole.
Successful Healthcare Americans should never be forced into doing something that they do not want to do. That is the antithesis of freedom. It is time that we give Americans a public option that would drive down costs, expand coverage and still give each person a choice when it comes to purchasing health insurance.
The next time someone wishes to talk about health care, tell them that we have a plan. A public option will help families keep more money in their pocket, have access to better healthcare and not infringe on anyone’s rights to choose where they want to find that healthcare.
That is a healthcare system I believe we can all agree on.
First Responders
As a former U.S. Army Officer, I have served on the front lines in the struggle to keep Americans safe so I realize the importance of ensuring that our brave first responders have the resources that they need in order to do their job more efficiently.
Over the last decade, southern West Virginia has seen a significant rise in opioid and heroin addiction which has led to higher rates of crime. One thing is clear, our first responders need the best resources in order to keep our communities safe. Unfortunately, most communities are left with outdated equipment, understaffed teams and discouraged workers. In order to fix this, I hope to make funding for our first responders a top priority while in Washington.
While I believe that is it vital for us to reduce our deficit, I do not think it needs to happen at the expense of our first responders. I hope to target any recovered revenue from fraud, waste or abuse and use the recovered funds to support police officers, EMT’s, fire departments and correctional officers. With increased wages, better equipment and quality training, I believe our first responders will have better job satisfaction which will create better lives for them as a whole.[11]
Campaign advertisements
The following is an example of an ad from Ojeda's 2018 election campaign.
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2014
Campaign website
Ojeda highlighted the following campaign themes on his website:[12]
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| —Richard Ojeda, https://web.archive.org/web/2/http://www.richardojeda.com/where_i_stand | ||
Committee assignments
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| West Virginia committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Agriculture and Rural Development |
| • Energy, Industry and Mining |
| • Judiciary |
| • Military |
| • Workforce |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of West Virginia scorecards, email suggestions to [email protected].
2018
In 2018, the West Virginia State Legislature was in session from January 10 through March 10.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on firearms issues.
2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the West Virginia State Legislature was in session from February 8 through April 9. The legislature held a special session from May 4 to June 26. The legislature held its second special session from August 1 to September 15.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the West Virginia State Legislature was in session from January 13 through March 12.
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Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Ojeda and his wife, Kelly Ann, have two children, Richard III and Kayla Lavon.[2]
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Richard Ojeda did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
See also
2020 Elections
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Campaign website
- Campaign Facebook page
- Campaign Twitter account
- West Virginia Secretary of State - Candidate filings
Footnotes
- ↑ WVAH, "Richard Ojeda suspends his campaign for U.S. president," January 25, 2019
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Richard Ojeda for Congress, "About," accessed January 30, 2014
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "Candidate search," accessed November 4, 2016
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "2016 official general election results," accessed May 3, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 West Virginia Secretary of State, "Candidate Listing by Office," accessed January 30, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 West Virginia Secretary of State, "Statewide Results - Primary Election - May 10, 2016," accessed August 2, 2016
- ↑ The Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2014 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," accessed November 5, 2013
- ↑ FairVote, "FairVote Releases Projections for the 2014 Congressional Elections," accessed November 5, 2013
- ↑ Roll Call, "2014 Election Race Ratings," accessed June 24, 2014
- ↑ Associated Press, "West Virginia - Summary Vote Results," May 13, 2014
- ↑ Vote Ojeda, "Platform,' accessed September 26, 2018
- ↑ Richard Ojeda for Congress, "Where I Stand," accessed April 2, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Art Kirkendoll (D) |
West Virginia State Senate District 7 2016-2019 |
Succeeded by Paul Hardesty (D) |
