On Monday evening September 14th, the Wetzel County Democratic Women met in the back room of Quinet’s restaurant to hold their monthly meeting. Committee President Kim Frum’s first order of business was to review and update members on the current assessment of their organization. She also asked the members to sign a card for the gentleman injured recently at the Paden City Labor Day celebration. An accident spilled hot oil, burning the man. He is currently in West Penn Hospital.

Following the group’s review of business. The guest speaker for the evening was introduced to the group. Ms.Teresa Toriseva, an attorney from Wheeling and advocate for democratic rights has spoken to the group before, on this evening she spoke about the upcoming election and how she perceives the voting mood of this area and state are at the current time.

Ms. Toriseva sees changes about to take place in the next election. Not an absolute Blue Wave, but a shift more toward people wanting the governments, locally, state, and federal to address the issues important to everyday Americans.

Does she believe this change will come from the democratic party or the Republican party, neither one. She sees the new and growing group of independent voters who are fed up with both parties in their handling of the country.

She pointed out that in West Virginia the Republican party makes up 43% of the registered voters. The Democrat Party and the Independent party each make up about 27% in each group.

Toriseva believes most registered in the democrat party, will in all likelihood, vote Blue. And the Republican will vote red. Will every member in each group stay loyal to their party, for the most part, YES. She pointed out, statistically, that fact has been true for many years. Our future lies with independents who want to return to a government who works to solve problems that will make our lives better.

Ms. Toriseva takes the position of cheerleader for the Democrat party. She hopes for change in the state and Washington. Not for a political agenda, but instead for a balanced approach to solving the problems we are facing today, high costs for everyday items, inability to purchase a home, transportation cost, medical cost and civility.

Teresa Toriseva wants people to be aware of, and know something needs to be done to protect the state and its people. The two big ones are getting Data center regulation and local control restored. She is also concerned with the future of education being dismantled from the public, into private sectors. Unregulated programs such as the Hope Scholarship Project in West Virginia are slowly eroding funding from the state’s public education system into private schools.

Those two things she wanted people to be aware of and speak up. Ms.Toriseva stated the only way besides your vote is that we the citizens can take control. When left up to the back offices in Charleston and Washington DC., deals that benefit corporate America are being made without regard for the average citizen. She believes that newly emerging independent voters understand and want change that benefits all America.

Next on the evening’s agenda, Mr. Mike Blair, candidate for Wetzel County Commission spoke briefly on his hopes to win in November. He gave some of his background in the county’s education system, and several other civic minded groups during his life. Mike is prepared to roll up his sleeves, and begin the work he sees to build a better future in Wetzel County for citizens, students, and businesses.

Following Blair, Mr. Chris Claypool, candidate for State Senate, spoke to the group offering his view of what is possible to help the six counties his district covers. He stated that being a first-time candidate, he understands that if he wins in November, and goes to Charleston in the New Year, a lot of work needs to be done by him to be part of the solution for those who elected him.

The evening was a good mix of politics, hopes, and visions of what may come if data centers and education in the state are not checked to protect our state and children. The large group in attendance were attentive to the presentations, and had hard questions for the speakers. Not all had answers. Teresa Toriseva stated, “If we work together, we can begin to move things towards the middle, but it will be those in the middle who listen as independents, that will decide where West Virginia and the country will go in the future.”