Michael Mosteller II

Michael Mosteller was born in Charleston, West Virginia. He graduated from DuVal High School. His career experience includes working as a delivery driver. Mosteller has been affilaited with the Putnam County Pedalers Mountain Bike Team.[1][2]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

We the people deserve the right to govern ourselves. Those rights have been taken away by our current legislature and moneyed interests, such as data center companies.

There’s no doubt the Democratic Party left the people behind in our state in 2016. My goal is to rebuild the Democratic Party into something that reflects the will of the people.

Voters are tired of being told what to think, they are tired of being manipulated by fear, and they want someone who will listen to them.

Public service runs in my veins. After I graduated high school, I became a volunteer firefighter and EMT. I’ve worked in and out of the healthcare system most of my adult life. I am currently a coach on my son‘s mountain bike team, and coaching these kids is a very humbling experience, and it is very rewarding.

The most common things I hear when out talking to people aside from not wanting data centers, surveillance cameras and transmission lines that will siphon electricity out of our state and raise our bills, is that everyone is struggling.

The most common thing I hear about is the price of medications. Healthcare is a human right. People are struggling to buy groceries and pay their bills.

I am here to break the status quo, and to root out corruption no matter which party it comes from. I will go head to head with my own party to put the people first. I’ve already started working within my community to fix what I can, starting with the crumbling, neglected roads.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

No data centers, especially when the companies are writing the laws that shield them.Healthcare is a human right.Women’s rights are important.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I think everyone should have free healthcare. The idea of it has been ruined by talking points, but we could all have free healthcare, and we would all pay less out-of-pocket to do so.

I think we need smaller government. We don’t want surveillance cameras on every corner. I believe that politicians should stay out of women’s doctors offices,

Billionaires need to start paying their fair share. Their companies benefit from technology that we paid for, they destroy our infrastructure and pay nearly nothing in taxes.

I refuse to accept corporate money or money from PACs that don’t represent everyday people.

We need a New Way Forward.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to Joe Manchin because he never ran a negative attack ad against anyone. He talked about policy, not ad hominem attacks. Bipartisanship is important to him.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Humility, patience, integrityand empathy.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To write/vote on laws and allocate money in a way that is in the best interest of the people.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like for my children and their children, and their children’s children, to be able to live in a world where their voice matters in government. I want to leave them a New Way Forward instead of a new Gilded Age.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I did web design during the dot-com boom. I did that for about a year.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I’ve always struggled with anxiety. I’m not an anxious person, but anxiety attacks sometimes take over me without a trigger.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

The ideal relationship would be one where the Governor assists the legislature in reaching its goals. In this state, it would be ideal if the Governor would just care about the people at all.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Clean water, healthcare availability and cost, crumbling infrastructure, and exploitation by tech companies.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Compromise is governing in most cases. it is unfortunate that either party feels that they need to get a majority and then just rule over the country. Both sides have to come together and be willing to move on some issues. Human rights, however, are not something that should be compromised

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Center for Freethought Equality, Sierra Club, WVEA, WV Nurses PAC, The Hathaway PAC for the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act, Planned Parenthood

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

I remember when the space shuttle Challenger blew up, I was around four years old.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a progressive democrat and I want to bring empathy and realism back to politics. I am the father of a family of four, and I want to make this state a better place for my children to live in.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Have empathy for others. There’s no need to “own” the other side. We are all in this together and we can work together to make our state better. Empathize with the many West Virginians who have fallen prey to addiction. Let’s move more toward treating addicts rather than imprisoning them. Have empathy for the women who have to face the tough choice of abortion and keep the government out of their personal business. Look to the future. Making things better for our children doesn’t mean making sure they are wealthy. It means giving them a world that isn’t being decimated by climate change, that isn’t owned by a handful of people, and one they can be proud to call their own. Bring about positive change. Let’s bring clean energy jobs to this state. That doesn’t mean taking away from our state’s proud tradition of coal mining, it means supplementing our power grid with clean energy.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Women’s rights to bodily autonomy, union jobs, teachers, our public education system, and the environment.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to my father, who recently passed away. I would like to follow his example because he always treated everyone with respect. Everywhere he worked, people would tell me how well he treated them and how kind and empathetic he was. He always left a positive impact on everyone around him. He taught me that no matter what my position is at a company, you always treat the janitor the same way you treat the CEO.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

There is a YouTube channel called “Beau of the Fifth Column” and my political philosophy lines up pretty well with his.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Leadership, empathy, the ability to keep one’s cool under fire. Standing up to the bullies, standing up against dark money and the interests they represent. Moral integrity, honesty, and the ability to work together to bring about positive change.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I listen to the people of my district and have empathy for them. I have a deep desire to give West Virginians a fair shake.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To write laws that benefit everyone in our state. These laws should protect the citizens and workers, and regulate big corporations so we don’t have any more mine explosions or chemical spills into our drinking water systems.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to have an impact on fellow legislators that would make them more empathetic to each other and to their constituents. I want to bring down the temperature in todays political climate.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I was too young to remember the Challenge disaster, so the Berlin Wall coming down was the first major event I remember. I was 7 years old at the time.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I worked for a web design company during the dot com boom. I worked there for a year and a half. I started that job right out of high school.

What is your favorite book? Why?

It’s America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction by Jon Stewart. He really gets at the shortcomings of our politicians and pokes fun at the absurdities of the system. He holds a mirror up to the faces of many of the things that are wrong in politics.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

I would be captain Casey from Chicago Fire. I used to be a firefighter, and there was an episode where he ran for public office. His moral turpitude and integrity are unimpeachable and he always stands up for what’s right.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Should’ve Been a Cowboy by Toby Keith, a week before he passed away.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I’ve always struggled with self doubt. If I do something, or make a choice, I’ll dwell on whether or not it was the right one.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

The ideal relationship is one where the state legislature puts forth bills that the public wants. It would be ideal to have a good relationship with the Governor where he would sign whatever bill the people want, but that sometimes isn’t always the case. In such a case, the legislature should override the veto, while maintaining a good working relationship with the governor.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Our state’s greatest challenges are dealing with addiction, fixing our education system, lifting people out of poverty, and finding a way to participate in manufacturing and implementing renewable energy.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I think it is beneficial to have experience. I also think it’s beneficial to be an outsider with no experience, to come to the Capitol full of ideas and being eager to implement them.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

It’s not just beneficial, it’s necessary. No matter their party, if you build relationships with other legislators, that can help the legislature run more smoothly. It can make the atmosphere more enjoyable. A tense atmosphere where people don’t get along would be harmful to the legislative process and to the people of West Virginia.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Joe Manchin III. He never ran a negative political ad. He always stayed calm in tense situations and is a genuinely nice and caring person. I’ll never forget when he spent time with the families of the victims of two different mine explosions. He dropped what he was doing and immediately went to them. He didn’t do it for the cameras and was more focused on comforting the families than he was about optics.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

I’m not really sure. I’ll have to see what it’s like to be a legislator first.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I’ma coach for a mountain bike team in my district. Many of the other coaches are teachers. I’ve heard story after story of how badly they’ve been treated by our legislature, how little they’re paid and how their benefits get repeatedly slashed. They have to buy a lot of supplies for their class out of pocket. It blows my mind that we’re not taking care of the very people who take care of and teach our children day in and day out. These people are literally shaping our children’s future and they’ve been treated so badly by our legislature.

Tell us your favorite joke.

A guy walked into a fancy bar and the bartender told the man he couldn’t be in there without a tie on. The man walked out to his truck and grabbed a pair of jumper cables and wrapped them around his neck and tied them in a Windsor knot. He walks back in and the bartender looks at him and said “what’s this?” The man said “it’s a tie. You didn’t say what material it had to be, so I used the cables in my truck.” The bartender says “well I suppose you’re right, I’ll let you stay a little while. Just don’t start nothin.”

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

It really depends. The Governor has the ability to declare a state of emergency but I do believe the legislature should oversee the governor’s actions during this time because no one should have unchecked power. The legislature couldn’t function well with emergency powers because it’s designed to be deliberately slow and would take too long to execute emergency actions.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

I would reintroduce the bill that I wrote in response to the 2012 water crisis where chemicals leaked into a river and into our water supply. I typed it up and gave it to the delegate from my district. He took it to committee, a few small changes were made and it was passed. It’s a shame that bill was repealed recently.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

I’ve had several private citizens endorse my campaign but it’s too early for endorsements from organizations. I’m very pro union so I am hoping to receive the endorsement of many unions.

What committees interest you?

Environmental, oversight, ethics, etc.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Financial transparency and government accountability are mandatory to having and keeping a healthy democracy. When you have unaccountable politicians funded by dark money, they benefit while the average West Virginian suffers.