Richard Ojeda

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.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Major Retired Richard Ojeda.

I am a husband and a father of three, and I have spent my entire adult life serving this country.

I spent 24 years in the U.S. Army, including multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Fifteen of those years served right here at Fort Bragg in North Carolina’s 9th District. My children grew up here while I was often away, and I knew that my community would keep them safe until I returned home. It would be an honor to serve it in office.

After retiring from the military, my wife and I moved to West Virginia to be near our aging parents. I served as a JROTC instructor at the high school level, which opened my eyes to how hard working families were struggling to get by. I later served as a State Senator, where even in a super minority I helped teachers win raises after a historic strike, passed medical cannabis, and higher wages for correctional officers.

Several years ago, my wife and I returned to Aberdeen with our parents and extended families. Im proud that our children are raising families of their own here like we did.

I have led soldiers in combat and I know what leadership looks like, and what we are watching in Washington today is not what I fought for. I have given a lifetime to service, and I will not sit silent while MAGA politicians tear down the democracy and the freedoms that so many of us fought to defend.

That is why I'm stepping into this fight.

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?

Right now, billionaires are rigging the system, and they own the Republican majority in Congress. They are shifting the burden of this country onto working class families while protecting their own wealth and power. That has to change. One of my top priorities is tackling the affordability crisis by tying the minimum wage to the cost of living so anyone working 40 hours a week earns a true living wage.

I also support making the first $45,000 of your income tax free to put real money back into the pockets of working people. Do you know who makes less than that in North Carolina? Many teachers and firefighters. They should not be holding this country together for the profit of the billionaire class.Ending partisan gerrymandering is a top priority. You show me a gerrymandered congressional district, and I will show you a community of color that has been disenfranchised and silenced. These maps are drawn to dilute Black and brown voting power and protect politicians, not people.

We must also pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore federal oversight and stop discriminatory voting changes before they take effect.Protecting veterans and military families is as personal as it gets. I got into this race because I watched Richard Hudson stand by while Donald Trump and Elon Musk gutted the VA through DOGE and pushed a bill that cut thousands of VA jobs. Just like thousands of veterans in this district, that my care in the community. If you represent Fort Bragg, you should be protecting veterans, their health care, and military families with every vote. Veterans are under attack from this administration, and im running to stop them.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about protecting veterans and military families, especially here around Fort Bragg. After 24 years in uniform, defending the VA and ensuring veterans receive the care they earned is my duty. As the grandson of a Mexican immigrant, I also believe we must restore due process and fix an immigration system that has lost its moral compass. Masked agents disappearing people off the streets must end. And we need economic policies that benefit the working class, not the top 1% of the top 1%. It is time to take Congress back in defense of families like mine and families like yours.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

We are proudly endorsed by the North Carolina AFL-CIO, CWA, the North Carolina Progressive Caucus, Turn Left PAC, and multiple community members and elected officials.

Campaign websiteOjeda's campaign website stated the following:Fighting for VeteransWE HONOR SERVICEVeterans deserve care, respect, and real action.Richard Hudson calls himself the “veterans’ representative” but he votes to tear down veterans at every turn. I served for 24 years, and as a retired Army Major, I know firsthand what it means to serve. Veterans deserve more than words. They deserve healthcare, pensions, and respect that matches the sacrifice they gave this nation.\Stop the assault on the VA workforce from politicians like Richard Hudson\Protect pensions and benefits veterans have already earned.\Prioritize mental health care for veterans and families.Healthcare AccessEvery veteran deserves timely, quality VA healthcare without months of waiting.Fair PensionsNo one who served should ever have to fear losing retirement or disability benefits.Mental HealthExpand access to counseling and treatment to end veteran suicide.Community SupportStronger outreach programs to connect veterans with local resources and jobs.Protecting EducationSTRONG SCHOOLS, BRIGHT FUTURESI believe parents and teachers, not politicians, should shape education.Donald Trump and Richard Hudson have gutted the Department of Education. They have slashed school funding and handed control to billionaires. We must:\Defend the Department of Education and public schools.\Pass legislation like the Pay Teachers Act and raise the national pay scale to at least 60k per year.\Secure federal funding for rural schools and educators so every child has a chance.Defend Public SchoolsI will fight to stop Washington politicians from dismantling the Department of Education because strong public schools are the foundation of every community.Fair Pay for EducatorsAs a former teacher, I know educators deserve wages that reflect their commitment to our greatest resource and keep them in the classroom.Resources for Rural SchoolsI will fight to bring federal funding to rural schools so every child, no matter their zip code, has a chance to succeed.Keep Politics Out of ClassroomsI will stop extremists from turning classrooms into battlegrounds. Education should be about preparing kids for life, not culture wars.Investing in North CarolinaNORTH CAROLINA STRONGI will stand up to anyone who threatens North Carolina.The MAGA movement and their allies have destroyed the services we rely on: immoral Medicaid cuts, thousands of VA employees fired, and many programs for working families thrown away. When politicians come for our state, I will meet them head on and fight back.\Protect essential services that veterans, families, and students count on every day.\Stop the constant attacks on healthcare access and keep rural hospitals open.\Push Washington insiders out of North Carolina’s local decisions.Protect Essential ServicesI will block efforts to gut departments that serve veterans, students, and families because cutting them leaves our people vulnerable.Defend Access to HealthcareI will fight to keep coverage affordable, stop hospital closures, and make sure North Carolinians get the care they need close to home.Keep DC Out of Our DecisionsI will not let Washington politicians use North Carolina communities as props in their political games.Build Local StrengthI will push for fair funding and local investment so towns and families across our state can thrive without interference.Ensuring Quality HealthcareHEALTHCARE IS A RIGHTHealthcare should be about people, not profits or politics.When politicians and corporations get between patients and doctors, people suffer. I will fight for affordable care, stronger hospitals, and the freedom to make personal healthcare decisions.\Expand Medicaid in North Carolina and stop federal sabotage by corrupt politicians.\Cap prescription drug costs and hold Big Pharma accountable.\Fully fund rural hospitals so care is never hours away.Affordable CareNobody should go bankrupt because they got cancer. I will expand Medicaid, lower costs, and make sure healthcare is based on need, not net worth.Protect Rural HospitalsI will fight for funding so rural hospitals and clinics stay open. No family should drive hours just to see a doctor.Lower Costs for PrescriptionsI will hold Big Pharma accountable and cap prices for life-saving medicine like insulin, so families do not have to choose between food and treatment.Reproductive FreedomI will codify Roe v. Wade, protect the right to choose, and defend access to birth control, cancer screenings, and prenatal care. Healthcare decisions belong to patients and doctors, not politicians.Standing Up for Working FamiliesPOWER BACK TO THE PEOPLEWorking families built this country, and it’s time they get their fair share.I grew up in a working-class town where people survived on grit, not privilege. I know what it takes to earn a living and I know what happens when politicians and corporations sell workers out. That’s true for factory workers, teachers, and family farmers who are the backbone of North Carolina.\Raise wages so full-time work means security, not poverty.\Repeal “Right to Work” laws that weaken unions and keep pay low.\Support family farms, support trades, and invest in the infrastructure to bring good jobs home.Fair WagesNobody working full-time should live in poverty. Raising the federal minimum wage will give families stability and restore dignity to the work that keeps this country alive.Union RightsAnti-worker laws have weakened unions and kept wages low for decades. Protecting the right to organize will empower workers to demand fair pay and safe workplaces across North Carolina.Good Jobs & Family FarmsInvesting in infrastructure, skilled trades, and family farms will create jobs that cannot be outsourced. Rural communities deserve opportunities that sustain both workers and the land they depend on.Corporate AccountabilityBillionaires dodge taxes while workers and farmers struggle to survive. Cracking down on union-busting CEOs and holding corporations accountable will finally put power back where it belongs: with working families.Saving Social SecurityHANDS OFF SOCIAL SECURITYSocial Security is a promise, and I will make sure it’s kept.Social Security is not a handout. It’s not an entitlement. It’s a guarantee that after a lifetime of work, your country will not abandon you. That promise is under attack, and I will not let it be broken.\Protect and strengthen Social Security for current and future generations.\Oppose raising the retirement age or privatizing the system.\Make billionaires pay their fair share to keep the program strong.Protect the PromiseSocial Security is a contract with working people. I will fight to protect and strengthen it, not cut it or gamble it away in risky schemes.No Retirement Age HikesRaising the retirement age cheats workers who built this country. I will oppose it at every turn and defend benefits for those who earned them.Make the Billionaires PayBillionaires dodge their responsibility while workers fund the system. I will demand the wealthy pay their share to secure Social Security for the future.Fight MisinformationPoliticians spread lies to scare people about Social Security. I will call out misinformation and make clear the program is strong if we choose to protect it.— Richard Ojeda's campaign website (February 12, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

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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. “

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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 count