18 races to follow for the 2018 midterms

8. West Virginia’s 3rd District

Candidates: Republican challenger Carol Miller vs. Democratic challenger Richard Ojeda

Both before and after the 2016 presidential elections, commentators and politicians alike had much to say about rural America. Places like West Virginia, seemingly at a social and economic crossroads, were given particular attention. For many, it appeared that West Virginia and other nearby states were the epicenter of the opioid epidemic, presenting devastating tableaux of addiction, poverty, and broken families.

But, is West Virginia really in such straits? It’s hard to tell and certainly depends on who you ask. Still, at least in the 2016 elections, it was pretty clear that West Virginia was a deep red state. It was so friendly to the GOP that Trump won the presidential election there by a fairly staggering 50 points. So, how could anyone with a touch of blue in their political campaign have a chance of winning?

Never say never. There’s a possibility that Richard Ojeda, currently a state senator, could strike a win for Democrats in West Virginia. Ojeda gained larger attention for his support of the state’s teacher strikes, part of a nationwide movement intended to support educators via better pay, improved resources, and stronger unions.

Ojeda isn’t the perfect liberal darling — he says that he voted for Trump in 2016 and generally likes the president’s plan to bring coal industry jobs back to the region. Then again, he supports more public healthcare options (though not necessarily a single-payer healthcare system) and legalized marijuana use.

His opponent is Republican Carol Miller, who also paints herself as a “pro-coal” candidate. Miller is also a social conservative, with strong anti-abortion and pro-gun sentiments. Yet, for all that her conservative cred will likely help her in West Virginia’s elections, Ojeda’s populist stance is nothing to sneeze at.

Campaign website for Carol Miller: https://www.electcarolmiller.com/
Campaign website for Richard Ojeda: https://voteojeda.com/