By Patrick Hurston
Three Democratic candidates for West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District made their case to voters on Mon., Apr. 13, emphasizing party unity, sharper messaging and a need to reconnect with working-class communities ahead of the May 12 primary.
The town hall-style forum, held at McCoy’s Grand Theater in Moorefield was hosted by the Hardy County Democratic Executive Committee and moderated by Derek Howard.
The evening opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and candidate introductions, offering voters an opportunity to hear directly from candidates Steven Wendelin, Stephanie Tomana and Ace Parsi as they outlined their priorities and contrasted approaches.
Howard opened the night stressing how far the Democratic Party in W.Va. had come in recent years, saying, “So the fact that we actually have three candidates running in the primary shows that the Democratic Party is finally starting to spring back to life in the Mountain State.”
“Trump and his Cabinet may not be acting like it, but this is still, in fact, a Democracy, and running for office is perhaps one of the most patriotic and democratic commitments a person can make,” he added.
He further emphasized the importance to Democrats by saying, “If we do not reclaim the majority in either the House or Senate and right this country’s course, the damage will be generational, if not irreversible.” The candidates agreed.
While they differed in tone and emphasis, Wendelin, Tomana, and Parsi largely agreed on the need for Democrats to better define both their message and their path forward.
Throughout the evening, each candidate returned to a similar premise: Democrats must rebuild trust and present a clearer vision.
Wendelin, a retired Navy Commander and Hardy County resident framed the race in stark national terms, arguing the country is at an inflection point.
“They’re making us sicker, they’re making us poorer, and they’re stealing our freedoms,” he said, referring to MAGA, Charleston, and Washington, DC, as he urged Democrats to unify around a simple, repeatable message.
Tomana, a longtime public school teacher, grounded her remarks in local experience, describing communities where “potholes outnumber paychecks” and basic services remain inconsistent.
“Two third of West Virginians live in small towns and unincorporated communities forgotten by time and politicians,” she said. “You find yourself wearing a lot of hats,” she added, stressing her community involvement and volunteerism.
She also challenged what she described as a lack of responsiveness from current elected officials. Asking the audience how many had contacted U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito or Rep. Riley Moore, nearly every hand went up. When she asked how many received a meaningful response, most hands remained raised.
“They are not with the people,” Tomana said, arguing that representation has grown increasingly disconnected from everyday concerns. “We deserve better. We have had a lifetime of exploitation by out of state interests. Coal, timber, gas. Now its water and farmland, all facilitated by the very people meant to represent us.”
Parsi, a nonprofit advocate and immigrant, focused on structural issues and democratic accountability, often tying personal experience to policy.
“I know what it’s like when people are inherently good and their government’s not,” Parsi, an Iranian immigrant, said. “I know what it’s like when people desperately want to have a voice… and they do not have it. And I know what it’s like when the government’s the greatest source of injustice in people’s lives. That’s not just an Iran story. It is currently West Virginia’s story,” he added.
Though aligned on broad themes, the candidates offered different paths forward.
Wendelin emphasized party unity and electoral strategy, arguing Democrats must set aside internal divisions to compete statewide.
“We are our own worst enemy, and we need to knock it off,” he said, pointing to voter apathy and fractured messaging as key challenges.
Tomana focused more on rebuilding relationships both within communities and across political lines as the foundation for any broader shift.
“The party had a stretch where… we stopped building relationships,” she said. “That’s when things began to fall apart.” She pointed to her own experience campaigning in heavily Republican areas, where she said personal connections often mattered more than party labels.
Parsi, meanwhile, emphasized systemic reforms, including changes to redistricting and campaign finance.
“Elected officials get more say in choosing their voters than voters do in choosing their elected officials,” he said, calling for non-partisan mapping and broader efforts to “get money out of politics.”
Despite differences in framing, the candidates found common ground on several core issues.
All three pointed to infrastructure, in particular broadband and water systems, as central to economic development, along with education and healthcare access as key drivers of population decline.
“We can’t expect people to come here… when they can’t have connectivity to the outside world,” Tomana said.
Parsi and Wendelin similarly called for increased investment in public systems, with Wendelin advocating for federal intervention to expand broadband access statewide and Parsi emphasizing long-term investments in education and workforce development.
A recurring thread throughout the evening was how Democrats communicate with and are perceived by voters.
Parsi argued the party has lost ground in part because voters no longer feel respected.
“Before they vote for you, they have to know that you like them,” he said, adding that many West Virginians feel dismissed or overlooked.
Tomana emphasized authenticity and local voice, saying voters are quick to recognize when candidates are not speaking from lived experience.
“It exhausts me… when other people are telling my story,” she said.
Wendelin, closing the evening, returned to a broader call for unity across factions within the party and even across party lines.
“We the people… we need to come together,” he said, urging Democrats, Independents and disaffected Republicans to find common ground.
All three candidates pledged to support the eventual nominee following the primary.
For voters in Hardy County, the forum offered a preview of three campaigns that share a common vision and a largely aligned sense of urgency, while offering slightly different visions for how the party moves forward.
Early voting begins Apr. 29. For more information visit www.GoVoteWv.com
