Mary Ann Claytor has endorsed Lissa Lucas for WV House of Delegates, District 7, in 2018.

Claytor is the daughter of a coal miner, and a lifelong resident of West Virginia. She worked in the state auditor’s office for more than 20 years. Claytor ran for state auditor in 2016, pushing for more transparency about where our tax money is going—and more accountability. She had a surprise win in the Democratic primary, easily besting her establishment opponent Pizatella by 20,000 votes, and “sweeping every county in West Virginia’s southern coalfields.”

Like Lucas, Claytor had never run for political office before. “I ran because I knew I could help people,” she said. “It’s time to elect public servant to serve the people—not campaign donors.”

Lucas agrees. “Leadership is only interested in you if you’re a good fundraiser willing to do what the donors want you to. And there are parts of the state, like my district, that they seem perfectly willing to cede in order to get upticket campaign donations from companies wanting to exploit us.”

Claytor is endorsing Lissa Lucas because they share progressive values, and a focus on transparency and accountability.

“We both want to make this state a better place,” Claytor explains.