The Political Revolution has endorsed Lissa Lucas for WV House of Delegates in District 7. The Political Revolution is an organization whose national mission is “to transform our government so it represents all our citizens, not just the wealthy few” through grassroots activism.

“We’re all on board with getting the money out of politics, no matter our party,” Lissa explains. That’s why I want to see a ‘political revolution’ in both parties, where we boot out the bought politicians and start having honest debate on issues, again… ”

She points out that we can disagree on “how to get there” in terms of helping regular people, but no citizen should have to wonder if their representative is honestly working for The People, or working for their wealthy campaign donors, instead.

“That’s the revolution I’m looking for,” Lissa says.

And she walks the walk: Lissa refuses corporate PAC money. In fact, the average campaign donation to Lissa’s campaign is just $26, but she’s raised more than $80 thousand dollars after having been dragged out of House chambers for listing off delegates’ corporate campaign donors.

“We need our government to start representing The People, again. There are candidates of BOTH parties in WV who are taking money from PACs run by corporations like EQT, for example. Meanwhile, EQT is suing WV landowners and suing the WV state government (taxpayers, in other words) in order to avoid paying fair royalties to taxpaying WV mineral owners… at the same time we have an EQT board member installed in the governor’s office. And the really sad thing is that EQT isn’t the only company trying to buy our government. Regular people don’t have a voice, anymore.”

She continues, “West Virginia’s government needs to be less focused on serving out-of-state corporate interests, and more focused on making sure the people who live out here are benefiting from our wealth of resources.”

“We need to raise the severance tax to a level commensurate with other energy producing states like Texas. Why are we giving our state away?” she demands.

“Southern WV has already gone through this with coal,” Lissa explains. “With all those resources, southern WV should be among the richest places in the nation. But those miners and mining communities have been thrown under the bus again and again, with company execs getting big bonuses for stealing miner pensions, and then having to fight for healthcare that was promised to them. The same company is also sticking us with the bill to clean up their messes. ”

“So why is our state government allowing this to happen?” she asks… then she shrugs. “Well, we all know why. Money. Thirty pieces of silver have changed hands.”

Lissa contends that West Virginia’s “corporate-owned government officials want to bring that same devastation in North Central West Virginia, in exchange for a few thousand dollars of corporate money to get them elected.”

“It was unconscionable to hurt mining communities like that, just as it’s unconscionable to hurt gas and oil communities like that,” she says. “I’m going to stand up for my neighbors. That’s why I’m running. Working hard shouldn’t make us second class.”

“Yeah, we need a political revolution in this state,” Lissa says, “and I believe West Virginians can take the lead, just like West Virginia teachers took the lead with their strike, and inspired so many  across the country to follow in their footsteps.”

See the full list of TPR’s endorsements on The Political Revolution’s website.