FAIRMONT, W.Va. – A record number of Republicans will be heading to Charleston as a result of the Tuesday general election. But, director of the Fairmont State University National Security and Intelligence Program and an associate professor of political science and law, Dr. Gregory Noone voters will be watching how they use that advantage.
Noone also acknowledges for West Virginia it is a move within the electorate that can be easily explained.
“It’s a natural alignment, the overall majority of the state is pro-Second Amendment and pro-life,” Noone said,” It’s a natural alignment with the Republican party.”
Now that the Republicans do have the majority voters will expect things that important to them to be addressed, according to Noone.
“We need to make sure we’re taking care West Virginia issues,” Noone said,” What’s happened in state legislatures around the country is we’ve nationalized these issues, so state legislatures are wasting their time on national issues rather than fixing a road in Harrison County.”
At the same time, lawmakers, especially newly elected, must maintain their identity while still working within the party.
“Go down there and make things happen, don’t go down there and fall in line with that partisan B.S.,” Noone said,” Make things happen, take care of the people of Harrison County.”
Noone believes the needs of communities and people are many times blurred by party ideology. Prior to this period of divisive politics, Noone said politicians worked together because the needs of the people were greater than the party they identified with.
“Whether you’re a Democrat or Republican it didn’t matter,” Noone said,” We needed a pool in this particular area because the kids didn’t have a place to swim in the summer, and we got together and and got it done – we need to get back to that.”
Voting by mail will also get increased attention in the future. States will develop plans to improve and build more confidence into the process.
“I think we’re going to see more and more states do it,” Noone said,” We did it now because of COVID, but I think more states are going to do it, organize it and make it better.”