Dear John,

The votes are in West Virginia. We won 11 seats.

That means one in every two of our candidates made it through the Primary. One in five moved on to govern. We mounted a field infrastructure this year, bigger than that of either major party, with a Neighborhood Captain model that defied expectations. We broke--and then doubled--our state’s small donor fundraising record. We built dozens of county and constituency field, amounting to over 900 volunteers with specific roles and real responsibilities. And we wrote the most transformational and comprehensive Platform in our state’s history with 34 Policy Plans, and with participation from thousands of West Virginians. When the pandemic hit, we turned our field operation into a pandemic response team that, to this day, is helping connect our neighbors to unemployment benefits.

And, we’ve won so many things that can’t be measured. Among our ranks are now the state’s strongest field strategists and the state’s most well versed grassroots fundraisers. We have candidates who ran and lost--which means we have a whole slew of leaders who now know far more about campaigns than they did 2 years ago--many of whom have already said they’re going to run again. And we have standing teams and systems. We have filing expertise. We have a presence that can't be missed, that is growing.

It’s also true that the makeup of our state government shifted on Tuesday. Many of us are still making sense of the results. Not to mention, we’re are in the middle of a pandemic, folks are losing work, folks are getting sick. And we're facing two other growing threats to our lives and wellbeings: a growing overdose crisis and increased white-supremacist violence.

This is where we are.

Traditional campaigns end on election day. We are not a traditional campaign. We are a movement. Our duty is year-round, and our place is not just in the voting booth. We belong in the streets. We belong in soup kitchens and legislative offices and harm reduction programs. We belong on the ballot.

So, what happens now for West Virginia and the WV Can’t Wait movement? It’s up to us.

It’s up to us to craft our strategy moving forward. You’re invited to join us in Martinsburg this Saturday, Morgantown this Sunday, Huntington November 14th, or Hinton November 15th to trade election stories, celebrate how far we’ve come, and set the course for 2021 and beyond. RSVP here. You’re also welcome to join us for an online strategy session this next Thursday at 7pm on Zoom as well and provide feedback by survey here. 

It’s up to us to fund the movement. We need seed money for our next slate of candidates. We need money to back our elected officials in the statehouse and city halls. We need money to build a coordinated field operation for 2021 and beyond--starting NOW, not a month before election day. Will you make a donation or start a monthly donation? 

It’s up to us to run. Do you plan to run in 2021 or 2022 or know someone you’d like to nominate? Complete this form and we’ll be in touch with opportunities for candidate trainings, and more. (And if you’re not sure whether you want to run, or for what, email [email protected] to set-up a call. He’d love to talk it through with you.)

Finally, it’s up to us to rest as much as we need to. You might need a few days. You might need a month. You might need to take an even bigger step back. You are a link in our chain. We need you strong. Take the time you need. We're here when you're ready. 

WV Can't Wait,

Katey & Stephen 

WV Can't Wait is a movement to win a people's government in the Mountain State. For more information, visit wvcantwait.com.