The Candidate Field is Set
The filing period for Huntington’s municipal elections is now closed, so barring any candidates that mailed in their forms at the last minute, the field for our local races is set. While the attached list features many good candidates from both parties, I don’t believe the issues our city faces are partisan ones. Regardless of your party affiliation, I encourage you to get to know the candidates and find out how they plan to tackle the biggest issues facing our city.
Keeping Our Neighborhoods Safe
Drugs and crime: Public safety is priority number one, and it begins with strong support for law enforcement. More police officers are needed not just for greater presence, but also so we can relentlessly enforce our laws and put an end to the crime that is overtaking our streets.
Homelessness: In almost every case, people experiencing homelessness don’t want to live on the streets, and nobody else in the community wants them living on the streets either. When nobody is happy with the status quo, it is time to bring new solutions that compassionately take care of people who need help while also making sure everyone else in the city feels safe.
Fixing Our Infrastructure
Flooding: Nobody dreams of living in a place where streets and basements flood every time there is heavy rain. We need to invest in our stormwater infrastructure to fix our recurring flooding problems and prevent future damage.
Clean Up the Streets: The degraded state of many of our roads, sidewalks, and lights are not just eyesores; they pose safety risks and hamper daily commutes. Getting the basics of our transportation infrastructure right will not only enhance safety but also improve the overall aesthetic and functionality of our city.
Diversifying the Local Economy & Improving Our Quality of Life
Diversify the Economy: Something special is happening on Marshall University’s campus. If we take advantage of this window of opportunity, we can grow and diversify our economy so our kids and grandkids can call Huntington home. We need to leverage Marshall’s newest strengths – its business school, baseball stadium, and cybersecurity institute – to act as catalysts for economic growth and job creation.
Quality of Life: Our schools, our parks, and our libraries are the foundation of our city. They all contribute to making our community great, and we need to find the resources to support them all. We also need to find creative ways to improve housing stock so people can easily find affordable housing inside the city limits.
Lastly, redistricting changed the city council district boundaries for the 2024 election, so be sure to check out the new map!
Thank you for reading. Please share or forward this message to your friends and family members who want to help make Huntington a better place to live and work!