A New Mountain State Rises: Unpacking My 2028 Platform for West Virginia/Kanawha

My possible 2028 Gubernatorial campaign isn't just about tweaking the system; it's about a radical reset for our State. I am proposing a vision that will fundamentally redefine our economic future, political structure, and cultural identity. At its heart, my platform advocates for absolute state sovereignty, economic self-reliance, and a crucial realignment of public wealth with the citizen.

Here is a deep dive into the seven pillars of this ambitious vision—the plan I call the Mountain State Reset.

I. Economic Sovereignty: The Kanawha Energy Model

The centerpiece of my economic plan is the creation of a State-Owned Enterprise (SOE), which I initially called West Virginia Energy (WVE). However, if we rename the state to Kanawha (as I believe we should), this enterprise will be known as Kanawha Energy or something similar. This company will assume stewardship over the extraction and sale of our State’s natural resources—coal, natural gas, and renewables.

This is my rejection of the current model, where our State’s wealth is exported, leaving behind limited tax revenue and environmental degradation. My West Virginia/Kanawha Energy model, inspired by the highly successful Alaska Permanent Fund, guarantees that a minimum percentage of profits is placed into a permanent fund. This fund then pays a Citizen Dividend directly to every legal resident annually.

Crucially, this Citizen Dividend will not be limited to natural resources. Any and all future State-Owned Enterprises that the State creates will be mandated to contribute a portion of their profits to this fund, ensuring every citizen benefits directly from every State enterprise. This transforms every citizen into a shareholder in our State’s bounty, injecting capital directly into local economies and providing a stable economic floor for families.

II. Redefining Identity: The Mountain State Reset

I am proposing a constitutional convention to adopt a new governing document and formally rename the state to Kanawha.

My reason for this is deeply personal: I feel that the name "Kanawha" simply makes more sense for us. It is rooted in the region’s Native American history and the mighty river that defines our heartland. By dropping "West Virginia," we break from the historical and psychological ties to our neighbor and the political orbit of Washington, D.C. This name change is the symbolic start of the Mountain State Reset, signaling to the world that we are an independent, self-determined entity. The new Constitution will enshrine a focus on State sovereignty and limit federal overreach.

III. An Act of Reconciliation: Indigenous Recognition

A powerful element of my platform is the immediate and comprehensive recognition of all Native American tribes with historical ties to the land. This commitment goes beyond symbolic gestures: my plan grants full state citizenship status to all members of these historically present tribes.

This act of political reconciliation is designed to honor the original stewards of the territory and integrate their rich cultural heritage into the foundational identity of the new State of Kanawha, ensuring they benefit directly from the economic dividend and political future of the State.

IV. Uncompromising Defense of Life

I take an assertive stance on the protection of life, declaring abortion to be unconstitutional based on an originalist reading of federal law.

My argument rests on two primary claims:

1. 14th Amendment Personhood: I assert that the “Equal Protection” and “Due Process” clauses of the 14th Amendment apply to all human life beginning at conception, meaning the unborn are "persons" guaranteed constitutional protection.

2. 8th Amendment Violation: I classify abortion as "cruel and unusual punishment" against an innocent human being, making it a direct violation of the 8th Amendment.

This position views the protection of the unborn not merely as a matter of State law, but as a fundamental constitutional obligation that compels the State to prohibit the practice entirely.

V. Reclaiming Domestic Institutions

In a strong assertion of the 10th Amendment, my platform proposes that the State of Kanawha will exercise its reserved power to define and license marriage. The State would exclusively define marriage as a union between one biological man and one biological woman. This is presented as a defense of State sovereignty and the right of the State to define its own domestic contracts without federal judicial interference.

VI. Workforce Mobility and Land Renewal

To address our chronic demographic challenges, my plan outlines two strategies:

1. Workforce Mobility Initiative: This voluntary program provides financial incentives and housing assistance for citizens in economically struggling, depopulated regions to relocate to growing economic hubs, aligning the workforce with opportunity.

2. Land Reclamation: The depopulated regions will become "Redevelopment Zones." State acquisition and remediation will transform abandoned or environmentally damaged lands into sites suitable for new, large-scale industrial, agricultural, or eco-tourism projects, turning economic blight into future assets.

VII. Legislative Overhaul

The final pillar focuses on modernizing our State's government structure. My proposal includes a Constitutional Amendment to reorganize the State Legislature, reducing its overall size and potentially moving to a full-time professional legislative body. This change is designed to increase accountability, reduce legislative overhead, and allow for more thorough consideration of complex policy, rather than the rushed process often dictated by short session calendars.

The 2028 West Virginia/Kanawha Gubernatorial Platform is my personal call for a bold departure from traditional governance. It is a vision built on self-determination, the direct distribution of public wealth to every citizen, and the unwavering defense of our deepest constitutional and moral principles. I invite you to join the Mountain State Reset.