Sammi Brown, of Charles Town, announces her bid as the Democratic candidate for the House of Delegates, 65th District. This House district includes both Charles Town and Ranson in Jefferson County. The seat is currently held by Jill Upson (R).

Brown, who serves as a consultant for the AFL-CIO and other Labor affiliates, as well as Vice President of the Eastern Panhandle Young Democrats, is a native of Charles Town, and earned both her Bachelor’s and MBA from nearby Shepherd University.

Brown says she wants to be the catalyst for real change in the political landscape.

“This state was built on the backs of our working families,” Brown says. “Yet we’ve repaid them with what? Cuts? Low pay? Less Benefits? No. West Virginian’s deserve better than that. West Virginians should be able to live, work and thrive in their home state- and they deserve someone who will actually fight to make that happen.”

Brown is an advocate, organizer, and ally for multiple progressive groups, and is active in a wide range of community organizations across Jefferson and Berkeley counties. In addition to the Eastern Panhandle Young Democrats, she also serves as National Committeewoman of West Virginia Young Democrats, Secretary of Mid Atlantic Young Democrats, as well as a member of her local associations such as the Jefferson County NAACP and Eastern Panhandle Central Labor Council. She is an ally to Fairness WV and Planned Parenthood Southeast. She has also chartered West Virginia’s Young Active Labor Leaders chapter, which is recognized through the AFL-CIO’s NextUp Initiative- all in a concerted effort to mobilize West Virginians around growth and activism.

She says of this work, ” Activism is absolutely necessary. Our population is rapidly decreasing. Our youth has become our greatest export. We’ve continued to marginalize the men, women and children that we should be indebted to. We’re losing our people because, quite frankly, they don’t see their opportunities here. Essentially, we’ve told them they don’t deserve as much.”

She continues, “We’re making cuts and decreasing funding to essential programs instead of investing in communities and creating the opportunities necessary for sustainable growth. We’re rejecting the idea of inclusion. This simply isn’t what the people of West Virginia want. This isn’t what they stand for. It’s time someone stands up for them.”

Brown will be launching www.sammibrown.com, where one can connect with her and her campaign.