I felt compelled to write to express how excited I am that West Virginians have an opportunity to effect real and lasting change in our State with the upcoming Supreme Court election. Candidate Allen Loughry provides West Virginians with that opportunity.

As anyone who has met him or heard him speak can confirm, Mr. Loughry is a humble, down-to-earth and hard-working family man with a love of this state and a heart for service. We have the rare opportunity to place on our Supreme Court an individual who is not only an incredibly well-credentialed attorney with four law degrees, but whose intellect is matched by his obvious passion for fairness and equity in our courts.

I for one am tired of our courts–on both a local and state level–being monopolized by politicians, millionaires or worse-both. If our elected executive and legislative officials are supposed to represent their constituency and reflect their values and ideals, shouldn’t our judiciary do the same?

Don’t West Virginians deserve a Supreme Court that is made up of jurists who attain their position through hard work, excellence in their profession, and a demonstrated respect for the law? The Supreme Court should not be for sale to the highest bidder. Allen Loughry chose to fight for his seat with qualifications and character–not purchase it with personal wealth or the wealth of political donors who hope to influence the Court’s agenda.

Let’s send a message in November that we’re smart enough to know when we’re being bribed and wise enough to understand that our Supreme Court demands better.

Sincerely,

Taira Gainer

Elkins, W. Va.