Andrea Garret Kiessling announces candidacy for State Senate in District 8.

SPENCER — Born and raised in West Virginia, I have always been and continue to be active in Roane County. I was in student government, and also participated in sports, church activities, and agriculture. Raised by entrepreneurial and multi-generational business owners, I maintained an involved role in their businesses. This instilled the importance of small businesses to the success of our local economies and strengthened my desire to own my own business. Our senator must protect the rights of entrepreneurs and business owners, as well as the ability to easily and freely conduct business in a local setting.

Protecting jobs and bettering education have remained high on the list as a focal point for West Virginians as long as I can remember. As an adult, I’ve come to understand the importance of each of these issues. As an entrepreneur and small business owner myself, I will continue to advocate for creativity and fairness for West Virginians to maintain and create job opportunities within our state. Education plays a large role in this, as we must have the ability to educate and train our people, setting them up for success as young adults, and creating opportunities to grow within their careers in order to keep them in our state.

It’s equally important for parents to have choices when it comes to their children’s education, allowing them to find the best fit for their child’s unique learning style and personality. This ensures the best experience and outcome for the child. Because the right type of education is so important to me, I co-founded a private, Christian school in 2021 which blends Christian values, rigorous academic curriculum and a hands-on, experiential style of learning. This unique combination has proven to be a fantastic experience for many children and families in our community, including my own children.

I am an advocate and proponent of health and general wellbeing. Therefore, addressing the drug crisis, quality of life and general health of our residents will be of great concern as I work toward resources and education to expand and improve health for all. The drug crisis demands our attention as well as prevention and understanding causes leading to the abuse and generational use of drugs.

My personal values include faith, family and freedom- all of which I’m quite motivated to protect and strengthen. The belief that everyone has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is the foundation of my political perspective.

As a freedom-loving entrepreneurial mother of three, I am uniquely driven and incentivized by the future of our state. It is deeply important to me to protect the rights, livelihood and success of future generations and ensure our state continues toward these goals. I look forward to joining the effort in developing the potential that makes West Virginia a desirable and thriving state for everyone.