House · WV-02 · Challenger

Stephanie Tomana

DWV

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General: Nov 3, 2026 · 99d

Candidate Biography

About Stephanie Tomana

Stephanie Spears Tomana (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent West Virginia's 2nd Congressional District. She lost in the Democratic primary on May 12, 2026. Spears

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[{"question": "Ballotpedia survey responses", "answer_html": "See also: <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a>\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-xs-10 col-md-6 col-xs-offset-1 col-md-offset-3\"><a href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\"><img align=\"middle\" alt=\"Candidate Connection\" src=\"https://cdn.ballotpedia.org/images/8/88/Candidate_Connection_Logo.png\" width=\"90%\"/></a></div></div>\nStephanie Spears Tomana completed <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a> survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Spears Tomana's responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\n<div aria-multiselectable=\"true\" class=\"panel-group\" id=\"accordion\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-403767-2026-04-29\" id=\"heading-bio-403767-2026-04-29\" role=\"tab\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-403767-2026-04-29\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-403767-2026-04-29\" role=\"button\">\t\t\t\tWho are you? Tell us about yourself.\t\t\t</a></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-bio-403767-2026-04-29\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-403767-2026-04-29\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\">\t\t\t\tI'm a public-school teacher, civic leader, and lifelong advocate for working-class families in West Virginia.\r\nBorn and raised in Marion County, I learned early what it means to work hard, stretch a paycheck, and rely on your neighbors. Those lessons shaped who I am, and who I fight for.\r\nI've spent more than twenty years teaching science in our schools, building a classroom rooted in curiosity, critical thinking, and hands-on learning, earning nominations for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and the J. Kevin Scanlon Award for the Promotion of Science. \r\nBeyond the classroom, I've coached youth sports, served on community boards, led local improvement projects, worked with WFP on THRIVE Act Campaign, secured years of grant funding, and a congressional spending request for fire hydrants. \r\nI am President of the S.N. Elliott Foundation Scholarship trust, and Vice Chair of the Marion County Democratic Executive Committee. \r\nAs a proud union member, I've stood alongside fellow educators to defend our public schools and fight for the future our children deserve.\r\nMy husband Chris and I proudly raised our two daughters here. \r\nThere’s no denying that there’s a lot of problems in Washington, but there’s a lot here at home too. After a lifetime of exploitation, we’re at the bottom of every important metric. I’m running for Congress because I know with all that I am this does not have to be our story. \r\n\nWe deserve better.\t\t\t</div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-403767-2026-04-29\" id=\"heading-key-message-403767-2026-04-29\" role=\"tab\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-403767-2026-04-29\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-403767-2026-04-29\" role=\"button\">\t\t\t\tPlease list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?\t\t\t</a></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-key-message-403767-2026-04-29\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-403767-2026-04-29\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><ul><li>While others tell our story, I’ve lived it. I grew up in a hollowed-out coal camp like everyone else, wearing hand-me-downs and waiting for the commodities truck. Counting pennies at the gas station and navigating job loss. West Virginians have always struggled with affordability and lack of opportunity—1 in 4 children live in poverty, 46% of families live below the ALICE threshold, we have one of the lowest median annual incomes in the country. West Virginians deserve immediate relief and sustainable solutions—closing tax loopholes for high earners, protecting SNAP, Medicaid, & Medicare, raising the minimum wage, expanding the refundable Earned Income and Child Tax Credits, investing in rural education and housing are key priorities.</li><li>We cannot build a future on cracked earth and talking points. Potholes aren’t a stump speech—they’re a safety issue and symbolic of everything that isn’t working. 65,000 West Virginians don’t have access to clean water, 5,000 fire hydrants need replaced, our rural road fatality rate is nearly double the national average. I will prioritize our rural communities, increase federal grants for fire departments, emergency services, and treat broadband and childcare like the utilities that they are. Infrastructure and education are the drivers of an opportunity economy and the basic responsibility of governance, nearly half our state budget comes from federal dollars, we deserve accountability.</li><li>Everything begins and ends with representation. Our history is one of exploitation by out-of-state special interests and political opportunists—timber, oil, coal, gas—and now our water and farmland. You can’t represent all of us if you never leave the main road or if you’re beholden to someone else. Congress must reclaim its constitutional authority and demand more from those we elect: require divestment from financial conflicts, ban stock trading, remove big money from politics, end partisan gerrymandering, and enforce real accountability for ethical violations. I believe in open communication, being present in our communities, and building relationships. To truly represent West Virginia, we must understand Littleton and Martinsburg,</li></ul></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-403767-2026-04-29\" id=\"heading1-403767-2026-04-29\" role=\"tab\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-403767-2026-04-29\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-403767-2026-04-29\" role=\"button\">\t\t\t\tWhat areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?\t\t\t</a></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading1-403767-2026-04-29\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-403767-2026-04-29\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\">\t\t\t\tMy passions in public policy are rooted in the desire to improve the daily lives of all West Virginians and protect our state's resources. \nI am deeply committed to revitalizing our infrastructure, strengthening public education, and restoring funding to our federal healthcare systems. I believe that accessible, affordable healthcare is a fundamental right and will fight for Medicare expansion to all. \n\nWe must protect our water and farmland at all costs—end eminent domain abuses, hold polluters accountable, and fully fund water and sewage infrastructure. I am driven by the need for an economy and government that works for working families, restoring the trust and decorum of office, and being a truly accessible representative.\t\t\t</div></div></div></div></div>\n<div class=\"small\" data-nosnippet=\"\">Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.</div>\n<div><div style=\"margin-bottom:1.5rem\"><h4>Campaign website</h4>Spears Tomana's campaign website stated the following:<div style=\"max-height:400px;overflow-y:auto;border:1px solid #ccc;padding:10px;margin:20px\"><blockquote style=\"margin:0px\">Clean water isn’t partisan, it’s a necessity. Most of our water, sewer, and road infrastructure was built between the 1930s and 1970s. It is long past its life expectancy. West Virginia needs an estimated $13.9–$18 billion just to repair crumbling water and sewer systems. “High impact” data centers like the one being proposed in Tucker County could draw millions of gallons of water each day to cool their servers, straining already fragile systems, concentrating pollutants, and stressing trout streams. We have a responsibility to shield our watershed from pollutants, data center grabs, and eminent domain abuse, especially after the legislature removed local home rule. For many West Virginians, water is an everyday crisis. An estimated 64,000 households have no access to public water. There were more than 3,200 boil water advisories last year alone. Over 4,000 miles of waterways are contaminated by mining runoff, sewage overflows, and industrial discharge. Thirty-six of West Virginia’s 55 counties rank in the worst third nationally for water pollution, according to NRDC analysis. Tourism in our river communities—rafting, fishing, camping—would suffer as warmer, depleted flows kill aquatic life and push visitors away. In rural Virginia, we’ve already seen the consequences of unchecked data center expansion: wells drawn down or dried up, farmers losing irrigation, and utility rates climbing as much as 200 percent. Clean water is essential, for our health, for our families, and for our tourism economy. It simply does not make sense that in a state already burdened with serious water challenges, our congressional delegation would cheer safety rollbacks and our legislature would remove guardrails for development and integration into our communities. We Deserve Clean Water End eminent domain abuse. No private corporation should be able to seize family land for profit‑driven projects like data centers, solar fields, transmission lines, or fracking operations. If a project cannot prove a genuine public use, win local approval, and fully protect the rights of landowners, it should not have the power of eminent domain. Strengthen Environmental Review (NEPA).Require full Environmental Impact Statements for any data center seeking eminent domain authority. These reviews must include cumulative watershed impact assessments and air pollution analysis, including long-term consequences. Protect Superfund Dollars. Block Congresswoman Miller’s H.R. 640 and preserve $1.2 billion in Superfund revenue dedicated to cleaning up PFAS and contamination at sites like Fairmont Brine. Hold Polluters Accountable for PFAS. Sponsor legislation conditioning Appalachian Regional Commission grants and federal tax incentives on groundwater monitoring, safe blowdown treatment, and enforceable PFAS liability standards. Fully Fund West Virginia’s Water Infrastructure. Extend and expand funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Water Resources Development Act, and Community Project Funding. West Virginia faces a $14–18 billion water repair backlog. Priorities include: Replacing aging pipelines. Addressing PFAS “forever chemicals.” Eliminating lead contamination in communities like Weirton. Assisting the hardest-hit southern counties, including Wyoming and McDowell, which rank among the worst in the nation for water violations. Set National Water Efficiency Standards for Data Centers. Co-sponsor legislation requiring Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) below 0.2 liters per kilowatt-hour for facilities over 50 megawatts, mandating zero-evaporative cooling and the use of recycled water. Too rich to be poor,and too poor to be rich. For too many families in West Virginia, work doesn’t pay enoughto cover the basics. Many fall into the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) category—working above the poverty line but still struggling to afford food, childcare, medical bills, and car repairs. In the Eastern Panhandle, housing costs are skyrocketing, while our Northern and Central counties struggle as companies and good paying jobs leave—Mylan, Novelis, Allegheny Wood Products, Alderson-Broaddus University, and most recently Mettiki Coal. Stephanie has lived our struggles, and stood with our communities. She’ll stand against policies that treat people like cogs in a machine—like efforts to push children into the workforce before they’re ready or to raise the retirement age on those who've already given a lifetime of work. We deserve an economy that works for working families. We Deserve an Economy that Worksfor all West Virginians Expand workforce training and apprenticeships. Connect schools, community colleges, and unions to in-demand careers in healthcare, energy, skilled trades, and STEM. Incentivize local investment. Push federal programs that reward companies for hiring West Virginians, offering union wages, and committing to long-term investment in our communities. Protect and grow unions. Repeal anti-union laws, expand collective bargaining, and restore union jobs in manufacturing, energy, construction, and public service. Protect gig and returning workers. Reclassify gig workers to guarantee benefits and create programs for people re-entering the workforce after caregiving, addiction treatment, or incarceration. Protect SNAP, Medicaid, & Medicare. Keep essential food and healthcare programs available, especially in rural and distressed areas, while linking benefits to workforce and family support programs. Raise the minimum wage. Ensure wages reflect the true cost of living, tie them to inflation, and protect gig, tipped, and part-time workers. Reinstate Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA) so workers who lose their jobs or take a pay cut because of foreign trade, offshoring, outsourcing, automation, and artificial intelligence have a real path to get back on their feet. Strengthen Collective Bargaining. Fully restore the protections of the National Labor Relations Act and the National Industrial Recovery Act, ensuring workers have the ability to organize and negotiate for fair pay and benefits. Support working families with infrastructure and access. Expand affordable childcare, broadband, and transportation so all West Virginians can join or stay in the workforce. One in five of our students relieson special education services. Weakening federal oversight threatens IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) protections and the funding that ensures students with disabilities receive the education they are guaranteed. Stephanie will not allow a return to a time when those students were pushed aside. Stephanie knows smaller class sizes aren’t a luxury, they’re essential to giving every student the attention and support they deserve. She believes expanding high-quality Pre-K is one of the most effective ways to close achievement gaps before they ever have a chance to widen. With more than 70 schools closed or consolidated in just the past five years due to declining enrollment and budget cuts, our public education system needs leadership that puts all of our students first. One in four of West Virginia's children lives in poverty. The hard truth is that hungry kids struggle in school-they're more likely to fail classes, more likely to receive discipline referrals, and more likely to be an absentee issue. Addressing child poverty isn’t just compassionate—it’s smart economic policy. When we invest in our children, we build a stronger workforce and a stronger West Virginia for the future. West Virginia has one of the highest percentages of first-generation college students in the country. For many families, Pell Grants are the only path to higher education. When college becomes unaffordable, opportunity shrinks and generational poverty deepens. Strong public schools. Protected special education. Affordable college. Respected professions. That’s how we build a West Virginia where our children don’t have to leave to succeed. Education Commitments Defend College Access & First-Generation Students. Protect and expand Pell Grants. Simplify FAFSA access and support responsible debt relief options so higher education remains within reach. Expand Free Lunch Initiatives. Maximize the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), ensuring universal access to meals. Invest in Community Colleges & Workforce Pathways. Increase federal investment in community colleges and workforce-aligned degree and certification programs that meet the needs of our local economy. Partnership with Trade Unions. Support public–union partnerships that expand apprenticeships and create clear pathways to skilled, good-paying jobs. Protect SNAP, Medicaid, & Medicare. Keep essential food and healthcare programs available, especially in rural and distressed areas, while linking benefits to workforce and family support programs. Protect Students with Disabilities. Defend strong federal oversight that safeguards students with disabilities. Fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) so schools aren’t forced to divert general classroom resources to meet mandated services. Oppose efforts to dismantle federal education protections that protect our most vulnerable students. Stand Up for Essential Professions. Protect professional licensure standards and ensure federal recognition and funding for accredited programs. Strengthen—not weaken—the pipeline for teachers, nurses, social workers, and other essential professionals. Support the American Teacher Act. Attracting and keeping teachers in West Virginia’s border counties means more than just raising pay. Supporting the American Teacher Act to lift the starting salary to $60,000 nationwide, while pairing it with loan‑forgiveness programs, ‘grow‑your‑own’ pipelines, and relocation incentives that make our border‑county schools the best choice for educators—and for our children. Washington is Broken, and We All Know It. The dysfunction, the self-dealing, the partisan circus, it has eroded the trust that is fundamental to a working democracy. We send people to Congress and trust them with our lives, our livelihoods, and our future; its clear that too many of them have forgotten that. We. Deserve. Better. Every decision should be weighed against whether or not it improves the live of West Virginians and if our children will bear the cost. Stephanie doesn't answer to corporate bosses, she answers to our neighbors. Restoring the decorum and integrity of public office isn't a partisan issue, it's an expectation. Stephanie believes that every member of Congress should be held to the highest ethical standards, that transparency and accountability should be non-negotiable, and that the trust West Virginians place in their representative is sacred. She's not going to Washington to play games. She's going to do the job. Campaign Finance Reform & Ethics Hold Officials Accountable. Implement stricter penalties for ethical violations, including fines and removal from office for those who put personal gain above public service. Increase Transparency & Divest from Conflicts of Interest. All financial disclosures, votes, and lobbying interactions must be public and easily accessible, so voters know exactly how decisions are made. Require elected officials to divest personal financial holdings (stocks, bonds, cryptocurrency, or other assets) that could influence their votes or create a conflict of interest. Support Overturning Citizens United. The Supreme Court's 2010 decision opened the floodgates to unlimited corporate spending in our elections and has corrupted our political process ever since. Big money from corporations, dark money groups, and special interests has no place in our democracy. Support the American Anti-Corruption Act. Close loopholes that allow lobbyists and special interests to buy political influence and drown out the voices of everyday Americans. Congressional Authority & Oversight Defend Congress's Constitutional Role. The people's representatives must have a real seat at the table on matters of war, spending, and governance Reclaim the Power of the Purse, at Home and in Washington. Nearly half of our state budget comes from federal dollars. Stephanie will endure those funds reach the roads, schools, and communities they were allocated for; she won't let it be redirected, clawed back, or held hostage for political purposes. Stand for Due Process and the Rule of Law, Show Up, and Speak Out. One of the most powerful things a freshman member of Congress can do is refuse to be silent when constitutional norms and rights are being violated. Restore Congress's War Powers. The Constitution is clear, only Congress has the authority to declare war. She will fight to restore and enforce Congress's constitutional authority over military action Healthcare should be accessible and affordable. For the 85% of West Virginians that live in primary care deserts, or the 49% of counties that are maternity care deserts, and the 80% of counties that are already are designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) or Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs), access to healthcare—providers, clinics, hospitals—is a challenge. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill, our rural healthcare funding was slashed by roughly $1 billion per year, putting these communities and at least seven rural hospitals at even greater risk. Stephanie believes every woman deserves the right to make decisions about her own body. She knows that this is a deeply personal decision. The government should not dictate medical choices for women. The Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade removed a fundamental right to privacy and put countless West Virginians in impossible situations. Miscarriages, complications, hysterectomies, birth control, and medical interventions are often lumped into polarized debates that don’t reflect the realities of women’s lives. West Virginia ranks in the top 10 for preterm births, low birth weight, and maternal mortality. Stephanie’s approach is compassionate, practical, and grounded in reality. It’s about protecting the health, privacy, and choices of every West Virginian. Healthcare Policy Priorities Ensure Transparency and Accountability.Track funding and outcomes to make sure taxpayer dollars reach the communities and programs they’re intended to help. No money wasted, no promises unfulfilled. Expand Access to Women’s Healthcare. Address maternity care deserts by increasing funding for OB-GYN services, birthing hospitals, and prenatal care programs—so no woman drives hours for essential care. Focus on Circumstances and Support. Recognize the factors—economic, medical, personal—that bring a woman to make healthcare decisions, and invest in comprehensive healthcare, education, and support services. Fully Restore Rural Healthcare Funding. Reinvest every dollar cut under One Big Beautiful Bill to ensure rural hospitals, clinics, and community health centers have the resources they need to stay open and serve every West Virginian. Protect Medicaid and Medicare. Fight any future cuts to ensure families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities can access the care they need without skyrocketing costs or long travel times. Respect Privacy. Uphold the principle that healthcare decisions belong to the individual, not politicians. Privacy and bodily autonomy are nonpartisan values that affect everyone. Support Rural Healthcare Providers. Invest in incentives to keep doctors, nurses, and specialists practicing in West Virginia. Encourage telehealth expansion so rural residents can access care without long drives. A healthy democracy depends on honest, transparent, and accountable journalism. For too long, partisan media has prioritized ratings over facts, turning public debate into chaos and deepening divisions in West Virginia and across the country. Stephanie believes information should empower, not divide. Citizens deserve news they can trust, and policies that reflect reality, not ratings. Media & AI Policy Priorities Promote Viewpoint Diversity in Broadcasting. Encourage policies and voluntary industry standards that support the presentation of diverse, good‑faith perspectives on major public issues, while fully respecting First Amendment protections and avoiding government control over editorial decisions. Clarify Opinion, Entertainment, and Straight Reporting. Require clear, consistent on‑screen and online labels that distinguish opinion, commentary, satire, and entertainment from straight reporting, so audiences understand the format and editorial stance of what they are viewing, without restricting lawful content. Invest in Independent Media Literacy Education. Support nonpartisan, evidence‑based media literacy programs in schools and communities that teach people how to evaluate sources, recognize persuasion techniques, and distinguish news, opinion, and advertising—without promoting any political viewpoint. Increase Transparency Around Political Influence in Media. Strengthen disclosure rules for political advertising, sponsorships, and paid content across TV, radio, and digital platforms, so the public and policymakers can clearly see who is funding messages that aim to shape policy, without singling out viewpoints for punishment. Improve Transparency and Accountability in Social Media Systems. Require large platforms to publish accessible explanations of how their recommendation and ranking systems work and to provide users with meaningful choices over how content is ranked and filtered. Update digital transparency laws so online political advertising follows clear disclosure and record‑keeping standards comparable to TV and radio. Strengthen oversight and coordination to combat unlawful foreign interference—such as covert, state‑sponsored bot networks—while avoiding any authority to censor lawful domestic speech based on viewpoint. Establish Clear AI Transparency Standards for Political Content. Require prominent labeling or watermarking of AI‑generated political images, video, and audio, especially when used in campaigns or public persuasion. Develop open, auditable technical standards in consultation with independent experts and civil society to minimize circumvention and prevent misuse of labels to discredit legitimate content. Ensure that enforcement focuses on deception (for example, undisclosed synthetic impersonations), not on the political viewpoint being expressed. Infrastructure in West Virginia isn't working—especially in rural communities. 1 in 4 public water systems in West Virginia had a recent health-based violation. 75% of the state’s dams are classified as high-hazard potential. Only 45% of roads are rated in “good” condition. 20% of bridges are structurally deficient. Our rural road fatality rate is nearly double the national average. More than 26,000 children in West Virginia lack access to childcare; 2/3 of our counties are considered childcare deserts. West Virginians work hard, pay our taxes, and show up for our communities. We're holding up our end of the bargain while our politicians ignore their responsibilities and distract us with culture wars and talking points. Despite nearly half of our state's budget coming from federal dollars, West Virginia consistently ranks at or near the bottom nationally in infrastructure quality, with little or no accountability, we deserve better. True infrastructure encompasses more than roads and water lines, it includes human infrastructure and when it fails, working families pay the price. For Stephanie, sound infrastructure means investing in roads, clean water, bridges, sewer systems, volunteer fire departments, childcare, and broadband. Stephanie believes infrastructure funding must be transparent, accountable, adequate, and prioritized for the communities most in need. Infrastructure Policy PrioritiesSupport and Expand H.R. 5356, the National Infrastructure Bank Act prioritizing rural infrastructure projects like water, broadband, roads, and emergency services to deliver jobs and stronger communities. Bridge and Road Accountability. Establish stricter oversight and transparency for federal infrastructure funds to ensure projects are completed on time and fully funded. Fully Fund Rural Water and Sewer System Projects. Prioritize federal infrastructure dollars for small towns and unincorporated communities that have been overlooked. Protect Infrastructure Funding from Political Gamesmanship. Refuse to let federal funds be delayed or rejected for ideological reasons. West Virginians should not lose resources because of political posturing. Support Local Fire and Emergency Services. Increase federal grants for rural fire departments and emergency response systems to ensure no community is cut off from lifesaving services. Support Working Families. Ensure paid leave, invest in affordable childcare subsidies, expand the refundable childcare tax credit, and fully fund Head Start programs. Treat Broadband as a utility. Invest in last-mile expansion so rural communities have reliable, affordable internet. Require accountability from providers receiving federal funds. Two-thirds of West Virginians live in rural, unincorporated communities. Rich in potential but overlooked, failing infrastructure, scarce jobs, and little to no revenue for growth, our rural and unincorporated communities are forgotten by time and ignored by politicians. Stephanie is committed to ensuring no community is left behind; her plan delivers economic growth directly to rural areas. Rural West Virginia is the heart of the state. Through smart investment and community empowerment, we will build a future where every resident can thrive. Rural Opportunity Policy Priorities Secure Targeted Funding. Champion federal and state grants and investments for infrastructure and community projects—without placing financial burdens on local residents. Build Modern Infrastructure. Expand broadband, upgrade roads, and improve essential services to unlock access to remote work, education, and healthcare. Empower Local Voices. Establish community councils and participatory programs so residents can set priorities and guide development initiatives. Grow Local Businesses. Support small business grants, mentorship programs, and cooperatives in agriculture, crafts, and other homegrown industries. Deliver Measurable Results. Track progress through job creation, improved connectivity, thriving local enterprises, and stronger, self-sufficient communities. You Cannot Legislate to a Life You Haven’t Lived Too many elected officials go to Washington and become unreachable, trading the home agenda for a Beltway agenda. You can’t have both. How can you represent us when you don’t even know us? Stephanie knows. She’s felt the history in Charles Town, the steel of Weirton, and mourned the Littleton of yesterday. She’s from pine trees and mining camps and government cheese. She knows where she comes from—West Virginian by luck, Mountaineers forever by choice. Stephanie isn't going to Washington to become someone else. She’s going to represent the communities that made her—from Hundred and Martinsburg to St. Marys, Buckhannon, and Four States, and everywhere in between. And she’ll never stop showing up. She believes we all deserve to be heard. There’s a difference between someone who's trying to talk it, and someone who's lived it. You can't fake knowing what it means to stretch a paycheck, to watch your hometown hollow out, or to navigate job loss. West Virginia doesn’t need another politician who discovers us every couple of years. Stephanie isn’t running because she’s got a perfect plan. She’s running because she’s lived what too many of us are still going through. “I don’t have all the answers—no one does. But by damn, I can guarantee you this, when Congress is making deals and playing chess with our lives, someone who knows what happens to a community when places like Consol and Mettiki and Mylan close will be in that room. And she’ll be fighting for us.” We Deserve Real Representation 'All Means All' to Stephanie. She's stood in front of the vulnerable before, and she'll stand up for our communities, regardless of zip code or political affiliation. She is a champion for working‑class and poor families, LGBTQIA+ West Virginians, women, minority, and immigrant communities. Every voice in West Virginia matters, and Stephanie is committed to making those voices heard. She Doesn't Shy Away From Courageous Conversations. Stephanie is committed to being right where she's always been, in our communities, She'll show up, and talking face-to-face, even when we disagree because she knows that trust is built by listening, not by avoiding hard questions or tough crowds. She'll Never Forget Where She Came From. Washington will not change Stephanie, she'll always be a West Virginia girl, grounded in the values, struggles, and pride of the communities that raised us. Stephanie Will Place a Dedicated District Staffer in Every Region. She'll assign a permanent district staffer to each major region of District 2 to build relationships, connect people to resources, and make sure those resources actually reach the people who need them. Stephanie Will Stay Present in the Community, you’ll still find her at bingo fundraisers, under the Friday night lights, and at the corner coffee shop—showing up where West Virginians live, not just when the cameras are on. Voting Rights Priorities Ban Partisan Gerrymandering. Require independent redistricting commissions to draw congressional maps using neutral, transparent criteria with measurable fairness standards. Mandate expedited federal court review so maps that violate anti-gerrymandering rules can be quickly struck down. Expand Early and Mail-In Voting. Working families, seniors, and people with disabilities shouldn't have to choose between casting a ballot and going to work or getting to the polls; voting should be accessible to everyone Make Election Day a Federal Holiday Restore and Strengthen the Voting Rights Act. Congress must act to restore the full protections it was designed to provide Support Automatic Voter Registration. Right now, teachers, nurses, tradespeople, and small business owners pay every dollar they owe directly from their paychecks. Meanwhile, ultra-wealthy individuals and profitable multinational corporations use loopholes, offshore shelters, and preferential tax treatment to dramatically reduce what they contribute. Right now, workers pay Social Security taxes on every dollar they earn, while high earners stop contributing once they hit the income cap. Everyone who benefits from this country should contribute to it. No exceptions. That imbalance isn’t accidental. It’s bad policy. Tax Reform Policy Priorities Close Loopholes. Establish a meaningful minimum corporate tax so profitable companies can’t zero out their federal income tax liability. Close offshore profit-shifting loopholes that allow corporations to hide earnings overseas. Tax investment income at the same rate as wages, so wealth isn’t treated better than work. Enforce Accountability. Strengthen IRS enforcement focused on high-income tax avoidance—not middle-class families. Expand the Child Tax Credit. If a student is still in high school, families are still paying for food, clothing, transportation, and school expenses. Federal tax policy should reflect that reality by ensuring 17- and 18-year-old high school students qualify for the same family support as younger children. Protect Working Families. Oppose sales tax increases that disproportionately hurt working and middle-class families. Simplify the tax code so families and small businesses don’t need expensive accountants to comply. Protect Social Security. Raise the Social Security payroll tax cap to $250,000 so higher earners contribute at the same rate as everyone else—protecting the program’s long-term solvency and strengthening retirement security. Stephanie comes from a proud line of veterans—she’s seen their service, sacrifices, and the heartbreak of being forgotten. She’s personally witnessed the challenges they face, taking her grandfather to the VA and seeing firsthand how understaffed clinics, long waits, and gaps in care make life harder for those who served. She knows true patriotism is about guaranteeing the care, respect, and opportunities veterans have earned. West Virginia has over 100,000 veterans, yet too many face homelessness, mental health crises, and inadequate long-term care. State Veterans Homes struggle with staffing shortages, rural areas lack accessible clinics, and vital programs remain underfunded. Stephanie’s personal roots in a family of veterans—and her firsthand experience navigating the VA system—fuel her fight against leaders who prioritize bureaucracy over real solutions. Our Veteran's Deserve Better Career Pipelines and Reintegration. Create public service and vocational programs to help veterans transition successfully to civilian life. Dignified Care and Recognition. Protect and expand federal programs for dignified burials, healthcare access, and veteran community centers. Expand Funding for Mobile Clinics Serving Rural and Aging Veterans. For those who can no longer travel to a VA clinic or hospital, programs like Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) deliver high-quality, compassionate care right to their doorstep—ensuring our veterans receive the dignity, respect, and medical attention they have earned. Funding and Oversight. Fully fund VA and state programs (e.g. SUPPORT Act expansion, VA Choice Act), including long-term care, PTSD treatment, and career pathways, while holding underperforming agencies accountable. Housing and Support Services. Ensure every veteran, especially in rural communities, has access to stable housing, mental health care, and family support. </blockquote><div style=\"text-align: right; font-size: 0.9em; color: #555; margin-top: 0.5em;\">— Stephanie Spears Tomana's <a href=\"https://www.stephanietomana.com/issues\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">campaign website</a> (May 8, 2026)</div></div></div><div style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0.5em;\">Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.</div></div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"></div>\nStephanie Spears Tomana did not complete <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection</a> survey.\n\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"></div>\nStephanie Spears Tomana did not complete <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection</a> survey.\n\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"></div>\nStephanie Spears Tomana did not complete <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection</a> survey.\n", "answer_text": "See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection\n\nStephanie Spears Tomana completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Spears Tomana's responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nWho are you? Tell us about yourself. I'm a public-school teacher, civic leader, and lifelong advocate for working-class families in West Virginia. Born and raised in Marion County, I learned early what it means to work hard, stretch a paycheck, and rely on your neighbors. Those lessons shaped who I am, and who I fight for. I've spent more than twenty years teaching science in our schools, building a classroom rooted in curiosity, critical thinking, and hands-on learning, earning nominations for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and the J. Kevin Scanlon Award for the Promotion of Science. Beyond the classroom, I've coached youth sports, served on community boards, led local improvement projects, worked with WFP on THRIVE Act Campaign, secured years of grant funding, and a congressional spending request for fire hydrants. I am President of the S.N. Elliott Foundation Scholarship trust, and Vice Chair of the Marion County Democratic Executive Committee. As a proud union member, I've stood alongside fellow educators to defend our public schools and fight for the future our children deserve. My husband Chris and I proudly raised our two daughters here. There’s no denying that there’s a lot of problems in Washington, but there’s a lot here at home too. After a lifetime of exploitation, we’re at the bottom of every important metric. I’m running for Congress because I know with all that I am this does not have to be our story. We deserve better. Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? While others tell our story, I’ve lived it. I grew up in a hollowed-out coal camp like everyone else, wearing hand-me-downs and waiting for the commodities truck. Counting pennies at the gas station and navigating job loss. West Virginians have always struggled with affordability and lack of opportunity—1 in 4 children live in poverty, 46% of families live below the ALICE threshold, we have one of the lowest median annual incomes in the country. West Virginians deserve immediate relief and sustainable solutions—closing tax loopholes for high earners, protecting SNAP, Medicaid, & Medicare, raising the minimum wage, expanding the refundable Earned Income and Child Tax Credits, investing in rural education and housing are key priorities. We cannot build a future on cracked earth and talking points. Potholes aren’t a stump speech—they’re a safety issue and symbolic of everything that isn’t working. 65,000 West Virginians don’t have access to clean water, 5,000 fire hydrants need replaced, our rural road fatality rate is nearly double the national average. I will prioritize our rural communities, increase federal grants for fire departments, emergency services, and treat broadband and childcare like the utilities that they are. Infrastructure and education are the drivers of an opportunity economy and the basic responsibility of governance, nearly half our state budget comes from federal dollars, we deserve accountability. Everything begins and ends with representation. Our history is one of exploitation by out-of-state special interests and political opportunists—timber, oil, coal, gas—and now our water and farmland. You can’t represent all of us if you never leave the main road or if you’re beholden to someone else. Congress must reclaim its constitutional authority and demand more from those we elect: require divestment from financial conflicts, ban stock trading, remove big money from politics, end partisan gerrymandering, and enforce real accountability for ethical violations. I believe in open communication, being present in our communities, and building relationships. To truly represent West Virginia, we must understand Littleton and Martinsburg, What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? My passions in public policy are rooted in the desire to improve the daily lives of all West Virginians and protect our state's resources. I am deeply committed to revitalizing our infrastructure, strengthening public education, and restoring funding to our federal healthcare systems. I believe that accessible, affordable healthcare is a fundamental right and will fight for Medicare expansion to all. We must protect our water and farmland at all costs—end eminent domain abuses, hold polluters accountable, and fully fund water and sewage infrastructure. I am driven by the need for an economy and government that works for working families, restoring the trust and decorum of office, and being a truly accessible representative.\nNote: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.\nCampaign website Spears Tomana's campaign website stated the following: Clean water isn’t partisan, it’s a necessity. Most of our water, sewer, and road infrastructure was built between the 1930s and 1970s. It is long past its life expectancy. West Virginia needs an estimated $13.9–$18 billion just to repair crumbling water and sewer systems. “High impact” data centers like the one being proposed in Tucker County could draw millions of gallons of water each day to cool their servers, straining already fragile systems, concentrating pollutants, and stressing trout streams. We have a responsibility to shield our watershed from pollutants, data center grabs, and eminent domain abuse, especially after the legislature removed local home rule. For many West Virginians, water is an everyday crisis. An estimated 64,000 households have no access to public water. There were more than 3,200 boil water advisories last year alone. Over 4,000 miles of waterways are contaminated by mining runoff, sewage overflows, and industrial discharge. Thirty-six of West Virginia’s 55 counties rank in the worst third nationally for water pollution, according to NRDC analysis. Tourism in our river communities—rafting, fishing, camping—would suffer as warmer, depleted flows kill aquatic life and push visitors away. In rural Virginia, we’ve already seen the consequences of unchecked data center expansion: wells drawn down or dried up, farmers losing irrigation, and utility rates climbing as much as 200 percent. Clean water is essential, for our health, for our families, and for our tourism economy. It simply does not make sense that in a state already burdened with serious water challenges, our congressional delegation would cheer safety rollbacks and our legislature would remove guardrails for development and integration into our communities. We Deserve Clean Water End eminent domain abuse. No private corporation should be able to seize family land for profit‑driven projects like data centers, solar fields, transmission lines, or fracking operations. If a project cannot prove a genuine public use, win local approval, and fully protect the rights of landowners, it should not have the power of eminent domain. Strengthen Environmental Review (NEPA). Require full Environmental Impact Statements for any data center seeking eminent domain authority. These reviews must include cumulative watershed impact assessments and air pollution analysis, including long-term consequences. Protect Superfund Dollars. Block Congresswoman Miller’s H.R. 640 and preserve $1.2 billion in Superfund revenue dedicated to cleaning up PFAS and contamination at sites like Fairmont Brine. Hold Polluters Accountable for PFAS. Sponsor legislation conditioning Appalachian Regional Commission grants and federal tax incentives on groundwater monitoring, safe blowdown treatment, and enforceable PFAS liability standards. Fully Fund West Virginia’s Water Infrastructure. Extend and expand funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Water Resources Development Act, and Community Project Funding. West Virginia faces a $14–18 billion water repair backlog. Priorities include: Replacing aging pipelines. Addressing PFAS “forever chemicals.” Eliminating lead contamination in communities like Weirton. Assisting the hardest-hit southern counties, including Wyoming and McDowell, which rank among the worst in the nation for water violations. Set National Water Efficiency Standards for Data Centers. Co-sponsor legislation requiring Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) below 0.2 liters per kilowatt-hour for facilities over 50 megawatts, mandating zero-evaporative cooling and the use of recycled water. Too rich to be poor, and too poor to be rich. For too many families in West Virginia, work doesn’t pay enough to cover the basics. Many fall into the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) category—working above the poverty line but still struggling to afford food, childcare, medical bills, and car repairs. In the Eastern Panhandle, housing costs are skyrocketing, while our Northern and Central counties struggle as companies and good paying jobs leave—Mylan, Novelis, Allegheny Wood Products, Alderson-Broaddus University, and most recently Mettiki Coal. Stephanie has lived our struggles, and stood with our communities. She’ll stand against policies that treat people like cogs in a machine—like efforts to push children into the workforce before they’re ready or to raise the retirement age on those who've already given a lifetime of work. We deserve an economy that works for working families. We Deserve an Economy that Works for all West Virginians Expand workforce training and apprenticeships. Connect schools, community colleges, and unions to in-demand careers in healthcare, energy, skilled trades, and STEM. Incentivize local investment. Push federal programs that reward companies for hiring West Virginians, offering union wages, and committing to long-term investment in our communities. Protect and grow unions. Repeal anti-union laws, expand collective bargaining, and restore union jobs in manufacturing, energy, construction, and public service. Protect gig and returning workers. Reclassify gig workers to guarantee benefits and create programs for people re-entering the workforce after caregiving, addiction treatment, or incarceration. Protect SNAP, Medicaid, & Medicare. Keep essential food and healthcare programs available, especially in rural and distressed areas, while linking benefits to workforce and family support programs. Raise the minimum wage. Ensure wages reflect the true cost of living, tie them to inflation, and protect gig, tipped, and part-time workers. Reinstate Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA) so workers who lose their jobs or take a pay cut because of foreign trade, offshoring, outsourcing, automation, and artificial intelligence have a real path to get back on their feet. Strengthen Collective Bargaining. Fully restore the protections of the National Labor Relations Act and the National Industrial Recovery Act, ensuring workers have the ability to organize and negotiate for fair pay and benefits. Support working families with infrastructure and access. Expand affordable childcare, broadband, and transportation so all West Virginians can join or stay in the workforce. One in five of our students relies on special education services. Weakening federal oversight threatens IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) protections and the funding that ensures students with disabilities receive the education they are guaranteed. Stephanie will not allow a return to a time when those students were pushed aside. Stephanie knows smaller class sizes aren’t a luxury, they’re essential to giving every student the attention and support they deserve. She believes expanding high-quality Pre-K is one of the most effective ways to close achievement gaps before they ever have a chance to widen. With more than 70 schools closed or consolidated in just the past five years due to declining enrollment and budget cuts, our public education system needs leadership that puts all of our students first. One in four of West Virginia's children lives in poverty. The hard truth is that hungry kids struggle in school-they're more likely to fail classes, more likely to receive discipline referrals, and more likely to be an absentee issue. Addressing child poverty isn’t just compassionate—it’s smart economic policy. When we invest in our children, we build a stronger workforce and a stronger West Virginia for the future. West Virginia has one of the highest percentages of first-generation college students in the country. For many families, Pell Grants are the only path to higher education. When college becomes unaffordable, opportunity shrinks and generational poverty deepens. Strong public schools. Protected special education. Affordable college. Respected professions. That’s how we build a West Virginia where our children don’t have to leave to succeed. Education Commitments Defend College Access & First-Generation Students. Protect and expand Pell Grants. Simplify FAFSA access and support responsible debt relief options so higher education remains within reach. Expand Free Lunch Initiatives. Maximize the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), ensuring universal access to meals. Invest in Community Colleges & Workforce Pathways. Increase federal investment in community colleges and workforce-aligned degree and certification programs that meet the needs of our local economy. Partnership with Trade Unions. Support public–union partnerships that expand apprenticeships and create clear pathways to skilled, good-paying jobs. Protect SNAP, Medicaid, & Medicare. Keep essential food and healthcare programs available, especially in rural and distressed areas, while linking benefits to workforce and family support programs. Protect Students with Disabilities. Defend strong federal oversight that safeguards students with disabilities. Fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) so schools aren’t forced to divert general classroom resources to meet mandated services. Oppose efforts to dismantle federal education protections that protect our most vulnerable students. Stand Up for Essential Professions. Protect professional licensure standards and ensure federal recognition and funding for accredited programs. Strengthen—not weaken—the pipeline for teachers, nurses, social workers, and other essential professionals. Support the American Teacher Act. Attracting and keeping teachers in West Virginia’s border counties means more than just raising pay. Supporting the American Teacher Act to lift the starting salary to $60,000 nationwide, while pairing it with loan‑forgiveness programs, ‘grow‑your‑own’ pipelines, and relocation incentives that make our border‑county schools the best choice for educators—and for our children. Washington is Broken, and We All Know It. The dysfunction, the self-dealing, the partisan circus, it has eroded the trust that is fundamental to a working democracy. We send people to Congress and trust them with our lives, our livelihoods, and our future; its clear that too many of them have forgotten that. We. Deserve. Better. Every decision should be weighed against whether or not it improves the live of West Virginians and if our children will bear the cost. Stephanie doesn't answer to corporate bosses, she answers to our neighbors. Restoring the decorum and integrity of public office isn't a partisan issue, it's an expectation. Stephanie believes that every member of Congress should be held to the highest ethical standards, that transparency and accountability should be non-negotiable, and that the trust West Virginians place in their representative is sacred. She's not going to Washington to play games. She's going to do the job. Campaign Finance Reform & Ethics Hold Officials Accountable. Implement stricter penalties for ethical violations, including fines and removal from office for those who put personal gain above public service. Increase Transparency & Divest from Conflicts of Interest. All financial disclosures, votes, and lobbying interactions must be public and easily accessible, so voters know exactly how decisions are made. Require elected officials to divest personal financial holdings (stocks, bonds, cryptocurrency, or other assets) that could influence their votes or create a conflict of interest. Support Overturning Citizens United. The Supreme Court's 2010 decision opened the floodgates to unlimited corporate spending in our elections and has corrupted our political process ever since. Big money from corporations, dark money groups, and special interests has no place in our democracy. Support the American Anti-Corruption Act. Close loopholes that allow lobbyists and special interests to buy political influence and drown out the voices of everyday Americans. Congressional Authority & Oversight Defend Congress's Constitutional Role. The people's representatives must have a real seat at the table on matters of war, spending, and governance Reclaim the Power of the Purse, at Home and in Washington. Nearly half of our state budget comes from federal dollars. Stephanie will endure those funds reach the roads, schools, and communities they were allocated for; she won't let it be redirected, clawed back, or held hostage for political purposes. Stand for Due Process and the Rule of Law, Show Up, and Speak Out. One of the most powerful things a freshman member of Congress can do is refuse to be silent when constitutional norms and rights are being violated. Restore Congress's War Powers. The Constitution is clear, only Congress has the authority to declare war. She will fight to restore and enforce Congress's constitutional authority over military action Healthcare should be accessible and affordable. For the 85% of West Virginians that live in primary care deserts, or the 49% of counties that are maternity care deserts, and the 80% of counties that are already are designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) or Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs), access to healthcare—providers, clinics, hospitals—is a challenge. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill, our rural healthcare funding was slashed by roughly $1 billion per year, putting these communities and at least seven rural hospitals at even greater risk. Stephanie believes every woman deserves the right to make decisions about her own body. She knows that this is a deeply personal decision. The government should not dictate medical choices for women. The Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade removed a fundamental right to privacy and put countless West Virginians in impossible situations. Miscarriages, complications, hysterectomies, birth control, and medical interventions are often lumped into polarized debates that don’t reflect the realities of women’s lives. West Virginia ranks in the top 10 for preterm births, low birth weight, and maternal mortality. Stephanie’s approach is compassionate, practical, and grounded in reality. It’s about protecting the health, privacy, and choices of every West Virginian. Healthcare Policy Priorities Ensure Transparency and Accountability. Track funding and outcomes to make sure taxpayer dollars reach the communities and programs they’re intended to help. No money wasted, no promises unfulfilled. Expand Access to Women’s Healthcare. Address maternity care deserts by increasing funding for OB-GYN services, birthing hospitals, and prenatal care programs—so no woman drives hours for essential care. Focus on Circumstances and Support. Recognize the factors—economic, medical, personal—that bring a woman to make healthcare decisions, and invest in comprehensive healthcare, education, and support services. Fully Restore Rural Healthcare Funding. Reinvest every dollar cut under One Big Beautiful Bill to ensure rural hospitals, clinics, and community health centers have the resources they need to stay open and serve every West Virginian. Protect Medicaid and Medicare. Fight any future cuts to ensure families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities can access the care they need without skyrocketing costs or long travel times. Respect Privacy. Uphold the principle that healthcare decisions belong to the individual, not politicians. Privacy and bodily autonomy are nonpartisan values that affect everyone. Support Rural Healthcare Providers. Invest in incentives to keep doctors, nurses, and specialists practicing in West Virginia. Encourage telehealth expansion so rural residents can access care without long drives. A healthy democracy depends on honest, transparent, and accountable journalism. For too long, partisan media has prioritized ratings over facts, turning public debate into chaos and deepening divisions in West Virginia and across the country. Stephanie believes information should empower, not divide. Citizens deserve news they can trust, and policies that reflect reality, not ratings. Media & AI Policy Priorities Promote Viewpoint Diversity in Broadcasting. Encourage policies and voluntary industry standards that support the presentation of diverse, good‑faith perspectives on major public issues, while fully respecting First Amendment protections and avoiding government control over editorial decisions. Clarify Opinion, Entertainment, and Straight Reporting. Require clear, consistent on‑screen and online labels that distinguish opinion, commentary, satire, and entertainment from straight reporting, so audiences understand the format and editorial stance of what they are viewing, without restricting lawful content. Invest in Independent Media Literacy Education. Support nonpartisan, evidence‑based media literacy programs in schools and communities that teach people how to evaluate sources, recognize persuasion techniques, and distinguish news, opinion, and advertising—without promoting any political viewpoint. Increase Transparency Around Political Influence in Media. Strengthen disclosure rules for political advertising, sponsorships, and paid content across TV, radio, and digital platforms, so the public and policymakers can clearly see who is funding messages that aim to shape policy, without singling out viewpoints for punishment. Improve Transparency and Accountability in Social Media Systems. Require large platforms to publish accessible explanations of how their recommendation and ranking systems work and to provide users with meaningful choices over how content is ranked and filtered. Update digital transparency laws so online political advertising follows clear disclosure and record‑keeping standards comparable to TV and radio. Strengthen oversight and coordination to combat unlawful foreign interference—such as covert, state‑sponsored bot networks—while avoiding any authority to censor lawful domestic speech based on viewpoint. Establish Clear AI Transparency Standards for Political Content. Require prominent labeling or watermarking of AI‑generated political images, video, and audio, especially when used in campaigns or public persuasion. Develop open, auditable technical standards in consultation with independent experts and civil society to minimize circumvention and prevent misuse of labels to discredit legitimate content. Ensure that enforcement focuses on deception (for example, undisclosed synthetic impersonations), not on the political viewpoint being expressed. Infrastructure in West Virginia isn't working—especially in rural communities. 1 in 4 public water systems in West Virginia had a recent health-based violation. 75% of the state’s dams are classified as high-hazard potential. Only 45% of roads are rated in “good” condition. 20% of bridges are structurally deficient. Our rural road fatality rate is nearly double the national average. More than 26,000 children in West Virginia lack access to childcare; 2/3 of our counties are considered childcare deserts. West Virginians work hard, pay our taxes, and show up for our communities. We're holding up our end of the bargain while our politicians ignore their responsibilities and distract us with culture wars and talking points. Despite nearly half of our state's budget coming from federal dollars, West Virginia consistently ranks at or near the bottom nationally in infrastructure quality, with little or no accountability, we deserve better. True infrastructure encompasses more than roads and water lines, it includes human infrastructure and when it fails, working families pay the price. For Stephanie, sound infrastructure means investing in roads, clean water, bridges, sewer systems, volunteer fire departments, childcare, and broadband. Stephanie believes infrastructure funding must be transparent, accountable, adequate, and prioritized for the communities most in need. Infrastructure Policy Priorities Support and Expand H.R. 5356, the National Infrastructure Bank Act prioritizing rural infrastructure projects like water, broadband, roads, and emergency services to deliver jobs and stronger communities. Bridge and Road Accountability. Establish stricter oversight and transparency for federal infrastructure funds to ensure projects are completed on time and fully funded. Fully Fund Rural Water and Sewer System Projects. Prioritize federal infrastructure dollars for small towns and unincorporated communities that have been overlooked. Protect Infrastructure Funding from Political Gamesmanship. Refuse to let federal funds be delayed or rejected for ideological reasons. West Virginians should not lose resources because of political posturing. Support Local Fire and Emergency Services. Increase federal grants for rural fire departments and emergency response systems to ensure no community is cut off from lifesaving services. Support Working Families. Ensure paid leave, invest in affordable childcare subsidies, expand the refundable childcare tax credit, and fully fund Head Start programs. Treat Broadband as a utility. Invest in last-mile expansion so rural communities have reliable, affordable internet. Require accountability from providers receiving federal funds. Two-thirds of West Virginians live in rural, unincorporated communities. Rich in potential but overlooked, failing infrastructure, scarce jobs, and little to no revenue for growth, our rural and unincorporated communities are forgotten by time and ignored by politicians. Stephanie is committed to ensuring no community is left behind; her plan delivers economic growth directly to rural areas. Rural West Virginia is the heart of the state. Through smart investment and community empowerment, we will build a future where every resident can thrive. Rural Opportunity Policy Priorities Secure Targeted Funding. Champion federal and state grants and investments for infrastructure and community projects—without placing financial burdens on local residents. Build Modern Infrastructure. Expand broadband, upgrade roads, and improve essential services to unlock access to remote work, education, and healthcare. Empower Local Voices. Establish community councils and participatory programs so residents can set priorities and guide development initiatives. Grow Local Businesses. Support small business grants, mentorship programs, and cooperatives in agriculture, crafts, and other homegrown industries. Deliver Measurable Results. Track progress through job creation, improved connectivity, thriving local enterprises, and stronger, self-sufficient communities. You Cannot Legislate to a Life You Haven’t Lived Too many elected officials go to Washington and become unreachable, trading the home agenda for a Beltway agenda. You can’t have both. How can you represent us when you don’t even know us? Stephanie knows. She’s felt the history in Charles Town, the steel of Weirton, and mourned the Littleton of yesterday. She’s from pine trees and mining camps and government cheese. She knows where she comes from—West Virginian by luck, Mountaineers forever by choice. Stephanie isn't going to Washington to become someone else. She’s going to represent the communities that made her—from Hundred and Martinsburg to St. Marys, Buckhannon, and Four States, and everywhere in between. And she’ll never stop showing up. She believes we all deserve to be heard. There’s a difference between someone who's trying to talk it, and someone who's lived it. You can't fake knowing what it means to stretch a paycheck, to watch your hometown hollow out, or to navigate job loss. West Virginia doesn’t need another politician who discovers us every couple of years. Stephanie isn’t running because she’s got a perfect plan. She’s running because she’s lived what too many of us are still going through. “I don’t have all the answers—no one does. But by damn, I can guarantee you this, when Congress is making deals and playing chess with our lives, someone who knows what happens to a community when places like Consol and Mettiki and Mylan close will be in that room. And she’ll be fighting for us.” We Deserve Real Representation 'All Means All' to Stephanie. She's stood in front of the vulnerable before, and she'll stand up for our communities, regardless of zip code or political affiliation. She is a champion for working‑class and poor families, LGBTQIA+ West Virginians, women, minority, and immigrant communities. Every voice in West Virginia matters, and Stephanie is committed to making those voices heard. She Doesn't Shy Away From Courageous Conversations. Stephanie is committed to being right where she's always been, in our communities, She'll show up, and talking face-to-face, even when we disagree because she knows that trust is built by listening, not by avoiding hard questions or tough crowds. She'll Never Forget Where She Came From. Washington will not change Stephanie, she'll always be a West Virginia girl, grounded in the values, struggles, and pride of the communities that raised us. Stephanie Will Place a Dedicated District Staffer in Every Region. She'll assign a permanent district staffer to each major region of District 2 to build relationships, connect people to resources, and make sure those resources actually reach the people who need them. Stephanie Will Stay Present in the Community, you’ll still find her at bingo fundraisers, under the Friday night lights, and at the corner coffee shop—showing up where West Virginians live, not just when the cameras are on. Voting Rights Priorities Ban Partisan Gerrymandering. Require independent redistricting commissions to draw congressional maps using neutral, transparent criteria with measurable fairness standards. Mandate expedited federal court review so maps that violate anti-gerrymandering rules can be quickly struck down. Expand Early and Mail-In Voting. Working families, seniors, and people with disabilities shouldn't have to choose between casting a ballot and going to work or getting to the polls; voting should be accessible to everyone Make Election Day a Federal Holiday Restore and Strengthen the Voting Rights Act. Congress must act to restore the full protections it was designed to provide Support Automatic Voter Registration. Right now, teachers, nurses, tradespeople, and small business owners pay every dollar they owe directly from their paychecks. Meanwhile, ultra-wealthy individuals and profitable multinational corporations use loopholes, offshore shelters, and preferential tax treatment to dramatically reduce what they contribute. Right now, workers pay Social Security taxes on every dollar they earn, while high earners stop contributing once they hit the income cap. Everyone who benefits from this country should contribute to it. No exceptions. That imbalance isn’t accidental. It’s bad policy. Tax Reform Policy Priorities Close Loopholes. Establish a meaningful minimum corporate tax so profitable companies can’t zero out their federal income tax liability. Close offshore profit-shifting loopholes that allow corporations to hide earnings overseas. Tax investment income at the same rate as wages, so wealth isn’t treated better than work. Enforce Accountability. Strengthen IRS enforcement focused on high-income tax avoidance—not middle-class families. Expand the Child Tax Credit. If a student is still in high school, families are still paying for food, clothing, transportation, and school expenses. Federal tax policy should reflect that reality by ensuring 17- and 18-year-old high school students qualify for the same family support as younger children. Protect Working Families. Oppose sales tax increases that disproportionately hurt working and middle-class families. Simplify the tax code so families and small businesses don’t need expensive accountants to comply. Protect Social Security. Raise the Social Security payroll tax cap to $250,000 so higher earners contribute at the same rate as everyone else—protecting the program’s long-term solvency and strengthening retirement security. Stephanie comes from a proud line of veterans—she’s seen their service, sacrifices, and the heartbreak of being forgotten. She’s personally witnessed the challenges they face, taking her grandfather to the VA and seeing firsthand how understaffed clinics, long waits, and gaps in care make life harder for those who served. She knows true patriotism is about guaranteeing the care, respect, and opportunities veterans have earned. West Virginia has over 100,000 veterans, yet too many face homelessness, mental health crises, and inadequate long-term care. State Veterans Homes struggle with staffing shortages, rural areas lack accessible clinics, and vital programs remain underfunded. Stephanie’s personal roots in a family of veterans—and her firsthand experience navigating the VA system—fuel her fight against leaders who prioritize bureaucracy over real solutions. Our Veteran's Deserve Better Career Pipelines and Reintegration. Create public service and vocational programs to help veterans transition successfully to civilian life. Dignified Care and Recognition. Protect and expand federal programs for dignified burials, healthcare access, and veteran community centers. Expand Funding for Mobile Clinics Serving Rural and Aging Veterans. For those who can no longer travel to a VA clinic or hospital, programs like Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) deliver high-quality, compassionate care right to their doorstep—ensuring our veterans receive the dignity, respect, and medical attention they have earned. Funding and Oversight. Fully fund VA and state programs (e.g. SUPPORT Act expansion, VA Choice Act), including long-term care, PTSD treatment, and career pathways, while holding underperforming agencies accountable. Housing and Support Services. Ensure every veteran, especially in rural communities, has access to stable housing, mental health care, and family support. — Stephanie Spears Tomana's campaign website (May 8, 2026) Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.\n\nStephanie Spears Tomana did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.\n\nStephanie Spears Tomana did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.\n\nStephanie Spears Tomana did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey."}]

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Race

RaceWV House District 2 →

PrimaryPassed

GeneralNov 3, 2026

Funding and Source Signals

Money & Influence

Where the Money Comes From

$15,837 total receipts

Individual donors$10K61%

Self-funded$6K39%

FEC receipts through Apr 22, 2026 (canonical). ↗ FEC source

FEC Finance Snapshot

$15,837

Total receipts · $4,080 cash on hand

Coverage through Apr 22, 2026

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Accountability Record

In Congress / Disclosures / Field Note

In Congress

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Stock Trades / PTR

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Field Note

“A candidate asking for power should be willing to answer clear questions in public.”