Cathy Kunkel is an energy policy expert and public advocate. She is running as a Democrat for Congress in WV’s 2nd Congressional district.

Cathy has testified before the West Virginia Public Service Commission, defending West Virginians against monopoly electric utilities. Among her other work, she has analyzed the economic and financial impact of natural gas drilling and pipelines in the region, researched absentee land ownership in West Virginia, and fought electric utility corporate bailouts. Her research has been cited by the Washington Post, NBC News, the Associated Press, The Hill, SNL Financial, The Intercept, and by members of Congress.

Cathy co-founded Advocates for a Safe Water System in the aftermath of the January 2014 Freedom Industries chemical spill. Under Cathy’s leadership, the organization developed a grassroots plan for the improvements needed to our water system and won concrete changes through advocacy at the Public Service Commission.

Cathy also co-founded Rise Up WV, an organization in Charleston that advocates for healthcare for all, quality public education, better services for those suffering from addiction, and more. Rise Up WV has helped elect a wave of first-time public officials in Kanawha County who are fighting for working families.

Cathy has experienced firsthand both the power of the largest corporations in the state to write laws and capture regulators, as well as the power of ordinary people demanding change.

Cathy knows that we could have an economy in West Virginia that works for all of us – providing affordable healthcare, education, stable income, and secure retirement – but only if we come together and fight for it.

Cathy isn’t running alone – she’s part of the new class of WV Can’t Wait candidates who know that it will take all of us to build a WV that works for all of us.