Betsy Orndoff-Sayers

Betsy Orndoff-Sayers

Mountain Party of West Virginia Vice Chair

Tenure

Present officeholder

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Wardensville School

Bachelor's

West Virginia University, 1983

Graduate

George Mason University, 2008

Personal

Birthplace

Winchester, Va.

Religion

Lutheran

Profession

Mayor

Contact

Campaign Facebook

Personal Facebook

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Betsy Orndoff-Sayers is an officeholder of the Mountain Party of West Virginia Vice Chair.

Orndoff-Sayers (Mountain Party) ran for election to the West Virginia State Senate to represent District 14. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Orndoff-Sayers completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Betsy Orndoff-Sayers was born in Winchester, Virginia. She earned a high school diploma from Wardensville School, a bachelor's degree from West Virginia University in 1983, and a graduate degree from George Mason University in 2008. Her career experience includes working as a mayor, small business owner, and public school teacher.

As of 2024, Orndoff-Sayers was affiliated with the following organizations:

• Region 8 Planning & Development Council, Executive Board
• Region 8 Solid Waster Authority
• West Virginia Municipal League, Executive Board
• Wardensville Development Authority
• VFW Capon Post 2102 Auxiliary
• Lion's Club International
• South Branch Valley Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution
• West Virginia 4-H All Star
• National Association for the Education of Young Children

Elections

2024

See also: West Virginia State Senate elections, 2024

General election

General election for West Virginia State Senate District 14

Incumbent Randy E. Smith defeated Betsy Orndoff-Sayers in the general election for West Virginia State Senate District 14 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Randy E. Smith (R)	86.6	36,296
		Betsy Orndoff-Sayers (Mountain Party)	13.4	5,594

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 41,890
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for West Virginia State Senate District 14

Incumbent Randy E. Smith advanced from the Republican primary for West Virginia State Senate District 14 on May 14, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Randy E. Smith	100.0	13,897

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,897
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Mountain Party primary election

Mountain Party primary for West Virginia State Senate District 14

Betsy Orndoff-Sayers advanced from the Mountain Party primary for West Virginia State Senate District 14 on May 14, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Betsy Orndoff-Sayers	100.0	19

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 19
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Orndoff-Sayers in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Betsy Orndoff-Sayers completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Orndoff-Sayers' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m a retired family and consumer sciences teacher and I helped young people solve life problems, big and small. I traveled to and taught in Manassas, Virginia for 32.5 years. I worked in Prince William County for better pay, benefits and a collaborative learning environment. I use my teaching background every day as mayor of Wardensville, WV. There, I've seen first-hand the big issues we face all over West Virginia: aging water and sewer infrastructure, lack of affordable housing, improving our public schools by supporting the teachers who work there and the students they teach, access to child care, access to health care and addiction treatment, providing adequate funding for fire and emergency services, and making everyone welcome in our state regardless of race, religion, or sexual orientation. Council has begun a major water and waste water treatment projects, started work on a solar array to power our sewer treatment plant and community center. We look to the future by addressing issues today. Our State legislature has been ignoring these problems. Instead, they've been stifling local groups like towns, county commissions, and volunteer agencies by passing bad laws without listening to the folks in their districts. They’ve been taking loads of out-of-state money and drumming up solutions to problems that don't need fixing. I want to help change that. I want the Legislature to focus on the real problems of all West Virginians, not just a select few.

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?

• I will champion legislation to address the problem of lack of access to clean water. We as a state need to address the clean water issues that are causing concern around the state. We have local water utilities that are struggling to provide clean water to their customers and customers that don’t have a reliable water source that is free from industrial contaminates. We can do better at improving the infrastructure by bringing the parties together and creating a plan to resolve the issues. The plan may involve combining utilities or providing funding to upgrade our aging water and wastewater utilities. Project funding needs to be leveraged to maximize the return on local investment.
• Our residents need access to adequate and affordable housing throughout the state. Previously, some of our county Rural Development Authorities were building housing developments for low to moderate income families . We need to look at Housing Authority models that are working around the state and see how they can be replicated arounds the state. Cooperation and collaboration are key in addressing this concern. Industry needs to be involved in providing housing for workers that they bring to an area. We also need to look at what may happens when an individual no longer works for for that employer. Is housing available? What resources are available to address homelessness? This is an example of an unintended business consequence.
• Our families deserve access to quality and affordable child care. In 1943, Congress allocated $20 million to create the nation's first and only universal childcare program under the Lanham Act. States and private companies used the funding to set up programs that provided child care while women worked in the factories. There is a model to do this. It comes down to state governments deciding that developmentally appropriate child care is essential and that providing funding for it is in the annual budget. Access to quality child care improves employee productivity when parent know their child(ren) are well cared for. Child care workers need to be paid a living wage and have benefits. This is possible, we just need to make it a reality.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Providing Public Education with the funding that is needed to provide a quality education for all children. Public dollars belong in public schools. Providing public found to entities that are not monitored like public schools is unacceptable. Public dollars are going to entities and individuals without oversight and standards, we have a disaster waiting to happen. We are seeing this already around the state. We do not have a system of checks and balances in place. Public education is being hamstringed by Legislative overreach. We must do better.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to my mom. My mom was our town recorder for many years until she died in office. I saw what public service looked like by seeing how our local Council could make a difference in the lives of residents by providing access to public water, waste water treatment services and an amazing community park. It's important to be present and take into consideration the needs of your community before implementing policies or programs. Decisions made today may result in unintended consequences if not fully thought out.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

It's a Wonderful Life. It's a classic film about George Baily seeing how his being in Bedford Falls made a difference in the lives of the residents. My political philosophy is making a positive difference in the community by making our community more resilient. Working together makes a community stronger, by having a shared purpose. I am a "Big Tent" person, not a small tent with a smaller door to limit participation. We come from diverse backgrounds and we need to hear people's concerns.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I'm a people person, a good listener, and I like to find solutions for problems. I seek the advice and insights of others when I do not have information on a given subject. I'm accessible and I follow-up when I am contacted. I believe in collaboration. I'm a hard worker and a results oriented leader.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Being accountable to the public. Being a public servant is just that. We are here to serve the public, not serve special interests. State officials need to visit local officials to see and hear first hand what is needed in a given area, not tell the local officials here is what you are expected to do now. Elected officials need to know that the process of governing is not a one size fits all model.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The 3 Mile Island nuclear melt down and the sense of panic that it created. I was 17 years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I was a dishwasher at the KacKaPon Restaurant. I held it for a year before becoming a waitress there. Working in a restaurant helped me to develop my my communication skills and understand the importance of being a team player. Timing and exemplary customer service made a difference in how the staff worked together. I worked at the KacKaPon until I graduated from high school.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Don Quixote. Much like Don, I joust at windmills.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

I am not.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

WV Can't Wait
Planned Parenthood

What committees interest you?

I am interested in committees that I have a background in and a passion for. My career in public education lends itself to the Education committee, School Choice committee, and Health & Human Services committee. My experience in local government has lead me to learn about how government is funded and how those funds can help our communities. I believe my experiences would be well suited for the Transportation & Infrastructure committee and the Finance committee.

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.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Betsy Orndoff-Sayers campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	West Virginia State Senate District 14	Lost general	$1,614	$553
Grand total			$1,614	$553
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

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Candidate

West Virginia State Senate District 14

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Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the West Virginia State Senate

Leadership

Senate President:Randy Smith

Majority Leader:Patrick Martin

Minority Leader:Mike Woelfel

Senators

District 1

Laura Wakim Chapman (R)

Ryan Weld (R)

District 2

Charles Clements (R)

Christopher Rose (R)

District 3

Mike Azinger (R)

Donna Boley (R)

District 4

Amy Grady (R)

Eric Tarr (R)

District 5

Scott Fuller (R)

Mike Woelfel (D)

District 6

Craig Hart (R)

Mark Maynard (R)

District 7

Rupie Phillips (R)

District 8

T. Kevan Bartlett (R)

Glenn Jeffries (R)

District 9

Brian Helton (R)

Rollan Roberts (R)

District 10

Vince Deeds (R)

Jack Woodrum (R)

District 11

William Hamilton (R)

Robbie Morris (R)

District 12

Patrick Martin (R)

Ben Queen (R)

District 13

Joey Garcia (D)

Mike Oliverio (R)

District 14

Randy Smith (R)

Jay Taylor (R)

District 15

Darren Thorne (R)

Tom Willis (R)

District 16

Jason Barrett (R)

Patricia Rucker (R)

District 17

Anne Charnock (R)

Tom Takubo (R)

Republican Party (31)

Democratic Party (2)