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John Quesenberry
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
John Quesenberry (Democratic Party) ran for election to the West Virginia State Senate to represent District 9. He lost in the Democratic primary on May 8, 2018.
Biography
John Quesenberry lives in Beaver, West Virginia. He graduated from Herndon High School in 1984. He earned a B.S. in secondary education from Concord College in 1988 and an M.A. in communications studies from West Virginia University in 1991. Quesenberry’s career experience includes working as a social studies teacher with Woodrow Wilson High School. In 2014, Quesenberry was honored with the Gilder-Lehrman State History Teacher of the Year Award for West Virginia.[1][2]
Elections
2018
General election
General election for West Virginia State Senate District 9
Rollan Roberts defeated William Wooton in the general election for West Virginia State Senate District 9 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Rollan Roberts (R) | 54.1 | 16,111 |
 | William Wooton (D) | 45.9 | 13,686 | |
| Total votes: 29,797 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for West Virginia State Senate District 9
William Wooton defeated John Quesenberry, Steve Davis, and Wayne Williams in the Democratic primary for West Virginia State Senate District 9 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | William Wooton | 43.4 | 3,649 |
 | John Quesenberry | 25.8 | 2,171 | |
| Steve Davis | 20.6 | 1,731 | ||
| Wayne Williams | 10.1 | 850 | ||
| Total votes: 8,401 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for West Virginia State Senate District 9
Rollan Roberts defeated incumbent Lynne Arvon in the Republican primary for West Virginia State Senate District 9 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Rollan Roberts | 52.9 | 3,384 |
 | Lynne Arvon | 47.1 | 3,017 | |
| Total votes: 6,401 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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Campaign themes
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
John Quesenberry participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on April 10, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and John Quesenberry's responses follow below.[3]
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
| “ | 1) Education: I firmly believe a quality public education is the great equalizer, providing opportunity and paving the way to the American Dream. Our democracy rests on an educated, civic-minded citizenry. We must provide our students the resources to compete and be successful in life – vocational and technical education, AP and dual credit college courses, business courses, and consumer math and daily life skills. We also need to promote character education. We must allow the experts in the classroom to have a driving voice in education policy. Our state must provide the funds to recruit and retain our best and brightest in the classroom – our students deserve our best teachers every bit as much as neighboring states. We must attack the rising cost of college. We must put an end to attacks on public education that siphon money from our schools and we must keep all political agendas out of the classroom. 2) Economic Development: This requires investment in infrastructure, education, and a well-trained, drug-free workforce. Instead of massive corporate giveaways, tax policies need to be targeted to spur the economy and raise living standards. Tax breaks should be aimed toward small businesses and workers, who would spend those tax savings stimulating our local economies. Corporate tax cuts should be incentives tied to actual WV jobs produced or based on providing affordable health insurance or pension plans to employees. |
” |
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
| “ | As a teacher, I am passionate about public education. I believe that a quality public education is vital for a democracy to function properly. Public education should be a great equalizer and help equip students to pursue the American Dream. The public education system equips citizens with the shared knowledge and civic skills to participate in our republic. I am passionate about public schools because this is where we learn to interact with and respect those we will work with and live among in our communities. It teaches us to respect others with differing backgrounds and views. It also serves to teach us a shared history and values that make us American. One of the reasons I am running for office is to make sure that the voice of those in the classroom is taken into account in creating public policy. Teachers know what works and doesn’t and are keenly aware of the needs of our students. I want West Virginia to provide a world class, balanced education. Yes, we need to provide competitive salary and benefits packages to attract and retain teacher in our schools, but it goes far beyond that. Our students deserve the best opportunities. We need to provide AP and dual credit programs for college bound students. We must provide more vocational and technical opportunities for students. We also need to provide business opportunities and some basic life skills classes that all students need, regardless of future plans. Our schools need to provide a common foundation of knowledge and the basics as well as higher order thinking skills, such as critical thinking, analysis, and problem solving. We need to free teachers from paperwork and regulations and allow more time for the teachable moments. The public schools are where we need to provide the shared history, heritage, and values of what it means to be an American. Public schools are a microcosm of our country and should be a unifying force – as our national motto states, “e pluribus unum” … “out of many, one.” A quality public education trains students discipline, collaboration, respect, work ethic, problem-solving, critical thinking, and to become independent seekers of knowledge. It lays the groundwork for working to achieve the American Dream. It is democracy in action, and is the source of opportunity. I am passionate about providing opportunities to our students and helping them see the possibilities in their lives they never knew existed. I am also a defender and advocate for employee rights. I will strive for competitive pay and benefits to attract and retain the best brightest teachers to our profession. I will fight for funding for PEIA to make sure our educators, retirees, and state workers can care for their families and not be one sickness or paycheck away from economic calamity. I also believe in and am an advocate for academic freedom and professional judgement. Our teachers are the educational experts and deserve respect as professionals.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[5]
|
” |
Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. John Quesenberry answered the following:
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
| “ | I admire Abraham Lincoln. He was willing to give his life for the cause of saving the Union and beginning the end of slavery. His challenge to us to bind up the wounds of the nation and care for the widow, orphan, and soldiers who had borne the battle inspire me. I marvel at his wisdom in knowing that while we may claim God is on our side and invoke His name for our cause, we must always ask ourselves if we are indeed on God's side. His call for us to carry on the work of those who have gone before us and finish there work to ensure we continue to be a country of the people, by the people, and for the people motivates me. His love for the worth of all our brothers, his absolute dedication to the ideals of the Declaration of Independence, and his desire that allow ourselves to be "touched by the better angels of our nature" inspire me. I look up to and try to follow the example of my dad, Mack Quesenberry, who even though he was never taller than 5-6, cast a huge shadow. he taught me about service to others, doing the best job you can no matter what job it is ("if you're going to be a ditch digger, then be the best ditch digger you can"), his love of and duty to God and country all motivate me. His lessons about humility, duty, work ethic, and service are some of the most valuable I ever learned. He didn't care about getting credit, but cared about seeing that the job got done and people were helped. He worked in the Scouts making sure he helped train young people and gave them values and opportunities. I remember as a high school football player playing an away game at Clear Fork and there were only 3 people in the stands for our side - the bus driver and my mom and dad. When he passed away I had people coming up to me telling me how he had bought them shoes so they could play ball when they were kids in school, or how he had visited their shut in relatives or people in the hospital and brought them cassette tapes to listen to or books to read. Every person he met was a friend he just didn't know yet. That is the type of example I would like to follow. Another major influence was my mom. She was a woman of true compassion who could sit silently and listen to those in need of a sympathetic ear - whether it was a lonely shut-in, a person struggling with alcoholism, or a neglected child. She was what I call a "community mom." The kids who had no one would come to her to sit on her lap, get a hug, or something to eat. One of the last things she did in the hospital before passing away was tell my sister who was a teacher, to make sure she looked after one of my classmates who was the only black student in our school and make sure he passed. She cared about everybody - but especially the people who others seemed not to notice or have time for. She was a champion for the least of these. And she never did it for any thank you's or any credit. She just did it because they were there and they needed someone to care about them. Other heroes I have include Gandhi and Martin Luther King, for their unending fights for justice and their peaceful protests, Theodore Roosevelt and Harry S Truman for their willingness to take responsibility, fight for what was best for this country, and to put the common good ahead of even their own party or personal political success. I also look up to former college basketball coach Jimmy Valvano and a former college professor of mine named Ron Miller. These two men exhibited enthusiasm and passion. It was contagious. It infected everyone around them and drove them to succeed beyond what they thought they could accomplish. Two ladies who's examples I would like to follow are my Grandma Peery and a lady from our church in Mullens, Leopal Kirk. These two women epitomized kindness more than anyone I've know. They had sweet, gentle spirits and put others first in their words and actions.[5] | ” |
| “ | Watch the old movie "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" or listen to one of many Merle Haggard songs and you'll get an understanding of my political philosophy. The idea of an ordinary citizen who is patriotic standing up for the country he loves and believing in the principles that makes America special is something I've always identified with. Ideas like looking out for the other fellow, following the golden rule, one person being able to make a difference, standing up for what's right even if you're standing alone, and fighting for the lost causes - these are themes I believe in and believe are still there if we are willing to see them and live them. Merle Haggard songs like "Working Man Blues," "A Working Man Can't Get Nowhere Today," and "Mama's Hungry Eyes" tell the plight of workers and their struggle to have a chance at the American Dream. Haggard songs like "I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am," "Fighting Side of Me," and "Okie From Muskogee" epitomize that patriotic pride. I love the line from "I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am" when he describes his dad as "a man could borrow money from the bank simply on his word." That idea of salt of the earth common people who work hard and try to be good citizens and neighbors. His song "Are the Good Times Really Over" opines on the bad things going on, but challenges us to take our country back and gives us hope that the best is till yet to come. The song "Only Me and Crippled Soldiers" talks about the love for our flag and pain in seeing it dishonored. "Politically Uncorrect" unashamedly revels in love of country, God, flag, and standing up for underdogs and the working man. These things should help you understand how I feel and what I believe.[5] | ” |
| “ | I am a caring and compassionate person. I want to help others. I usually feel like I get more out of it than they do. I strongly feel we are blessed so that we can be a blessing to others. I have a pretty decent mind and am willing to ask questions and learn if it is something I'm not familiar with. I see myself as a pragmatic problem solver. I think that would make me a successful leader. I care more about getting something positive accomplished regardless of who's idea it is or who gets the credit. From a young age I have had a strong desire to be a peacemaker. I am able to get along with lots of people who don't always get along with each other. I think having the ability to respect others and to disagree without being disagreeable makes others willing to work with me for common goals. I also believe I am able to inspire trust in most people because once they get to know me they know I will be honest with them, that I genuinely care about people, and I will treat them with respect. These are some of the personal qualities I think would enable me to work with a variety of people in a constructive way. I will stand up for what I believe it right, but I don't feel like I have to prove you are wrong in order for an idea I have to be right. For me to win, I don't have to make you lose. The goal of our leaders should be to make us as a people win.[5] | ” |
| “ | This is a great question. I actually preached a sermon once on a legacy worth leaving. Like most of us, I want to make the world a better place for my having lived in it. In my mind that means by the way I treat people. I would like to leave a legacy of having helped others - that includes helping them to help themselves. As a teacher I try to help students become what they are capable of - that often means helping them to see things they never even dreamed they could be or do. I would like to leave a legacy of kindness, integrity, humor, service, and encouragement. I would like people to feel like I touched their lives in some small way - that because of me their burden was a little lighter, their day a little brighter, and that they were seen and valued. Of course as an imperfect Christian, I would like to have people feel that at least occasionally they could see a little of Christ in me and that people would feel like I did my best to be a better person each day and that I was someone who loved who cared, and who stood for something and was willing to fight for what was right.[5] | ” |
| “ | Like most of us, losing someone close to me has been one of the biggest struggles. As an adult who had been through it before, I was better able to handle the death of my dad, but the death of my mom when I was in college was something I struggled with for a long time. It made me question if I could trust God and I struggled if I saw someone who had their mother still with them but didn't cherish her or treat her with respect. I had to struggle to come to terms with that. Losing my closest friend this past year has been a struggle. Not having that person to confide in or to share the things in my life with is difficult. I still think of her often and so many things just don’t seem the same or seem right without her there. Also, like most of us, I have struggled with accepting things I cannot control - especially if it involves others suffering. One of the reasons I decided to finally take this chance and run for public office was because I want to change things and make people's lives better. There is a song where the artist is singing about all the terrible things he sees in the world and in frustration he raises his fist to the sky and shakes it at God and asks why God didn't do something - God answers, "I did. I created you." I struggle with accepting things that are beyond my control to solve alone, but also with having the courage to take that stand and actually do something and realize that if I take that risk of faith, there will be a way provided and others will join in. We all need that push sometimes to just take that first step and do something. It's like Edmund Burke wrote, "all it takes for evil to prosper is for good men to do nothing." So at times I have struggled with knowing when to accept what I cannot change, and when to step forward and say it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, I can do something and I will. I think most of our greatest struggles are ones like these - struggles within. I also think they help shape up and build our character and we grow and become stronger as we work through these struggles and overcome them.[5] | ” |
| “ | I believe experience can help, but as a political outsider I believe it is more important to have intelligence, integrity, a caring heart, an open and analytical mind, a willingness to work with others, to put the common good ahead of personal gain, an understanding of history, and a good work ethic.[5] | ” |
| “ | Diversifying our economy, creating jobs, improving our infrastructure, and being able to invest in our state and people while balancing the budget are our big challenges just as they've been my entire life. However, as the drug epidemic and the lack of opportunity illustrate, I think one of our greatest challenges will continue to be a lack of hope. People need to know that things can get better, that their lives matter, and that they have a shot at the American Dream.[5] | ” |
| “ | Of course it is. You need others to form a majority to pass anything and more importantly, you need to form trust between each other and to have the perspectives of others you may not agree with if you want to find the best solutions.[5] | ” |
| “ | I favor a nonpartisan independent commission who would redistrict. Gerrymandering has severely damaged our democratic form of government and has allowed the extremes on each side to outweigh the more centrist voters who make up the majority of our country.[5] | ” |
| “ | I have mentioned this before. At an event we had just read where despite WV being near the bottom in so many economic categories, we were rated as having the 5th highest paid political leaders. When someone answered that our legislators were paid $20,000 for the 60-day session, a lady who works for the DHHR spoke. As she spoke, her voice trembled and you could see her tearing up and she said, "what you make for 60 days is what I have to live on for 12 months." Here was a woman who was working her heart out for the very neediest among us - the most vulnerable who many times had no one in their lives to fight for them. And here we are as a state forcing her to pretty much live in poverty even as she is advocating for the most impoverished in our state. That just shook me to the core and broke my heart. And it made me even more determined that if I have any chance to affect things in our state I am going to do what I can to see she and the other workers just like her are treated with respect and human decency and shown some gratitude. They need to be able to live a decent life without constant fear of when the next bill that comes will be the one that breaks them.[5] | ” |
See also
- State legislative elections, 2018
- West Virginia State Senate elections, 2018
- West Virginia State Senate
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Campaign Facebook page
- Campaign Twitter page
- LinkedIn page
- West Virginia State Senate
Footnotes
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "Candidate Detail," accessed February 18, 2018
- ↑ LinkedIn, "John Quesenberry," accessed February 18, 2018
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "John Quesenberry's responses," April 10, 2018
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
Current members of the West Virginia State Senate
Leadership
Senate President:Randy Smith
Majority Leader:Patrick Martin
Minority Leader:Mike Woelfel
Senators
Republican Party (32)
Democratic Party (2)
