Mike Oliverio vs. David McKinley

 

David McKinley. Click image to visit official site.

Mike Oliverio. Click image to visit official site.

Michael Oliverio and David McKinley are competing for the same office out of the 1st Congressional district of West Virginia. The most obvious differences between these two candidate is their political party, Oliverio being a Democrat and McKinley being a Republican; it’s noteworthy considering that West Virginia tends to vote predominately Democrat.

Political Experience

This information was obtained from Project Vote Smart. View this information here for Oliverio and here for McKinley.

Mike Oliverio started his political career serving one term as a Delegate in the WV House of Delegates from 1992-1994. He quickly moved out of the House and became a State Senator in 1994; he continues to hold this office today. Overall, Oliverio has held public office for 18 years.

David McKinley, on the other hand, has been out of politics since 1994. He served as a Delegate in the WV House from 1981-1994. Overall, McKinley has held public office for a total of 13 years.

Campaign Finances

The following information was obtained from The Center for Responsive Politics. View this information here.

Oliverio, according to the most recent campaign finance reports released, has raised a total of $827,375, $303,380 of which has yet to be spent. $708,118 is from individuals, $104,256 of that is from political action committees (PAC’s), and $15,000 is from Oliverio himself. His highest donating industry is the insurance industry with $30,950 followed by medical professionals with $21,350 and finance with $18,800. Oliverio has accepted $45,000 from out-of-state interests. His top donating city is Morgantown, WV, with $131,100. 97.2% of Oliverio’s individual contributions meet the standards of “full disclosure”, whereas they list the contributors full-name and employer.

Oliverio’s top 5 contributors are…

1. Mepco Finance Corp ($17,800)
2. Northwestern Mutual ($16,050)
3. Medexpress ($12,100)
4. American Bankers Assn. ($5,500)
5. New York Life Insurance ($5,250)

McKinley has raised a total of $966,934 for his campaign, $306,829 of which has yet to be spent. Notably, $570,000 of that is candidate financed by McKinley himself. $350,683 is from individual donors and $43,000 is from political action committees. His highest donating industry is health professionals with $14,155 followed by retired persons with $12,269. His top donating city is Wheeling, WV, with $77,126. McKinley has accepted $32,000 from out-of-state interests. Only 45.7% of McKinley’s individual contributions meet the standards of “full disclosure”.

McKinley’s top 5 contributors are…

1. McKinley Inc. ($6,550)
2. Every Republican Is Crucial PAC ($5,000)
3. People for Enterprise/Trade/Economic Growth ($5,000)
4. Radiologist Assoc. ($4,400)
5. Kepner Funeral Homes ($4,300)

Voting History

This information was obtained from Project Vote Smart. View this information here.

While it is difficult to easily locate votes in state legislatures, key votes are available at Project Vote Smart. Listed key votes are…

1. SB 597 – Ultrasound Form Requirement Prior To Abortion – Voted “Yes”
2. SB 544 – Parental Notification of Juvenile Abortions – Voted “Yes”
3. SB 4004 – Gasoline Tax Amendments – Voted “Yes”
4. SB 419 – Calorie Information Posting Requirement for Restaurants – Voted “No”
5. SB 337 – Greenhouse Gas Inventory – Voted “Yes”
6. HB 219 – Nonbroadcast Political Advertisements – Voted “Yes”
7. SB 238 – Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination – Voted “Yes”
8. SB 248 – Non-Participation in the Real ID Act – Voted “Yes”
9. SB 219 – Ban on Smoking in a Vehicle with a Minor -Voted “Yes”
10. SB 205 – Sex Offenders – Voted “Yes”
11. SB 539 – Mine Director Qualifications – Voted “Yes”
12. SB 219 – Ban on Smoking in a Vehicle with a Minor – Voted “Yes”

Since McKinley, however, has been out of public office since 1994, his voting record would be incredibly difficult to locate – you would have to literally visit the West Virginia Legislative Archives in Charleston and thumb through House Journals to find roll-call votes. Needless to say, I didn’t drive to Charleston to write this article, so his voting history will be omitted.

Top Issues

This information was obtained from each candidates official campaign website. View Oliverio’s here and McKinley’s here.

Oliverio’s campaign website lists 15 top-issues of his concern, they are as follows:

1. Cap and Trade – “Northern West Virginia deserves a congressman who will fight for those jobs and for the tax revenue those jobs help bring to our state, someone who understands that those jobs attract other manufacturing jobs.”
2. Child Safety – “I’ve been a tireless advocate for child safety since the day I set foot in the West Virginia Legislature. I sponsored the state’s Bicycle Helmet Law and was among the first to stress the importance of Amber Alerts in our state.”
3. Debt – “In Charleston, we have gotten it right. Year after year, we have passed a balanced budget. It is the fiscally responsible way to manage government. In Washington, the national debt keeps climbing. It cannot continue.”
4. Economy – “Simply stated, it’s time to set a tone that our government must curtail spending. Our national debt is in double digits in the trillions of dollars. This trend has got to stop – not later but now.”
5. Education – “I believe the role of the federal government should be limited. Education should primarily be the state’s responsibility.”
6. Energy – “In Congress, I will stand up for coal, coal jobs and coal miners’ families. We should work vigorously toward the implementation of clean coal technology, because in the future this will continue to allow us to utilize this inexpensive energy source to build our industry centers and keep our nation independent.”
7. Ethics – “The people of Northern West Virginia have a right to expect that their congressional representative will be beyond reproach in his political and personal dealings. I will do that.”
8. Experience – “Experience is critical. A job in Congress is three-fold. You’re a lawmaker. You’re a constituent servant. You’re a leader who’s willing to fight. I’ve been a lawmaker and a constituent servant for 20 years. As a leader and fighter, I’ve had the best training available though the U.S. Army and through my work at the West Virginia Legislature.”
9. Foreign Policy – “As a former officer in the United States Army, and as an American, I believe we need to finish our existing missions in both Iraq and Afghanistan and leave with honor and victory.”
10. Healthcare – “Our fundamental goal should be to drive down costs while we provide care for those who can’t get health insurance. Another basic essential is that we should avoid allowing a government takeover of something as private and personal in nature as health care.”
11. Higher Education – “One of the greatest opportunities facing our congressional district is the growth and potential further expansion of our higher education institutions and their offerings… When I went to the statehouse, less than $3 million annually was available for higher education grants. Today, we offer $85 million in financial assistance each year to students, and we should always look for ways to make the figure grow.”
12. Steel – “West Virginia has been the victim of cheap steel being dumped on this country from afar. Cheap because of unbelievably low labor costs, low safety standards and low environmental standards. We can no longer allow for that to happen to our workers.”
13. Transportation – “For 18 years I have aggressively fought to implement sensible laws that address safety concerns on our roads. I have played a lead role in the support of numerous highway safety issues. I have sought to make sure that freight trucks in West Virginia transport manageable loads in a safe manner. I have also worked with the National Highway Safety Administration in the production of a national video promoting federal highway safety issues.”
14. Voting and Citizenship – “The good news is that we have term limits in Congress – they’re called elections. The most fundamental right in our country is our citizens’ right to vote, and, therefore, this opportunity lets voters enforce those term limits on politicians. On May 11, Democrats will participate in a primary for Northern West Virginia’s congressional seat. Given the interest in this race, I hope that many Independent voters will take part in our primary.”
15. Workers Safety – “I have produced a 100 percent voting record on passing bills that labor unions endorsed as worker safety issues.”

McKinley lists 5 items under the “McKinley Plan for Congressional Reform“. They are as follows:

1. Term Limits – “David McKinley believes that politicians who spend too much time in Washington become detached from the people they represent and thus more prone to corruption and self-preservation. That’s why he introduced legislation when he was in the West Virginia House of Delegates encouraging Congress to adopt term limits. He also sponsored legislation calling for term limits on for statewide officials.”
2. No More Earmarks – “David McKinley believes that it’s wrong to abuse taxpayer money by funding campaign-style “constituent” mailings and phone calls during re-election years. David will sponsor legislation to place greater restrictions on the timing and types of communications sent with taxpayer money.”
3. Let Congressmen Read the Bills – “Too many times, members of Congress are forced to vote on without ever having a chance to read it. David believes we can fix this problem by enacting these simple rules. Each bill must be published on the Internet a minimum of 72 hours before Congress votes on the bill. The sheer length of legislation must be reduced. The best way to do this is to eliminate all earmarks and special carve-outs from bills. The shorter a bill is, the more likely a Congressman is able to read it– and, generally, the less damage it can do. David has personally taken this commitment a step further by pledging to vote “no” on any bill he has not had a chance to read and understand, just like he did when he was in the House of Delegates.”
4. End Congressional Retirement Benefits – “David believes that another factor which contributes to an out-of-touch Washington is the enticement of benefits which are far better than those available to other Americans. David will propose legislation that strips away all current retirement perks from Washington politicians and forces them to choose from healthcare options that are comparable to that of every other working American.”

McKinley also lists 15 “Key Issues Facing the First Congressional District“. They are as follows:

1. Economy – “As a small government, free-market small businessman, I strongly support fewer taxes, fewer lawsuits, and less regulation. We need a business environment that strengthens the private sector’s ability to create jobs. Washington simply cannot create jobs as well as American entrepreneurship.”
2. Energy Independence – “The War on Coal must stop! Liberal Washington politicians and bureaucrats have been trying to limit coal production at all costs. I oppose any version of the cap-and-trade legislation that negatively impacts our coal industry. With our country using less coal, we will become more and more dependent on foreign energy. This will result in fewer jobs in America and higher energy prices for our people. Not only is coal important to West Virginia, it is also vital to America because it produces nearly 50% of our nation’s electricity at an affordable rate.”
3. Education – “As a proud parent of four children and five grandchildren, I believe the future holds immense potential. However, it is crucial that we improve the quality of our schools – at all levels – so that students are better educated and prepared to succeed in today’s global job market. A trained workforce with strong skills is essential for economic development.”
4. Taxes – “As a small business owner, I know first-hand that the best way to stimulate the economy is to keep business taxes and personal taxes low. I trust the individual to make the right decisions with their money more than I will ever trust some government bureaucracy. You cannot tax and spend your way out of a recession.”
5. Tax Reform – “Enacting responsible, effective tax reform will be one of my top priorities in Congress. I will ask the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to review the various proposals currently in the public debate. Congress needs to obtain an unbiased, nonpartisan review of the initiatives and to determine the fiscal impact, viability and effect on human behavior for each of the concepts. Once the CBO has presented its findings, Congress will be better able to make an informed decision about the best possible method of fixing our broken tax system.”
6. Government Spending – “The national debt is 7,200 times higher today than it was in 1900 (and still growing). Our government officials are writing checks that they simply cannot cover. Because of this rampant, unchecked spending, we are becoming beholden to countries like China and Japan who own a significant amount of our debt.”
7. Healthcare – “All Americans deserve health care coverage, but I am opposed to the health care legislation that is under consideration in Congress. It will raise taxes, increase government spending and lower the quality of care, especially for elders on Medicare. There are ways to reform healthcare, but giving the politicians in Washington control over yet another private sector industry is not one of them. I support strengthening the existing private market system with policies that will drive down costs and make it easier for people to purchase affordable insurance.”
8. Veterans – “Our veterans have made tremendous sacrifices defending our nation. We must show our utmost respect and gratitude by providing quality medical care, benefits and support to returning service members and the families of those killed in action.”
9. Social Security – “We must stop the federal government from robbing the social security fund to pay other obligations. We need to build up a firewall around social security so that the money that is paid into social security is actually used for that program and nothing else.”
10. Card Check – “I am opposed to card check and believe this legislation would infringe on the rights of workers. Union ballots must remain private in order to prevent retribution from opposing sides.”
11. Life – “West Virginians for Life endorsed all of my campaigns during my 14 years in the Legislature and also in my campaign for Governor in 1996. I remain proudly Pro-life.”
12. 2nd Amendment – “The Constitution gives us protection to bear arms and I pledge to defend those rights. In my previous campaigns, the NRA has endorsed my candidacy and hopefully will do so again.”
13. 10th Amendment – “I will vote to uphold our 10th Amendment rights. We must protect the states from a federal government that is growing at an alarming rate.”
14. Immigration – “American needs to enforce our laws to stop illegal immigration. Amnesty is not the answer. I am absolutely opposed to providing free healthcare to illegal immigrants.”
15. Marriage – “Marriage is between a man and a woman. Period.”

Interest Group Ratings

The following information was obtained from Project Vote Smart. To view this information, click here.

At this time, McKinley has no listed interest group ratings on Project Vote Smart. Mike Oliverio’s most recent ratings are as follows:

1. Based on lifetime voting records from 1984-2006 West Virginians for Life, Incorporated gave Senator Oliverio a grade of 92%.
2. In 2008, based on a point system, with points assigned for actions in support of or in opposition to West Virginia National Federation of Independent Business‘s position, Senator Oliverio received a rating of 100.
3. Senator Oliverio supported the interests of the Free West Virginia 24% in 2004.
4. Senator Oliverio supported the interests of the West Virginia Sierra Club 27% in 2001-2004
5. In 2010 National Rifle Association gave Senator Oliverio a grade of A, in its scorecard for candidates seeking office in 2010.
6. Senator Oliverio supported the interests of the West Virginia AFL-CIO 100%t in 2005.