WHEELING - A Republican state senator with ties to the Ohio Valley says he will seek the seat of U.S. Rep. Alan B. Mollohan in 2010.
West Virginia Sen. Clark Barnes, R-Randolph, said he promises to push for a return to "traditionalism," less federal spending and laws to assure one's personal privacy against government.
Barnes, 59, is a graduate of Paden City High School who spent his teenage years in the Ohio Valley. Before that, he and his family - who hail from Marion and Doddridge counties lived in Harrison County, W.Va.
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Barnes has connections throughout West Virginia's 1st Congressional District that could prove beneficial to him. Mollohan, D-W.Va., is currently serving his 14th term in Congress.
Barnes' residence in Beverly, W.Va., is located within West Virginia's 2nd District represented by U.S. Rep. Shelly Moore Capito, R-W.Va.
The rules for running for Congress are established by the U.S. Constitution, and require only that a candidate live within the state he or she would represent.
Barnes noted that as a state senator, he does represent Grant County, which falls within the 1st District.
"We have a place in Grant County, and we are considering moving there and making it official," he said. "I think it's important to be part of the district."
Barnes sees "a tremendous ideological difference" not just between him and Mollohan, but between West Virginians and many elected officials in the state.
"We need go back to traditionalism," he said. "I'm not going to use the word conservatism, because it's impossible to identify what that means anymore. As a traditionalist, I feel traditionalism incorporates fiscal responsibility and the understanding we shouldn't spend more money than we have.
"When it comes to government making the decision to use our children's and grandchildren' s money now, they do not have the right."
Barnes admitted to being "very disappointed" in many Congressional actions of recent years, and he noted that members haven't always acted in a fiscal manner.
"I have to believe there are fundamental differences in ideology between Congressman Mollohan and myself," he said. "Washington needs a change. The future of our country is incumbent on change.
"We need a return to prudent fiscal responsibility, and a return to social values. We need a return to the understanding that the federal government has only the rights in the Constitution given to it by the states. It has to stop usurping the people and the states that make up the nation."
Barnes was first elected to the West Virginia Senate in 2004, and was re-elected in 2008. He holds a bachelor's degree from Davis and Elkins College, and a master's degree from West Virginia University.
Barnes currently serves as president of West Virginia Hearing Society.
He gained notoriety earlier this year when he spoke out against legislation proposed by Delegate Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, that would have mandated that those receiving government benefits be subject to drug testing.
"I am opposed to the drug testing because I believed it unconstitutional based on illegal search," Barnes said.
"I have a fundamental, traditional belief that some legislation might sound good on paper. But when it is in conflict with the Constitution, my oath of office is that I should uphold the Constitution of the U.S. and that of West Virginia."
Last year, Barnes also expressed opposition to the establishment of a national identification card for U.S. citizens, which he believed would give the federal government too much access to one's personal information.