Meet David Moran, Libertarian for Governor

David Moran is a farmer from Preston County who raises sheep and alpacas on 120 acres of land.

This is not his first rodeo, so to speak; he ran for Congress as an Independent against former First District Congressman Alan Mollohan.

His views got him noticed by the national Libertarian Party.

Moran says he considers himself socially more liberal, and economically, more conservative.

"The Libertarian Party is sometimes thought of as being more liberal than the most liberal, and sometimes more conservative than the most conservative. Long before the term libertarian was invented, before the party was developed, I was a libertarian in my youth," he said.

"A libertarian is someone who has a very strong socially liberal stance in life. They believe in equality, in liberty, they believe that everybody should have the same rights to pursue their life as anyone else does, without restriction. I’m also very conservative economically. I believe in balanced budgets. I believe we should never spend more money than we have."

Moran’s plans if elected governor include an end to the personal income tax, providing incentives to state agencies who spend under its proposed budgets during the fiscal year, and making the state non-compliant with the federal real ID law it currently follows.

Moran says it’s creating too many problems for people trying to renew driver’s licenses.

"The real ID program is being imposed on us by the federal government. It may make sense it certain places but it doesn’t make sense in West Virginia," said Moran.

"This is another example of where bureaucracy creeps in. Rather than having individual decisions being made on the basis of a person’s need, we are imposing rules that then are placed across the board."

If elected, Moran would have to work with a state legislature made up of Democrats and Republicans.

He says there would probably be some disagreements over key issues with members from both parties.

"The relationships with the legislature would probably be rocky, at the very best, because of two things. First of all, I don’t believe that any bill that’s brought forward that has any self-serving interest should be passed," he said.

"I think the legislature would find me very critical and very analytic about the value and nature of any bill that would increase expenditures, in West Virginia. I would as many governors have done, I would use the veto power of the governorship," he said.

Moran says he would seek one term only. He is campaigning across the state, but says it’s difficult with a limited number of resources.

According to his campaign finance reports on the Secretary of State’s website, Moran is operating on a budget of a little more than $3,000.

"I am out every day to two or three different events. Our campaign is an incredibly low budget campaign. We don’t have the resources that the major parties have to spend on the campaign," he said.

"So our promotional activity is basically footwork. I spend a great deal of time going to fairs and festivals, going to the universities, meeting with students, and simply talking to them and giving them the opportunity to question me, which I openly answer to the best of my ability."

Election Day is November 6. Early voting begins on October 24 and runs through November 3.