Paula Jean Swearengin

Paula Jean Swearengin – Life, Activism, and Political Journey

: A full biography of Paula Jean Swearengin — coal miner’s daughter, environmental activist, and U.S. Senate candidate. Learn her early life, activism, campaigns, beliefs, and lasting impact.

Introduction

Paula Jean Swearengin (born June 13, 1974) is an American activist and former political candidate from West Virginia. Best known for her campaigns for the U.S. Senate in 2018 and 2020, Swearengin has gained recognition for her environmental advocacy, grassroots approach, and for refusing corporate contributions. Born into a family with deep roots in coal mining, her political platform is informed by lived experience and a drive for justice in Appalachian communities.

Though she has not held public office, her campaigns have amplified concerns about public health, environmental damage, and economic diversity in West Virginia.

Early Life and Family Background

Swearengin was born in Mullens, West Virginia, to a family long connected with the coal mining industry.

Her paternal and maternal lines include coal miners; several of her uncles died from black lung disease.

During her childhood, she observed environmental degradation—acid mine drainage, polluted water, air pollution from mountaintop removal—and health struggles in her community. These experiences shaped her activism and political orientation.

Swearengin is a single mother of four sons, and she is also a grandmother.

Professional & Activist Work

Before running for office, Swearengin worked in office management and medical billing.

She served on the board of the Keepers of the Mountain Foundation, which opposed mountaintop removal coal mining. Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition and the Sierra Club in public forums and EPA hearings.

Over time, she became a vocal critic of the coal industry’s regulatory failures, environmental damage, and public health consequences in her state.

Political Campaigns & Electoral History

2018 U.S. Senate Primary (WV)

In 2017, Swearengin announced she would challenge Senator Joe Manchin in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate.

Her campaign was grassroots in nature: she refused corporate PAC donations and accepted only small individual contributions (none over $200). Knock Down the House, alongside other progressive challengers.

In the 2018 primary, Swearengin won around 30% of the vote, a strong showing against the incumbent.

Though she did not win, her candidacy energized progressive activism in West Virginia and brought national attention to Appalachian environmental and economic issues.

2020 U.S. Senate Election

Swearengin ran again in 2020, this time winning the Democratic primary with ~38 % against Richard Ojeda and Richie Robb.

In the general election on November 3, she faced incumbent Republican Shelley Moore Capito.

After the 2020 election, she left the Democratic Party (in 2021) and briefly joined the Movement for a People’s Party, before withdrawing her support in 2022.

Ideology & Policy Positions

Swearengin promotes a progressive platform centered on environmental justice, public health, and economic equity. Key positions include:

• Medicare for All / universal healthcare as a human right

• Legalization of cannabis (medical & recreational)

• Increasing minimum wage to $15 and expanding worker protections

• Free public college / expanded higher education access

• Opposition to corporate influence in politics and fossil fuel industry subsidies

• Transitioning West Virginia’s economy toward renewable energy and sustainable jobs

She also supports clean air, clean water, and stricter regulation on mining practices to protect public health and prevent environmental damage.

Personality, Public Image & Challenges

Swearengin is widely seen as sincere, tough, and rooted in her community. coal miner’s daughter, someone who understands hardship, illness, and systemic neglect.

Challenges she faced include operating in a state that leans heavily Republican, limited campaign resources, and confronting entrenched political interests. Her progressive positions, especially on environmental regulation, were politically risky in a coal-dependent state.

Her refusal to accept large contributions was both a strength (symbolic of integrity) and a limitation (fewer financial resources).

Despite electoral losses, she continues to be viewed as a moral voice for Appalachian people and environmental justice.

Legacy & Ongoing Influence

Though she has not won office, Swearengin’s campaigns are considered influential in bringing attention to Appalachian health, environmental degradation, and corporate accountability. Her inclusion in Knock Down the House introduced her story to a national audience.

Her example helps inspire other grassroots, outsider campaigns in regions often overlooked. Her steadfastness in refusing PAC money challenges the norms of political fundraising.

Swearengin’s advocacy continues through public speaking, activism, and engagement with environmental and social justice networks. Her story remains a reference point for progressive organizing in coal country and underserved communities.

Selected Quotes

While fewer formal published quotes exist compared to long-time public figures, here are a few notable statements attributed to Swearengin:

• “We are not a red state, we are not a blue state; we are an Appalachian state.”

• “We deserve clean water, clean air, and good jobs.”

• “I’m tired of seeing my people die because of the coal industry.”

• From her campaigns and interviews: she often invokes her identity as a coal miner’s daughter and emphasizes that West Virginians have been “sacrificed for power” without enjoying its benefits.

Lessons from Her Journey

1. Voice matters even without office
   Swearengin’s candidacies show that impact can come from speaking truth to power, mobilizing locals, and raising issues ignored by mainstream politics.

2. Authenticity is powerful
   Her lived experiences make her message resonate; she doesn’t present abstract policies but reflects real lives.

3. Structural constraints in electoral politics
   Running as a progressive in a conservative region underscores the challenge of aligning ideals with electoral viability.

4. The value of refusal
   Turning down corporate money becomes a moral statement, but it also demands creative financial strategies.

5. Long arc of change
   Even if immediate electoral success fails, such campaigns can shift the Overton window, influence future candidates, and build long-term movements.

Conclusion

Paula Jean Swearengin is one of the more compelling political figures of recent years in Appalachia—not for electoral success, but for moral clarity and grassroots boldness. A coal miner’s daughter turned advocate, she has elevated environmental justice, public health, and economic renewal in areas often neglected by policymakers. Her campaigns will likely be studied as models of how individuals can challenge established systems through integrity, narrative, and activism.