Ben Salango is a lifelong Democrat, raised in the heart of West Virginia. He is dedicated to moving West Virginia forward by prioritizing investments in public education, creating more jobs in the Mountain State, protecting health care, fixing the roads, and combating the opioid epidemic. Ben can be trusted to fight for West Virginia’s working families.
As a Kanawha County Commissioner, Ben has made economic development and job creation a top priority. He led the effort to build the Shawnee Sports Complex – a travel sports facility that brought tens of millions of dollars into the community in 2019 alone. The project created jobs and is a driving force for many local hotels and businesses updating and renovating to accommodate the influx of tourism to West Virginia.
Ben has distinguished himself on the Kanawha County Commission as a forward thinker, always working to improve the lives of Kanawha County residents. He worked to create the Upper Kanawha Business Assistance Program (UKAN), a program dedicated to creating entrepreneurs in the Upper Kanawha Valley, a part of the state that has been heavily impacted by the loss of coal jobs. He fought to fully fund the Kanawha Senior Services program and guarantee that every senior citizen that requested meal services would be able to receive them.
Raised in a two-bedroom trailer on Sullivan Road in a small town called Glen Morgan in Raleigh County, Ben saw how his parents struggled every day to make ends meet. Eventually his parents started their own small business and worked day and night to make it a success so that he and his siblings would have a chance to get ahead. The example set for him by his parents instilled in Ben a strong work ethic and a desire to succeed. At the age of 15, Ben earned his union card bagging groceries at Kroger.
After graduating from Shady Spring High School, he attended West Virginia University and West Virginia University College of Law. As a product of West Virginia’s public schools and a graduate of West Virginia University, Ben understands the importance of public education and just how necessary it is to invest in West Virginia schools, educators, and students.
As an attorney, Ben has spent his career seeking justice on behalf of those who deserve it. He has fought tirelessly for the rights of workers and their families and has been named one of the Best Lawyers in America. Ben is also the owner of 304 Tees, a West Virginia based apparel company that uses local union labor to produce every shirt.
Ben Salango is a devoted father and husband. He lives in Charleston with his wife Tera; two sons, T.J. and Caden; and two dogs, Brentley and Rocco. In his spare time, he coaches youth soccer and enjoys the natural beauty of West Virginia by hiking, hunting, biking, and running. Ben is also an avid mountain climber and has reached the summits of mountains all over the world.
