I'm Jonathan Cape Heart and this is Cape Up.

Stephen Smith was already running an unconventional campaign for governor of West Virginia.

It's a bona fide of the people effort under the banner West

Virginia can't wait. The campaign, its policy proposals and budget have been

discussed and written by the people. In fact, Smith isn't even the focal point of

his own race for governor. Even coronavirus hasn't upended the campaign. Smith

says the pandemic has only enhanced their message. But will

it work if Smith, who has to win the Democratic nomination in June, defeats the

incumbent Republican in November? Smith thinks so.

Hear him explain why, right now.

Stephen Smith, thank you very much

for coming on the podcast.

Thank you so much for having you, Jonathan.

I'm excited to be here.

So I've been watching your campaign now for a while since October when we met through

our mutual friend Justin guest, and he wanted me to meet you because he was saying this guy Stephen he is

running a different kind of campaign and you laid it out to me at that dinner.

Talk about the kind of campaign you are running.

So our campaign starts with a simple but radical idea.

We actually don't think that one governor is the answer to all of our problems.

We actually believe that never in

American history, certainly not in West Virginia history, has a politician

...