Published: June 22, 2007 10:53 pm         

Aussie-born businessman gunning for seat in House

Australian-born Mick Bates, now a naturalized American citizen, wants to parlay his business acumen into the political arena, with an eye toward landing a seat in the 27th District of the House of Delegates.

Bates filed pre-candidacy papers almost two years ago, without designating an office, and says he intends to make it official during the formal filing period next year.

At the time, the Beckley businessman took a wait-and-see attitude, but then Delegate Ron Thompson’s troubles began to mount.

At one point, the Beckley Democrat’s protracted absence prompted the House to declare his seat vacant, but the chamber rescinded its action upon learning Thompson was under the care of a psychiatrist for bi-polar two, a condition of deep depression.

Before the House retracted its initial action, a number of people in the 27th District sought to succeed him, Bates among them.

“We ran the shortest campaign in West Virginia history — 72 hours,” he laughed.

Bates says he is seeking the House seat not in opposition to Thompson but to usher in a new style of leadership that focuses on lifting up southern West Virginia.

“People are ready for a new voice, a new leadership, and I’m ready for that responsibility,” the owner of Bodyworks Rehabilitation said.

“I’ve decided to step up and announce that I want to be that voice.”

Thompson took his oath in the final week of the 2007 session, then dropped out of sight and hasn’t returned to the Capitol, skipping all three interims sessions in the spring.

“This is not about him,” Bates said. “It is about the future of West Virginia. I’m not running against anybody. It’s a five-member delegation. We need the best five on the court that we can get. We need all the help we can get in Charleston. We’ve had strong leadership in southern West Virginia for many, many years, and we’ve benefited from it.”

Bates has run his Beckley firm since 1997, one that is devoted to health, fitness and rehabilitation.

After arriving in the United States in 1991, he lived in Florida, Illinois, Texas and Indiana before settling in West Virginia three years later.

“I could live anywhere in the world, but I choose to live here,” he said.

“We’ve got everything it takes for southern West Virginia to be a place where young people can find opportunities, and the young and old can make a place to live even better.”

Bates said he views economic issues as key in efforts to reverse West Virginia’s reputation as being last in the good categories and first in the negative ones.

“One of my themes is that we can be a top 10 state,” he said.

“We can be in the top 10 in every way — economically, environmentally, spiritually, socially and physically. It’s simply a lack of will. When we decide we want to improve, we’ll get serious about changing it. My goal is to see us as a top 10 state three years from now.”

He and his wife Pam, a physical therapist, have three children, ages 5, 3 and 2.

“I don’t see my children staying in West Virginia if we don’t have the solutions,” he added.

— E-mail:

mannix@register-herald.com