In 2001, Pushkin moved from
Morgantown to
Charleston and started working as a taxi driver, but continued to fight his addiction and was fired. Pushkin carried the same district with 75.2 percent of the vote in that year's general election, outrunning the Democratic presidential nominee by more than ten percentage points. The
West Virginia Democratic Party elected Mike Pushkin to be Chair of the party at their organizational meeting on June 18, 2022 in Bridgeport, West Virginia.
Legislation Pushkin has developed a reputation for providing an independent voice on bills. He opposed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which gives businesses the right to decline to serve gay customers. In his first term, he introduced the Second Chance for Employment Act, which provides the opportunity for felons to have their records cleared after 10 years. He also unsuccessfully introduced a bill to legalize recreational marijuana during his first term. He reintroduced the Second Chance bill during his second term and the bill passed when a compromise was reached that would expunge misdemeanors, not felonies. He fought to successfully pass the West Virginia Medical Cannabis Act, thanks to support Pushkin secured from his Libertarian colleagues. In 2018, Pushkin was a staunch proponent of the successful impeachment of the Supreme Court of West Virginia. Pushkin wrote the original resolution to initiate
impeachment proceedings back in February. He was one of the first legislators to push for an investigation into
Justice Loughry for his personal use of state property and the subsequent cover-up. In 2018, Pushkin was a vocal supporter of the efforts to give teachers a pay raise and improve wages in the public sector. In 2019, Pushkin directed derogatory comments towards fellow Kanawha County Delegate Diana Graves. Pushkin did not apologize for the incident. ==Personal life==