Whether three candidates with close family ties in West Virginia politics and one candidate who immigrated to the state 20 years ago will be the best choice in the Republican gubernatorial primary. He staked his claim in Tuesday night’s debate.
In the deep red state, which twice voted overwhelmingly for former President Donald Trump, Attorney General Patrick Morrissey, former state representative Moore Capito and car dealer Chris Miller will vote in the May 14 primary. He called himself the most conservative candidate.
“I think West Virginia needs a conservative with a proven track record of getting things done,” Morrissey said.
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But Secretary of State Mac Warner said the gubernatorial race “isn’t about who’s the most conservative. It’s about serving the people of West Virginia.”
The four, in turn, supported additional income tax cuts, teacher pay raises, the death penalty for fentanyl traffickers, and existing state abortion restrictions. They offered differing views on how to grow the economy and halt the state’s decade-long exodus. From 2010 to 2020, West Virginia lost residents at a higher rate than any other state in the United States.
The winner of the May 14 Republican primary will face Democrat Steve Williams in the November general election. Williams, the mayor of Huntington, is running unopposed in the party’s primary. Republican Gov. Jim Justice is prohibited by law from seeking a third consecutive term.
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrissey stands at the White House on February 6, 2020 in Washington, DC. Morrissey is running for the Republican nomination for governor of West Virginia. Former state representative Moore Capito, car dealer Chris Miller and Secretary of State Mac Warner. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Morrissey moved to the state from New Jersey in 2006 and was elected to his first of three terms as attorney general in 2012. To grow the state’s economy, he will scrutinize policies such as taxes and envision “strong” competition with neighboring states. He covers regulations, workforce and licensing rules, teacher salaries, and more.
“That alone will spur economic growth,” Prime Minister Morrissey said.
Last year, Justice signed a 21% cut in the state’s personal income tax. Miller wants to eliminate the tax completely, which he says he will do as soon as he takes office as governor. He said businesses and prospective workers are attracted to states that don’t have such taxes, such as Tennessee, Texas and Florida.
“Capital flows like water where it is most welcomed,” Miller said. “We have to unleash capitalism.”
Mr. Miller’s mother, Carol Miller, is a longtime state representative and is seeking a fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. His grandfather was the late Congressman Samuel Devine of Ohio.
Mr. Capito, the son of U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, hopes to join his late grandfather, Arch A. Moore Jr., as governor. Arch Moore is the only governor to be elected to three terms.
Capito said the completion of roads, water and other infrastructure projects is one of the keys to economic growth in the state. He pointed to his own record in the House of Delegates, saying, “As governor, we’re going to continue to get things done.”
Mr. Capito resigned from his seat in the House of Representatives in December to run for governor, drawing criticism from Mr. Warner.
“That’s resignation,” Warner said. “Nobody likes people who quit. They never walk away.”
Warner’s younger brother, Chris, is a former state Republican Party chairman and is running for secretary of state. His other siblings include 2004 Republican gubernatorial candidate Monty Warner and former U.S. attorney Casey Warner.
Mac Warner said education is the way to “get West Virginia off rock bottom.” He emphasized funding efforts in early education and further expanding opportunities in career technical fields.
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Warner said he views the primary as a “two-person contest” between himself and Miller. “No respectable Republican in West Virginia is going to vote for an out-of-state representative who presents himself as an opportunist,” he said, referring to Morrissey. Warner also pointed to comments made by former state Democratic Party chairman Larry Puccio, who was the governor’s chief of staff at the time. Joe Manchin is a donor to Capito’s campaign.
“I’m not for sale,” Warner said.
The debate was hosted by the Raleigh County Republican Executive Committee at a resort in Daniels and broadcast on West Virginia radio network Metro News. Two other Republican candidates, Kevin Christian of Chloe in Calhoun County and Mitch Roberts of Poca, did not attend. It is unclear whether they were invited. A message left with county Republican Party officials was not returned.
