This seems to be an odd election cycle.
But is it really?
Probably not any more than any other year when the president and governor are on the ballot. This year, every current office holder in the state capitol is seeking a different office, except, of course, for several seeking re-election to the state Senate and House of Delegates.
Governor Jim Justice is term-limited and not able to seek re-election, so he has declared his bid for the United States Senate. In the primary, May 14, he will face six other candidates. The most known is the current second congressional representative Alex Mooney.
(Sidenote: Let’s hope the next redistricting cycle, the legislature fixes what was done to help Congressman Mooney and make the state look terrible, having the second district be the top of the state, and the first district be the southern part of the state.)
With a vacancy in the Governor’s Office, six Republican candidates have declared their intentions of securing the party’s bid for this office. In November, the successful candidate will face Democratic Candidate and current Mayor of Huntington Steve Williams and Mountain Party Candidate Chase Linko-Looper. At this point, let’s focus on the six, which will be facing each other on May 14.
The first, Moore Capito, is proudly a sixth-generation West Virginian and graduate of Kanawha County public schools. The father of two young children, he wants West Virginia to be known as the undisputed best place to live, work, raise a family, and as former House Judiciary Chairman he has been in several meetings with the current Governor and both House and Senate leadership team and countless others.
Capito knows what it takes to get stuff across the finish line in West Virginia. His priorities are public safety, job creation, unleashing the state’s true energy potential, education, and protecting conservative values.
Kevin “KC” Christian is a self-proclaimed “nobody,” which makes him everybody. He is a veteran, who served in the United States Army and was a member of the Airborne Infantry Regiment. Christian is a graduate of Bluefield State with an engineering degree. He has one daughter and a knack for video creation explaining his life.
Chris Miller is a Huntington native and auto dealer in his family’s Dutch Miller dealership. Chris is no stranger to those in the Huntington-Charleston television market due to his dealership’s commercials. He has gained name recognition in the Northern Panhandle and was the candidate who started running television commercials first in our market. He has three children, who are featured in at least one of his commercials. His values are faith in God, focus on family, respect for the sanctity of life, and pride in America.
Patrick Morrisey has served as the state’s Attorney General since 2012. He has brought the state to victory through some of the nation’s most significant legal triumphs in recent years, including a win against the EPA. Morrisey and his wife moved to Harpers Ferry in 2006, after visiting and enjoying the beauty of the state many times. He wants to put more money in the pockets of West Virginians, advance educational excellence, supercharge economic and workforce growth, and protect families from the ravages of drug and woke anti-freedom, socialist threats.
Mitch Roberts is a candidate from Poca and has no website. This columnist has no knowledge of this gentleman. His campaign Facebook page states, “I want to stand up for the people of West Virginia. I want West Virginians to be proud to live here.”
His priorities are listed on a photo on Facebook indicating he will work to keep freedom, instill morals, value, and respect, fight for the people of West Virginia, hold government accountable for spending, instill the significance in our uniformed officers, establish a better education system, promote in-state companies, fight for better pay for West Virginia workers, protect West Virginia’s natural resources, advocate tor the West Virginia farming community, and inspire and show pride of West Virginia citizens.
Finally, Mac Warner, a twenty-three-year veteran of the United States Army and our current Secretary of State. Mac states he is ready to fight for you on these platform issues. The issues of his focus are to build a great economy, empower or coal and energy industries, stand with law enforcement and public safety, demand law and order, wage war on the opioid addiction crisis, fix education, defend the rights of parents, protect the family as the center of West Virginia life, fight for life and the second amendment, and protect girls’ sports and fight for our values.
Hopefully, this has given a brief insight into the six candidates republican voters will see on their ballot in May. Everyone should take a few minutes to familiarize themselves with the candidates. If there is a debate close, attend if you are able.
This election can determine the direction of the state going forward. Make sure to play your part.
