ELECTION COVERAGE
Patrick Morrisey is GOP candidate for governor
By Brad McElhinny
May 14, 2024 - 9:59 pm
Patrick Morrisey, a three-term attorney general, has won the Republican nomination for governor.
The governor’s seat opened up because two-term Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican, is up against a term limit. He is running for U.S. Senate.
Competitors for the Republican nomination included Morrisey, two-term Secretary of State Mac Warner, former House Judiciary Chairman Moore Capito and businessman Chris Miller.
With 98% of the votes in, Morrisey had 71,737.
His closest competitor, Capito, had 60,647. Miller had 44,769, and Warner had 36,987.
“Thank you West Virginia. What an incredible night. We did it,” Morrisey said to supporters at his campaign headquarters. “We never give up.”
He said his campaign sent a message: “You do not mess with West Virginia. In West Virginia, we fight, we advance conservative values and boy do we win for our people.”
The Republican Governor’s Association swiftly congratulated Morrisey.
“Congratulations to Patrick Morrisey on his victory tonight in West Virginia’s Republican gubernatorial primary election,” said RGA Chairman and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. “Patrick Morrisey has stood up to Democrats’ bureaucratic overreach time and time again, and he’ll continue to do just that as West Virginia’s next governor, delivering freedom and economic opportunity to West Virginians across the state.”
The only Democrat in the race for governor is Huntington Mayor Steve Williams.
“I think I can help,” Williams said on MetroNews election night coverage. “There are areas that need massive infrastructure additions. We need to make sure we’re working so hard to be able to compete with the rest of the world that we go at warp speed.”
He said he’ll gear up for a competitive election toward the fall, including the fundraising that can help with communication. “I can’t be everywhere at once, so I have to have the resources to let the people hear our message — and it is our message,” he said.
Capito had the endorsement of Justice, who characterized him as the best option for carrying on his administration’s priorities.
Some of the Republican candidates were carrying out family traditions.
Capito is the son of U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito and grandson of three-term Gov. Arch Moore. Miller is the son of Congresswoman Carol Miller and grandson of longtime Ohio Congressman Sam Devine. Warner’s brothers have been involved in politics and public service.
Money poured into the governor’s race, with Morrisey, Capito and Miller each having more than a million dollars on hand in the closing weeks. Miller’s campaign reported spending a whopping $2.7 million during the period.
https://wvmetronews.com/2024/05/14/patrick-morrisey-is-gop-candidate-for-governor/