GOP voters rejected a high-ranking Republican who dared to suggest a minimal guardrail to the Hope Scholarship, while keeping one of the most prominent voices for science-based public health policy in the Senate.
In an unprecedented move, Gov. Patrick Morrisey publicly endorsed dozens of candidates. Many challenged incumbents in his own party who did not agree with key portions of his agenda, like aggressive tax cuts, unlimited funding for the Hope Scholarship and vaccine exemptions. He was only partially successful.
Unlike the last two election cycles, the Republican Primary won’t determine the election this year. That’s because Democrats have fielded candidates for most seats in both chambers of the Legislature, running on issues like funding clean water projects, lowering electricity rates and curbing data center development.
Historically, primary elections in midterms are low turnout affairs — and preliminary reports by the secretary of state’s office indicated this year was no different. In GOP House primaries, sometimes a razor thin margin determined the winner.
In Wood County, outside interests poured thousands of dollars into the districts to support successful primary challenges to Delegates Vernon Criss and Scott Heckert.
Criss is the current chair of the House Finance Committee. During the last legislative session he proposed putting a cap on the award amount of the Hope Scholarship. That drove groups like the School Freedom Fund, Sugar Maple PAC and Americans for Prosperity – all groups backed by billionaires who support public school alternative programs — to fund attack ads against him and support 23-year-old Charles Hartzog to unseat him.
“It’s been such a negative campaign issue on taxes and homeschooling,” Criss said. “The only thing that changed in this current year was the method of the way that the state will distribute the dollars for the Hope Scholarship Program, and we did that to ensure that we would be able to continue the program.”
Americans for Prosperity also attacked Heckert, who publicly feuded with the governor over hospital regulations. He laid the blame for the political attacks at the feet of the Governor and the First Lady, who both worked as DC lobbyists prior to coming to the state.
“They have stolen West Virginia, and my job is complete,” he said. “I set out two years ago to show West Virginia what the Morriseys are like. I have done just that.”
Morrisey claimed victory in a social media post late Tuesday night.
“West Virginia Republicans spoke with one voice Tuesday: we’re done with the status quo. Voters refuse to settle for second best. We are ready to fight for our state’s future, nominating Republicans who share that vision,” Morrisey wrote.
However, Morrisey and the outside PACs didn’t succeed in every race. Outside groups targeted Del. Clay Riley, R-Harrison, the vice chair of the House Finance Committee, for the same caps on the Hope scholarship. He handily beat his opponent, Megan Krajewski, despite the thousands of dollars that flooded the race..
In Kanawha County, Sen. Tom Takubo beat former Del. Chris Pritt in a bitter primary race. Takbuo, a doctor, has argued in favor of maintaining the state’s vaccine laws for school children and supported a narrow amendment to allow minors with gender dysphoria to receive hormone treatment under certain conditions.
Outside PACs used the latter as political ammunition against Takubo by painting him as a LGBTQ advocate.
“The disappointing thing is, we’ve not been able to talk about any of the issues that affect everyday West Virginians,” he said. “You know, what they’re worried about is making sure they’ve got jobs, that they can afford their bills, that their kids have an opportunity here.”
