Chairman of the House Finance Committee removed; Takubo survives the Senate primary after being targeted by Morrisey

After Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s weighty interference in a dozen Republican primaries, results Tuesday showed wins and losses for his preferred candidates for the statehouse.

In Wood County, House Finance Chairman Vernon Criss, R-Wood, lost his reelection bid to Morrisey’s preferred candidate, Charles Hartzog, a 23-year-old who works part-time at Walmart.

Criss and Morrisey have been openly arguing over state budget issues since just weeks into the governor’s term. Morrisey recently took a road trip to Parkersburg to fight him.

There are several Morriseys in the Senate preferred GOP candidates won their primaries, including incumbents Sen. Laura Wakim-Chapman, R-Ohio, and Sen. Rollan Roberts, R-Raleigh.

“West Virginia Republicans spoke with one voice on Tuesday: We are done with the status quo. Voters refuse to settle for second best. We are ready to fight for the future of our state and nominate Republican candidates who share that vision,” Morrisey said in a statement Tuesday night.

“The candidates who prevailed were committed to unlocking economic opportunity, lowering taxes and advancing educational freedom. Voters rejected the good-ole-boy system in favor of voices that fight for our values,” he said.

But Morrisey’s top Senate targets survived the onslaught of gubernatorial spending against them: Sen. Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha, and Sen. Vince Deeds, R-Greenbrier, won their primaries, according to the Associated Press.

“Tonight I stand deeply humbled, deeply grateful and incredibly honored for the trust the people of West Virginia have once again placed in me,” Takubo said Tuesday evening.

That was a unusually turbulentcombative and costly primaries in West Virginia for Republicans, particularly in the state Senate. Republicans have a supermajority in the Senate, with only two Democratic members on the 34-member body.

More than $5 million was spent between several political action committees, many of which were supported by out-of-state donors with ties to Morrisey and the organization School choice movement.

PACs, including those tied to the governor, spent more than $600,000 opposing Takubo and Deeds this primary cycle.

Takubo said this campaign has been arduous at times. He won with 56.1% when the AP called the race, ahead of his opponent, lawyer and former House Speaker Chris Pritt.

“Frankly, it was about rhetoric and tactics that do not reflect West Virginia values. I believe our state deserves better than deception, division and manufactured outrage. And tonight, the people of West Virginia sent a message that truth, integrity and service still matter,” Takubo said.

Wes Holden ran unopposed and will be the Democratic candidate to challenge Takubo in the Nov. 3 general election.

A physician and former Senate Majority Leader, Takubo ran for Senate President in December 2024. but lost the contract to current Senate President Randy Smith. The race quickly divided most of the Republican Senate into factions — known as Team Takubo and Team Smith.

Smith’s camp is more aligned with the governor and his agenda.

Takubo’s group says it has focused more on economic development and job creation than on bills on social issues, such as legislation on transgender people or abortion, after passing legislation on those issues in several sessions.

He has spent the last two years recruiting like-minded candidates to challenge Smith’s faction; Most of these candidates lost on Tuesday evening.

Morrisey most heavily targeted Deeds, a Baptist pastor and investigator for the Greenbrier County District Attorney’s Office who has served in the Senate since 2022. He is firmly part of the Takubo faction.

The governor and his wife publicly endorsed her boyfriend Jonathan Comerspent time in Greenbrier County campaigning for him in hopes of defeating Deeds.

According to AP results when the race was called slow Tuesday night, Deeds won with 66.5% of the vote.

He will face Democratic candidate Kent Gilkerson in the November election.

House leadership change after Morrisey’s candidate wins

Hartzog, who has no political experience, told West Virginia Watch that he wanted to thank his supporters and volunteers for their aid throughout his campaign.

“I look forward to the general election and ultimately working with Governor Morrisey and the Legislature to defend the unborn, reduce government red tape, support free market principles and fight for rural health care reforms that lower costs for families,” he said. “I believe West Virginia can become the best place to live, work and raise a family.”

In November he will face Democratic candidate Dennis Rempel.

Morrisey said his preferred candidates would focus on educational opportunities. He made the state’s education voucher program, the Hope Scholarship, a hallmark of his tenure.

The House Finance Committee, led by Criss, A bill was recently considered to put limits on the $300 million program. While legislators didn’t make any changes in the end to apply the voucher program by parents, The proposed changes led to the West Virginia chapter of Americans for Prosperity decidedly against Criss. AFP-WV has close ties to Morrisey.

Incumbent Del. Scot Heckert, R-Wood — also a Morrisey target — lost his reelection race to Melissa McCrady, who received 63% of the vote, according to the AP.

“Republicans will unite, win in November and advance our conservative agenda. We will be the shining mountain state, but only if we are willing to fight for it. Time to get to work,” Morrisey said.