Inside the WV Senate primary: out-of-state money, the Republican war, and the governor who has inserted himself

The West Virginia Senate, which is effectively under Republican control with just two Democratic members, is the epitome of an unusual election season. Nineteen Senate seats are up for election across the state.

“Special interests will spend $2 million to buy the state Senate,” said Greg Thomas, a veteran Republican political strategist from West Virginia. Outside spending in Senate primaries typically totals around $100,000, he said.

Political groups, fueled by donors from other states, have pumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into campaigns to support or oppose candidates in a fractured Senate, often portraying Republicans they don’t like as “woke liberals.” Some groups are tied to Gov. Patrick Morrisey.

“Something bad is going on,” said Sen. Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha, who is in one Competitive racing to retain the Senate seat he has held since 2015. “The question is, what is it and when will we know about it?”

Several political groups with ties to Morrisey have spent more than $1.6 million on Senate and House races since March. according to reporting by Steven Allen Adams at Parkersburg News and Sentinel. Donors include school-friendly groups.

“(Morrisey is) not a West Virginian and he will never be one of us because he traveled across the country to New York, to California and to New Jersey and raised $565,000 to spend against West Virginia legislative candidates,” said Sen. Ryan Weld, R-Brooke, in reference Donate for the Morrisey linked sugar maple PAC. “Of that money, 8% actually came from the state of West Virginia.”

Weld, whose seat is not on the ballot this election, said Morrisey “made all the promises he needed to make” while raising money to influence races.

“The governor wants senators in the Senate who, for lack of a better term, will be there to carry out his wishes,” Weld said. “We don’t answer to the governor. We answer to the people of our district.”

Then there is the governor’s direct involvement in races.

Morrisey has directly endorsed candidates.

Lars Dalseide, the governor’s spokesman, told West Virginia Watch in an email: “The governor supports candidates who share his vision of making West Virginia the shining mountain state and will continue to advocate vigorously and positively for this pro-West Virginia agenda.”

Sen. Mike Oliverio, R-Monongalia, served under seven different governors. This level of involvement in races by a governor was a first for him.

“This is a very conservative legislature, and to say that you have to be against vaccinating a child against polio defines you as conservative or not, that doesn’t make sense to me,” Oliverio said. Who is running for re-election? without a main opponent.

“This could be very negative for (Morrisey) in terms of advancing his agenda, or he could be successful in getting people into the Senate who he believes will support his agenda.”

Dalseide said Morrisey’s focus remains solely on advancing a policy agenda that supports our state’s values ​​and delivers results for West Virginia families.

“No amount of media pressure or complaints from party elites will change the governor’s focus on this mission,” Dalseide said.

“I will not give up my vote for the Morriseys”

The governor and his wife played a key role in the Senate election in Greenbrier County. publicly advocate Republican candidate Jonathan Comer about incumbent Senator Vince Deeds.

“The governor wants me to agree with him 100% on his policy initiatives, and quite frankly I can’t do that,” Deeds told West Virginia Watch. “I won’t give up my vote for the Morriseys… I can’t be bought. I can’t be bullied… His tactics are to take his foreign money, funnel it in here, try to bully us around and push us in his political direction or get someone else in there to follow him in lockstep.”

Deeds flipped his seat to Republican in 2022. Deeds is a Baptist pastor advertises his conservative voting record, support for tax cuts and voting to protect children and women’s sports. He led lawmakers’ efforts on nursing reform in the Senate.

“My responsibility is to listen, analyze, process and weigh against the values ​​of West Virginians, which I truly believe are God, family and service,” Deeds said. “I’ve honestly done my best to listen to the problems that are happening in my district and across the state and then try to come up with a good, common-sense solution to those problems.”

Have Morrisey-affiliated PACs money spent in the Deeds and Comer race. Sugar Maple PAC has issued more than $24,000 in exchange for deeds. The School Freedom Fund issued more than $13,000 against him.

According to her testimony, Denise Morrisey knocked on doors in Greenbrier County on Comer’s behalf Facebook page.

Comer, a Baptist pastor, did not return calls for this story.

The Kanawha Senate race features Republican factions

Senate Republicans are split into two factions, which isn’t as basic as describing “moderate reds versus dark reds” because they all ran on conservative platforms.

Senate Health Chairman Brian Helton, R-Fayette, noted that outside money has impacted candidates in both factions. He joins Senate President Randy Smith, whose caucus has more frequently supported Morrisey’s agenda.

“I think when you look at both groups, I think it’s going to define the Senate going forward: Will it continue to be a more conservative Senate that’s more aligned with traditional Republican conservatives, or is it going to be a group that’s going to be more moderate and that’s going to take more of a less conservative approach to it?”

Jason Huffman, state director of the West Virginia chapter of Americans for Prosperity, said much of the moderate Senate candidate’s support “comes from hospital cartels that want to keep competition out of the state by keeping certificate of need laws on the books.”

Takubo has taken a leadership role in the Senate’s more moderate caucus, pushing business-oriented GOP candidates to run for Senate seats. After losing to Smith in the race for Senate president in 2024, Takubo said he felt the Senate needed up-to-date leadership.

“We are stuck in complete neutrality and getting nowhere,” he said. “It’s very difficult because the general public can’t appreciate how incredibly dysfunctional these people are without seeing it firsthand.”

Takubo, a doctor who previously served as majority leaderhe told West Virginia Watch: “I thought I would be the number one target in this election cycle.”

“I didn’t think it would be this intense,” he said. “The governor should be a mediator and someone who can bridge differences and bring the party together. Instead, the governor’s actions in this primary have created more division than anything I have ever seen in my political career.”

Takubo is challenged by Chris Pritta Charleston attorney and former Republican House member who previously ran for secretary of state and the state Senate.

“I wasn’t particularly happy that Senator Takubo and others recruited nine people to run against conservative incumbents. That was one of the reasons I ran,” Pritt said.

Morrisey did not openly support Pritt; Groups associated with Morrisey have spent around $132,000 for opposing Takubo, according to the Parkersburg News and Sentinel, and $46,392 for supporting Pritt.

Thomas said West Virginia is a “cheap” place for national interest groups to buy political favor.

“They are not looking for an independent, successful person in West Virginia to serve in the Legislature,” he said.

The outside spending could exceed the direct contributions to Takubo and Pritt in their races. The most recent campaigns through March 31 showed Takubo had more than $86,000 in cash; Pritt had $60,000 during the same period.

Advertisements from outside groups attempted, among other things, to portray Takubo as “a woke liberal.” his push to support children with severe gender dysphoria, as diagnosed by medical professionals, access what he believes is a life-saving hormone treatment in West Virginia. The Legislature has eliminated this confined gap for children in 2025.

“I am loyal to the people of my district first, West Virginia second and the party third,” said Takubo, a lifelong Republican whose platform focuses on economic development and child safety. “I think the people elected me and sent me there to do that and they trust me enough to do that. So if I’m re-elected, I’ll continue to do that.”

Pritt wants the Senate to take a more conservative path and says he would support further tax cuts and economic development if elected.

“My worldview largely aligns with increasing economic and personal freedoms. That’s what it’s all about to me as a person,” Pritt said. “I think we need to take the same path that we are taking with regards to the West Virginia Senate.”

John Williams is a Democratic House member from Morgantown who is running against Oliverio this fall. Both Republican factions in the Senate continued to focus on fringe social issues in this election, he said.

“There are real issues that affect West Virginians, like electric rates, food prices, gas prices, general cost of living, issues that are just left completely untouched,” Williams said. “I think you see a lot of really disingenuous rhetoric on their side.”