Republican Patrick Morrisey, the state’s attorney general, won easily West Virginia’s gubernatorial election, in which he defeated his Democratic opponent Steve Williams.
The Associated Press made the call minutes after polls closed at 7:30 p.m. As of 10:04 p.m., Morrisey secured approximately 62% of the vote with 73% of votes counted.
He celebrated his victory in Martinsburg and rejoiced in making history as the state’s first governor from nearby Jefferson County.
“I am so proud to represent the Eastern Panhandle and each and every one of our 55 counties,” he said. “I look forward to serving every single West Virginian…You deserve respect and dignity and a path to a better life.” I want to assist you find that by fighting to protect your freedoms and remove all barriers, that the government is putting in your way.”
While Morrisey barely secured After the Republican nomination for governor in May, he was the leading candidate for the November election in the red state.
Morrisey’s fundraising far exceeded that of Williams, who has been mayor of Huntington since 2013. Morrisey raised more than $6 million, with considerable sum Donations from Fossil fuel company executives and a political action committee for American Electric Power in the final stretch before Election Day. Campaign documents showed Williams had raised $235,036 by the end of September.
Morrisey said Williams urged him to back down. “I want to thank him for his 12 years as mayor and all his contributions to the state. I really appreciated the civic campaign,” Morrisey said.
Williams spoke of a watch party in Huntington. “We’re not done yet. We’re just getting started. Let’s dream impossible dreams. “West Virginia is a leader in our future,” he told a crowd after the election results.
On the campaign trail, Morrisey, who has been attorney general since 2013, touted his legacy in fighting what he called “federal overreach” on environmental issues. At the beginning of the year he asked them US Supreme Court to preserve the state ban on transgender student-athletes.
In his speech on Tuesday evening, he reiterated that he would continue to focus on removing barriers to the energy sector in the hope of creating jobs.
“West Virginia has always been an energy powerhouse, and that’s not going to change … and I know what I’ve done to protect those jobs,” Morrisey said. “We can be a state known not only for its energy … but also for its freedom-loving approach to regulations.”
As governor, he plans to focus on auditing state agencies in hopes of saving taxpayer money.
“We will wage a fight against waste, bureaucracy and over-regulation like you have never seen before,” he said. “For too long, excessive regulations and unnecessary government intervention have stifled growth, taken away our freedoms and made it difficult for companies to succeed. I am determined to change that.”
While Morrisey did was confronted with criticism for his previous lobbying work for pharmaceutical companies, he sued the federal Drug Enforcement Administration arguing that the agency hasn’t done enough to stop the flow of opioids into the state.
He said he wants to apply his time as governor to introduce additional tax breaks, eliminate the state income tax and further expand the state’s already comprehensive school choice laws.
Morrisey will take the place of Gov. Jim Justice, who won the U.S. Senate seat previously held by Sen. Joe Manchin, IW.Va.
