CHARLESTON, W.VA. -- When West Virginia Republicans vote in Tuesday's primary, they will have a hard time finding a major candidate on the ballot in any statewide race who openly acknowledges that U.S. President Joe Biden won the 2020 election.
Embracing or skirting the line on election denialism has become an unspoken checkoff among Republicans running for governor and Congress in one of the states most loyal to former President Donald Trump. What is spoken 鈥� almost constantly 鈥� is praise for the party's presumptive White House nominee from a slate of candidates that includes a convicted Jan. 6 insurrectionist as well as the sons of two GOP members of West Virginia's congressional delegation.
Glenn Elliott, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for an open Senate seat, said denying the election outcome was a 鈥減urity test" for West Virginia Republicans.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e either with the leader of the party on everything, or you鈥檙e kicked out. You鈥檙e not a Republican anymore, you鈥檙e a 鈥楻INO,鈥欌�� he said, using the acronym for 鈥淩epublicans In Name Only.鈥� "That鈥檚 not a party 鈥� that鈥檚 a cult.鈥�
It's about the worst thing you can call a Republican candidate in West Virginia.
In the crowded governor鈥檚 race, Secretary of State Mac Warner has said he 鈥渇irmly鈥� believes, like Trump, that the election was stolen, even though dozens of courts and audits have determined the race was fairly decided in Biden's favor.
Warner, whose office oversees West Virginia's elections, has said tech companies, the media and federal intelligence officials worked together to cover up incriminating information found on the laptop of Biden鈥檚 son Hunter. Warner's statements came a few months after announcing his campaign after years of toeing the line on the 2020 election. The Army veteran said his views have nothing to do with running for office.
鈥淒onald Trump won West Virginia in a landslide,鈥� former state lawmaker Moore Capito, another candidate for governor, said in response to a question from The Associated Press. 鈥淎nd I just wish that the rest of the country would run our elections like we do here in the state of West Virginia.鈥�
Other candidates hedge or do not answer directly.
Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has refused to provide a yes or no answer to questions about whether Biden won the 2020 race but has asserted that there were 鈥渉uge irregularities,鈥� 鈥渟ignificant irregularities,鈥� and 鈥渧ery, very severe issues鈥� relating to that vote.
Businessman Chris Miller, also a candidate for governor and the son of U.S. Rep. Carol Miller, said people do not trust mail-in ballots. He did not say whether he thought Biden was the legitimate winner.
"If you are voting in-person and see your vote cast, that鈥檚 one thing," he said. With mail-in ballots, he added, 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 see it. You don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 happened, and that鈥檚 the danger."
Derrick Evans, a former state lawmaker who spent three months in prison for participating in the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, has escalated his verbal attacks against his primary rival. He calls Carol Miller a 鈥渃ommie RINO鈥� who 鈥渞efused to stand and fight with President Trump,鈥� as well as an 鈥渦ndocumented Democrat.鈥�
Never mind that Miller was aligned with Trump in almost 100 per cent of her House votes while he was in office.
Evans, in an interview, said he believes his willingness to stand by Trump and say the election was stolen will carry him to victory 鈥� even though Miller, hours after Evans and other rioters had stormed the Capitol, voted to challenge the Electoral College results in two states Biden won.
She said in a statement at the time that she had a constitutional duty to 鈥渆nsure that all Americans have access to free, fair, and accurate elections.鈥�
Evans is undeterred, claiming his role in the violent attack on the Capitol as a badge of honor.
鈥淚 think when the people learn I鈥檓 the only elected legislator in the entire country who had the courage to stand up against the stolen election and had the courage to stand up beside of President Trump on Jan. 6," he said, 鈥淚 think that that makes them realize very seriously that I am the guy to represent this district on a national stage.鈥�
In an email to the AP, Carol Miller did not directly address the 2020 result. But she said she is the only candidate in the race who "has never been a registered Democrat or run for office as a Democrat.鈥�
In the West Virginia governor's race, all four major candidates are in lockstep on supporting the state鈥檚 coal industry, imposing stiffer penalties for fentanyl dealers and the importance of economic development.
Morrisey, the fundraising front-runner, tossed the 鈥淩INO鈥� label at Capito, who is regarded as his main competitor. Morrissey cited a February 2024 social media post from Donald Trump Jr. criticizing a vote by Capito's mother, Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, to send aid to Ukraine. 鈥淪he鈥檚 not up for reelection this year, but her RINO son is running for Governor of West Virginia," Trump Jr. said. 鈥淢AGA 鈥� Send a message to the Ukraine First RINOs & OPPOSE,鈥� he said, referring to Donald Trump's 鈥淢ake American Great Again鈥� movement.
Morrisey, in an interview, connected the dots.
鈥淚 think the choice is very clear: You have a conservative fighter with a record of getting big things done, and you have members of political royalty, part of the liberal establishment,鈥� Morrisey said.
Moore Capito has since taken every opportunity to make sure voters know where his loyalty lies. In a Republican gubernatorial forum hosted by television station WSAZ, candidates were asked what they could do to help people on fixed incomes struggling to pay their bills amid frequent utility rate increases.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why it鈥檚 incredibly important that we elect Donald Trump as president,鈥� Capito said, after condemning a recently released Biden administration rule that would force coal-fired power plants to capture their emissions or shut down.
Ironically, Republican Gov. Jim Justice, who is running for the Senate seat held by retiring Democrat Joe Manchin, is the only candidate to garner the coveted Trump endorsement in any primary race. And Justice has disagreed with Trump more than most candidates. For example, the governor supported the bipartisan infrastructure act that poured millions of dollars into the state to build out broadband and roads.
Alex Mooney, a congressman running against Justice in the primary, has called Justice a 鈥淩INO鈥� at every opportunity. Justice, a former billionaire businessman with a folksy personality that has won him a devoted following, was initially elected as a Democrat in 2017 before becoming a Republican at a Trump rally early in his term. Mooney voted against the infrastructure bill.
Mooney has said he recognizes Biden as president but feels the 2020 election was not a fair one. He voted not to certify Biden's victory in Pennsylvania.
Justice, asked during a news briefing this past week whether he thinks Biden won legitimately, took a defiant tone even as he hedged: 鈥淲hat does it matter? I mean, what in the world does it matter?"
The governor then spun a story he hass told often about something his father told him when he was competing in golf tournaments as a young man.
鈥淒ad would tell me, 鈥楽on, the only shot that matters in golf is the next shot. If you made a hole in one as your last shot, well, so what?"
