CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Voters in West Virginia are set to cast their ballots on Tuesday, choosing between a Republican gubernatorial candidate backed by former President Donald Trump and a Democratic mayor advocating for public votes on abortion. The candidates are Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Huntington Mayor Steve Williams, both of whom have been active in addressing the state’s severe opioid crisis, which has the highest overdose death rate in the nation. However, their approaches to various issues, especially abortion, starkly contrast with one another.
Patrick Morrisey, 56, has served as West Virginia’s attorney general since 2012, leading significant litigation efforts against opioid manufacturers and distributors, which have resulted in about $1 billion aimed at addressing the drug crisis impacting around 6,000 children in foster care throughout the state’s population of approximately 1.8 million. Proudly identifying as a “conservative fighter,” Morrisey has championed various national GOP issues, such as advocating for legislation that restricts transgender youth from sports participation and promoting educational policies that incentivize parents to move their children to private schooling or homeschooling options.
A central pillar of Morrisey’s campaign has been his defense of a nearly complete abortion ban enacted by the Republican legislature in 2022. He has also taken legal action to limit West Virginians’ access to abortion pills. Following a U.S. District Court’s decision to restrict access to these medications in 2023, Morrisey pledged to “always stand strong for the life of the unborn.”
Conversely, 60-year-old Steve Williams has focused on transforming Huntington from a center of heroin addiction into a community recognized for effective solutions for those struggling with substance use. Upon being elected mayor in 2012, he established the state’s first citywide office dedicated to drug control policy, crafting a strategic plan that included distributing Naloxone, an overdose reversal drug, to first responders and initiating court diversion programs aimed at assisting sex workers and drug users.
Abortion rights form a crucial part of Williams’s campaign, and earlier this year, he successfully gathered thousands of signatures to urge lawmakers to place abortion on the ballot for a public vote. Currently, West Virginia stands among the 25 states that do not permit citizen initiatives or constitutional amendments to appear on statewide ballots—an option that has enabled voters in other states to safeguard reproductive rights over the past two years.
Republicans have consistently rejected the idea of introducing an abortion rights measure for public vote, arguing that this is a legislative responsibility. GOP leaders frequently reference a 2018 public vote, where nearly 52% of voters backed a constitutional amendment asserting no right to abortion access in the state. Nonetheless, Williams posits that the outcome was partially influenced by issues surrounding state funding for abortion, suggesting that opposition to funding does not equate to a desire to completely eliminate abortion access.
Should Morrisey win, he would be only the third Republican to be elected for a first gubernatorial term in West Virginia since 1928. The current outgoing governor, Jim Justice, initially took office as a Democrat in 2016 and switched to the Republican Party shortly after a rally featuring Trump.
Polls across the state will open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m., providing voters ample opportunity to make their choices.