The Republican candidates for governor in West Virginia are engaged in a tight race, with a focus on promoting anti-LGBTQ+ policies, particularly targeting transgender individuals. Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, former Delegate Moore Capito, and businessman Chris Miller have all run ads promising to restrict transgender student athletes and access to gender-affirming care for minors. Morrisey currently leads the race, followed by Capito, with Miller and Warner trailing behind. The candidates have spent millions on ads with a heavy emphasis on attacking LGBTQ+ rights, despite the small LGBTQ+ population in West Virginia.
Critics have pointed out that while GOP candidates focus on anti-trans rhetoric, they have not addressed other important issues such as affordable healthcare, road conditions, and access to healthy food. The candidates have made protecting the state and its children from the “radical transgender agenda” a central theme of their campaigns. This has raised concerns among LGBTQ+ advocates and local newspapers, who question the candidates’ priorities and failure to address pressing issues that impact residents on a daily basis.
In recent years, the number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced and signed into law across the country has increased significantly, targeting trans individuals’ rights in various areas. West Virginia Governor Jim Justice signed laws restricting gender-affirming care for minors and barring transgender children from participating in school sports. However, the momentum has started to stall, with many anti-LGBTQ+ bills failing this year. The outcome of the gubernatorial race will determine the future of LGBTQ+ rights in West Virginia and shed light on the state government’s priorities and political leanings.
West Virginia’s political landscape has shifted significantly in the past few decades, with the state leaning more towards the right since Trump’s election in 2016. With the decline of the coal industry, which has led to economic challenges, voters have largely blamed Democrats for their woes. The upcoming election will provide insight into the state’s future political direction, with only one Democrat, Senator Joe Manchin, holding statewide office. LGBTQ+ advocates and transgender politicians continue to push for policy changes at the local level, with the election of openly transgender individuals like Rosemary Ketchum to public office in Wheeling, challenging the anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric promoted by Republican candidates.
