After its summer meeting in Morgantown over the weekend, the West Virginia Republican Party has a new chairman.
Josh Holstein is young – just 23 years old – but not inexperienced, he points out.
“When I was 18 years old, I filed to run for the House of Delegates. We worked very, very hard, unseated an incumbent and won election in 2020 and then subsequently won re-election in ‘22 and ‘24,” Holstein said.
“So I’ve been involved as long as I’ve been able to, and I believe that I’ve proved myself to the folks that know me and my voters back at home as well.”
He grew up in Boone County, the son of multiple generations of coal miners. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Marshall University and has been on the state executive committee for the party for nearly six years.
While he recognizes there are differences within the party, Holstein says it’s his job now to bring Republicans together.
“I do believe there’s a lot more that brings us together as Republicans than divides us,” Holstein said.
“We have a Republican party platform that everyone on the right leaning side of things can agree to, and we have a leader in President Trump, who was the first Republican nominee for president in over 20 years to win the popular vote.”
The party focus, Holstein said, includes strong borders, lower taxes, less government regulation, life and educational choice.