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Pipeline Problems, Student Protests And A Voter’s Guide, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, a pipeline safety watchdog said federal regulators “should be on notice” about a pressure test failure on the Mountain Valley Pipeline earlier this month.

On this West Virginia Morning, a pipeline safety watchdog said federal regulators “should be on notice” about a pressure test failure on the Mountain Valley Pipeline earlier this month.

Plus, students at West Virginia University’s Morgantown campus demonstrated in support of Palestine for the second time in as many weeks. Reporter Chris Schulz covered the protest from downtown Morgantown.

With the May 14 primary election fast approaching, nonprofit newsroom Mountain State Spotlight has created a statewide voter’s guide. West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s News Director Eric Douglas spoke with Editor-in-Chief Ken Ward about the guide and how to access it.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Marshall Health.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick, and Randy Yohe.

Eric Douglas is our news director. Teresa Wills is our host. Chris Schulz produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

AP Decision Notes: What to expect in West Virginia’s primaries

Republican Gov. Jim Justice, who’s running for Senate, is just one of a handful of high flyers in West Virginia who decided it was time for a change of pace.

A former billionaire who owns the Greenbrier Resort, Justice is ineligible to run for reelection in West Virginia due to term limits. So, Justice set his sights on Washington, where Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin was facing his toughest race yet in a state that former President Donald Trump last won by about 40 points.

Justice, a former Democrat, switched to the Republican Party in 2017, making the announcement at a Trump rally in Huntington, West Virginia.

Instead of attempting to run for another term, Manchin decided to pass, adding another open seat to the map in which the Republican nominee will be the heavy favorite in the fall.

In the race for the GOP nomination for Senate, Justice is the front-runner. His top competitor is Rep. Alex Mooney, though five other Republicans are running as well.

Don Blankenship, who was convicted of violating safety standards after 29 people died in a 2010 coal mine explosion, is running for the Senate as a Democrat, even though he ran as a Republican in the 2018 Senate race. Blankenship faces Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott, who has Manchin’s endorsement, and Marine Corps veteran Zach Shrewsbury, who has support from the Progressive Democrats of America.

Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, the Republican nominee in the 2018 Senate race against Manchin, is running for governor, as are the sons of two members of West Virginia’s congressional delegation: car dealer Chris Miller, whose mother is Rep. Carol Miller, and former state Rep. Moore Capito, whose mother is Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and whose grandfather is the late Gov. Arch A. Moore Jr..

West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner is running for governor, as well. Two lesser-known candidates — Kevin Christian and Mitch Roberts — will also appear on the GOP ballot. On the Democratic side, Huntington Mayor Steve Williams is unopposed.

Mooney’s pursuit of the open Senate seat means he’s leaving a Republican-leaning district open, prompting a competitive primary for his U.S. House seat. State Treasurer Riley Moore won early endorsements from then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and from Mooney himself. Speaker Mike Johnson has also endorsed Moore. Moore is one of five Republicans running to replace Mooney, though retired Air Force Brigadier General Chris “Mookie” Walker is the only one who has come close to keeping pace with Moore on fundraising.

In the 1st District, Derrick Evans, a former member of the House of Delegates who served a three-month sentence after livestreaming himself participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol, is running against incumbent Carol Miller.

The least competitive races of the bunch might be the presidential primaries, which Trump and President Joe Biden are expected to win easily.

Here’s a look at what to expect on Tuesday.

Primary Day

West Virginia’s primary election will be held Tuesday. Polls close at 7:30 p.m. ET.

What’s On The Ballot

The Associated Press will provide coverage for 61 races, including the presidential primary. Four candidates, including former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, join Trump on the Republican presidential ballot. On the Democratic ballot, Biden’s name appears along with four others. There is no “uncommitted” or write-in option on the presidential ballot.

In addition to the open seats for governor, U.S. Senate race, and the 2nd Congressional District, West Virginia is holding primaries for multiple statewide offices, including secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer, commissioner of agriculture, and attorney general.

Who Gets To Vote

Registered Democrats may only vote in the Democratic primary, and registered Republicans may only vote in the Republican primary. Independent or unaffiliated voters may participate in either primary. Voters who registered with a party that is not officially recognized by the state may also vote in either primary.

Delegate Allocation Rules

West Virginia’s 20 pledged Democratic delegates are allocated according to the national party’s standard rules. Four at-large delegates are allocated in proportion to the statewide vote, as are three PLEO delegates, or “party leaders and elected officials.” The state’s two congressional districts have a combined 13 delegates at stake, which are allocated in proportion to the vote results in each district. Candidates must receive at least 15% of the statewide vote to qualify for any statewide delegates, and 15% of the vote in a congressional district to qualify for delegates in that district.

There are 32 delegates at stake in the Republican presidential primary, all of which will go to the winner.

Decision Notes

Justice, a popular governor who was endorsed by Manchin in 2016 before Justice’s party switch led to a falling out between the pair, is favored to win the Republican nomination for the Senate. To have a shot at beating him, Mooney would probably have to rack up high numbers in his own 2nd congressional district.

The governor’s race, meanwhile, has become a messy messaging war as the candidates vie for the state’s conservative base, with Morrisey having spent most on the race as of the latest filing deadline, followed by Capito and Miller. All four of the top candidates have some sort of statewide appeal, since two currently hold statewide office and the others have famous last names.

Capito had represented Kanawha County for about seven years when he resigned in December to focus on his campaign for governor, and may be able to count on a small pocket of votes in the Charleston-based county.

On the Democratic side, Elliott’s endorsement from Manchin, a longtime fixture in West Virginia politics, could help boost him in the primary. Blankenship, meanwhile, has spent more than $100,000 on broadcast campaign ads, including a slate of ads in which he speaks directly to the camera, arguing that independents should vote for him. And Shrewsbury, who is running as the most progressive candidate with a working-class focus, has been the top spender in the race.

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

What Do Turnout And Advance Vote Look Like?

As of March 31, there were 1,172,783 registered voters in West Virginia. Of those, 31% were Democrats and 40% were Republicans.

In the 2020 primaries, turnout was 15% of registered voters in the Democratic primary and 17% on the Republican side.

As of May 9, a total of 55,358 ballots had been cast before Election Day.

How Long Does Vote Counting Usually Take?

In the 2022 election, the AP first reported results at about 7:40 p.m. ET, or 10 minutes after polls closed. The election night tabulation ended at about 11:20 p.m. ET with about 87% of total votes counted.

W.Va. Democratic Party Chair Explains Political Campaign Strategies

While Republican candidates dominate the media leading up to next week’s primary election, there are also Democrats up and down the ballot running for state offices. Their campaign strategy, however, takes a different path.

Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, chair of the West Virginia Democratic Party, spoke with Government Reporter Randy Yohe on the efforts to rebuild the party and restore Democrats to state offices.

The transcript below has been lightly edited for clarity.

Yohe: What has been the Democrats’ overall philosophy for running candidates in the primary election?

Pushkin: During the candidate recruitment process, obviously, we’re looking for community leaders, people who run on a record, and people who are qualified to do the job that they’re seeking. We’re recruiting people who are true public servants, rather than just people seeking political gain.

Yohe: In the state constitutional or Board of Public Works offices, there are single Democratic candidates, except for attorney general. There’s no candidate for state treasurer in the primary. So what’s the game plan for these particular posts?

Pushkin: It’s very difficult right now for Democrats in West Virginia. We feel that the people deserve choices. And we were able to field candidates in all but one of the Board of Public Works races. The thing is candidates on our side are far more qualified to do the job.

Yohe: What kind of work on the ground has gone into finding and running the candidates for all the open state Senate and House of Delegates offices?

Pushkin: It started with helping to rebuild the county Democratic Executive Committees, getting people on the ground in different parts of the state, and that’s a work in progress. We’ve got a whole lot of work ahead of us to rebuild this party, and to start winning back seats up and down the ballot. It is what we feel would result in a better government for the people of West Virginia. What they have now is a supermajority that’s the least transparent government we’ve ever seen and the least accountable government we’ve seen in a long time. It doesn’t really seem to respond to the will of the people.

Yohe: Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango was the 2020 Democratic candidate for governor running against Jim Justice. In 2024, it’s Huntington Mayor Steve Williams. However, Salango did consider running again. Can you talk about the agreement between the two men and the party and how that came about?

Pushkin: I can’t comment on private conversations between Commissioner Salango and Mayor Williams, but I do feel we have a great candidate for governor [in] Mayor Steve Williams. He’s the only three term mayor of Huntington and he was elected to three terms because he’s done a great job. People forget when he took over as mayor, Huntington was in pretty bad shape. He has really turned that city around and he’s got a great story to tell.

Recently, Mayor Williams has called on our current governor, Gov. [Jim] Justice, and the Republican legislature to allow the people to vote on a constitutional amendment to restore reproductive freedom in West Virginia. In state after state when the people get to choose, they have chosen to restore this right that has been on the books for over 50 years. I think it’s important to let the people decide and put freedom on the ballot this year. So we stand with Mayor Williams calling for this measure to be put on the ballot.

Yohe: How robust will Williams’ campaigning be leading up to the general election in November?

Pushkin: He’s going to run a great campaign. He has the benefit of not having a primary. On the Republican side, they’ve had a bitterly fought primary. And we have been inundated with commercials that really do not address the issues at all. While they’re fighting over who can run the most shocking ads and bickering over social issues that really don’t have a whole lot to do with the day to day lives of West Virginians, Mayor Williams is actually talking about real issues. He’s going to continue to discuss real issues that affect the day to day lives of West Virginians up until November.

Yohe: There’s the theory that intense primary campaign mudslinging by the Republican gubernatorial candidates might drive voters over to the Democratic candidate come general election time. Your thoughts on that theory?

Pushkin: We watch these ads from the Republicans running for governor. Is there any real difference between any of the top four candidates? I mean, their commercials are really just interchangeable. It’s all about the same things. And all of that is really meaningless when it comes down to the day to day lives in West Virginia. Mayor Williams is talking about real issues, he’s running a real campaign based on real issues that affect the lives of West Virginians. What he’s talking about is actually meaningful, instead of this ridiculous cultural war stuff that we see on the other side. I don’t really see any difference between the major Republican candidates, but we’re providing a real difference and a real choice for voters and Mayor Williams this fall.

Yohe: Anything else you want to tell me about this subject I didn’t ask?

Pushkin: We know what we’re up against here in West Virginia. It’s been rough for Democrats in the last couple of cycles, but we’re going to continue to keep fighting. We feel that people deserve choices. I trust that people are going to make the right choices in many of these races. We’re going to keep working and continue to talk about real issues, while the Republicans try to out-Trump each other.

Preserving A Historic Black Church And A Conversation With Mike Pushkin On This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, we hear from Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, chair of the West Virginia Democratic Party, on the efforts to rebuild the party and restore Democrats to state offices ahead of this primary election. Also, we hear about preservation efforts for a historic Black church in Harpers Ferry.

On this West Virginia Morning, while Republican candidates dominate the media leading up to next week’s primary election, there are also Democrats up and down the ballot running for state offices. Their campaign strategy, however, takes a different path.

Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, chair of the West Virginia Democratic Party, spoke with Randy Yohe on the efforts to rebuild the party and restore Democrats to state offices.

Also, in this show, Harpers Ferry is a hot spot for Black history in West Virginia. The town was home to a major abolitionist uprising, a Black civil rights conference and the historically Black Storer College.

But preserving the city’s historic sites requires upkeep. When the town’s residents saw a historic Black Baptist church falling into disrepair, the idea for a new preservation project was born.

Now, the project has received a $100,000 rehabilitation grant. Jack Walker spoke with Lynn Pechuekonis, incoming chair of the Harpers Ferry-Bolivar Historic Town Foundation, about what’s in store for First Zion Baptist Church.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.

Chris Schulz produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Candidates In Attorney General Primary Explain Their ‘Missions’

The four primary candidates running for AG, two Republicans and two Democrats, have diverse views on the overall mission of the office.

The attorney general’s (AG) job according to state code is to enforce West Virginia’s laws as they relate to – listed in order – consumer protection, unfair trade practices, civil rights and other important areas.

The four primary candidates running for AG, two Republicans and two Democrats, have diverse views on the overall mission of the office.

Sen. Mike Stuart, R-Kanawha, and former U.S. attorney for West Virginia’s Southern District, said the attorney general’s mission goes into two separate buckets, the first being advancing freedoms by pushing back against federal overreach.

“The freedom to drill, frack and mine. I call it the beautiful bounce for energy beneath our feet,” Stuart said. “The freedom to push back against federal overreach that tries to shut down our jobs, that fights against our values. We’ve really gotten to a point of great federal intervention in every aspect of our lives, whether it’s education, whether it’s the transgender radical movements that we see today, whether it’s the second amendment, it’s the attorney general, the only person who can take on the federal government to push back when they try to cram their values down our throats.”

Democratic AG candidate Richie Robb, a Vietnam veteran and former eight-term South Charleston mayor, said consumer protection leads his mission list. Robb plans to focus on utility bills and combating fraud.

“First of all, stepping in to assist the Public Service Commission and their consumer advocacy group in combating utility rate increases as well as utility services,” Robb said. “We have the fourth highest utility rates in the country, and the highest number of power outages. On fraud, it seems to be more prevalent now, and more dangerous, that’s the word I use particularly with respect to the internet and artificial intelligence.”

Like Stuart, Republican candidate, and State Auditor J.B. McCuskey said the attorney general’s mission is two pronged. The first prong; to defend the laws and values of West Virginia against people who want to change them to their own preference.

“What we see is that people from D.C. and New York and California don’t want family centered, traditional value states that depend on natural resources for their economy to be successful,” McCuskey said. “You have unelected bureaucrats throughout the federal government, overstepping their legal and constitutional bounds, in order to fulfill political ideologies.”

Wheeling attorney Teresa Toriseva is the other Democratic attorney general candidate. She said the key to the AG’s mission is to prosecute civil lawsuits where citizens and taxpayers are harmed.

“There are laws, and I trust laws, that only the attorney general can prove damages in a certain way that allows you to actually collect damages for taxpayers,” Toriseva said. “We have bad actors in every single industry, and those actors need to be regulated by some law enforcement agency, and that’s the attorney general. The way the attorney general helps with those simple but pervasive fraud is through education information. One of the things that I want are more satellite offices around the state.”

Stuart said consumer protection is found in bucket two of his AG’s mission. He began that second bucket answer with attacking the drug problem.

“Consumers need protection from the drug dealers that are violating our families, killing our kids and destroying our communities,” Stuart said. “I spent years on the front lines of the opiate crisis. When it comes to traditional consumer protection, whether it’s Medicaid fraud, whether it’s landlord-tenant relationships, whether it’s getting ripped off by a utility company, I intend to be incredibly aggressive.“

Robb said he would not be in lockstep with the current AG’s practice of joining in multi-state lawsuits against the federal government.

“I’m not saying I would not do that. But I would look at it with a great deal of circumspection,” Robb said. “I think if it’s something that I believe will benefit the people of West Virginia, as opposed to a political agenda, I wouldn’t cast it aside with respect to the opioid settlements. But in many senses it’s closing the barn door after the horse has already got out. It’s trying to recoup losses and damages that have already been expended. I want to stop them before they happen.”

McCuskey said his second mission for AG is working as the state’s lawyer, representing citizens and all state government bureaucracies.

“Whoever the next governor is, is going to be relying on me as the attorney general to help them reorganize our bureaucracy in a way that is taxpayer centered,” McCuskey said. “In a way that emphasizes efficiency and effectiveness over added spending. And what I mean by that is, we don’t have a spending problem in West Virginia, we have a process problem. It’s high time that we start requiring our agencies to reform their process, as opposed to always blaming a lack of funding for their lack of results.”

Toriseva said a key to her mission as AG is transparency and trust, something she said the current office holder lacks.

“I don’t believe that the current AG has the trust of the voters,” Toriseva said. “I do not think that it is the AG’s job to be a partisan hack. My work has largely been representing public employees for the last decade, I mean, taxpayers, paid employees, first responders and whatnot. And that means that a lot of my work isn’t in the public eye and easy to read about.”

Voters can consider these differing candidate opinions on the mission of the attorney general’s office before casting their ballots on May 14.

In-Person Early Primary Voting Begins May 1

Early in-person voting in all 55 counties for West Virginia’s 2024 primary election runs from Wednesday, May 1 through Saturday, May 11.

The Secretary of State’s office said all counties will offer early voting during regular weekday hours at all county courthouses or courthouse annexes, and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Several counties will have additional community voting locations that are easily accessible to voters. Days and hours for community early voting locations will vary by county.

“Early voting is a convenient opportunity for many West Virginia voters to cast a ballot when it fits their schedule,” said Secretary of State Mac Warner, who is on the Republican primary ballot for governor. “With 10 days of early voting, which include two Saturdays, voters have plenty of opportunities to plan and participate safely and securely in our primary election.”

To find early voting locations in all 55 counties, click here.

Primary election day is Tuesday, May 14.