MORGANTOWN – The four Republican gubernatorial candidates leading in the polls met on stage Thursday to make their cases to members of the state Chamber of Commerce.
The gubernatorial forum was part of the chamber’s annual conference held at the Greenbrier.
The chamber presented the candidates in alphabetical order: Delegate Moore Capito, House Judiciary chair and son of Sen. Shelly Moore Capito; Chris Miller, owner of the Dutch Miller Auto Group and son of Rep. Carol Miller; Attorney General Patrick Morrisey; and Secretary of State Mac Warner.
Opening statements were followed by a series of questions to all four.
Capito said the most pressing economic and moral issue facing the state is the future of our children and grandchildren.
“I am the get-it-done conservative,” he said, saying he’s a good listener and citing his legislative work on tax relief, election security and helping to shape the West Virginia First Foundation, which is charged with handling opioid settlement funds. “I will always out our people ahead of politics,” he said.
Miller said he expanded his family businesses from two to 26, employing 700 people.
“If I ran my businesses the way our government spend our tax dollars, we’d be broke. … We need to run state government more like a business,” and audit every dime and treat taxpayers like customers, he said.
The state also needs a self-image boost, he added. “We don’t realize how great we have been and we don’t realize how great we can be.”
Morrisey said he is the one proven conservative, with a record second to none on major issues West Virginians care about.
He’s secured millions for the state in opioid suit settlements and fought and won in court against the federal government, he said – in West Virginia v EPA and the Waters of the U.S. Rule. He supports school choice and charter schools. Education will be a top priority in light of the “culture wars” plaguing other states.
Warner said, “The business of America is business.” He cited his military experience and his legal experience as a prosecutor, defense attorney, a teacher training judges around the world and running the world’s largest rule of law program in Afghanistan.
As secretary of state, he said, he’s secured elections and made it easier to start a business. He will focus on jobs, education and protecting West Virginia conservative values. “Our best days are ahead of us.”
Their first question was about reversing the state’s population decline.
Capito said, “Things in West Virginia are on the right track.” Recently, more people have come in than left, and that has to go to the next level.
With recent economic developments and new jobs, “West Virginians are feeling good about being West Virginians again. … You can’t win the game unless you believe you can.” And we must take care of businesses already here, he said: reduce regulations and taxes and continue civil justice reform.
Miller said, “We have to be welcoming to capital and investment.” We are at the beginning of a demographic shift, Miller noted, and West Virginia has what people are looking for: quality of life and low cost of living.
More needs to be done on business regulation and the personal income tax has to be eliminated, he said.
Morrisey said he will have a 100-day plan and compare West Virginia against its border states to make sure we win in every area: taxes, regulations, licensing, workforce.
He will study and use policies that have worked elsewhere, he said, and fight the assault on coal and natural gas jobs.
Warner said, “I’m going to be the education governor.” He said he will prioritize teaching over the social engineering going on in schools in other states.
He will fight the drug epidemic, he said, and work on creating a job-ready workforce and ensuring site development to be ready for new business.
Another question dealt with West Virginia being top-heavy in government compared to 37 other states.
Capito said, “Local officials know best.” But state officials talk to local officials too often and don’t listen enough.
He would launch an engagement tour to visit every local government. “It’s about communication.”
Miller talked about technological solutions to improve government efficiency and save the taxpayers money.
“The taxpayers are the customers,” he said.
Morrisey said we need to shrink government and deal with the priorities of the future. He would audit every state agency, look for efficiencies and eliminate duplication.
The West Virginia First Foundation, he said, is an example of his office working together with local governments to make the best use of opioid settlement dollars.
Warner said, “As a battle-tested leader, I’m not afraid of making the tough decisions.” He reduced his office staff by 15-20%, so there are fewer people doing more and all of his staff is happier.
He cited the quote, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” He doesn’t want to eliminate just for the sake of eliminating, he said — it has to be a collaborative work.
Another question focused on the state falling at the bottom of the national educational report card, the NAEP scores for reading and math.
Miller said the educational bureaucracy is too top heavy. The most important people are the teachers interfacing with students and parents.
But bureaucracy sucks up the money. We need to give teachers more flexibility to teach and provide a culture for growth and learning.
Morrisey said he wants to make more advances toward school choice, so student money follows the child more aggressively, and build on the foundation of charter schools. It will take years and commitment and involving parents and kids.
He wants to focus on the three Rs, not culture wars, he said, and draw on successes of other states’ policies.
Capito said the biggest economic issue is education. “We have to let our teachers get back to inspiring our students.” They can’t do that now because they have too many other burdens.
He too wants school choice for parents. And he cited the need for helping kids succeed at a young age, and the Third Grade Success Act passed last session as one means to do that.
Warner said, “Every minute that you’re in front of a child is like gold.” Therefore, good curriculum is important.
NAEP is one type of educational benchmark, he said, and benchmarks can be useful motivators. He recalled his time at West Point, where regular posting of the grades motivated cadets for success. Under COVID, 43 states dropped in their NAEP scores while seven stayed same. None got better; we just need to get the best benchmark system, he said.
Email: dbeard@dominionpost.com
