Poll: Morrisey, Capito neck and neck in race for GOP nomination

“This race is tied at this point,” said Chamber President Steve Roberts. “We are obviously paying attention to the campaign finance reports that are due tomorrow, as it appears other candidates also have the resources to change the dynamic of the race.”

Taylor Van Kirk, a spokeswoman for the Morrisey campaign, said Morrisey is “the only proven conservative candidate” in the race.

“Morrisey is the strong favorite among Republican primary voters who will turn out next year,” she said. “Morrisey is also the only Republican candidate who has endorsed President Trump.”

West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner; Christopher Miller, the head of the Dutch Miller Auto Group; and West Virginia Auditor John “JB” McCuskey have all announced 2024 republican gubernatorial campaigns.

There are currently no Democrats declared as gubernatorial precandidates, according to the Secretary of State’s website, but Huntington Mayor Steve Williams has said he’s considering entering the race.

Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango, a Democrat who unsuccessfully challenged Justice for the governorship in 2020, recently said he does not plan to run again.

In the race for the GOP primary for U.S. Senate, the poll found Gov. Jim Justice maintains a strong lead of 56% — 19% over Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va.

“The governor has almost universal name ID in the state and is a well-known quantity,” Roberts said. “It’s probably safe to say that anyone who hasn’t heard of him is very unlikely to vote on Election Day.”

The race for West Virginia Attorney General is developing and remains “wide open,” according to Roberts.

Sen. Mike Stuart, R-Kanawha, received support from 20% of respondents and Sen. Ryan Weld, R-Brooke, received 14%, according to the poll.

“We expect that it is likely that Mike Stuart has better name recognition due to his prior service as a U.S. attorney, but it is clear that this race is wide open and will be very competitive,” Roberts said.

Weld issued a statement in response to the poll.

“This race is exactly what we thought it would be – wide open,” Weld said. “Clearly, this poll shows that the candidate who runs the strongest campaign will win this race. I’m happy to see the race is within the margin of error against someone who has been in politics for at least two decades. With so many undecided voters and this race so close, it is imperative that I continue to travel the state as much as I already have been to meet as many West Virginians as possible.”

The West Virginia Chamber plans to continue polling throughout the year.