The 19th: West Virginia GOP Governor Primary Turns Anti-Trans
The race for governor in West Virginia is heating up as Republican candidates vie to outdo each other in their promises to restrict LGBTQ+ rights, with a particular focus on transgender individuals. With the primary elections approaching on May 14, the two leading GOP candidates, Patrick Morrisey and Moore Capito, are neck and neck in the polls, closely followed by Chris Miller and Mac Warner.
All four candidates, who are White, cisgender, straight men, are strong supporters of former President Donald Trump and have made anti-trans rhetoric a central theme of their campaigns. The final weeks of the gubernatorial contest have seen a series of one-upmanship ads attacking each other’s records on LGBTQ+ rights, with accusations flying about who is the most anti-trans candidate.
The focus on anti-trans policies comes amid a national trend of increased legislation targeting transgender individuals, with hundreds of bills considered at various levels of government last year. Despite polling showing that a majority of Americans do not support restrictions on gender-affirming care, GOP politicians in West Virginia and elsewhere have made it a central issue in their campaigns to appeal to the most fervently anti-LGBTQ+ portion of the Republican base.
The candidates have spent millions on ads related to their campaigns, with support for Trump and anti-trans policies being the most-mentioned issues. Morrisey, in particular, has a history of using litigation to limit LGBTQ+ rights, and has pledged to appeal recent rulings supporting transgender rights in the state.
The anti-trans focus of the leading GOP candidates has drawn criticism from some quarters, with the editorial board of a local newspaper rebuking them for targeting a minority population. Despite this, the candidates have shown a reluctance to engage with the media on their campaigns, with only one of the contenders participating in a candidate forum.
As the primary election approaches, the focus on anti-trans rhetoric has overshadowed other key issues facing the state, such as the economy, education, and healthcare. A Republican candidate is heavily favored to win the governor’s race in the general election, with the only Democrat in contention being Steve Williams, the mayor of Huntington.
With early voting already underway and ending on May 11, the race for governor in West Virginia continues to be dominated by the candidates’ promises to restrict LGBTQ+ rights, particularly those of transgender individuals.
