Morrisey was born in New York and raised in New Jersey. He has been called out for working with and receiving money from out of state anti-Trump lobbying groups.
[Provided by Mac Warner For Governor]
Fairmont, W.Va. – Patrick Morrisey continues to pull out of gubernatorial debates across the state. He has people wondering why he is hiding, what he is afraid to answer, and whether he thinks copying Joe Biden’s “stay in the basement” strategy will work in West Virginia. Always ready to face the voters, Trump trounced Biden by 40 points in 2020 in West Virginia.
To date, Morrisey has pulled out of debates in Beckley, Clarksburg, Logan, and Martinsburg. In the one debate he attended, he did poorly. Even though he sucked all the oxygen out of the room with his bloviating answers, he still failed to reveal whether he and his wife would live in the governor’s mansion.
“At a recent GOP meeting in Preston County, he failed to answer whether he intended to serve all four years as governor,” Warner said. “He has yet to be asked about his wife’s lobbying firm representing abortion firms, Russia, China, and Big Pharma. He probably doesn’t want to answer questions, either, about his wife’s lawsuit against a Republican Women’s Club in Greenbrier County.”
Warner believes Morrisey’s biggest concern is being asked about his acceptance and his touting of $10 million dollars from the anti-Trump group, Club for Growth, and the negative advertising they have been doing on behalf of Morrisey. This out-of-state group has launched massive attacks ads against candidate Chris Miller. Last week when a fake news site struck out against candidate Moore Capito, Mac Warner called on Morrisey to denounce all negative advertising. Warner cited Morrisey’s attacks in the 2018 Republican Primary when Morrisey launched extremely negative ads against Evan Jenkins. Morrisey lost that 2018 US Senate bid to Joe Manchin and the state and country have been paying for that ever since.
Noting that Patrick Morrisey was born in New York and grew up in New Jersey, Mac Warner reminded Morrisey that…”Here in West Virginia, voters want candidates to discuss issues and look people in the eye — not play hide and seek. Slick 5th Avenue marketing, loading people’s mailboxes with oversized postcards, and letting high-paid consultants try to turn Morrisey into something he’s not isn’t going to sell here in West Virginia. You can’t turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse,” Warner said.
“Why would an anti-Trump out-of-state group spend twice as much on Morrisey than Jim Justice spent to get elected governor?” Warner asked. “That’s a lot of money to buy a governor’s office…but it’s not much money to buy a US Senate seat. If they can use the governor’s office as a steppingstone to put Morrisey in the US Senate in 2026, that money will be a pittance to what they’d have to spend in California, New York, or Texas. Remember, Morrisey waited until the last minute — after Jim Justice finally decided to get into the US Senate race — to opt out of the 2024 US Senate race and settle on the governor’s race. Consistent with his 2018 US Senate run, Morrisey wants to be in Washington, DC, not Charleston, WV.”
Throughout West Virginia, GOP committees seek to vet the gubernatorial candidates by having them face the constituents and answer questions. Mac Warner has agreed to debate, answer questions, and sit side by side with the other candidates at any time so voters can compare them as individuals and leaders. Yet, Morrisey now avoids anything resembling a debate. He demands that questions be presented in advance, and he wants to dictate the terms of any multi-candidate meetings. Such limited formats prevent Morrisey, a former DC lobbyist, from having to face his opponents and answer tough questions about his past, his out-of-state connections, and his being devoid of anything other than lawyer experience.
By all accounts, Morrisey finished dead last in the one debate he attended with his three major opponents. That debate was sponsored by the Raleigh County Republican Party and was moderated by radio talk show host Hoppy Kercheval. After that event in Beckley, Morrisey started avoiding further debates and candidate forums. Warner said Morrisey’s refusal to debate is understandable given his weak February performance.
“Republican Party committees and Republican Party leaders should publicly rebuke Morrisey for his cowardice, his desire to obscure his past, and his avoiding tough questions about his out-of-state supporters,” Warner said.
“Why is Patrick Morrisey running from the other candidates and the voters? What is he hiding?” Warner asked. “Glossy postcards in mailboxes are no substitute for serious inquiry and discussion when it comes to who should be West Virginia’s next governor.”
“Here in West Virginia we know politicians like Morrisey,” Warner said. “He takes millions of dollars in out-of-state money to attack native West Virginia opponents. He did it in 2018 when he attacked native Evan Jenkins for the US Senate seat; and then Morrisey went down in disastrous defeat to Democrat Joe Manchin. Morrisey is a proven loser and the state and country have paid the price for that disastrous 2018 loss by Morrisey and his out-of-state backers,” Warner said. “This state has been exploited by out-of-state interests for more than a hundred years; we need to stop this kind of travesty now.”
Warner said state Republican Party committees should demand Morrisey stand up and debate his opponents. “He struts around like a carnival barker claiming singular credit for our state’s successes but hides from any serious inquiry as to his past, his lack of executive experience, his vision, and his intentions,” Warner added.
“I’ve got a message for Patrick Morrisey,” Warner said, “West Virginia is not for sale; come out and let us know who you really are. Be a man. Stand for debates and subject yourself to questions from the voters,” Warner chided.