MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia 1st District Congressman David McKinley (R-W.Va.) confirms he is “seriously considering” a run for the Republican nomination for governor in 2016.
“We’re giving that a lot of consideration,” McKinley said on Tuesday’s MetroNews “Talkline.”
“Just a lot of facts have to come into play, (like) whether we can be of more service in the federal government or back here at the state. We don’t know.”
McKinley was first elected to the U.S. House in 2010 when he flipped a seat that, since 1969, had been a solid one for Democrats — with both Robert Mollohan and his son, Alan, representing West Virginia’s 1st District in Washington, D.C.
McKinley is a past chair of the West Virginia Republican Party who has previously run for governor.
In the 1996 Republican gubernatorial primary election, Cecil Underwood beat McKinley and Jon McBride in the Republican primary election. Underwood went on to win the November general election that year.
McKinley, a Wheeling native, began his 3rd term in the U.S. House this past January. With a background in professional engineering, he serves on the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
As of now, McKinley is not ruling out another term on Capitol Hill.
“We’re doing fact-finding,” he said. “At this point in my life, I’m not looking for another career. I’m trying to find out — what’s the best way that we can help turn this economy around? I’m tired of West Virginia always being last in all these numbers.”
The 2016 primary election in West Virginia is scheduled for May 10 of next year. The general election will be held on Nov. 8, 2016.