CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Claiming “it’s still early” in the 2016 election cycle, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito confirmed her involvement in discussions among three potential Republican gubernatorial candidates.
Capito (R-W.Va.) said all three—1st District Congressman David McKinley, state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Senate President Bill Cole—have expressed interest in running for governor next year.
“I have a lot of respect for all three of them. I’ve worked with all three of them, which is kind of a nice avenue for me, and I want to make sure that we reach a good conclusion here,” Capito said.
No Republicans have announced gubernatorial campaigns.
“We all want to avoid a bloody primary for a lot of different reasons,” she said. “We want a governor who’s going to create jobs and do great things for West Virginia and be able to be creative and not backslide into our old habits.”
She called the 2016 election “a great opportunity” for West Virginia.
Currently, Republicans control both the state Senate and state House of Delegates while Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, a Democrat, leads the executive branch.
Last week, Jim Justice, a billionaire businessman and owner of The Greenbrier Resort, launched his campaign for the Democratic nomination for governor. It’s his first run for political office. Forbes estimated Justice’s net worth totals more than $1.67 billion.
Capito said such personal wealth alone may not be enough to make Justice the winner. “West Virginia is still a very personal state. They want to see who (you are) and how you’re running,” she said, noting her first U.S. House of Representatives race when she was outspent 7-1.
“I still was able to squeak through in a victory because of the campaign that I ran. I think that money can do a lot of things, but I don’t think it can buy love and affection at the ballot box in the numbers that probably some people might think,” she said.
In addition to Justice, Senate Minority Leader Jeff Kessler (D-Marshall, 02) has filed pre-candidacy papers to run for the Democratic nomination. Once a pre-candidacy form is filed, a candidate can begin accepting campaign contributions.
Capito said McKinley, Morrisey and Cole all would be formidable candidates, but she’s not yet publicly endorsing any of the Republicans yet.
“There’s still a lot that can happen between now and the days that you actually file to run next year,” Capito said. “I think we’ll have a great Republican candidate once the dust settles.”
According to the Secretary of State’s Office, the candidate filing period will be from Jan. 11-Jan. 30, 2016. Primary election day in West Virginia is May 10, 2016.