Coal leaders split on West Virginia gubernatorial race

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The campaigns of West Virginia’s gubernatorial candidates are in the final four weeks ahead of Election Day.

On Tuesday morning, Chris Hamilton, chair of the West Virginia Business and Industry Council and vice president of the West Virginia Coal Association, said he believed Senate President Bill Cole (R-Mercer, 06), the Republican nominee for governor, had the momentum.

“All the trends that we have seen seem to support the fact that Bill has gained a lot of ground,” Hamilton, a Cole supporter, said during an appearance on Tuesday’s MetroNews “Talkline.”

But Cecil Roberts, UMWA president and supporter of Jim Justice, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, said Justice “needs to be Jim” to “be fine” leading up to Election Day.

“Jim has run a very good campaign. He’s very popular in the state of West Virginia. He’s a native West Virginian. He’s created jobs and turned failures into successes throughout the state,” Roberts said.

On Tuesday night, Cole and Justice were scheduled to be part of the second and final gubernatorial debate before the Nov. 8 general election.

The West Virginia Broadcasters Association was hosting the debate at Charleston’s Clay Center, sponsored by CityNet, with Hoppy Kercheval, host of MetroNews “Talkline,” serving as moderator.

Ahead of the debate, Hamilton offered some advice to Cole, suggesting that Cole highlight the last two years that he’s been Senate president and lieutenant governor.

“His opponent is trying to make the case that he’s a ‘career politician’ just because he currently holds public office, but nothing could be farther from the truth,” Hamilton said.

Roberts said Justice is a proven job creator.

“He’s tried to employ people mainly in West Virginia and other states, but mainly in West Virginia, and he’s tried to keep mines open. He took The Greenbrier and it was in bankruptcy and it has more employees there then, I guess, it’s ever had,” Roberts said.

Charlotte Pritt, the Mountain Party gubernatorial candidate, and Libertarian David Moran were not invited to participate in the Tuesday West Virginia Broadcasters Association debate and last week’s West Virginia Press Association and West Virginia AARP debate.

Oct. 18 is the last day to register to vote or change registrations in West Virginia.

Early voting begins on Oct. 26 and runs through Nov. 5. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.





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