CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Huntington businessman Chris Miller is making another play for political office, announcing his candidacy to replace Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, as the state senator for West Virginia’s fifth district.
Miller, who ran for governor in 2024 and finished third in the Republican primary, does not like what he sees in the state’s financial future and wants an opportunity to do something about it.
“Because of the way the funding works for the Affordable Care Act and Medicare and Medicaid expansion, as our population continues to age and we don’t have a productive workforce below it, then the revenue gets basically upside down, and it’s going to affect the bond ratings and put us into a financial tailspin,” he said Tuesday on 580 Live with Dave Allen.
Stopping the downward trend in West Virginia’s population is Miller’s solution to his economic outlook. He believes making West Virginia a destination for business is crucial to avoiding what he sees as a potential catastrophe.
“It starts and ends with economic development because the solution to every problem that we have, from population to healthcare to the foster care system to everything that involves our economy—we’ve got to add 200,000 people to our state over the next ten years,” he said.
His plan for doing that involves welcoming the growing artificial intelligence industry into the state and making West Virginia a destination for companies with significant power needs. He thinks increased power production to help business development can also help the average citizen.
“If we’re the state in the union that’s power is 80% cheaper than anywhere else, it is an absolute gamechanger because businesses that are power-intensive will come to us, but then you also think about Jim and Suzie Adkins. Both of them are on social security. You cut their power bill by 70-80%; you’ve done something incredibly impactful for them as well, and that’s what good government is,” he said.
As the son of Congresswoman Carol Miller, the younger Miller comes from a political legacy in West Virginia, but that’s not where he sees his greatest value coming from. He envisions his personal business acumen making the biggest impact.
“It matters to have people that understand decisions and consequences and, in particular, unintended consequences because in business, I could make a decision that has unintended consequences if I don’t evaluate them, and it creates nothing but problems,” he said.
The seat Miller is pursuing will be up for grabs this year, as Woelfel announced last week that he would not seek reelection. Doing away with party politics, Miller said Woelfel is “passing the torch” to him to represent the people of Cabell and Wayne Counties.
“Mike and I have played basketball together. I’m close with his sons. They’re my age. They’re great people, and we’re family friends. Get past the political party stuff; they are good human beings. The Woelfels are just great people, and I’d do anything with them,” he said.
The 2026 primary election is scheduled for May 12.