A battle among factions of the Republican supermajority in the state Senate has taken a new twist.
A political action committee associated with Senate President Randy Smith has produced political messaging against a rival member of the Republican majority, Tom Takubo.
“Mountaineer Conservative Coalition Inc,” a non-profit political action committee incorporated in Delaware, has distributed the advertisement against Takubo. The Secretary of State’s Office in Delaware doesn’t immediately provide the identification of corporate officers.
The organization has been described in fundraising materials as a leadership PAC representing Smith’s political interests.
“President Smith had vowed to members that he would not work against incumbents, so it’s disappointing personally,” Takubo, R-Kanawha, said today in a text response to questions about the ad.
A text message to Smith about the advertisement went unanswered.
Smith, a Republican from Preston County, became Senate president last year, in a contested intra-caucus vote.
Smith’s competitors for Senate president were then-Finance Chairman Eric Tarr of Putnam County and Takubo, who had been the chamber’s majority leader. Tarr and Takubo now sit in the back row.
Republicans have a 32-2 majority in the Senate, but there are political fissures within that.
In the coming election cycle, 19 of the 34 seats are being contested, and at least 10 races feature candidates who may be willing to challenge the existing power structure.
Smith is not up for election this cycle, but several members of his base of support will be on the ballot.
The election results could capsize Smith’s leadership, result in Takubo’s rise — or maintain the status quo.
“This temporary leadership group has done absolutely everything opposite of what they complained about. The will of the caucus is out the window. They quit having caucus meetings because they knew the caucus often didn’t agree,” Takubo said of Smith’s supporters.
“They’ve gone entirely against the conservative principles of small government and local control, and they have proactively worked against job creators, education and affordability.”
A group of Senate candidates aligned with Takubo made a politically symbolic gesture of filing to run for office all on the same day earlier this year. Many of those candidates are backed by a different group, “Mountaineer Freedom Alliance” that focuses on an economic growth message.
Takubo is in a primary election race against Charleston attorney Chris Pritt, a former state delegate.
The advertisement against Takubo focuses on a bill that passed the state Legislature in 2021, “The Save Women’s Sports Act.” The policy, signed into law, requires public school and collegiate athletic teams to be designated based on biological sex.
West Virginia’s law has been challenged in a years-long court case that has gone all the way to the Supreme Court. A separate question at the time the bill was being debated in the Legislature was whether the policy would get West Virginia sideways with collegiate sports governing bodies.
The state Senate passed the bill on a narrow vote, 18-15-1.
One of those who voted against it was Takubo.
“Is it a solution looking for a problem? Yes, I think it is,” he said at the time.
“When the college aspect got put into this, that’s what gave me the heartburn. This could cause some major hiccups for a problem we don’t have.”
Today, Takubo said he has “voiced and voted publicly that I wholeheartedly believe boys shouldn’t play in girls’ sports.”
But he continued by saying the amended legislation that passed in 2021 “cost hundreds of thousands of WV taxpayer dollars” in legal costs through the initial court challenge and appeals “because they wanted to play political games.”
The advertisement against Takubo features Paula Scanlan, a former University of Pennsylvania swimmer, who competed against teammate Lia Thomas, the first transgender athlete to win a Division I championship. Scanlan has frequently spoken out about her experiences.
“Tom Takubo betrayed our daughters and made athletes like me less safe,” Scanlan says in the ad. “Tell Tom Takubo to stop endangering West Virginia girls.”
The organization behind the ad, “Mountaineer Conservative Coalition Inc.,” was incorporated last June and put out calls to raise funds the following month. A fundraiser in Morgantown asked for a $25,000 donation.
Fundraiser organizers, particularly the West Virginia Coal Association, expressed appreciation for the positions that Smith, a former coal miner, had taken in support of the industry.
“Of note, there is a formidable challenge underway to Randy’s leadership position from a faction of the State Senate that does not share the same level of appreciation for coal that Randy and his team possess,” wrote coal association President Chris Hamilton in an announcement of the fundraiser.
“That’s why it is important to support Randy now to provide his team with the political support and wherewithal to prevail in 2026 and keep control of the State Senate.”