CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Public outcry continues for the Republican candidate seeking a House of Delegates seat in the Eastern Panhandle to withdraw from the race.
Chris Clagett has fallen under scrutiny after troubling social media posts surfaced from earlier this year. The 91st District seat covers much of southern Berkeley County. He’s opposed by Democratic candidate David Michaels in the race.
As first reported by West Virginia Watch, Clagett allegedly made disparaging comments in January about African-American women and Muslims, even reportedly calling the Confederate Flag “beautiful.”
Controversy is not new for this seat. In November 2024, Martinsburg resident Joseph de Soto won the seat. He was arrested the following month after allegedly threatening to harm other state lawmakers. Gov. Patrick Morrisey tabbed Ian Masters to fill the vacancy. Masters is not seeking re-election. The state Supreme Court of Appeals heard arguments Tuesday about whether state officials acted improperly by declaring de Soto’s seat vacant.
House of Delegates Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, said on MetroNews “Talkline” Tuesday that concern about Clagett’s social media activity is warranted.
“I think it’s appropriate that there be some scrutiny given to some of this,” Hanshaw said. “I’ve never ever had the occasion to meet Mr. Clagett, but some of those — all of those comments, frankly — are concerning. We don’t have a place in the legislature for bigotry or hatred. I hope that, if the voters of Berkeley County send Mr. Clagett to the House, that he comes with a different attitude.”
Berkeley County Democratic Executive Committee Chairman David Valente condemned the posts during an appearance on Panhandle Live on WEPM.
“His social media presence, especially on Twitter, some Facebook posts — and it’s not just some, there’s a lot of it out there — calls African-American women ‘ill-tempered, foul-mouthed;’ he calls them a term that should not be used,” Valente said. “This is a person that is running to represent the people of the 91st District. I think these are statements that are disqualifying for anybody.”
“I think there’s no place in politics — whether it’s the GOP, the Democrats, the Libertarians, the Constitution Party, the Greens (the Mountain Party); I don’t think there’s any place in any of our politics for racism,” Valente added.
State Democratic Party Chairman Mike Pushkin said there’s plenty of evidence to confirm Clagett indeed made those comments.
“We have about 60 pages worth of tweets and comments from this guy,” Pushkin said. “You don’t need to say ‘allegedly’ made them. He went on the radio and admitted it. He owned it; he said that’s who he is.”
Hanshaw said that it’s important to know who you’re voting for. In this case, he said, red flags were raised by Clagett’s posts.
“When we see things like that, we as voters, we as citizens, ought to immediately be concerned,” Hanshaw said. “We all have a choice when we walk into that voting booth of who’s going to represent us in this representative government that we have here in the United States of America, I’m proud of it.”
“I’m not going to tell anybody else how to vote and choose their representatives,” Hanshaw continued, “but I am going to say that the culture that we seek to perpetuate in the House of Delegates, in the body that I’m responsible for providing some level of leadership for right now, doesn’t condone that kind of bigotry or hatred.”
Many other Democratic delegates also condemned the posts. Republican Michael Hornby, who represents the 93rd District in the House, put out a post of his own.
“Let me be clear – I unequivocally denounce and condemn the recently discovered social media posts by a local candidate,” Hornby posted. “Anyone who wants to hold public office should be held to the highest standard.”
Valente added that he felt it was in the best interests of the state’s Republican Party for Clagett to step down.
“Does it hurt the Republican Party to have him step down? I think it would be better for them long term to have him step down; leave this race, rather than him being an active candidate and represent the party going into November,” Valente said.
Pushkin agreed with Valente, calling for Clagett to withdraw.
“He is unfit to serve,” Pushkin said. “There’s no way that this guy could represent all the people of House District 91. That’s why he needs to save them the embarrassment and withdraw from the race.”
Pushkin called upon Hanshaw and House Republicans to ask Clagett to step down.
“I don’t know what they’re waiting for,” Pushkin said. “I don’t think it should be difficult or controversial to address this type of bigotry and hate speech. It has no place in the legislature. It shouldn’t be difficult for them to do; it’s quite easy.”
Hanshaw said there’s no place in the West Virginia House of Delegates for this type of behavior.
“We’re not going to tolerate it,” he said. “If the voters of Berkeley County choose to send that attitude to the House of Delegates, it will be a lonely place.”