Democratic Mayor Steve Williams announced his bid for governor of West Virginia, becoming the first and only member of his party to enter the race so far.
Williams, who is the mayor of Huntington, said at Monday’s “United Mine Workers of America 84th Annual Labor Day Celebration” that he plans to run for governor.
TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL KEN PAXTON’S IMPEACHMENT TRIAL TO BEGIN: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
“To the folks in the crowd, I said, ‘I’m the grandson of two coal miners, and I’m standing on their shoulders,’ and I wanted them to know this grandson of two coal miners is going to be running for governor next year,” Williams said, according to WOWK 13 News.
He is the only Democrat who has signaled intent to enter the gubernatorial race. Democrat Ben Salango, who ran to replace Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) in 2020, said he would not seek the state’s executive seat. If no other Democrats enter the race, it will mark the fewest Democrats running for governor in at least 75 years, according to Politico.
Williams told WOWK 13 News he will be filing the paperwork to run in the first week of October.
On the other side, seven Republicans have filed pre-candidacy papers to replace Justice. West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announced his bid for governor in April.
A pre-candidacy paper allows campaigns to begin fundraising and requires campaign finance reports. A candidate must file a separate certificate of announcement and pay $1,500 to become a candidate in the race, per campaign rules. The filing period begins in January.
Justice’s term ends on Jan. 13, 2025, terming out after serving two consecutive terms as governor. He was first elected to governor in 2016, and he won as a Democrat.
He is running to replace Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) in the U.S. Senate. Justice is also facing a lawsuit from the Justice Department for owing fines due to violations at his coal companies.
The governor currently holds a strong lead over Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV) in the Republican Senate primary race. Justice and Mooney are the two strongest threats to Manchin’s seat, as Manchin has been targeted by Republicans as being too liberal for West Virginia.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Manchin has not announced whether he will run for reelection. He has hinted at seeking higher office, possibly on a third-party ticket for the 2024 presidential election.
In a general election matchup against Manchin, Justice holds 51% of the likely votes, while Manchin sits at 38%, according to a poll. A matchup between Mooney and Manchin revealed a narrow race, with 45% of voters reporting their support for Manchin, compared to 41% for Mooney.
