Moore Capito Brings Gubernatorial Campaign To McMechen
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MCMECHEN - West Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Moore Capito calls himself the "get-it-done conservative."
"I've actually gotten things done," he said during a stop in McMechen on Friday night. "I am the only person in this race who has turned good ideas into good public policy. "
At age 41, Capito is an anomaly during an election year that has attracted many older candidates to races up and down the ballot. He previously served in the West Virginia House of Delegates, where he rose to become chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
He resigned from his elected office at the end of 2024 to concentrate on his gubernatorial campaign.
"Every single day on the campaign trail, we get more energy, and more invigorated about the and more optimistic about the future of West Virginia - just like we are about this campaign," he said. "After over 70,000 miles across the state, it's great to be back home in the panhandle."
Beginning Thursday, he made local stops in Hancock, Brooke and Ohio counties before ending the day Friday night in McMechen at a meet and greet at Jerry's Bar - an establishment owned by Jake Padlow, GOP candidate for the District 6 state House of Delegates seat.
"It's good to be home," Capito said. "Every place we've gone, our momentum builds and the more voters we get to talk to. I think the more reception we get, the closer we get to our vision of West Virginia. And that's having a new generation of leadership that it get it done conservatively.
"We have a real opportunity to take West Virginia to the next level, have explosive growth, and grow jobs and opportunities to keep people here," he said. "We're going to need someone with the energy and grit and the vision and dedication to West Virginia to do that."
Capito poked fun at his graying hair and high hairline.
"I always say I've never heard anybody with this hairline referred to as 'young,'" he continued. "I believe my energy is absolutely an aspect. We lean on the fact we have the experience and the energy to be able to take West Virginia to the next level. When we go around and talk to people, they want somebody who can talk to a generation who is no longer in West Virginia. So many people I went to high school with aren't here anymore.
"We're telling the story of what West Virginia does look like, what West Virginia can look like, and what West Virginia is going to look like - and that's a state with a lot of young families and new job opportunities."
Capito said after traveling the state and listening to concerns of residents, two issues seem to jump out as being the most important to them.
The first is public safety.
"As a father of two young children, I can tell you I want safe communities for my young children," Capito said. "It's not only a moral responsibility we have to the people of West Virginia, it's an economic one. If we can claim the banner of having the safest cities in the country, we will grow."
Education also is important to West Virginians, Capito has observed.
He has been stopping at schools where students are engaged in career and technical education.
"They're learning trades, and they're ready to enter the workforce," Capito said. "For far too long, we have made college the goal. College isn't for everybody.
"Our focus has to be on getting our people employed - and that means finding the job opportunities and the workforce opportunities to meet the next generation of jobs."
At the end of the day, it's all about jobs and growing opportunity, he continued.
"We need bigger paychecks for our people, and we will continue to focus on that by lowering taxes and tearing down regulation," Capito said.
He promises the first day after he takes office as governor he will hire an innovation officer to make certain "every entrepreneur has a conduit to the governor's office."
"Our communities are stronger when we grow our small businesses," he said. "West Virginians are entrepreneurial to their backbone, and we're going to make sure entrepreneurs have every opportunity to grow their businesses right here in West Virginia."