Gov. Patrick Morrisey invested into getting some of his candidates nominated in last week’s primary election. Let us hope the governor takes that same passion into a much more meaningful project for our state’s future — turning around decades of population decline.

On Thursday, the U.S. Census Bureau released its latest population figures for cities and towns, based on July 1, 2025 estimates. As expected, only a few cities in West Virginia have seen population increases since the official 2020 Census (Morgantown and Martinsburg are the only two among the cities with 10,000 population or higher). The rest followed what has become a decades-long trend of losing residents.

Wheeling, West Virginia’s fifth-largest city, had 27,003 residents in 2020. As of July 1, 2025, that number has fallen to 25,680. Charleston, which remains the state’s largest city, lost 2,693 residents, from 48,810 in 2020 to 46,117 in 2025. Morgantown, by contrast, grew 231 residents during that time frame (30,062 to 30,293) while Martinsburg now is the state’s sixth largest city with 19,211, up 468 from 2020.

If you go back to the 2000 Census, Wheeling’s population has gone from 31,076 to 25,680. Charleston? From 53,421 residents in 2000 compared to its 46,117. And Morgantown? It has gone from the fifth-largest city in 2000 (26,809) to the third-largest city in 2025.

This is the time for real leadership from Charleston. Gov. Morrisey, upon taking office, promised an economic “backyard brawl” that would make West Virginia more competitive with its neighbors. Nearing 18 months in to his term, West Virginia continues to lag behind in every important indicator. That needs to change — and fast.

What can be done? Perhaps a shift from spending the majority of the legislative session on issues that don’t move the state forward would be a good start. Remember the TEAM-WV concept introduced by Delegate Clay Riley, R-Harrison, that would have allowed for a JobsOhio model here? After passing the House 87-7, it stalled in the Senate. An opportunity wasted.

West Virginia needs a sustained, bipartisan commitment to making this a place where young people choose to stay, where former residents choose to return, and where businesses see genuine opportunity. That means investing in job creation, modern infrastructure, quality schools, affordable housing and vibrant communities. It means embracing innovation rather than resisting it, and measuring every legislative proposal against a simple question: Will this help bring more people here and encourage those already here to stay?

Morrisey has shown he can focus intensely on the battles he believes matter. Now comes the far more important challenge. If he and the Legislature can channel that same energy into reversing West Virginia’s population losses, they will accomplish something far more significant than any primary victory. They will help secure the state’s future.