When West Virginia Republicans head to the polls Tuesday, the choice could not be clearer: maintain the status quo that has stranded our state at the bottom of national rankings, or elect bold leaders who will put West Virginia first.

We witnessed this exact dynamic on the national stage when President Donald J. Trump rode down the golden escalator. He uprooted the old guard, defeated the establishment, and replaced RINOs with America First champions. That is the battle we are fighting right now in West Virginia.

The dividing line is stark. Do we want politicians who tolerate higher taxes, failed test scores, and assaults on our conservative values?

Or do we demand representatives who will fight to eliminate the income tax, stand strong for school choice, create high paying jobs, make life affordable, and protect our values?

If we stick to our conservative values, we compete. We create good-paying jobs. We win.

But to execute that playbook, we need the right players on the field. We need a legislature ready to work.

How did we get into this mess to begin with? The elites, liberals, the corporate media, and the Charleston establishment have driven our state in the wrong direction for years. Entrenched politicians have been walking the halls of Charleston for a long time, endlessly trying the same failed policies while looking out for the same old friends. They have prioritized their own political survival over the fundamentals required to secure West Virginia’s future. It is sadly expected from politicians in Washington, but we hold our leaders in Charleston to a higher standard.

Voters have had enough. I know I have. That is why I’m knocking on doors, making phone calls, and encouraging West Virginians to turn out this election.

I am not satisfied with mediocrity, and I refuse to keep doing things the way they have always been done. We must become ruthlessly competitive with the states in our region.

That requires candidates who are not too afraid to take the bold, decisive actions required to move West Virginia up the economic ladder.

The blueprint for our success is already working. Over just six months, we secured a record-setting $12.8 billion in private-sector investment announcements, projecting over 12,000 new jobs for hardworking West Virginians. I want to work with legislators who possess the vision and the spine to build upon that unprecedented momentum. We need a policy agenda that aggressively lifts our standard of living, advances educational attainment, and protects our values.

West Virginians also demand clean water, but sadly longtime members refused to allow that legislation to move through committee.

Families are feeling the squeeze of inflation, yet status quo legislators said the state needed more of your money to fill its coffers. And when our education system needed the most help — they sought to harm the program that gives thousands of children the right to choose where they go to school.

Voters have had enough.

I am well aware that my approach has ruffled some feathers in the Capitol. That is a good thing. Change is never easy, but right now, it is critical, especially when you stand for conservative principles.

This Tuesday is our opportunity to definitively reject the establishment system of years past. We must back strong voices who model their campaigns on the success of the West Virginia First message. A victory on Election Day is a victory for moving our state forward — securing educational freedom, keeping more money in your wallet, and bringing good-paying jobs to our communities.

West Virginia has a unique opportunity to be the shining state in the mountains. We can build the best state in the nation to live, work, and raise a family. But that only happens if we send a clear, unmistakable message at the ballot box.

It is time to get to work. Vote for better educational attainment. Vote for reducing the income tax. Vote for an end to the status quo. Vote for the side that supports conservative values. Vote for the future of West Virginia.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey, a Republican, is the 37th governor of West Virginia.