Trump-Endorsed AG Faces Dem Mayor on WV Abortion Rights

West Virginia voters are set to choose their next governor on Tuesday, with the candidates presenting starkly different positions on abortion rights.
Republican Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, endorsed by former President Donald Trump, has actively defended the state’s stringent abortion restrictions.
Following a U.S. District Court decision blocking access to abortion pills in 2023, Morrisey stated he would “always stand strong for the life of the unborn.”
In contrast, Democratic Huntington Mayor Steve Williams has advocated for placing the issue directly before voters on a ballot as “a matter of freedom.”
The state famously approved a strict anti-abortion ballot measure six years ago.
It stated that “nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of abortion.” This, along with the later repeal of Roe vs. Wade, leaves West Virginia with an near-total abortion ban.
Morrisey, 56, has served as attorney general since 2012, focusing on conservative causes.
He has defended laws preventing transgender youth from participating in sports and supported scholarship programs encouraging alternatives to public schooling. A self-described “conservative fighter,” Morrisey has also led litigation against opioid manufacturers, securing approximately $1 billion to combat the state’s drug crisis.
Central to Morrisey’s campaign is his defense of West Virginia’s status as one of the strictest states on reproductive rights in the U.S.
A 2022 poll by the state Chamber of Commerce indicated that 51 percent of West Virginians identified as “pro-life,” while 45 percent considered themselves “pro-choice.”
Additionally, 67.7 percent of West Virginians strongly supported exceptions for rape and incest.
Williams, 60, has served as Huntington’s mayor since 2012, implementing strategies to address substance abuse, including establishing the state’s first citywide Office of Drug Control Policy (ODCP).
The ODCP is responsible for developing strategies related to prevention, treatment, and the overall reduction of harmful addictive substances.
He has also equipped first responders with Naloxone and introduced court diversion programs for individuals with substance use disorders. Despite this, West Virginia still has the highest number of drug deaths per 100,000 people in America.
On abortion, Williams has sought to let voters decide.
Earlier this year, he collected thousands of signatures to push lawmakers to place an abortion referendum on the ballot. However, West Virginia is among 25 states that do not permit citizen-initiated ballot measures, leaving such decisions to the legislature.
In the 2024 elections, 10 states have abortion-related measures on their ballots.
Their objectives vary. Maryland’s “Question 1” seeks to enshrine reproductive rights into their state constitution, whereas in Nebraska, voters face two competing initiatives: “Initiative 434” seeks to prohibit abortions after the first trimester, while “Initiative 439” aims to establish a right to abortion up to fetal viability.
The election’s outcome could significantly influence the state’s abortion policies.
Morrisey’s election would likely maintain or strengthen current restrictions, while Williams aims to give residents a direct voice on the matter.
“My opponent is part of the Biden-Harris far-left movement,” said Morrissey. “And that’s not what West Virginians are looking for. ”
Williams has expressed concern that the 2018 vote, where just under 52 percent of voters supported a constitutional amendment stating no right to abortion access, also involved state funding issues—suggesting some voters might oppose funding without wanting to eliminate access entirely.
Though Williams’ push to let voters directly weigh in on reproductive rights could reveal pockets of dissent, West Virginia is poised to remain firmly in the GOP camp.
Trump endorsed Morrisey’s gubernatorial campaign earlier this year.
“Patrick Morrisey has my Complete and Total Endorsement— HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!” he posted to his platform Truth Social shortly after Morrisey secured the Republican nomination for governor.
In 2018, during Morrisey’s U.S. Senate campaign against incumbent Democrat Joe Manchin, his son, Donald Trump Jr., appeared at a campaign event to support him.
West Virginia’s robust conservative presence means a strong turnout for Republican candidates at the top of the ticket remains highly probable—the latest polls have Trump at 60 percent on average, compared to Democratic nominee Kamala Harris’ 29 percent.
Polls statewide open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press