Introduction
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R) announced his run for governor on Tuesday.
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Content
I want to thank everyone here, hang on it looks like our mic went out over here.
You know what, unfortunately I don't have a problem speaking with a loud voice.
What a warm welcome for one of your own.
Are you ready, Eastern Panhandle for a big announcement? Let's be so energized to be with you with I see so many people around the room who stood with me when I first ran for attorney general in 2012 and you've stayed with me as we thought and won for West Virginia and we'll never let you down now special thanks today to my wife, Denise.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Everyone who knocked on the door made a phone call wrote a check and defended me along the way.
Thank you thanks, Jim and Gary, and Ann and Elliot and Lynn and Eric and Patricia, and so many others who are here today.
I come before you with a very clear purpose: I'm seeking the Republican nomination for governor of West Virginia.
Make no mistake about it.
We are going to win improving conservative in this race, with the Deep record of fighting and winning against the political Elites successfully defending our West Virginia values and accomplishing the big things West Virginia's care about.
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir, as Governor I'll protect our jobs, I'll fight to put more money in your pockets, we're going to advance educational excellence in a way you've never seen before super Patrol, economic and Workforce growth and we're going to defend families from the ravages of drugs and the woke anti-freedom forces of Washington DC or the swamps of Charleston I'll have your back and we will uphold conservative values down on us.
I'll stand up to them and I'll tell them what West Virginia is all about.
That's good, West Virginia is worth fighting deep and abiding passion for West Virginia I've, always viewed those who've known me for a while I say: West Virginia is that shining state in the mountains.
We have the most amazing people, a natural landscape and a beauty.
That's Second, To None, a strategic location, we're within 10 hours of 180 million people.
That's a lot of opportunity for our goods and services.
We have a low cost of living and far less crime than other states in a bounty of Natural Resources, which can help power.
The energy needs of America in the 21st century, but let's be clear.
West Virginia also has many challenges through Decades of mismanagement, West Virginia labored under the failed big government and anti-freedom policies to put the political Elites first and the people last right right.
That set us on a course for shrinking population, the lowest Workforce participation rate in the nation, a lower standard of living than all the states that we touch a crumbling infrastructure and an educational system that left so many of our kids Behind.
Now, in recent years, some of your elected officials in the Republican Party have been working to change that and we're beginning to see some positive trend lines.
Lower taxes.
A lot of new business starts, which is great educational, Choice, the first truly comprehensive plan for attacking the drug epidemic.
Some really really good stuff.
West Virginia is on the rise, and we are grateful for the folks who are helping turn our state around.
But we need to take this to the next level in 2020.
Today, I stand before you as the only proven conservative in this race who has worked on lead and won on the most critical challenges facing our state.
Now others are going to profess their aspirations and goals, but I'm the only one in this race who knows what it takes to deliver on the big projects that move the needle.
We also know how to drain the swamp shampoo of my record serving you, the people of West Virginia, as attorney general I, took on the federal government whenever it threatened our jobs and our way of life, and we won yeah Instagram and then press an apply them.
Try to shut down our energy jobs in West, Virginia I stood up and I said no I led two massive State coalitions against Obama and Biden.
That went all the way up to the U.S Supreme Court and we won both times that most recent win a case entitled West Virginia for EPA is one of the most important cases for our state and our country in decades, and that's because we not only took on Biden's premium deal and protected West Virginia jobs.
We want a huge Victory against the administrative State yeah right.
West Virginia will always remain free from federal overreach and the grips of Washington DC.
When IMS a point now right now, I'm leading a 25- state Coalition against the so-called Waters of the United States, ruled because the fight Administration can't seem to respect the rule of law and if you're, a farmer in Jefferson County an energy producer in Harrison County, a contractor in Charleston a realtor and reply, or just care at all, about Economic Policy.
You should care about this rule when the Biden Administration the swamp and the political Elites tried to force you to take the jab I said no yeah.
Thank you, unlawful mandate.
We want every one of those cases, but one I've defended Common Sense, West, Virginia conservative values.
In a way that no one else has right now we're awaiting word at the U.S Supreme Court on our women's sports case, because in West Virginia we stand for what we think is a basic non-controversial position.
Biological males should not be playing in women's sports.
The elites are trying to force their deranged now he's honestly, yes, sir, but men are biologically different than women.
I should encounter.
West Virginia will be the place where woke anti-freedom and job killing ideas go to time, I've.
Let them away I successfully defended charter schools and the Hope Scholarship is one of the most expansive school choice.
Our kids deserve the very best yes and I fought in one for them as Governor I'll, expand school choice and have the money follow the child.
West Virginia wants someone who's not going to Flinch when it comes to upholding our West Virginia conservative values.
I.
Have it and I won't my record? It's strong.
Yes, we've defended the sanctity of life.
I led the way back in 2013 when I was the first pro-life attorney general in State history now I'm defending our state's abortion laws, because every baby deserves our protection.
You're not gonna, have to worry where I stand on the issue of Life on our gun rights, I've been a national leader, look not only racking up the A-Plus ratings, but actually making progress.
Getting big things done, 38 States we enjoy done reciprocity with constitutional parents and right now, I'm leading a 25 State Coalition nationally against the by administration's pistol-grace rule, a rule that targets the disabled and the elderly.
I look out for taxpayers generating about two billion dollars.
That's two billion dollars in settlement value and savings for West Virginia, some of that by just going after good, old-fashioned Fraud and Abuse, we created a disability fraud unit over the objections of Democrats and some Republicans, and we fought to protect the credit Integrity of the disability program.
We run a lien and efficient office and have instituted competitive bidding for how we pay outside counsel.
And now we have some of the lowest attorney's fees in the nation.
Taxpayers are now on Pace to save over 100 million from this policy alone, due to our leadership.
Imagine for a moment what's going to happen when I'm governor and we run the entire executive branch with that same type, yeah and millions and millions of dollars going after wasted abuse on one of the biggest challenges of the day staring down the opioid epidemic I've delivered for West Virginia.
Yes, sir and I'm one of the best records of the nation taking on this terrible scourge, we sued the DEA and attacked the problem of the opioid epidemic holistically and demanded accountability from the culpable activism within the pharmaceutical Supply Channel.
Thanks to my lawsuit and others, I could proudly report.
West Virginia has earned the highest per capita drug settlements in the country over one billion dollars in total.
In many cases we doubled the national average all in the face of the swamps and the political Elites who played politics with people's lives.
Instead of addressing this terrible problem, but I stuck to my guns and we want beat for West Virginia, we have a first of its kind plan to attack the drug epidemic.
A plan endorsed by every County most of the cities, every Senator 94 members of the House, with the federal plague, reaching an all-time high and consumption overflowing and shifting to heroin and Federal.
Our next governor and federal and state officials are going to need to aggressively attack the oversupply, flooding our streets, these deadly ingredients originating in China and going to the Mexican drug cartels.
Where the product is finished, it gets smuggled into the United States.
Then they eventually make their way right here to West Virginia, sad to say, but the policies of Joe Biden are literally poisoning West Virginia and my office has already sued the Department of Homeland Security on its failure to enforce the law, and we have put huge pressure on Joe Biden to list fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, steps and move to a whole new level and will bring the full force and authority of the estate's executive branch behind our work.
My friends, my record of accomplishment on the big challenges facing West Virginia and defending our West Virginia conservative values is unmatched.
Now everyone running is going to say that they can deliver for you.
They're going to make promises, but no one else can back it up with actual results: defending the West, Virginia conservative values we care about except me, fire winner.
Yes, I took on the fights many times when they weren't popular Time, After Time, After Time.
Our next Governor is going to have some new challenges to face and West Virginia is going out to decide who they want leading the way you well.
Thank you, proven conservative record of upholding West Virginia values and winning a lot or someone who has never taken on the swap or defeated them or taking on the political Elites.
This is not an entry-level job.
West Virginia needs a proven and accomplice.
Conservative leader fighter and winner in the governor's office, now I'm, not from a family with the political pedigree, I think that's uh ice I'm, the only one in the race who could say that I didn't grow up with much money.
Many people know I paid my own way through school I was first in my family to graduate college in law school.
You know like most West Virginians I learned the value of hard work from my dad and my mom.
My dad was an account manager at steel companies.
He was a veteran actually fought in the battle of the Bold.
She got wounded.
My mom, my mom was a VA nurse to tell me the stories of taking care of vets and cleaning their wounds.
I learned a lot from them.
Most importantly, growing up I learned I had to fight for everything.
I got I learned about work ethic.
Nothing was handed to you.
After Law School I opened up my own small law practice.
I struggled I struggled when a client didn't pay his bills.
I got hit pretty hard, I nearly went bankrupt, but I didn't I took odd jobs.
I waited tables just to make ends meet.
It was a defining point in my life.
I survived and learned some valuable lessons.
I know of many hard-working West Virginians are going through.
I know the importance of that Weekly take-home pay right now.
Inflation is brutalizing, West Virginia, the price of food and energy is through the roof.
Some people are just trying to survive.
Going paycheck to paycheck as your next Governor all things like to help all those suffering from the ravages of inflation.
We need to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves and lift our state out of the poverty platiness as your next Governor I'll Focus, like a laser beam on making sure you have fewer burdens, as you try to make ends meet that'll include, lowering your taxes and making our skates right even more competitive with other states we touched yeah tonight is your governor.
Won't policies and federal Outreach will stop at our state line.
I will be your iron wall between you, the political Elites, the Swap and the woke up.
We will defeat them experiences, winning and fighting to the governor's office, we're going to improve West Virginia's standard limit and increase take-home pay, so we can spend more time with our families.
Maybe watch some Mountaineer game.
See Marshall, where the shepherd play will compete much better with other states and grow our economic strength.
Building our state's recent successes we will and we must for our Workforce and our population.
That is our biggest challenge.
Today alone, we have over 65 000, open jobs in the state.
Think about that.
Just imagine if we could start by filling half of those jobs.
Look what that alone would do to our economy.
In the upcoming months, I'll be rolling out plans to address State, Workforce and population problems.
That must be a key priority for our next governor I'm.
Also going to do everything imaginable to keep our kids here and bring more young families into our state to raise a family work and thrive in West Virginia to get the next hundred thousand people here, we need to appeal to what a better standard economic education, education, a Broadband platform that not only has high-speed internet but folks who actually take your customer service, calls I love the place back in 2006 I was in awe of the beauty of the Mountain State I used to hike on the Appalachian Trail get in a kayak in the Shenandoah not too far from here.
I wanted to be part of that amazing history of Harper's Ferry that was so famous from the Civil War that so many people wrote about I, moved here, because I loved this wild and wonderful State, it's Beauty and its Rich history.
The mountains called me home, and you have embraced me now.
Let me repay that kindness by having me serve.
You know we have natural beauty and energy resources that can compete with any state in the nation, but we must leverage those strengths now.
One of the reason why one of the reasons why I fight so hard for cold Gas, Energy and manufacturing jobs seg because I know we can advance your state quicker if we leverage our energy economy and protect those jobs.
Yes, yes, as a turning Channel I fought and won more fights to protect energy UPS than virtually anyone in the country.
Imagine how effective I'll be as your energy governor.
Thank you, Governor I'm, going to double down on our fight to reduce regulations, there'll be more pipelines, built we'll, keep cold fire power plants online and finally create that long-awaited Appalachian Storage Shop to Spur the development of new Industries and businesses.
West Virginia coal once powered the nation's energy needs.
Our colonatural gas can do that in the future.
If we overcome the Regulatory and the woke barriers blocking the property, do that job as Governor from a guy that just took on Biden's Green New, Deal, M1, Advanced, educational attainment in West Virginia by supercharging, our school choice, programs and focusing on how West Virginia can lead the way nationally to fit the workforce needs of the 21st century.
We're going to increase the amount of money that follows the child, get our kids ready for the new opportunities in front of them.
That also means we're going to stop the brainwashing in our schools.
Thank you, May! Listen to me.
So they try to indoctrinate our children.
We will not let them fairly and attract more of them to West Virginia and we have to commit to votech education become a national leadership development for plumbers, for electricians, yeah contracts for manufacturing jobs, one of the takeaways from the pandemic is that many people starting to work remotely.
We have to be able to better take advantage of that where we're locating what we're doing move to our state.
If the internet moves at the speed of slow, we'll continue to build our state's infrastructure fix the roads, damn it will make state government work more effectively, will focus on the law, enforcement, Corrections and Foster Care problems, and many of these issues that have been left on the back burner for far too long.
Yes, yes, and we must continue to protect and preserve our West Virginia conservative and cultural values and build even larger multi-state coalitions to oppose Federal operations.
My watch watch West Virginia won't just have an attorney general deployed to fight the swamp and the political Elites, while the governor, an entire executive branch dedicated to protecting our jobs, our freedoms, our constitution, the rule of law from all threats.
West Virginia will be that place where woke goes to die.
Yeah now, I'm right for these fights and the opportunity to lead West Virginia to the next level, I'm.
The only proven conservative running, with the record of taking on the far left, the political Elites and anyone else who threatens our way of life and we win.
No one else can say that we can have it all be that shining state in the mountains a place where free to lives, our jobs are plentiful and our culture remains rich, but you need a governor who understands the threats happening at this point of time in our Republic and the States involved in taking those threats down.
Finally, I can't leave this stage today without addressing some incredibly disturbing news that came out several days ago.
Yes, president Trump was indicted.
It was no ordinary indictment.
It was a political Witch Hunt in a political prosecution.
It's wrong, and all of us should stand strongly against Trump and I'm offered to help, because the travesty cannot stand all right.
We know this is how the other side rolls.
This is how they play I got to fight against some of those same type of corrupt politicians and media when they came after me, I'll always speak out against these type of injustices and I will ensure that West Virginia's voice will not go quietly into the night, will always stand for what's right.
What's right is right and what's wrong, and this is wrong is wrong.
It's time for escape to shine even brighter it's time to elect a true conservative fighter and winner as governor thanks to every one of you for taking the time to come here today we have an incredible incredible mission in front of us.
You folks have inspired me for many years.
I.
Thank you for that, and I can say: God bless.
You God bless West Virginia, God, Bless America.
Now, let's go to work and win this thing.
Foreign.
