Poll: Morrisey Leads Way in West Virginia GOP Gubernatorial Primary

Patrick Morrissey Victory
Ron AgnirThe Journal via AP Photo
Nick Gilbertson

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R) leads the race for the state’s Republican gubernatorial nomination, according to a Research America/Metro News West poll.

However, the outlier poll published on Thursday breaks with trends seen over recent months, which have shown Morrisey with solid double-digit leads. The poll has him two points ahead of Moore Capito, a former state delegate and son of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).

Of the 400 likely Republican primary voter respondents, 31 percent back Morrissey, while 29 percent support Capito. Businessman Chris Miller lands at 16 percent, Secretary of State Mac Warner (R-WV) takes 12 percent, and three percent prefer another candidate. One in ten are undecided.

Morrisey has the support of 32 percent of Republicans and 27 percent of independents, while 25 percent of Republicans and 38 percent of independents back Capito. The poll was conducted from April 3-9 with a confidence level of ± 4.9 percentage points.

Though Morrisey leads, the poll deviates substantially from every poll in the race, FiveThirtyEight has documented, dating back to October. For instance, an Emerson College poll conducted March 19-21 found Morrisey with a 17-point lead over the field, with Capito in third place.

Morrisey was at 33 percent, followed by Miller at 16 percent, Capito at 14 percent, and Warner at six percent. In that poll, nearly three in ten respondents were undecided.

Emerson College Polling sampled 735 likely voters, with a margin of error of ± 3.6.

The Emerson poll was followed by a WPA Intelligence poll sponsored by the pro-MorriseyBlack Bear PAC, which also had the attorney general up 17 points.

The poll, which sampled 501 likely voters from April 1-3, had Morrisey at 37 percent, Capito at 20 percent, Miller at 19 percent, and Warner at 14 percent. The MOE was ± 4.4 percent, according to a tweet from State Government Reporter Steven Allen Adams.

Former President Donald Trump, who has proven himself a kingmaker with his endorsements in Republican presidential primaries, has not endorsed in the race.

However, Donald Trump Jr. in February called on Republicans in West Virginia not to vote for “RINO” Moore Capito as a way to punish his mother for helping advance the Senate foreign aid bill that would commit $60 billion to Ukraine.

Morrisey concurred in a response to Trump Jr’s post on X.

Donald Trump Jr. “is right,” Morrisey wrote, adding “No more #RINOs” and “No MooreCapitos.”

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