FAYETTEVILLE, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Fayette County Delegate Elliot Pritt was joined by friends and supporters at the Fayette County Courthouse this morning as he officially changed his party registration from Democrat to Republican.
Pritt, who currently represents the 50th District in the House of Delegates, says this decision was not made overnight.
“This was not made on a whim, this is a decision that I have been contemplating for months, a lot of it has to do with my ability to be effective and I could no longer in good conscience remain where I was,” Pritt said.
Pritt recently finished his first legislative session after being elected to the House in November of 2022 as a Democrat, defeating Republican incumbent Austin Haynes by 133 votes.
Pritts’ switch leaves the Democrats with only 11 seats in the House of Delegates, bringing the Republican supermajority to 89 members.
Pritt says the switch will allow him to now better represent his constituents in the 50th District.
“They deserve a delegate who understands them, who is as effective as possible, and who represents their beliefs and values,” Pritt stated. “I have to follow my conscience, this isn’t about me, this is about the people I represent.”
Before being elected to the House, Pritt served in the U.S. Air Force from 2008 to 2014. Pritt also earned a bachelor’s degree from Concord University in 2018 and a graduate degree from the same university in 2020 as he currently teaches social studies in Fayette County.
The 50th District consists of the communities of Thurmond, Oak Hill, Pax, Page, Kincaid, Smithers, and Armstrong Creek in Fayette County.
