Republican Governor Jim Justice is a spoiled brat. He clearly thinks the world revolves around him and he can do and say whatever he wants whenever he wants. Unfortunately, I’m beginning to think he may be right.
Justice has barely hidden his disdain for the Goodwins since he and former U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin squared off in the 2016 Democrat primary for governor.
Now a registered Republican, Justice has carried his grudge all the way to 2021 and apparently spreads it over to Goodwin’s spouse.
Goodwin was one of the primary opponents Justice liked to beat on five years ago. And beat on him he did.
Now, Booth Goodwin’s wife, Amy Shuler Goodwin, is Charleston’s mayor. She has some logical suggestions for calling a special legislative session to deal with the drug problem, homelessness and all that goes with it.
Unlike Justice, who takes sole credit for all good things and zero for bad, Amy Goodwin recognizes she needs help in battling the capital city’s drug problems. She’ll get none from this governor.
Mayor Goodwin had some specific issues she wanted the legislature to consider. Like he does when legislators recommend a special legislative session to deal with the Covid pandemic, Justice simply dismissed her request out of hand.
He took part of one “Covid update press briefing” last week to lecture Goodwin on what a horrible city Charleston in general is. No wonder he wouldn’t want to live in the wretched city he described.
How he knows so much about it is hard to say since he still lives in Lewisburg and seldom gets out and about on the streets of Charleston when he’s in town.
For her part, Goodwin remained the classy lady she is while saying she would be happy to work with the governor’s staff to make progress on the drug fight.
Mayor Goodwin, from start to finish, behaved as a proper public official should. She is doing what she feels is best for her city.
During the course of his rambling attack on the Mayor, the Governor referred to her as “Amy baby.” How insulting.
Sexist and evil-spirited. That’s Jim Justice.
The fact is, baby, he wants no special sessions because he seeks no advice from anyone — including the legislature.
Classy in responding was the Mayor. She made it clear she heard his degrading comments but was pleasant and professional in her response. Great job, Mayor.
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Kanawha County Delegate Kayla Young proved the falsity of those advancing the theory that members of the legislature are not concerned about who lives where when redistricting occurs.
Ah, I thought the redistricting committees decided to require a Master’s in geography to figure out their initial district maps to stop folks from theorizing about potential opponents and contests?
It’s great public relations for redistricting committee members to refrain from discussing which current legislators they are placing in which districts. It’s impossible to convince anyone knowledgeable of the legislative process that the members don’t THINK and KNOW who will be pitted against who.
Young apparently earns favor with our friends at The (Charleston) Gazette-Mail by analyzing things such as redistricting for them. The paper’s Lacie Pierson said last week that Young calculated potential races around the state and shared her insight with the reporter.
One quick conclusion from Young and Pierson was that, under the plan favored by House leaders, Young would be facing fellow Democrat Doug Skaff Jr. in a new Kanawha district. The two would theoretically meet in the 2022 Democrat primary.
With Skaff being a big-time vote getter and Young not so much, she told Pierson she had a definite plan for her political future: she’s moving to another district.
I COULD ask the obvious question: is it really worth moving so you can continue your House of Delegates career? When last I checked, the job itself features a $20,000 annual salary.
It’s possible that Young could stay where she is and expand her personal life and income while allowing Skaff to win the House seat. He’s going to win it anyway.
What speaks volumes about my observation is that many legislators who mentioned Young’s moving re-election plans saw nothing suspicious about her re-election plan.
So here’s a new twist to those wanting to be in the legislature: toss any connections to the “roots” of where you live and shop around for a locale where your chances of victory are better. If you don’t like your chances where you are, simply move somewhere else.
To be fair, incumbent Kanawha Republican Chris Pritt is apparently contemplating the same thing since he’d be in a contested race if he remains where he now lives. A move to an open district east of the capitol and headed north would apparently put him nearer some family members and arguably give him a better shot at holding his seat.
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Young’s analysis of what potential changes do is likely pretty accurate but I caution anyone against predicting the West Virginia legislature. Interestingly, Pierson updated her story to include comments from one incumbent delegate who said Young had placed him in a district where he doesn’t live. See what I mean about the dangers of prognosticating?
I stand much more confident predicting the outcome of 134 legislative elections than how they’ll vote on the redistricting legislation. They switch with the wind.
I have often said one could put the 78 House Republicans in a room by themselves to caucus and they could come to a unanimous agreement on a piece of legislation. Then, three days later, 65 of them would vote just the opposite on the floor.
Maybe Young will decide hanging on to a $20,000-a-year job is not worth moving.
Or maybe …
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Unlike Delegate Young, I hesitate to predict much when it comes to how the districts will turn out. This week will bring us much more into focus, given a special legislative session and so forth.
As an aside, some Republican legislators are wondering why Justice doesn’t place dealing with mask mandates on the call for the special session.
There is clearly conservative support for curtailing these mask orders. Maybe he should give the legislature a chance to voice the peoples’ will.
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On the subject of Justice and his necessity for having things his way, many shook their heads in amusement at his story about being trapped in the Governor’s Mansion elevator. He had to add that First Lady Cathy Justice had been similarly caught a few weeks earlier.
If the Governor thinks that makes it more likely than the public — and maybe a judge and jury — will believe he lives in that mansion, he’s in for a wake-up call.
And if he or the First Lady get such a call, it will ring in Lewisburg not Charleston.
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At the risk of being dead wrong, I’ve decided to repeat some rumors that may be true.
Delegate John Doyle, an extremely liberal Jefferson County Democrat, is said to be so unhappy with prospects of his new House district that he’s not even considering re-election as an option.
In fact, Doyle responded to an inquiry by my friend, former Mountain Party Governor candidate Daniel Lutz, by saying he thinks he has just three options.
One would be to run for the County Commission seat of Caleb Hudson, which will be up for election in 2022. A second would be to file for county clerk and the third would be to run for the State Senate seat now held by Republican Patricia Rucker.
Doyle is not eligible for the John Unger Senate seat since he and Unger are from the same county.
Doyle says his ultimate decision will only take a short time once redistricting is complete.
I’m guessing he’ll run for county office.
Most think one new delegate district in the Eastern Panhandle will include incumbent Republicans George Miller and Ken Reed. One wonders if residence should actually be of any concern to Reed, who has shown a remarkable ability to claim various locations as his home for political purposes.
Rumors that Miller and Reed have already met and flipped a coin to determine which one would run were quickly dismissed by their supporters.
(Psst. The rumors said Reed won the toss and thus will run).
Former Republican Delegate Larry Kump, who lost two years ago, appears to be in new District 73.
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There’s little doubt recently-converted Republican Raleigh Delegate Mick Bates will challenge that State Senator with the world’s highest opinion of himself, Rollan Roberts, in Roberts’ re-election bid.
Bates has already amassed more than $51,000 in his financial war chest. That includes a maximum $2,800 donation from his Raleigh legislative colleague, Republican Delegate Brandon Steele.
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It looks like Cabell Republican Delegate John Mandt, Jr. will not get a free ride in the 2022 primary for County Commission.
The clerk’s office says Liza Caldwell has prefiled for the post.
Mandt announced some time ago that he is running for commissioner in 2022. The incumbent Democrat, Jim Morgan, is likely to run again.
If a Republican wins in 2022, it would become an all-GOP commission. The winner would join incumbents Kelli Sabonya and Nancy Cartmill.
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Two liberal Democrat incumbents might face off for a Charleston House seat if early mapping prevails.
Delegates Mike Pushkin and Jim Barach are unabashed progressives. The new district would include most of Charleston city limits on the North side of the Kanawha River. Much of both the East End, where Pushkin lives, and the West Side represented by Barach would merge into a district.
Pushkin has long represented what was once known as the downtown “special interest” district. Barach, a former TV personality, is a newcomer serving his first term.
That would be an intriguing race to watch if it pans out.
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Odds appear to favor a Senate district that would pit Democrat Senator Ron Stollings against Republican conservative Mark Maynard. Stollings, a moderate, is best recognized for his medical expertise as a practicing Madison physician.
A district comprised of Boone, Lincoln, Logan and Wayne counties would feature that pair.
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Speculation surrounds whether former Republican Delegate and gubernatorial candidate Michael Folk will be in District 16. Some say GOP leadership, not especially enamoured by Folk, is trying to keep Folk out of the district in favor of Berkeley Republican Delegate Jason Barrett.
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Listening to statehouse speculation would lead me to the conclusion that an east-west congressional split has no chance of passage.
Counties like Cabell, Putnam and Kanawha have no interest in being tied to the Eastern Panhandle. In the Panhandle, the feeling is mutual.
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Kanawha Republican Delegate Dana Ferrell’s district will apparently cover more territory in the Cross Lanes area but his homebase of Sissonville is still a large part of it.
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You’ll find me at the capitol this week trying to figure out the latest. I may have to resort to having state GOP Chair Mark Harris explain it all to me.
If one can explain how the chief of staff had no input into decisions that led to physical assaults on veterans by a doctor on his staff, he can explain anything.
Ron Gregory is a regular political columnist and reporter with lootpress.com. Contact him at 304-533-5185; ronjgregory@gmail.com; or PO.Box 20297, Charleston, WV 25362. Information provided is confidential.