From the Bluefield Daily Telegraph:
In the race for governor of West Virginia, there is only one candidate who is best qualified to navigate the Mountain State through its current financial crisis. Republican Bill Cole, in his current role as Senate President, has been fighting for the past 19 months to right the financial ship while advocating for critical legislation that will ensure a brighter future for West Virginia.
Cole is already a proven job creator in the private sector. He has spent the last 30 years starting and growing businesses right here in southern West Virginia that currently employ more than 400 workers. He understands the difficult challenges currently faced by West Virginia. After more than 80 years of one-party political control in the Mountain State, it is clear that additional change is needed in Charleston. And Cole is the best candidate to bring that necessary transformation to the executive branch. He will be able to work with the Republican majority in the Legislature — along with Democratic lawmakers — to advance a pro-business and job growth agenda.
As Senate president, Cole has led the fight to protect energy jobs, including our coal mining jobs, with the help of the Republican majority in Charleston and Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. Cole has worked to eliminate red tape while advancing meaningful legal reform that will help in lowering insurance rates for families while fostering job creation and entrepreneurship. West Virginia has already made considerable progress during the last two years in terms of improving its business climate. The long-overdue judicial reform championed by Cole and the Republican majority sends a clear message that West Virginia is, in fact, “Open for Business.”
As governor of West Virginia, Cole will fight to protect our remaining coal mining jobs. But he also understands the urgent need to diversify the state’s economy and is vowing to implement a new manufacturing strategy for the Mountain State. He will also work to modernize state government while cutting unnecessary waste and spending. Cole will work to establish a modern tax code while ending the heavy hand of regulation that has been so crippling to businesses across the state. Cole also is vowing to strengthen education while ending Common Core and establishing West Virginia College and Career Ready standards. He supports giving teachers and parents more local control over their school systems while increasing an emphasis on career and technical training.
As governor, Cole will fight to get the long-delayed King Coal Highway and Coalfields Expressway projects moving again in southern West Virginia while working to repair aging roads and infrastructure across the Mountain State. Cole will also work to help foster growth along the Hatfield-McCoy Trail system and other tourism attractions across the state. He is vowing to lead the fight in Charleston against the deadly opioid epidemic that is ravaging families across the state, including here in hard-hit southern West Virginia. As governor, Cole is promising to establish an inter-agency task force to coordinate all resources in the war on drugs while focusing on enforcement, prevention, treatment and counseling. He will also work to expand the already successful drug court programs in the state.
As a lifetime member of the NRA, Cole will also fight to protect the Second Amendment rights of West Virginia families.
His opponent, Democrat Jim Justice, also is a proven job creator in the private sector, but lacks the necessary legislative experience for a job as critical as governor, particularly during these difficult times. Justice also has been dogged by controversy throughout his campaign, including numerous reports of unpaid taxes and safety fines at some of his companies. Also troubling is the recent revelations from National Public Radio that Justice owes more than $15 million in unpaid taxes and mine safety penalties.
After careful deliberation and review, the editorial board of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph unanimously endorses Cole for governor. Given the current challenges faced by West Virginia, we believe Cole — working in conjunction with the current Republican majority in Charleston — is the best choice to ensure a brighter future for West Virginia.
We urge all voters to cast a ballot for Republican Bill Cole for governor when they head to the polls on Nov. 8.
