By Emma Delk, The Intelligencer
WHEELING, W.Va. — U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney believes he can pull ahead of Gov. Jim Justice to win the Republican nomination in West Virginia for U.S. Senate in the same way he rallied to defeat former U.S. Rep. David McKinley in the 2022 congressional race.
Mooney, R-W.Va., noted in initial polls during his last House race he was “losing by a lot” but then turned the race around to win by 19 percentage points.
“Jim Justice is the governor and better known than me throughout the state, but he’s actually liberal,” explained Mooney. “I’m actually conservative.
“By the time I’m finished talking with Republican voters on the ground, they’re voting for me because most Republicans who vote in primaries want an actual conservative Republican, not someone who votes with the Democrats,” he added.
Fresh off of a development roundtable with the Regional Economic Development Partnership held at Wheeling Park’s White Palace, Mooney saw many issues that he believes separate him from Justice reflected in the discussion.
The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, which Mooney wants to repeal, was brought up during the roundtable when talking about the hospitals in Wheeling. Mooney is critical of Justice for “supporting government-run health care.”
“There are all these hospitals here, and Obamacare creates all these healthcare regulations,” noted Mooney. “I think we should repeal Obamacare because it’s government intervention.”
