By Leann Ray | Editor-in-chief
“It tends to fall on women to deal with the public school system; it tends to be women who are dealing with the healthcare system for their families; it tends to be women who are balancing the budget and making sure they have enough money for new shoes for school. These women [candidates] are really showing that it’s the women interacting with the systems in this state who need the most help.” — Lacey Connelly, a political director with the West Virginia Democratic Party.
Lucia Valentine walks a neighborhood, door-knocking for her campaign in a rural area of West Virginia. (Moriah Ratner for The 19th)
By Amanda Becker, The 19th
West Virginia has not been fertile ground for Democrats for some time. The only state that has backed President Donald Trump by a higher margin than West Virginia is Wyoming. West Virginians haven’t voted for a Democrat for the White House since Bill Clinton’s reelection in 1996. They last picked a Democrat for governor in 2016, electing Jim Justice. Now a U.S. senator, Justice announced at a rally with Trump eight months into his gubernatorial tenure that he would switch parties.
West Virginia also has the distinction of having the lowest percentage of women serving in its legislature, with women holding only about 11% of its 134 seats.
This story was originally reported by Amanda Becker of The 19th.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey celebrates the One Stop Shop Permitting Portal, an initiative of his administration, at the State Capitol in Charleston, West Virginia on Oct. 28, 2026. (Photo courtesy of the West Virginia Office of Gov. Patrick Morrisey)
By Amelia Ferrell Knisely
Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s push to cut red-tape in an effort to boost business growth took a step forward Wednesday with the official launch of a new online permitting tool.
NATIONAL
Rebecca Crozier, 27, of Meridian, Idaho, poses in October 2026 with mementos from her baby, Haven. At 11 weeks, she received a fatal fetal diagnosis of anencephaly, and had to travel out of state to terminate the pregnancy because of her state’s near-total abortion ban. (Photo by Otto Kitsinger for Stateline)
By Kelcie Moseley-Morris
It didn’t take long for doctors to see that something was amiss with Rebecca Crozier’s pregnancy. At 11 weeks, she received a fatal fetal diagnosis of anencephaly, and had to travel out of state to terminate the pregnancy because of Idaho's near-total abortion ban.
By David Lightman
Most of the nation returns to standard time Sunday morning, and Congress could decide as early as next month whether it will be the last time people have to change their clocks.
By Jonathan Shorman
Less than a week before Election Day, President Donald Trump’s unprecedented drive for power over elections has set the stage for a series of courtroom fights that could quickly lead to a high-stakes showdown at the U.S. Supreme Court over the limits of federal authority.
By Jonathan Shorman
The U.S. Department of Justice in a federal court hearing Tuesday warned California election officials could be prosecuted if they count ballots cast by noncitizen voters, in a case brought by the Trump administration demanding that the state set aside the ballots of 20,000 suspected noncitizen voters.
By Jonathan Shorman
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is unlawfully scrutinizing naturalized U.S. citizens and placing them at risk of disenfranchisement, civil rights groups alleged in a lawsuit Wednesday, less than a week before Election Day.
COMMENTARY
The author holds a basket cranberries foraged in Tucker County, West Virginia. (Photo courtesy of Paula Kaufman)
By Paula Kaufman
What would West Virginia look like if we fed the golden geese of our resources instead of killing the flock for a one-time prize?
ICYMI
Thanks for reading First Watch. Did you know our weekend digest is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.