Weld Withdraws from AG Race

West Virginia Senate Majority Whip Ryan Weld, R-Brooke, has withdrawn from the race to be elected West Virginia’s attorney general.
Instead, he said, he will file for re-election to the State Senate.
“Since I announced my campaign for attorney general back in April, my wife Alex and I have spent a tremendous amount of time traveling throughout West Virginia and meeting people from all corners of our beautiful state. Those trips, and the people we met along the way, renewed my love for the Mountain State and the people who call it home. Over the last seven months, I’ve learned a lot not only about West Virginia but about myself as well, all of which has led to my decision today.
“Politics is a grind that sometimes requires candidates to compromise their core principles for political gain. I have seen too many people lose sight of who they are and what they are fighting for in these campaigns. And the one thing I know about myself is that compromising my principles and values for power, influence, and a title is just not who I am.
“That is why I have made the decision to seek re-election to the State Senate in 2024. As a member of the Senate, I can continue to fight for West Virginia and play a significant role in its future – without losing sight of who I am or why I got into public office in the first place.
“Campaigning is not all bad. I have absolutely loved all of the parades, dinners, and untold number of conversations I have had with regular West Virginians along the way. This campaign has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. But unfortunately, that’s not all a statewide campaign is about – and the never-ending asks for campaign contributions, as well as the constant deal-making can really wear on a person’s conscience.
“While I will always be committed to helping all of West Virginia, I have learned that I am truly at home in the Northern Panhandle, and in Wellsburg with Alex and all of our family here.
“I want to thank each and every person who has supported my campaign for attorney general. It has meant the world to Alex and me. I look forward to continuing on as a leader in the Senate so that I can ensure that the better West Virginia that is often promised to us becomes a reality.”