CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey dominated the Eastern Panhandle counties in Tuesday’s Primary Election in which he won the GOP nomination for governor.

Morrisey outdistanced former state lawmaker Moore Capito by more than 10,000 votes in that area of the state.

MetroNews Decision 2024 vote analyst Greg Hunter said Capito needed to be stronger in Kanawha and surrounding counties to make up the difference but he wasn’t.

“Moore Capito did well in Kanawha County but really that whole sort of Kanawha Valley region, seven counties, he wasn’t as dominate as he needed to be,” Hunter said Wednesday.

The Capito campaign also needed to win what Hunter calls the neutral areas like Wood and Monongalia counties but the counties were even or Morrisey was the winner. Morrisey won 35 of 55 counties in the GOP race.

“You get one dominate region and a few hundred vote wins in several other counties and you end up with a 10,000 vote lead like Morrisey had,” Hunter said.

Morrisey received approximately 75,000 which represented about 34% of the GOP votes cast.

Morrisey on Talkline

Morrisey made an appearance Wednesday on MetroNews Talkline. He said a dozen years in office as state Attorney General was a solid springboard to victory.

“Over the last 12 years, we’ve been able to get a lot of terrific things done to help our state and help pave the way for West Virginia to be the shining state in the mountains,” Morrisey said. “I think the conservative values and the experience made a really big difference.”

Morrisey said his victory sends a message.

“I think the people of West Virginia spoke loud and clear that they are looking for changes. That they are looking for people who have a vision for putting West Virginia first, protecting our jobs and protecting us from all of the threats out there,” Morrisey said.

Advice for Williams

Former Charleston Mayor Danny Jones has some advice for his friend, Huntington Mayor Steve Williams and his upcoming race against Morrisey.

Jones said on “Talkline” Wednesday that if Williams is serious about the race he should step down from being mayor and be a full-time candidate.

“When you get up in the morning you think about being governor and you do it until you go to bed at night,” Jones said. “Steve hasn’t been out on the trail in a long time and he’s never been nothing but a nice guy.”

Jones said Williams is going to have to take the gloves off against Morrisey.

“He’s a good-looking tall man and he’s got to get out where people can see him,” Jones said.

Morrisey said he knows Williams and expects a campaign on the issues.

“I have respect for the Democrat nominee, we’ve worked together and he’s praised a lot of work we’ve done on the epidemic,” Morrisey said. “I think this will be spirited and focused on the issues.”

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US inflation fell to 3.4 per cent in April, in line with economists’ expectations, prompting investors to increase their bets on Federal Reserve interest rate cuts this year.

The consumer price data released by the US labour department on Wednesday compared with a 3.5 per cent annual rise in consumer prices in March.

Before the report, traders had bet on between one and two rate cuts this year, starting in November. But in its immediate aftermath, they priced in two full cuts by December, according to Bloomberg data.

US bond yields dipped and stock futures also rose after the data release. 

The two-year Treasury yield, which moves with interest rate expectations, dropped to 4.71 per cent, its lowest level since early April.

The figures come a day after Fed chair Jay Powell warned the central bank may have to maintain high interest rates for longer as it struggles to tame persistent inflation.

With less than six months to go before the US election, high inflation has hit President Joe Biden’s poll ratings on the economy.

According to Wednesday’s figures, core consumer prices — which strip out volatile food and energy costs — rose by 3.6 per cent last month compared with last year. On a monthly basis, the core consumer price index rose by 0.3 per cent in April, compared with 0.4 per cent in March.

This is a developing story.

Target confirmed that it won’t be carrying its LGBTQ+ merchandise for Pride month this June in some stores after the discount retailer received backlash last year. Here, Pride month merchandise is displayed at a Target store in Nashville, Tenn, in May 2023.

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Target confirmed that it won’t be carrying its LGBTQ+ merchandise for Pride month this June in some stores after the discount retailer received backlash last year. Here, Pride month merchandise is displayed at a Target store in Nashville, Tenn, in May 2023.

George Walker IV/AP

Target says it will no longer sell its 2024 Pride Month collection in all of its stores following last year’s conservative backlash over its LGBTQ+-themed merchandise.

The retail giant said in a press release last week that it plans to offer its collection of products to celebrate Pride Month — including adult clothing and home decor — during the month of June both online and in “select stores,” depending on “historical sales performance.”

In a statement to NPR, a spokesperson for the retailer says it is committed to supporting the LGBTQ+ community not only during Pride Month but year-round.

The retail giant says it will continue to offer benefits and resources for the community and its more than 400,000 employees, adding that the company will have a presence at local Pride events near its Minneapolis headquarters.

For years, Target has carried Pride-themed merchandise in its stores — including clothes, cups, champagne, accessories and even pet costumes.

But last year, the retailer faced heavy criticism after it announced plans to remove some of its Pride Month merchandise from store shelves following a backlash against the products — including threats to employees’ safety.

“Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior,” the retailer said in a previous statement addressing the backlash.

At the time, when asked which items were removed and whether security was being increased at its stores, Target not respond to NPR’s inquiry.

Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson said in a statement to NPR that Target’s decision to limit its Pride Month merchandise this year is “disappointing,” saying the move “alienates LGBTQ+ individuals and allies at the risk of not only their bottom line but also their values.”

“Pride merchandise means something. LGBTQ+ people are in every zip code in this country, and we aren’t going anywhere. With LGBTQ+ people making up 30% of Gen Z, companies need to understand that community members and allies want businesses that express full-hearted support for the community. That includes visible displays of allyship.”

News of Target’s scaled-back efforts for Pride Month comes as the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issued a warning on Friday that foreign terrorist organizations may potentially target LGBTQ+ events and venues during Pride Month in June.

The joint statement does not discuss any specific threats or intelligence suggesting that a specific event, celebration or individuals are subject to being targeted.

NPR’s Joe Hernandez contributed to this report.