Candidate Woody Thrasher visits eastern panhandle before West Virginia gubernatorial primary

Posted: Jun 5, 2020 / 08:21 PM EDT / Updated: Jun 5, 2020 / 08:21 PM EDT

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. (WDVM) — Republican voters will decide at the polls Tuesday if they want to give Governor Jim Justice another four years in office or if it is time for a change.

Businessman Woody Thrasher, who built a successful engineering firm in the state, hopes to unseat the incumbent. Thrasher has criticized the governor for not fixing roads in the state that need repair and for releasing inmates from prison before completing their terms. Justice said the early release was necessary as a precaution against coronavirus dangers. But Thrasher maintains that among those released early were convicts who had violated the terms of their parole and they were required to complete their full sentences.

On Friday Thrasher visited a manufacturing plant in Berkeley County. Earlier in the campaign he toured a Morgan County furniture manufacturing plant which employs 150 and provides health care and paid vacations to the workforce. Business development would be Thrasher’s priority as governor.

And in the final weekend before the primary, Thrasher and supporters were at the MARC rail commuter terminal greeting passengers on their return to the eastern panhandle. He encouraged them to get to the polls by Tuesday evening.

Saturday is the last day for early voting in West Virginia.

Also in the GOP field is former eastern panhandle state legislator, Mike Folk, an airline pilot.