{"id":2069662,"date":"2023-10-16T20:58:01","date_gmt":"2023-10-17T00:58:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-west-virginia-dem-leader-switches-parties-but-state-gop-isnt-so-sure-about-him\/"},"modified":"2023-10-16T21:00:08","modified_gmt":"2023-10-17T01:00:08","slug":"former-west-virginia-dem-leader-switches-parties-but-state-gop-isnt-so-sure-about-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-west-virginia-dem-leader-switches-parties-but-state-gop-isnt-so-sure-about-him\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex-West Virginia Dem Leader switches parties, State GOP skeptical."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fformer-west-virginia-dem-leader-switches-parties-but-state-gop-isnt-so-sure-about-him%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2069662&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Former\u200b West Virginia Democratic Leader Switches Parties, But\u200c State GOP Isn&#8217;t So Sure About Him<\/h2>\n<p>A\u2064 former Democratic state\u2063 legislator \u200bin West Virginia is making a bold \u2062move in\u2064 his bid to\u2062 be elected secretary of state. Doug \u2063Skaff, a former Democratic\u200c leader in the state House of Delegates, has changed his party enrollment to \u2064Republican, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/west-virginia-skaff-republican-party-switch-553359f0b46f9c6acad95ba795ac0bab\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Skaff&#8217;s decision has caught the attention of at least \u2064seven other\u2062 Republicans \u200cwho\u200c are also interested in \u2064running for\u200d the position, \u200bas reported by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theintelligencer.net\/news\/top-headlines\/2023\/10\/skaff-switches-affiliation-to-republican-announces-run-for-west-virginia-secretary-of-state\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Intelligencer<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Potential Republican Candidates for Secretary of State:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Chris Pritt<\/li>\n<li>Brian Wood<\/li>\n<li>Kenny Mann<\/li>\n<li>Ken Reed<\/li>\n<li>Steven Harris<\/li>\n<li>Wesley Self<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">BREAKING: Former West Virginia House\u200c Minority Leader\u200d Doug Skaff Jr. has\u200d switched to the Republican\u2063 party and has filed paperwork to run\u2062 for Secretary of State Thursday morning.<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gDFt6Iyo5J\">https:\/\/t.co\/gDFt6Iyo5J<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/TVtrRLkewl\">pic.twitter.com\/TVtrRLkewl<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 WOWK 13 News (@WOWK13News) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WOWK13News\/status\/1712480850082951343?\">October 12, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Skaff&#8217;s \u2063party switch has \u2063not been met with \u200bopen arms by the West Virginia\u2064 Republican Party. Chairwoman Elgine McArdle expressed concerns\u200b about Skaff&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/you-can-count-on-me-video-shows-tim-ryan-admitting-hes-avoiding-his-progressive-stances-on-culture-wars\/\" title=\"\u2018You Can Count On Me\u2019: Video Shows Tim Ryan Admitting He\u2019s Avoiding His \u2018Progressive\u2019 Stances On \u2018Culture Wars\u2019\">past voting record<\/a>, \u200bstating that he consistently\u2062 supported the Democratic agenda and opposed conservative Republican \u2063legislation.<\/p>\n<p>Democratic state Delegate \u200bMike Pushkin, who is also chairman of the West Virginia Democratic Party, \u2062also expressed surprise at Skaff&#8217;s\u200b party change.\u200b Pushkin\u2062 highlighted Skaff&#8217;s opposition \u200dto the GOP on issues\u2063 such as guns and abortion.<\/p>\n<p>Despite\u2064 the skepticism from both parties, Skaff remains focused on his campaign.\u2062 He has emphasized his \u200ccommitment to\u200c ensuring safe and secure elections\u200d and\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-west-virginia-dem-leader-switches-parties-but-state-gop-isnt-so-sure-about-him\/\" title=\"Ex-West Virginia Dem Leader switches parties, State GOP skeptical.\">supporting county clerks<\/a> in their roles. Skaff\u200b believes that the secretary\u200c of state position should not be a partisan role, but rather one that empowers \u200ccounty clerks\u2062 and \u200bprovides them with the necessary tools and resources.<\/p>\n<p>Skaff&#8217;s candidacy has certainly stirred up \u200dcontroversy and intrigue in West Virginia&#8217;s political landscape. Only time \u200cwill tell how his party switch will ultimately impact his \u200bchances of securing the secretary of state position.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"author_subscription_pitch\">.author_subscription_pitch p{margin:5px;}<\/p>\n<p><em><b>An Urgent Note from Our Staff:<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Western Journal has been \u200b<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pfizer-recruits-super-bowl-champ-to-be-official-spokesman-for-covid-booster\/\" title=\"Pfizer hires Super Bowl champ as COVID booster spokesperson.\">labeled \u201cdangerous\u201d simply<\/a> because \u2062we have\u200c a \u200bbiblical worldview and speak\u200d the \u2063truth about what\u2062 is\u2062 happening \u200din America.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We refuse to\u200d let Big \u200cTech and \u2064woke advertisers dictate\u200d the content we share with our \u200ccommunity. We stand for\u200c truth. We stand \u200dfor freedom. We\u200b stand with our readers.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We\u2019re asking you to help us in this fight. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><b>We can\u2019t do this without \u2062you<\/b><\/a><b>.<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-officials-so-out-of-touch-democratic-donors-rolled-their-eyes-at-them-at-recent-meeting\/\" title=\"Biden officials' disconnect made Democratic donors roll their eyes at recent meeting.\">donation directly \u200chelps fund<\/a> our editorial team of writers and editors. Your support \u2064means\u200d we can continue to expose false narratives and \u2062defend traditional American values.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Please \u2062stand with us by donating today<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Thank you for your support!<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/former-west-virginia-dem-leader-switches-parties-state-gop-isnt-sure\/\">Former West Virginia Dem Leader\u200d Switches Parties, \u200bBut State GOP Isn&#8217;t So Sure About Him<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\">The Western Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What steps will Skaff take\u2062 to differentiate himself from the crowded field of potential Republican candidates and convince voters that he is the best choice for secretary of \u2064state<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Didacy is not without its challenges. As a former Democratic leader, he \u200bwill need to convince Republican voters that he is now aligned\u200c with their values and priorities. He\u200b will also have \u200dto overcome the doubts surrounding his party switch and address\u200c concerns about his past voting record. Skaff will \u2064need \u200dto articulate a clear and compelling vision for the role of secretary\u2064 of state and how he plans to serve the\u2063 people of West Virginia, regardless of party affiliation.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2064 crowded field of potential Republican candidates for secretary of \u2064state adds another layer of complexity to Skaff&#8217;s campaign. He will need to distinguish himself from his competitors and\u2062 clearly communicate \u2063why he is the best \u2063choice\u200c for the position. With Chris Pritt, Brian Wood, Kenny Mann, Ken Reed, Steven Harris, and Wesley Self also vying for the nomination, Skaff will need to work hard to stand out and secure the support of voters.<\/p>\n<p>Skaff&#8217;s focus on ensuring safe and secure elections and supporting county clerks is an important aspect\u200b of his campaign platform. In a time when election integrity is a hot-button issue, Skaff&#8217;s emphasis on this area could resonate with voters. By positioning himself as\u2062 a champion for\u200d fair and transparent elections, he can build trust and credibility with\u200d both parties and demonstrate his commitment\u2064 to serving the people of West Virginia.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the decision of whether to support Skaff or another candidate will rest with the voters of West Virginia. They will have to \u2063evaluate Skaff&#8217;s party switch, assess his qualifications and experience,\u2063 and decide who they believe is the best candidate for the position of secretary of state. In a state that \u2064has historically leaned towards the Republican Party, Skaff\u2063 will have to work hard to win over conservative voters and convince them that he is now one of them. Only time will tell if Skaff&#8217;s party \u200bswitch will be a strategic move\u2064 or a disadvantage in his quest to be elected as secretary of \u200bstate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former Democratic state legislator in West Virginia, Doug Skaff, aims to become secretary of state and has switched party enrollment to achieve this. Skaff, a former Democratic leader in the state House of Delegates, has filed the necessary paperwork to run as a Republican in the upcoming election. (55 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":661,"featured_media":2069663,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2069662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2069662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/661"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2069662"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2069662\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2069663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2069662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2069662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2069662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}