Meet the Candidate: Eric Porterfield for State Senate – District 6

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your experience/accomplishments:

I am a lifelong resident of Mercer County, West Virginia. I am married with two
young children. I founded a mission group called Blind Faith Ministries in 2012,
that seeks to spread the Gospel in South America and Africa – specifically in
South Sudan and Uganda. I am also the managing member of a small, real
estate investment company. I am also the first blind Republican member of the
West Virginia House of Delegates.

What motivated you to run for State Senate, or if you’re an incumbent,
what made you seek reelection?

I am seeking election to the West Virginia State Senate for the sole purpose of
unseating the incumbent for District 6, Chandler Swope. Senator Swope has
made bad votes on several issues. The two issues I oppose him on the most
are his votes in favor of the Takubo Amendment to House Bill 2007, which
promote the administering of puberty-blocking drugs to minors as young as 11
or 12 years old. Administering puberty blockers to minors for gender
transitioning is being discontinued in the Netherlands, Sweden and most
recently by the NHS (National Health Service) of Great Britain.

While more left-leaning governments stop these treatments due to the permanent harm
they cause children, West Virginia continues the use of this harmful practice
with the support of politicians like Senator Swope. Mr. Swope has never
disavowed his vote and remains captured by the radical transgender ideology.
Mr. Swope also made an ill-considered vote to support an alternative energy
project in the northern panhandle. His vote for House Bill 2582 provided $115
million in direct tax payer money to Form Energy. This amounted to almost
2% of the entire 2023-2024 budget, which along with potential tax incentives
and credits, will funnel approximately $300 million to this unproven energy
project. With this vote he has neglected our native fossil fuel industries and
done little of anything to protect these other energy sectors that West Virginia
will rely on for decades to come.

What are some issues impacting West Virginia currently that you would
like to see addressed and fixed? How would you fix those issues?

I think a very specific need in our district is a lack of support for emergency
medical service . We need to find a way to fund these services better;
particularly I want to find a way to get emergency services paid for uninsured
ambulance runs. I have already consulted with a local ambulance company
executive, Stacy Hicks, to work on solutions to this problem. I also want to
promote and grow the tourism economy. I have an idea for a Hatfield &
McCoys Theme park in the southern part of the estate to promote our local
culture and history and grow our economy. I also want to decrease
regulations and taxes that hamper individuals from starting businesses or
pursuing their personal vocations.

What makes you stand out from the rest of the candidates, what do you
bring to the table that they don’t?

I have experience as a legislator and a body of sponsored legislation that
demonstrates my bona fides as a conservative pro-family pro-faith, pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment, pro-sustainable jobs and our existing industries. I have
sponsored or co-sponsored over 50 pieces of legislation to promote those
same values. Because of my life experience in ministry and business, I will be
both a social and economic conservative in the Senate. My opponent, Craig
Hart seems to hold good policy positions and we probably agree on many of
the issues, but he lacks experience as a legislator. He has been tested by the
system. I have been tested and I have always stuck to conservative beliefs
even when they were not popular. My opponent and incumbent, Chandler
Swope has been a legislator for many years but has shown a lack of conservative judgment in the issues I have already outlined. Either he is bad on policy or he is reluctant to stand against the Senate leadership when they abandon those same principles.

Is there anything else voters should know about you and your
campaign?

If elected I won’t be a “yes man” for the State establishment. I will work with
them everywhere I can without sacrificing my principles, but I will not go along
with bills or policies that don’t back my heartfelt conservative beliefs