Governor of West Virginia
Now: Governor verified October 12, 2026 · source (opens in a new tab)
Photo: Gage Skidmore, CC BY SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab), cropped.
Checked · How the record reads leaders · Report a change · Corrections
Of 8 statements on the record, 5 were for data centers and 3 carry no label.
Labels are applied by the record's published rules: two readings of each statement, and a third that reads its source where the two differ. Every label sits beside its statement and its source, and any label can be challenged through Report a change, with the correction logged on the corrections page.
What they said
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Patrick Morrisey, West Virginia Governor, has argued data centers are an opportunity to help the U.S. win an AI race against China
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 14, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- Albemarle Observer (opens in a new tab), news outlet
Label rationale: Both readings of the statement agreed. The words that set it: "data centers are an opportunity to help the U.S. win an AI race against China".
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Gov. Patrick Morrisey unveiled a 20 year plan for data center development in West Virginia with collaboration and local community involvement as pillars
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 13, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- Mountain State Spotlight (opens in a new tab), local outlet
Label rationale: Both readings of the statement agreed. The words that set it: "unveiled a 20 year plan for data center development in West Virginia with collaboration and local community involvement as pillars".
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Gov. Patrick Morrisey highlights economic development with hyperscale data centers
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source. Label set by a tiebreak.
Where & When: September 10, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- WCHS (opens in a new tab), local outlet
Label rationale: No label: the words are not clearly the speaker's own. The two first readings differed, and a third reading of the statement and its source held it.
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One project is to be developed by Starwood Digital Ventures, a data center investment platform of Starwood Capital Group.
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source. Label set by a tiebreak.
Where & When: September 3, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- wvgazettemail.com (opens in a new tab), local outlet
Label rationale: No label: the words support none. The two first readings differed, and a third reading of the statement and its source held it.
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Governor Morrisey announced plans to triple West Virginia's electric production by mid century to support AI data centers
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: August 27, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- WCHS (opens in a new tab), local outlet
Label rationale: Both readings of the statement agreed. The words that set it: "plans to triple West Virginia's electric production by mid century to support AI data centers".
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West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey announced plan to dedicate 50% of revenue from approved hyperscale data center projects to reducing and eliminating state personal income tax
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: August 26, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- WPEC (opens in a new tab), national outlet
Label rationale: Both readings of the statement agreed. The words that set it: "dedicate 50% of revenue from approved hyperscale data center projects to reducing and eliminating state personal income tax".
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West Virginia plan directs 30% of data center revenue to counties for schools and local government, 10% to all 55 counties, and 10% to infrastructure upgrades
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: August 26, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- WPEC (opens in a new tab), national outlet
Label rationale: Both readings of the statement agreed. The words that set it: "30% of data center revenue to counties for schools and local government, 10% to all 55 counties, and 10% to infrastructure upgrades".
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"Google's decision to come to West Virginia is a strong signal that our state is competing and winning for the jobs and industries of the future. This is exactly the kind of opportunity we are working to bring here, one that creates jobs, strengthens infrastructure, and positions West Virginia for long-term growth."
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Direct verbatim quote from source. Counterpoints: Governor provided statement in support of the Google data center project announcement.
Where & When: Area Development News · April 12, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- Area Development (opens in a new tab), news outlet
1 statement on file was labeled and is left out of the counts.
How they voted
No vote on a data center measure on the record.
Something missing?
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Related
Projects named in these statements
Data Center Record, "Public statements by Patrick Morrisey", https://datacenterrecord.org/speakers/patrick-morrisey, last verified October 25, 2026.
Reusing this page
The structured rows are CC BY-NC 4.0. Link to this page; that is what turns a reuse into a citation. Prose stays under copyright.
Last verified: October 12, 2026.
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