Patrick Morrisey Bio
Patrick James Morrisey (born December 21, 1967) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 37th governor of West Virginia since January 2025. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 34th attorney general of West Virginia from 2013 to 2025, becoming the first Republican to hold that office since 1933. Morrisey ran for the United States Senate in 2018 and narrowly lost to incumbent Senator Joe Manchin before returning to state politics and winning the governorship in 2024.
Before entering elective office, Morrisey built a career in Washington, D.C. as an attorney and lobbyist, including partnerships at national law firms. He is widely regarded as a conservative legal figure who has been involved in major cases concerning the environment, the Second Amendment, opioids, and federal regulatory policy.
Early Life and Background
Patrick James Morrisey was born on December 21, 1967, in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. He grew up in Edison, New Jersey, where his father worked as an account manager at U.S. Steel and his mother worked as a registered nurse. The family background gave Morrisey an early appreciation for industrial work and public service.
As a young student, Morrisey ran cross-country and played on his high school tennis team. He graduated in 1985 from St. Thomas Aquinas High School, also referenced as Bishop George Ahr High School. He went on to attend Rutgers University in New Brunswick, where he graduated with honors in 1989, earning a Bachelor of Arts in history and political science.
Morrisey continued his education at Rutgers School of Law–Newark, where he received his juris doctor in 1992. His legal training would later shape his career in regulatory law, health policy, and litigation. During his college years, he also became active in Republican politics, working on George H. W. Bush’s 1988 presidential campaign and Cary Edwards’ 1989 gubernatorial campaign in New Jersey. He also served as press secretary for Christine Todd Whitman’s 1990 U.S. Senate campaign.
Path to US Politics
After graduating from law school, Morrisey lived in Westfield, New Jersey, and opened a private law firm in 1992. From 1995 to 1999, he practiced health care, election, regulatory, and communications law at Arent Fox, a national firm based in Washington, D.C. His early work gave him exposure to high-profile legislative and regulatory matters.
In 1999, Morrisey moved to Capitol Hill, serving as deputy staff director and chief health counsel for the United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce until 2004. During that time, he contributed to the passage of the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness Response Act and the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act, which created Medicare Part D.
From 2004 to 2012, Morrisey worked as a lawyer and lobbyist in Washington, D.C., becoming a partner at Sidley Austin and later at King & Spalding. He was paid $250,000 to lobby on behalf of a pharmaceutical trade group funded by some of the same opioid distributors that West Virginia later sued. In 2000, he ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House of Representatives in New Jersey’s 7th congressional district, receiving 9% of the vote in the Republican primary. These formative experiences in law, lobbying, and campaigns prepared him for his later run for state office.
Patrick Morrisey Career
Early Career (2012–2013)
In 2012, Patrick James Morrisey ran for Attorney General of West Virginia against Darrell McGraw, a five-term incumbent Democrat. His campaign focused on challenging the long-standing Democratic hold on the office and presenting himself as a reform-minded Republican. He defeated McGraw in the general election, signaling a major political shift in the state.
On January 14, 2013, Morrisey was sworn in as the 34th attorney general of West Virginia, becoming the first Republican to hold the position since 1933. His victory ended an eight-decade Democratic streak and gave the Republican Party a powerful new foothold in state government.
Attorney General Breakthrough (2013–2018)
As attorney general, Morrisey took on a wide range of high-profile legal battles. He filed numerous lawsuits and amicus briefs challenging Environmental Protection Agency regulations, including cases such as West Virginia v. EPA, which targeted the Clean Power Plan. He also challenged federal rules related to coal mining, greenhouse gas emissions, and the Affordable Care Act, often arguing that federal agencies overstepped their authority.
Morrisey was a vocal defender of Second Amendment rights, leading coalitions of state attorneys general in cases like Kolbe v. Hogan and filing amicus briefs in disputes over concealed carry, assault weapons bans, and firearm regulations. He also took on pharmaceutical companies, securing a $20 million settlement from Cardinal Health and a $2.5 million settlement from Miami-Luken for violations related to consumer protection and the opioid crisis, which represented the largest pharmaceutical settlement in West Virginia history at the time.
On July 10, 2017, Morrisey announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat held by Joe Manchin. In the 2018 Republican primary, he defeated State Representative Evan Jenkins and former coal executive Don Blankenship, securing more than 34% of the vote. In the general election, Manchin defeated Morrisey with 49.6% of the vote to Morrisey’s 46.3%, with Libertarian candidate Rusty Hollen receiving 4.2%.
Governor of West Virginia (2025–Present)
On April 4, 2023, Patrick James Morrisey announced his candidacy for governor of West Virginia in the 2024 election. He defeated State Delegate Moore Capito in the Republican primary and went on to defeat Democratic nominee Stephen T. Williams, the mayor of Huntington, in the general election. On January 13, 2025, Morrisey was sworn in as the 37th governor of West Virginia.
As governor, Morrisey has prioritized energy policy, signing legislation related to school vaccine religious exemptions and issuing an executive order ending diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at government institutions. In August 2025, he announced the “50 by 50” initiative, a plan to expand West Virginia’s electrical generating capacity from 16 gigawatts to 50 gigawatts by 2050, primarily through expanded coal use, with the goal of making the state a key player in artificial intelligence. In September 2025, he announced that West Virginia would no longer invest in Chinese-owned companies, citing national security concerns.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of Morrisey’s most significant milestones was becoming West Virginia’s first Republican attorney general since 1933, a role he held for 12 years. His leadership in major opioid settlements, including a $20 million fine against Cardinal Health, marked a high point in state consumer protection enforcement. His 2024 gubernatorial victory further cemented his influence in West Virginia politics and set the stage for his ambitious energy and education agenda as governor.
Patrick Morrisey Career Wins
Patrick James Morrisey has built a record of political victories at the state level, including winning the office of attorney general in 2012 and the governorship in 2024. His career has been defined by a series of major legal and policy battles that have shaped the direction of West Virginia.
Statewide Election Highlights
Morrisey’s first major statewide win came in 2012, when he defeated five-term Democratic incumbent Darrell McGraw to become attorney general. He followed that with a primary victory in the 2018 U.S. Senate race, where he won more than 34% of the Republican vote in a three-way contest. His 2024 gubernatorial primary win over Moore Capito and his general election victory over Stephen T. Williams cemented his status as a leading figure in West Virginia Republican politics.
Other Wins and Achievements
Beyond elections, Morrisey secured notable legal victories including multi-million dollar settlements from pharmaceutical companies tied to the opioid crisis. His legal work against federal environmental regulations, advocacy for Second Amendment rights, and defense of state authority in healthcare and immigration policy have defined his legacy as a conservative attorney general.
Patrick Morrisey Family
Family Background and Lineage
Patrick James Morrisey was born to a family with strong roots in industry and healthcare. His father worked as an account manager at U.S. Steel, and his mother worked as a registered nurse. These working-class roots shaped Morrisey’s policy interests in manufacturing, energy, and healthcare throughout his political career.
Personal Life
Morrisey moved to Jefferson County, West Virginia, in 2006. He married Denise Henry Morrisey in 2008, and she is a founding partner at the lobbying firm Capitol Counsel. Morrisey has a stepdaughter. He is a resident of West Virginia and continues to live in the state during his tenure as governor.