CHARLESTON — West Virginia State Sen. Brian Helton (R-Fayette, 9) on Saturday sharply criticized Democratic Del. Anitra Hamilton (D- Monongalia, 81) over her social media posts about slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, saying her comments were “hateful” and “morally bankrupt.”
“The hateful words of Delegate Hamilton have no place in West Virginia,” Helton told Mountaineer Journal. “To equate the savage killing of an innocent young woman with mere words you don’t like is despicable and morally bankrupt. This viewpoint disqualifies you from leadership.”
Hamilton, who represents Monongalia County in the House of Delegates, drew widespread backlash after posting on Facebook less than a day after Kirk’s assassination at Utah Valley University. She accused Kirk of “spewing hatred and racism” and compared his activism to the case of a career criminal who fatally stabbed a Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte, North Carolina, last month.
Helton said the incident demonstrates how disconnected Democrats have become from everyday West Virginians.
“This statement from Delegate Hamilton and the defense of her by the WV leader of the Democrat Party reveals just how wildly out of touch Democrats have become with everyday West Virginians,” he said.
Hamilton, elected to the legislature in 2024, has not publicly addressed the calls for her resignation following the controversy.
Kirk, 31, was a nationally recognized conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA.
