BRIDGEPORT — Retired U.S. Army First Sgt. Joe Earley announced Thursday that he is running for the West Virginia Senate in District 12, challenging incumbent Sen. Ben Queen in the May 12 Republican Primary, framing the race as a fight over economic freedom, energy policy and conservative principles.
Speaking to supporters at Brickside in Bridgeport, Earley said he decided to run because he believes the district needs more active and ideologically consistent representation in Charleston. He criticized Queen for what he described as a lack of legislative leadership, saying the incumbent has not authored any bills during the current session and has appeared on only a small fraction of the more than 600 bills introduced.
“There are over 600 Senate bills down in the Capitol right now,” Earley continued, “and my opponent’s name is not on the author of any of them.”
Earley also cited voting records he said show Queen siding too often with Democrats and falling short on “pro-liberty” votes.
“His pro-liberty vote percentage over the last three years in the Senate is 46%,” Earley said, adding that Queen “sits down with the Democrats” and votes with them too often.
Earley, a West Virginia native who grew up in the Kanawha County coalfields, emphasized his background as a 20-year Army veteran and former tank platoon sergeant, retiring as an E-8 first sergeant in 2002. He said his military career, which included deployments in combat zones and along the Korean Demilitarized Zone and the former East-West German border, prepared him to lead and manage complex organizations. He now works as a cybersecurity engineer and federal contractor, experience he said gives him insight into technology, infrastructure and emerging energy demands.
Much of Earley’s remarks focused on economic issues, including job creation, keeping young people in the state and eliminating the personal income tax. He argued that West Virginia is losing its working-age population and said lowering taxes and expanding economic opportunity are essential to reversing that trend. Earley also voiced strong support for school choice, parental rights and the Hope Scholarship program.
On energy, Earley said West Virginia should leverage its coal and natural gas resources while preparing for future technologies, including small modular nuclear reactors to power cities. He argued that energy decisions should be made by state lawmakers rather than federal bureaucrats and said private-sector development, not government mandates, should drive growth.
Earley also criticized Queen’s votes on ‘woke’ social legislation, including issues related to Queen’s prior support for prescribing sex-change drugs to minors. Earley described himself as “the real conservative” in the race.
District 12 includes parts of north-central West Virginia, including areas of Harrison, Lewis, Gilmer, Taylor, and Calhoun counties. The Republican Primary is scheduled for May 12.
