CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Former state Senator and Delegate Eric Nelson, R-Kanawha, is looking to affect change in West Virginia in his new role as revenue secretary.
Governor Patrick Morrisey announced Nelson’s appointment at the beginning of the year, just before beginning his second term as Senator for West Virginia’s 17th Senatorial District.
“I welcome the opportunity that he (Morrisey) put in front of me,” Nelson said.
Nelson, who had to resign from his Senate position before taking the oath as revenue secretary, says it was a tough decision, but ultimately a chance to help West Virginia on a broader scale.
“I think all decisions come with some challenges and I have a lot of good friends that I have served with in the Senate and previously the House and I’ve been very close with staff. It’s always a challenge or a tough time when you leave some of those close relationships,” Nelson said. “I also look forward to the challenge and what I can hopefully, deliver, not only for my former constituents, but the state as a whole.”
Nelson replaces Larry Pack, who was elected to be the newest state treasurer.
During the weeks prior to taking the oath of office and in his first week in office, Governor Patrick Morrisey has made administration hires focused on a central theme — rightsizing state government. Morrisey has brought in multiple people from beyond the state’s boarders such as Chief of Staff Tom McCaffery and Secretary of Human Services Alex Mayer to help accomplish this goal.
“He’s bringing in a lot of new people and we have a lot of really talented people in state government. It’s matching the two together,” Nelson said.
Nelson he will have a big hand in executing Morrisey’s idea of government efficiency, and working hand-in-hand with the legislature will be a must.
“He’s talked about bringing about greater efficiency, so it’s going to put that challenge in front of the areas that I’ll be responsible for and looking for solutions,” Nelson said. “At the same time, it’s working very closely with the legislature, hearing their needs, and looking for solutions.
Perhaps the most daunting challenge ahead of Nelson and the Morrisey administration is tackling the projected $400 million deficit in fiscal year 2026. Morrisey announced the deficit last week, saying if no changes were made, that was the number the state would be dealing with.
Nelson, who will help Morrisey present a conservative budget to legislature next month, says this will be the toughest challenge in the new role.
“This biggest one right now is the budget that has to be presented in front of the legislature here in a couple of weeks. We do have some challenges there,” Nelson said.
Nelson says it’s his extensive background within the legislature that earned him the chance to aid Morrisey in fighting the state’s budget.
“From my legislative background of 10 years in the House, four in the Senate, being exposed to quite a few different areas in that time frame,” Nelson said. “But I think it’s also one of seeing it from the other side of others that I’ll have to deal with and the experiences at the table.”