← WV House of Delegates — District 97

S. Chris Anders✓ Incumbent

Republican
📋 Key Policy Positions
Energy & Data Centers

Leads opposition to the MARL power line; backs data-center water limits.

  • Statement. Calls MARL "an immoral use of eminent domain"; cites ratepayer costs up to about $960 million.
  • Vote or action. Urged the Public Service Commission to reject MARL; the Freedom Caucus, which he chairs, formally opposed it (June 2026).
  • Vote or action. Co-sponsored a 2026 amendment limiting data-center water use and giving nearby residents a vote on siting; it failed 6-87, including most Republicans.
Economy & Taxes

Voted against budgets over spending; says "End the Income Tax."

  • Vote or action. Voted against the FY2026 budget (April 2025), citing a $252 million spending increase.
  • Vote or action. As Freedom Caucus chair, opposed the 2026 budget for pairing tax cuts with about $300 million in new spending.
  • Statement. His site says "End the Income Tax."
  • Vote or action. Sponsored HB2469 to end the stormwater "rain tax"; says leadership refused to run it.
  • Vote or action. Helped pass a ban on local stormwater (MS4) rules beyond state or federal standards.
Education

Supports "full school choice"; protected Hope Scholarship funding.

  • Statement. Supports "full school choice."
  • Vote or action. Voted yes on the 2025 Parents’ Bill of Rights (87-9).
  • Vote or action. As Freedom Caucus chair, pushed to protect Hope Scholarship funding during 2026 budget cuts.
Healthcare

Backs an abortion ban and Certificate of Need repeal; opposes vaccine mandates.

  • Statement. Backs repealing Certificate of Need laws.
  • Statement. Opposes vaccine mandates.
  • Vote or action. Opposed a 2025 move to strip religious/philosophical exemptions.
  • Statement. Supports banning abortion entirely.
  • Vote or action. Sponsored a bill criminalizing shipment of abortion pills into WV.
Guns & Surveillance

Says "all anti-gun laws are unconstitutional"; backs surveillance limits.

  • Statement. Says "all anti-gun laws are unconstitutional."
  • Vote or action. Sponsored a 2026 bill banning state firearm-owner registries (HB4931); pending in committee.
  • Vote or action. Backed a statewide ban on license-plate-reader cameras and a "Fourth Amendment Restoration Act."
  • Statement. His site also urges ending "backdoor red flag gun confiscation," banning FLOCK cameras, and ending the Open Fields Doctrine.
  • Vote or action. Organized a cash-buying counter-event to a Shepherdstown church gun buyback (May 2026); police found no lawbreaking.
Property Rights

Wants to defend private property against eminent domain abuse.

  • Statement. His site says to "defend private property against eminent domain abuse."
Government Size

Says government "must be restrained to its Constitutional bounds."

  • Statement. His site says "Government is the enemy of liberty and must be restrained to its Constitutional bounds."

Vote, bill or action Statement or pledge Unverified claim

💰 Campaign Finance
  • Total Contributions: $45,457.23
  • Top Donor 1: David Levy, $5,600.00 (Kirkland and Ellis) and Mike Rydin, $5,600.00 (Retired)
  • Top Donor 2: Marlene Moss, $4,000.00 (Retired)
👤 Background

Republican delegate representing WV House District 97 (Jefferson and Berkeley counties) since 2024. Chairs the West Virginia Freedom Caucus. Lives in Martinsburg, Berkeley County, not Jefferson County. Former political consultant for conservative advocacy groups (Young Americans for Liberty, Acton Advocacy Group). Listed education is Hagerstown Community College or Shepherd University; sources conflict (unresolved).

🏅 Endorsements

Students for Life Action (2024 GOP primary)

🔗 Campaign Links
🌐 Campaign Website📱 Facebook: facebook.com/anders2024X: x.com/SChrisAnders2

Sources: WV Legislature official records, Ballotpedia, campaign website (anders4wv.com), ACLU-WV candidate questionnaire, West Virginia Watch, WV MetroNews, WAJR, West Virginia Daily News, Mountain State Spotlight

Running in: WV House of Delegates — District 97 (2026 General Election)