Stuart resigns from West Virginia Senate for new federal role

WEST VIRGINIA (WOWK) – West Virginia State Senator Mike Stuart has officially resigned from the state legislature to take on a new role at the federal level.

Stuart was confirmed on Tuesday as the next General Counsel to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. His resignation from the State Senate took effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday morning.

“As I leave the State Senate, I am excited by my new role and the impact I can have as the General Counsel of the HHS. There is virtually no aspect of American life or any American family not impacted on a daily basis by HHS,” Stuart said. “The mission of HHS is to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans by providing effective human services and advancing scientific research.”

Stuart says as the HHS general counsel, he will be the third-ranking member of the department, which has more than 60,000 employees, 600 lawyers and nearly a third of the federal budget. Some of the other departments included under HHS are the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and more.

Also in his letter, Stuart said it has been his honor to “fight for the good people” of his Senate district. Before his service in the State Senate, which began in December 2022, Stuart served as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia from 2018 to early 2021.

Upon accepting Stuart’s resignation, Senate President Randy Smith (R-Preston) released the following statement, wishing his now-former colleague “the best of luck.”

“On behalf of my fellow members, I want to congratulate Senator Mike Stuart for his confirmation today to become the next General Counsel for the Department of Health and Human Services,” Smith said. “Mike has worked tirelessly for the Seventh District and the people of West Virginia, and I know that work will continue as he moves on to serve the Trump Administration in Washington. We wish him the best of luck as he takes on this new challenge.”

U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R) and Jim Justice (R) also applauded Stuart’s confirmation to his new position.

“Mike Stuart brings a strong history of legal and governmental service in West Virginia—including his prior tenure as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia. As HHS’ lead appropriator, I look forward to working with him in his new role and am confident that he will serve with distinction, ensuring the agency operates with accountability, clarity, and respect for the law,” Capito said.

“This is a proud moment for the state of West Virginia. Today, the Senate confirmed three exceptional public servants from our great state to serve in high-level federal roles. Michael Stuart, Moore Capito, and Matt Harvey are rock-solid leaders who represent the very best of our state. I thank my colleagues for voting to confirm them, and I am absolutely confident they will do a great job and make our state proud,” Justice said.

In his statement, Justice also referred to the confirmations of Moore Capito as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia and Matthew Harvey as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia. Both of those roles are four-year terms.