04/17/2026
I’m heartbroken to hear of the passing of my dear friend, former Congressman David McKinley.
From our time together in the West Virginia House of Delegates to, more recently, the United States Congress, David and I could always call on each other when it mattered most for our state. When I was first elected as a state representative in 1982, David was the first person who befriended me and welcomed me to the state Capitol. David, Mary, Gayle and I formed a lifelong friendship that we will forever cherish.
I was proud to fight alongside David and West Virginia’s mining families to secure passage of the American Miners Pension Act in 2019. And David’s decades of civil engineering expertise was invaluable as we developed, and later passed, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law - a historic, $1.2 trillion investment that will continue to benefit West Virginians and Americans for generations to come.
David dedicated his life and career to moving West Virginia forward and creating a better quality of life for our people. I will forever be grateful for his service and our friendship. The State of West Virginia is in a better place today because of the dedicated service of David McKinley.
Please join Gayle and I in praying for David’s wife, Mary; his four children, six grandchildren, and all of his family, friends, former colleagues, and loved ones, as we mourn this tremendous loss.