{{Short description|American politician (born 1974)}} {{Use American English|date=May 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Eric Porterfield | image = | state_delegate = West Virginia | district = 27th | term_start = December 1, 2018 | term_end = December 1, 2020 | predecessor = Marty Gearheart | successor = Marty Gearheart | birth_name = Eric Earl Porterfield | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|11|17}} | birth_place = Princeton, West Virginia, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Republican | spouse = | alma_mater = | profession = | website = | children = 2 }}
'''Eric Earl Porterfield''' (born November 17, 1974) is an American politician and a former Republican member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 27, which includes parts of Mercer and Raleigh counties. First elected in 2018, Porterfield is the second blind person ever to serve in the West Virginia legislature. Alongside being known for being a physically disabled politician, Porterfield is also well known for his unwavering opposition to rights for LGBT people, who he has compared to terrorists and the Ku Klux Klan. He is on video expressing that, should his daughter or son come out gay, he would "see if they knew how to swim", implying he would drown them. In the June 2020 primary he was defeated in his bid for re-election, coming in last of Republican candidates running.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://wvmetronews.com/2020/06/09/controversial-delegate-porterfield-finishes-fifth-in-3-seat-primary/ |title=Controversial Delegate Porterfield finishes fifth in 3-seat primary |last=McElhinny |first=Brad |date=June 10, 2020 |publisher=West Virginia MetroNews |access-date=June 14, 2020}}</ref>
== Early life and education == Porterfield was born and raised in Princeton, West Virginia. Describing himself as a "pretty wild, out-of-control teenager", he later attended a Bible college at age 20.<ref>{{cite web |title=Candidate Profile: Eric Porterfield, House, District 27 |work=The Register-Herald |url=https://www.register-herald.com/news/candidate-profile-eric-porterfield-house-district/article_a133ba54-51d1-11e8-a22c-5fb381dcf5e7.html |date=May 5, 2018 |access-date=February 11, 2019}}</ref><ref name="South Sudan">{{Cite web |url=https://www.ptonline.net/news/local_news/porterfields-bring-blind-faith-to-south-sudan/article_fa0ea72a-6f9d-5634-ad5e-fcd5a74464b1.html |title=Porterfields bring Blind Faith to South Sudan |last=Toler |first=Tammie |date=September 28, 2012 |work=Princeton Times |access-date=February 12, 2019}}</ref> In 2006, at age 32, he was blinded as a result of a head injury received in a physical altercation.<ref name="blinddel">{{cite web |first=Jake |last=Zuckerman |title=Blind delegate to take office in January |work=Charleston Gazette-Mail |url=https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/politics/blind-delegate-to-take-office-in-january/article_5f454a5a-8b15-5892-88fa-e164afcfee51.html |date=December 25, 2018 |access-date=February 12, 2019}}</ref> Porterfield has not discussed the cause or nature of the altercation, noting: "I can't fully get into all the details of it, because there's still some stuff pending on it, but a major altercation with a multitude of men ended up leaving me instantaneously blind on December 10, 2006."<ref name="blinddel" />
According to a police report, the altercation occurred shortly after 3 a.m. in the parking lot of Cavanaugh's Sports Bar and Eatery in Schererville, Indiana.<ref name="documentcloud5756404">{{Cite web |url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5756404-SPD-Porterfield-Incident-Report.html |title=SPD Porterfield Incident Report |first=Jake |last=Zuckerman |website=documentcloud.org |date=December 10, 2010 |access-date=January 7, 2021}}</ref> The responding officer indicated that he saw two individuals "jump" Porterfield after a verbal argument with Porterfield and another man, later identified as Steve McPherson. When the officer asked Porterfield what happened, Porterfield responded: "[You're] a cop so fucking figure it out."<ref name="documentcloud5756404" /> The officer further detailed that Porterfield was "very uncooperative" and "refused to answer any questions other than his name" or provide photo identification.<ref name="documentcloud5756404" /> Porterfield was initially charged with one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.<ref name="documentcloud5756404" /> Porterfield was taken to the emergency room by ambulance and diagnosed with bilateral globe perforation. Despite the severity of his injuries and resulting blindness, Porterfield declined to press criminal charges against anyone involved in the incident and declined to give a formal statement, leading police to discontinue the investigation.<ref name="documentcloud5756404" />
Porterfield subsequently filed a civil personal injury action against the sports bar for negligent and/or reckless conduct in failing to take reasonable care for his safety as a patron.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theindianalawyer.com/articles/50169-appellate-court-bar-owed-duty-to-patron-injured-in-parking-lot-fight |title=Appellate court: Bar owed duty to patron injured in parking lot fight |last=Stancombe |first=Katie |website=The Indiana Lawyer |date=April 30, 2019 |language=en-US |access-date=January 7, 2021}}</ref> In a sworn deposition taken November 25, 2008, Porterfield stated he and McPherson arrived at Cavanaugh's around 11:00 p.m. on December 9, 2006, after leaving a strip club in Harvey, Illinois.<ref name="documentcloud5756410">{{Cite web |url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5756410-Porterfield-v-Cavanaugh-Depositions.html |title=Porterfield v Cavanaugh Depositions |first=Jake |last=Zuckerman |website=documentcloud.org |date=January 31, 2018 |access-date=January 7, 2021}}</ref> According to the police report, a verbal altercation began shortly after 3:00 a.m. in the bar's parking lot after McPherson touched a woman without her consent.<ref name="documentcloud5756404" /> McPherson apologized to the woman, at which point Porterfield approached and asked: "What are you apologizing to this bitch for? You don't have to apologize."<ref name="documentcloud5756404" /> Porterfield then asked two of the woman's friends, Jesus Venegas and Jason Dorado: "What are you bitches going to do about it?"<ref name="documentcloud5756404" /> Dorado later stated in a sworn deposition that he then saw Porterfield knock down Venegas.<ref name="documentcloud5756410" /> According to Dorado, Anthony Acevedo, the woman's cousin, hit Porterfield, leading Dorado to put Porterfield in a headlock.<ref name="documentcloud5756410" /> Dorado stated he "poked [Porterfield's] eyes out" after Porterfield bit off part of Dorado's ear.<ref name="documentcloud5756410" />
== Political career == === Electoral history === Porterfield was spurred to run for political office after a Republican Mercer County magistrate granted a protective order against him and his wife; this was in response to their organizing a boycott of a local OB-GYN over her support of abortion rights. Porterfield has also cited his opposition to a law banning conversion therapy as a contributing factor in his decision to run.<ref name="blinddel" /> He succeeded incumbent delegate Marty Gearheart, who decided to forgo reelection in 2018 and seek West Virginia's 3rd congressional district seat.<ref>{{cite web |first=Pete |last=Davis |title=Porterfield eager to lend his support to legislative conservatives |publisher=West Virginia MetroNews |url=http://wvmetronews.com/2018/11/28/porterfield-eager-to-lend-his-support-to-legislative-conservatives/ |date=November 28, 2018 |access-date=February 11, 2019}}</ref> Porterfield was defeated in his re-election bid on June 9, 2020, coming in last of Republican candidates running.
He ran for the West Virginia State Senate, District 6, in 2024, placing third out of three Republican candidates in a primary.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kersey |first1=Lori |title=Swope challenges election results in Mingo County • West Virginia Watch |url=https://westvirginiawatch.com/2024/06/05/swope-challenges-election-results-in-mingo-county/ |access-date=10 February 2026 |work=West Virginia Watch |date=5 June 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Christian |first1=Matthew |title=Southern West Virginia senators face primary challenges |url=https://www.wvva.com/2026/02/02/southern-west-virginia-senators-face-primary-challenges/ |access-date=10 February 2026 |work=www.wvva.com |date=2 February 2026 |language=en}}</ref> He ran for the same seat in 2026, but lost in the primary.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dingess |first1=Destiney |title=Filing for the 2026 primary has ended. Here's a list of candidates: |url=https://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/filing-for-the-2026-primary-has-ended-heres-a-list-of-candidates/article_2f4bb4d6-3942-4d51-b711-f1bd6b726af7.html |access-date=10 February 2026 |work=The Herald-Dispatch |date=3 February 2026 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Maynard wins GOP nomination for West Virginia Senate District 6 |url=https://wchstv.com/news/local/maynard-wins-gop-nomination-for-west-virginia-senate-district-6 |access-date=15 May 2026 |work=WCHS |date=12 May 2026 |language=en}}</ref> === Political views === Porterfield strongly opposes LGBT rights.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/12/us/eric-porterfield-west-virginia-lgbt-kkk-comments-trnd/index.html |title=A West Virginia lawmaker is facing calls to resign after comparing LGBT people to the KKK |last=Willingham |first=AJ |date=February 13, 2019 |publisher=CNN |access-date=February 19, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2019/02/13/eric-porterfield-anti-lgbt-republican-lawmaker/ |title=Who is Eric Porterfield? What has the anti-LGBT Republican lawmaker said? |last=Butler |first=Tijen |date=February 13, 2019 |website=PinkNews |access-date=February 19, 2019}}</ref> In February 2019, Porterfield faced criticism and calls to resign after he made a series of homophobic comments. After using the slur "faggot" in committee on February 6 while advocating for an amendment that would nullify local LGBT anti-discrimination ordinances, he appeared in interviews on February 8 calling the LGBT community "a modern day version of the Ku Klux Klan" and a "terrorist group".<ref>{{cite web |first=Jake |last=Zuckerman |title=GOP delegate compares gay community to Ku Klux Klan |work=Charleston Gazette-Mail |url=https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/legislative_session/gop-delegate-compares-gay-community-to-ku-klux-klan/article_d745c6cb-2de2-53a1-a757-048cb5f3eb19.html |date=February 8, 2019 |access-date=February 11, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Andrew |last=Blake |title=West Va. GOP legislator: 'LGBTQ is a modern day version of the Ku Klux Klan' |work=The Washington Times |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/feb/9/eric-porterfield-gop-delegate-the-lgbtq-is-a-moder/ |date=February 9, 2019 |access-date=February 11, 2019}}</ref> On February 10, when asked during a television interview on WVVA what he would do if his son and daughter ever came out to him as gay, Porterfield repeatedly responded that he would "see if they could swim" and declined to clarify what he meant.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://wvva.com/news/top-stories/2019/02/10/delegate-porterfield-stands-by-his-statements-regarding-the-lgbtq-community/ |title=Porterfield stands by statements on LGBTQ community |date=February 10, 2019 |publisher=WVVA |language=en-US |access-date=February 12, 2019 |archive-date=February 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212191925/https://wvva.com/news/top-stories/2019/02/10/delegate-porterfield-stands-by-his-statements-regarding-the-lgbtq-community/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> This was taken by many as implying he would drown them, though Porterfield later rejected this interpretation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Did West Virginia Pol Eric Porterfield Say He'd Drown His Gay Kids? |work=The Advocate |url=https://www.advocate.com/politics/2019/2/12/antigay-west-virginia-pol-says-hed-see-if-his-gay-kids-could-swim |date=February 11, 2019 |access-date=February 14, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Gazette editorial: Eric Porterfield isn't as bad as you think; he's worse |work=Charleston Gazette-Mail |url=https://www.wvgazettemail.com/opinion/gazette_opinion/editorial/gazette-editorial-eric-porterfield-isn-t-as-bad-as-you/article_295a6fe5-c911-5991-bde5-6a579c29c2d4.html |date=February 11, 2019 |access-date=February 14, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Eric |last=Porterfield |title=In my office thinking about my wife and children... |url=https://www.facebook.com/100000440084979/posts/2341608345863812/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220304212644/https://www.facebook.com/100000440084979/posts/2341608345863812/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 4, 2022 |via=Facebook |date=February 12, 2019 |access-date=February 12, 2019}}</ref> West Virginia Republican Party chair Melody Potter denounced Porterfield's words as unacceptable, saying further that they were "hateful, hurtful, and do not reflect the values of our country, our state, and the Republican Party".<ref>{{cite web |first=Tim |last=Fitzsimmons |title=GOP lawmaker under fire after calling LGBTQ groups 'modern day' KKK |work=NBC News |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/gop-lawmaker-under-fire-after-calling-lgbtq-groups-modern-day-n970231 |date=February 11, 2019 |access-date=February 12, 2019}}</ref> In response, Porterfield refused to apologize and doubled-down on his original statements, calling LGBTQ people "brutal monsters".<ref>{{cite web |first=Steven Allen |last=Adams |title=Del. Porterfield doubles down on anti-LGBTQ remarks |work=The Parkersburg News and Sentinel |url=http://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/local-news/2019/02/del-porterfield-doubles-down-on-anti-lgbtq-remarks/ |date=February 12, 2019 |access-date=February 12, 2019}}</ref>
=== Election results === {{Election box begin no change | title = 2018 Republican primary, House of Delegates, District 27<ref>{{cite web |title=West Virginia Elections Results, May 8, 2018 |agency=Associated Press |access-date=February 11, 2019 |url=https://elections.ap.org/gazettemail/election_results/2018-05-08}}</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | candidate = John Shott | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 2,220 | percentage = 23.77% }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | candidate = Joe Ellington | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 2,033 | percentage = 21.77% }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | candidate = Eric Porterfield | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 1,854 | percentage = 19.85% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | candidate = Zane Lawhorn | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 1,845 | percentage = 19.75% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | candidate = Mike Swatts | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 1,388 | percentage = 14.86% }} {{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change | title = 2018 general election, House of Delegates, District 27<ref>{{cite web |title=West Virginia Elections Results, November 6, 2018 |agency=Associated Press |access-date=February 11, 2019 |url=https://elections.ap.org/gazettemail/election_results/2018-11-06}}</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | candidate = John Shott | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 9,721 | percentage = 23.31% }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | candidate = Eric Porterfield | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 8,821 | percentage = 21.15% }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | candidate = Joe Ellington | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 8,729 | percentage = 20.93% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | candidate = Carol Bailey | party = Democratic Party (United States) | votes = 6,066 | percentage = 14.55% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | candidate = Phoebe Meadows | party = Democratic Party (United States) | votes = 4,208 | percentage = 10.09% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | candidate = Lacy Watson | party = Democratic Party (United States) | votes = 3,373 | percentage = 8.09% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | candidate = Karen White | party = Mountain Party | votes = 785 | percentage = 1.88% }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin no change | title = 2020 Republican primary, House of Delegates, District 27<ref>{{cite web |title=West Virginia Elections Results, June 9, 2020 |publisher=West Virginia MetroNews |access-date=June 14, 2020 |url=http://election.wvmetronews.com/results.cfm?func=showresults&show=stdelegates&refresh=095728 |archive-date=June 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615021556/http://election.wvmetronews.com/results.cfm?func=showresults&show=stdelegates&refresh=095728 |url-status=dead }}</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | candidate = Marty Gearheart | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 4,165 | percentage = 28% }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | candidate = Joe C. Ellington, Jr. | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 3,787 | percentage = 25% }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | candidate = Doug Smith | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 3,028 | percentage = 20% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | candidate = Jeremiah Nelson | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 2,079 | percentage = 14% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | candidate = Eric Porterfield | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 2,005 | percentage = 13% }} {{Election box end}}
== Personal life == Porterfield married Jessica ({{nee|Worrell}}) and has two children, Beth and John. They live in Princeton.<ref name="blinddel" /> He is a born-again Baptist missionary.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/02/13/eric-porterfield-west-virginia-lawmaker-slammed-anti-gay-remarks/2865439002/ |title=West Virginia lawmaker called to resign after comparing LGBTQ people to the Ku Klux Klan |last=Lam |first=Kristin |date=February 13, 2019 |website=USA Today |access-date=February 19, 2019}}</ref> He founded Blind Faith Ministries in 2012 and has done missionary work with the group in South Sudan, Venezuela, and Cuba.<ref name="South Sudan" /> He is a member and holds a position at Rich Creek Baptist Church in Spanishburg, West Virginia. The pastor of Rich Creek Baptist, Jamie Mattox, is also Vice Chairman of Porterfield's Blind Faith Ministries.{{cn|date=May 2026}} He is legally blind.{{cn|date=May 2026}}
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * [http://www.wvlegislature.gov/house/lawmaker.cfm?member=Delegate%20Porterfield Official page] at the West Virginia Legislature * {{CongLinks | congbio = | votesmart = 177727 | fec = | congress = }}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Conservatism|Politics}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Porterfield, Eric}} Category:1974 births Category:Baptist missionaries from the United States Category:American blind politicians Category:Christians from West Virginia Category:Living people Category:Republican Party members of the West Virginia House of Delegates Category:Politicians from Princeton, West Virginia Category:21st-century members of the West Virginia Legislature