[4] In explaining the switch, Bates noted the dramatic increase in Republican voter registrations in Raleigh County — a 30 percent swing in the last three years — as part of the motivation for his party affiliation change.
[5] At the time, West Virginia Democratic Party Chair Belinda Biafore called Bates’ departure “surprising and disappointing.”[5] Prior to his party switch, during the 2021 legislative session, Bates had voted with the Republican majority on controversial proposals, including a bill that restricts transgender girls and women from playing on sports teams based on their gender identity and a rollback of abortion rights.
[5] During his first run for office in 2014, Bates made much of his Australian upbringing and accent during his campaign, a tactic that was criticized by opponent Mel Kessler during the May primary election.
Bates told voters that he'd felt at home living in southern West Virginia, since his father and grandfather were both coal miners in Australia.
[6] West Virginia Executive Magazine honoured Bates with the Young Gun Award in 2005, and he was named to the Generation Next Honoree 2006 list by The State Journal.