CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – A West Virginia state senator is inviting Augusta and Rockingham counties locally among 25 in Virginia and three in Maryland to become part of West Virginia.

Following the Democrats sweeping statewide offices as well as flipping 13 seats in the House of Delegates last Tuesday, Mountain state Governor Patrick Morrissey invited Virginians unhappy with the development to move there.

Now, State Senator Chris Rose, in what he labels in a social media post as “an appeal to heaven,” has one-upped that by inviting some conservative leaning counties in western Virginia and western Maryland to actually become part of that state.

He said the Friday resolution aimed to “strengthen regional ties and promote shared Appalachian values.”

He said it, “highlights the historical precedent set by West Virginia’s formation in 1863, when counties separated from Virginia amid national division.”

Rose, “emphasized that the move could address residents’ concerns over policies in their current states that may not align with local priorities, such as Second Amendment rights, economic development, and rural representation.”